The power plant burns natural gas and produces electrical energy with 40% efficiency; the electric transmission line between the plant and the home loses 10% of the electrical energy as heat. All that remains goes into heating the water. In contrast, the water heater gets only 60% of the fuel energy into the water. Which scheme uses more natural gas to heat a given quantity of water?

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

Total efficiency for the power plant is given by 40 x ... View the full answer