POWER POLLUTION CALCULATOR

Enter your monthly or annual electricity use, then click enter (check your electric bills):

use of kilowatt-hours of electricity, if your power plant generates power from emits approximately the following mix of pollutants each year.

Pounds

Substance

Comments

SO2

Sulphur Dioxide - Associated with visible pollution smog and acid rain.

NOx

Oxides of Nitrogen - Created when nitrogen is burned as part of the combustion process, one of the main causes of ozone (smog), also associated with acid rain.

PM10

Particulate matter smaller than 10 microns - associated with breathing ailments.

CO2

CO2, Carbon Dioxide, is a normal atmospheric component but increased levels can contribute to future climate changes.

VOCs

Volatile Organic Compounds - One of the primary causes of ozone (smog), also some of the individual compounds are toxic.

Cooling Water Consumption

Gallons

Power plants are on average 35 percent efficient, they lose huge amounts of waste heat that is not usually recovered making power plants large water consumers. Add transmission losses and they are even less efficient