Earth Day Energy Quiz 2010 Answers

Here’s the answers to our Earth Day Energy Quiz. Ten simple questions – what was your score?

The most fuel-efficient car sold in Canada today is
a) a hybrid The most fuel efficient car sold in Canada is a hybrid, the Toyota Prius, which uses 3.7 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 4.0 on the highway. The three-cylinder Smart car uses 5.9 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 4.8 on the highway. The Volkswagen Golf TDI uses 6.7 lites per 100 kilometres in the city and 4.8 on the highway. Plug-in electric cars won’t be introduced in Canada until November, 2010.

Which provides more electricity in Canada?
c) biomass thermal power In 2008, biomass provided about 8.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, or about 1.4 per cent of the total; wind provided 2.9 billion kilowatt-hours or 0.5 per cent and solar and tidal combined provided 0.054 billion kilowatt-hours or 0.0088 per cent of the total generation in Canada.

What uses the most energy in a typical Canadian house?
a) space heating Space heating accounts for about 62.8 per cent of the total energy used in a typical Canadian household; water heating accounts for 17.8 per cent; appliance for 13.3 per cent and lighting for 1.4 per cent.

In terms of daylight hours per year, where is the best place in Canada to install solar panels
b) Alert, Nunavut Alert, Canada’s northern-most inhabited location, receives about 4,581 daylight hours per year. Leamington, one of the southern-most cities receives about 4,457 daylight hours. Of course Alert has 24-hour daylight in the summer and 24-hour darkness in the winter, while Leamington gets daylight all year round. Calgary and Churchill receive 4,479 and 4,515 daylight hours respectively.

Tidal power is unique to which province?
d) Nova Scotia Only Nova Scotia generates electricity through tidal power.

Which province or territory generates the largest portion of electricity from wind power?
d) Prince Edward Island   About 87 per cent of Prince Edward Island’s own electricity generation is from wind power. In the other provinces, wind generation accounts for less than four percent.

In Canada, RSI Values relate to?
a) effectiveness of home insulation RSI values are the metric equivalent to R values, a measure of the thermal resistance of insulation. The SI refers to Système International, or what the metric system is called outside of North America.

In which province is it least advantageous to generate your own electricity?
d) New Brunswick New Brunswick has a net metering program where any electricity not used by the generating entity can be fed back to the provincial electricity grid and is credited on the generating entity’s next bill. For example, someone having solar photovoltaic panels and/or wind turbines to generate electricity for their own use may generate more electricity than they need on a windy cloudless day, or may have to draw electricity from the grid on a cloudy day with no wind. Net metering calculates the amount used and the amount sold. Electricity sold back to the grid shows up as a credit on the individual’s electricity bill.

Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia (and Manitoba) will actually buy surplus electricity at various rates depending on the energy source, which can be more advantageous that net metering. Other provinces – Saskatchewan, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia – also have net metering programs. Such programs are under review in Newfoundland and Labrador and Yukon.

How much more efficient than a conventional incandescent light bulb is a compact fluorescent light bulb?
b) 75 per cent Compact fluorescent light bulbs are, on average, 75 per cent more efficient than incandescent bulb.

Which of these vehicles doesn’t come in a hybrid version?
c) motorcycle Although both Honda and Yamaha have hybrid motorcycles in development, none are actually in production. Some hybrid motor scooters are currently available, but they really aren’t motorcycles.