Thermal Conversions in Portfolio Manager

 

For each fuel type in Portfolio Manager a variety of units are offered so that you may enter your energy meter data using the units shown on your utility bills.  In order to combine energy use across multiple meters with different units, conversions must be applied to express all meter entries in the same unit (for more on this process see Managing Energy Meters).  Portfolio Manager uses a common unit of kBtu.  Table 1 provides a summary of the conversion multipliers for all energy types and unit options in Portfolio Manager. These are the values Portfolio Manager uses to convert various units to kBtu for example, 1 MBtu = 1000 kBtu and 1 Therm = 100 kBtu.

 

In some cases the conversions in this table are standard multipliers.  That is, 1 kBtu is by definition 1,000 Btu, and no thermal assumptions are required.  In other cases, a thermal conversion factor is necessary.  The Btu (or, heat) associated with a barrel of oil or a pound of coal depends on the chemical property of the oil (or coal).  Table 2 provides summary information on the reference higher heat contents for each fuel.  EPA applies these thermal conversions consistent with DOE’s Annual Energy Review, and EPA’s Inventory of US Greenhouse Gases and Sinks.

 

Table 1

Summary of Available Fuel Units in Portfolio Manager

and Conversion Factors to Obtain kBtu

Fuel Types in Portfolio Manager

Input Unit Options Available

Multiplier to convert input units to kBtu

Electricity

(Grid Purchase or Onsite Renewable)

kBtu

 1

MBtu

1000

kWh

3.412

MWh

3412

Natural Gas

kBtu

1

 MBtu

1000

cf

1.029

ccf

102.9

kcf

1029

Mcf

1029000

Therms

100

cubic meters

36.339

District Steam

kBtu

1

MBtu

1000

Lbs

1.194

kLbs

1194

MLbs

1194000

therms

100

District Hot Water

kBtu

1

MBtu

1000

therms

100

District Chilled Water (Electric Driven Chiller, Absorption Chiller using Natural Gas, Engine-Driven Chiller using Natural Gas)

kBtu

1

MBtu

1000

Ton Hours

12

Kerosene

kBtu

1

MBtu

1000

Gallons

135.00

liters

35.100

Fuel Oil (No. 1), Fuel Oil (No. 2), Fuel Oil (No. 4), Diesel

kBtu

1

MBtu

1000

Gallons

138.6905

liters

36.060

Fuel Oil (No. 5 & No. 6)

kBtu

1

MBtu

1000

Gallons

149.6905

liters

38.920

Propane and Liquid Propane

kBtu

1

MBtu

1000

cf

2.5185

kcf

2518.5

Gallons

91.6476

liters

23.828

Coal (anthracite)

kBtu

1

MBtu

1000

Tons

25090.0

Lbs

12.545

kLbs

12545

MLbs

12545000

Coal (bituminous)

kBtu

1

MBtu

1000

Tons

24930

Lbs

12.465

kLbs

12465

MLbs

12465000

Coke

kBtu

1

MBtu

1000

Tons

24800.0

Lbs

12.400

kLbs

12400.000

MLbs

12400000.000

Wood

kBtu

1

MBtu

1000

Tons

15380.0

Other

kBtu

1

 

 

 

 

 

Table 2

Reference Heat Content for Each Fuel Type

Natural Gas1

1029 Btu/sc

Kerosene1

5.67 MBtu/Barrel

Fuel Oil (No. 1, 2, 3, &4) and Diesel1

5.83 MBtu/Barrel

Fuel Oil (No. 5 &6)1

6.29 MBtu/Barrel

Coke1

24.8 Mbtu/ton

Coal (Anthracite)1

25.09 MBtu/ton

Coal (Bituminous)1

24.93 MBtu/ton

District Steam2

1194 Btu/Lb

Propane and Liquid Propane3

3.85 MBtu/Barrel

Wood4

15.38 MBtu/ton

References:

  1. Coal, Coke, Natural Gas, and Petroleum (except LPG)&emdash;Heat content values from the Annual Energy Review 2006, U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Washington, DC.

 

Heating content value of natural gas reflects the value for a standard cubic foot (scf).  This is equivalent to 1 cubic foot at standard temperature and atmospheric pressure.  At higher elevations, the atmospheric pressure is lower resulting in less heat per unit of volume.  Most utilities account for this and report in standard cubic feet or include an adjustment explicitly on the bill. Therefore, all gas meters in Portfolio Manager are adjusted with the same thermal conversion factor.

 

  1. Heat content value reflects an assumed system delivery at 150 psig saturated steam with a Btu value of 1194 Btu/lb, a value provided to EPA by the International District Energy Association (IDEA).

 

  1. Heat content value for LPG and its components from the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990&endash;2005. EPA430-R-07-002, U.S. EPA, Washington, DC, April 2007.

 

  1. Heat content value for wood and wood waste from the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990&endash;2005, EPA 430-R-07-002, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC April 2007.  Heat content is assumed to be representative of wood and wood waste used in the industrial sector.