View the common conversion factors for energy use in Ireland.
Energy units
Energy is delivered in many different fuels and sources and can be expressed in terms of volume, mass, energy or emissions. Using the conversion factors below, it is possible to express each fuel or energy source in common units of energy or emissions so that they can be compared and aggregated.
Energy unit types
- Joule(J): Joule is the international unit of energy
- Kilowatt hour (kWh): This is the conventional unit of energy that electricity is measured by and charged for commercially.
- Tonne of oil equivalent (toe): This is a conventional standardised unit of energy (41.868 GJ), and is defined on the basis of a tonne of typical oil having a net calorific value of 41,868 kJ/kg. A related unit is the kilogram of oil equivalent (kgoe), where 1,000 kgoe = 1 toe.
Energy conversion factors
| To | toe | MWh | GJ |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Multiply by | ||
| toe | 1 | 11.63 | 41.868 |
| MWh | 0.086 | 1 | 3.6 |
| GJ | 0.02388 | 0.2778 | 1 |
Calorific values
The conversion of a fuel quantity from physical units into energy units requires a conversion factor which expresses the heat obtained from one unit of the fuel. This conversion factor is termed the calorific value or heating value of the fuel.
| Fuel | Net Calorific Value t/toe | Net Calorific Value MJ/t |
|---|---|---|
| Crude Oil | 1.0226 | 42,814 |
| Gasoline / Petrol | 1.0650 | 44,589 |
| Kerosene | 1.0556 | 44,196 |
| Jet Kerosene | 1.0533 | 44,100 |
| Gasoil / Diesel | 1.0344 | 43,308 |
| Residual Fuel Oil / Fuel Oil | 0.9849 | 41,236 |
| LPG | 1.1263 | 47,156 |
| Petroleum Coke | 0.7663 | 32,084 |
| Coal | 0.6650 | 27842 |
| Milled Peat | 0.1860 | 7,787 |
| Sod Peat | 0.3130 | 13,105 |
| Peat Briquettes | 0.4430 | 18,548 |
| Fuel | Net Calorific Value MJ/m³ | |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Gas | 38.3 |
Emission factors
The table below shows emission factors for CO2 per unit of energy for specific fuels.
| Fuel | tCO₂/TJ (NCV) | g CO₂/kWh (NCV) |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid Fuels | ||
| Gasoline / Petrol | 70.0 | 251.9 |
| Kerosene | 71.4 | 257.0 |
| Jet Kerosene | 71.4 | 257.0 |
| Gasoil / Diesel | 73.3 | 263.9 |
| Residual Oil / Fuel Oil | 76.0 | 273.6 |
| LPG | 63.7 | 229.3 |
| Naphta | 73.3 | 264.0 |
| Petroleum Coke | 92.9 | 334.5 |
| Solid Fuels and Derivatives | ||
| Coal | 94.6 | 340.6 |
| Milled Peat | 116.7 | 420.0 |
| Sod Peat | 104.0 | 374.4 |
| Peat Briquettes | 98.9 | 355.9 |
| Natural Gas | 56.9 | 204.7 |
| Electricity (2018) | 104.3 | 375.4 |
| Electricity (2019) | 90.1 | 324.5 |
Fuel densities
Conversion from volume (litres) to mass (tonnes) for liquid fuels requires the densities of the liquids, with the most common fuels shown here.
| Fuel | Density (in litres/tonnes) |
|---|---|
| Kerosene | 1250 |
| Crude Oil | 1067 |
| Gasoline (Petrol) | 1325 |
| Diesel / Gasoil | 1183 |
| Heavy Fuel Oil | 1062 |
| LPG* | 1915 |
| Biodiesel | 1136 |
| Bioethanol | 1250 |
| Pure Plant Oil | 1087 |
| *Assumes a mixture of 70% propane & 30% butane by mass |
Primary energy conversion factors
Energy consumption can be expressed as total final consumption (TFC) or total primary energy requirement (TPER). TPER accounts for the energy that is consumed and/or lost in transformation, transmission and distribution processes. It is calculated by applying conversion factors, which vary by fuel type, to TFC values. The table below shows the conversion factors for 2019. Historic conversion factors can be downloaded here.
| Fuel | 2020 conversion factor |
|---|---|
| Aviation fuels | 1.1 |
| Biogas / landfill gas | 1.0 |
| Coal | 1.1 |
| District heat | 1.1 |
| Electricity | 1.830257 |
| Gasoil | 1.1 |
| Kerosene | 1.1 |
| Light, medium & heavy fuel oils | 1.1 |
| LPG | 1.1 |
| Manufactured Ovoids | 1.2 |
| Marked diesel, road diesel & petrol | 1.1 |
| Natural gas |
1.1 |
| Peat | 1.1 |
| Pure biodiesel / bioethanol | 1.1 |
| Solar thermal | 1.0 |
| Wood briquettes / chips / logs / pellets | 1.1 |