Summary Table of Units of Energy Measurement
Updated on 02.02.2024
10 min read
Middle School
High School
Physics - chemistry
Below, a summary table of units of measurement used in the energy sector.
Name and abbreviation | Definition |
---|---|
("bbl" or "b") | Unit of measurement for volume, specific to petroleum products. 1 barrel = 158.99 liters |
1 barrel of oil equivalent corresponds to the energy produced when a barrel of oil is burned. | |
British Thermal Unit (BTU) | Imperial unit of measurement for energy. 1 BTU ≈ 1055 joules (J) |
Calorie (cal) | Energy measurement units. 1 cal = 4.184 J. In food, the kilocalorie is generally used (1 kcal = 1,000 cal). |
Cubic foot (CF) | Imperial unit of measurement for volume. 1 cubic foot = 28.32 liters (l) |
Degree Celsius (°C) | Unit of measurement for temperature, derived from the International System of Units. |
Gallon (gal) | Imperial unit of measurement for volume. 1 U.K. gal = 4.546 liters (l); 1 U.S. gallon = 3.785 liters (l) |
Horsepower (hp) | Unit of measurement for power 1 horsepower = 735.5 watts (W) |
Joule (J) | The basic unit of measurement for energy. We often use kilojoules (kJ) up to exajoules (EJ), i.e. 1018 joules. |
Kilowatt-hour (kWh) | Commonly used unit of measurement for energy kilowatt-hour = 3.6 × 106 joules (J) |
Stere (st) | Unit of measurement for a volume of wood. 1 stere = 1 cubic meter of stacked logs, including the empty spaces between them |
Ton (t) | Unit of measurement for weight. |
1 ton of
equivalent equals the energy produced when a ton of coal is burned. 1 ton of coal equivalent = 0.66 , on average | |
Ton of oil equivalent (toe) | 1 ton of oil equivalent equals the energy produced when a ton of oil is burned. |
Watt (W) | Official unit of measurement for power. |
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