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“Final energy consumption” is the amount of energy that consumers in Switzerland can buy to satisfy the demand of energy services. “Final energy consumption*” adds the “waste heat” from power generation to “final energy consumption”. In the detailed graph, the energy consumption is disaggregated considering the electricity (Elec.) usage (i.e. heat pumps or direct use) and the thermal processes (Th.) that encompass boilers, cogeneration, solar heat and geothermal resources.

Here are the different labels:

• Waste heat: It is the waste heat from thermal power generation. If electricity is produced from fuel combustion not all combustion energy can be converted into electricity. Usually the average efficiency is around 40%. The energy that is not converted is called “waste heat” and it is sent to the ambient. Nuclear power plants also produce “waste heat”. Around 37% of the heat from fuel fission is converted into electricity. The remaining 63% is “waste heat”. “Waste heat” related to electricity import is also taken into account, for its calculation it is assumed that the average energy efficiency of conventional thermal electricity production in the EU-25 is 38.2%. If useful heat is included, as well as electricity, the average energy efficiency rises up to 47.8% ^[1].
• Fuel Transport: energy value of the fuels that are used in the transport sector.
• Th. Process heat: energy value of the heat that is supplied by the use a thermal conversion processes : boiler, cogeneration.
• Th. Hot water energy value of the heat of the sanitary hot water that is supplied by a thermal conversion processes : boiler, cogeneration, solar or geothermal heat.
• Th. Space heating: energy value of the heat supplied for space heating by thermal conversion processes : boiler, cogeneration, solar heat or geothermal heat.
• Elec. transport: Electricity that is consumed in the transport sector (train and other electric vehicles).
• Elec. process: Electricity that is consumed in industrial processes, for either heating through direct electric heating or producing work (engines).
• Elec. hot water: Electricity that is used for producing sanitary hot water through direct electric heating.
• Elec. heat pump: Electricity that is consumed by the heat pump, which mainly provide heat for hot water and space heating.
• Elec. direct heat: Electricity that is used for space heating by electric direct heating.
• Elec. other: Electricity that is consumed for other purposes that have not been previously mentioned such as lighting, cooking, IT, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, etc.

It has to be mentioned that the hot water demand can not be seen on this indicator since part of the consumption is accounted in the electricity consumed in the heat pumps.

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[1] European Environment Agency, EU-25 Efficiency of conventional thermal electricity production