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Compare the carbon footprint of different energy sources, heating systems, and lighting. Heat pumps vs gas boilers, solar vs grid, and more.
Coal produces 820–1,200 g CO2 per kWh, natural gas 410–520 g, solar 20–50 g, onshore wind 7–15 g, and nuclear 5–15 g. Switching from coal to wind reduces electricity emissions by over 98%. Even natural gas (the cleanest fossil fuel) produces 25–70x more CO2 than renewables.
A heat pump produces 50–75% fewer CO2 emissions than a gas boiler for the same amount of heat. In the UK, switching from a gas boiler to an air source heat pump saves approximately 1,200–1,800 kg CO2 per year. The savings are even larger in countries with clean electricity grids.
A 9W LED bulb produces the same brightness as a 60W incandescent but uses 85% less energy. For the same 200 kWh of incandescent-equivalent use, LEDs cut annual lighting emissions by about 85% — saving 27 kg CO2 in the US, 49 kg in India, and 12 kg in Canada.
Solar panels produce 20–50 g CO2 per kWh over their lifetime (from manufacturing), compared to 130–820 g for grid electricity depending on the country. The carbon payback period — the time it takes for solar panels to offset their manufacturing emissions — is typically 1–4 years, after which they provide 25+ years of near-zero-carbon electricity.