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Quiz: Energy – everything clear?

Quiz

Energy is everywhere: it shapes our lives and makes the world go round. But it’s also rather elusive. Take our quiz to learn about the multifaceted research ETH is doing in this field.

by Michael Keller / Florian Meyer

The quiz series takes you on a tour of discovery through ETH Zurich’s research and teaching. This edition is dedicated to the topic of energy.

Energy was also the topic of Energy Day @ ETH. On 10 December 2019, this public event at the Energy Science Center explored whether a climate-neutral energy system is achievable by 2050. A total of more than 400 guests from industry, science, business and politics as well as Winterthur cantonal students came to ETH Zurich to attend the Youth Energy Conference, the Focus Dialogues on mobility and power supply and the symposium in the afternoon.

Further information

Quiz: Energy – everything clear?

  1. Question 1 of 7
    Autumn leaves on the ground

    1. What actually is energy?

    • ✓ Correct Energy is a fundamental quantity of nature and plays a key role in physics, chemistry and biology, as well as technology and industry. Energy is available in the form of various energy sources, such as crude oil, natural gas, hydropower, uranium, sunlight and wind. People can convert these 'primary' energy sources into other forms and use them for practical purposes. Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it remains constant, but is transformed. More information (in German) (Image: winyuu/iStock)

    • ✘ False Energy is a fundamental quantity of nature and plays a key role in physics, chemistry and biology, as well as technology and industry. Energy is available in the form of various energy sources, such as crude oil, natural gas, hydropower, uranium, sunlight and wind. People can convert these 'primary' energy sources into other forms and use them for practical purposes. Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it remains constant, but is transformed. More information (in German) (Image: winyuu/iStock)

  2. Question 2 of 7
    Industrial scenery with crane

    2. What does 'secondary energy' mean and why is it important?

      • ✓ Correct Secondary energy means those forms of energy that people can transport, store and use in practice, namely electricity, fuel, heating oil or remote heat. Secondary energy is created by the conversion of primary energy, such as crude oil, natural gas, hydropower, uranium, sunshine or wind power, into other forms. More information is available from the Energy Science Center (Image: acilo/iStock)

      • ✘ False Secondary energy means those forms of energy that people can transport, store and use in practice, namely electricity, fuel, heating oil or remote heat. Secondary energy is created by the conversion of primary energy, such as crude oil, natural gas, hydropower, uranium, sunshine or wind power, into other forms. More information is available from the Energy Science Center (Image: acilo/iStock)

    • Question 3 of 7
      Power socket

      3. From where does Switzerland get most of its energy?

        • ✓ Correct Given that Switzerland's energy resources are rather limited (aside from hydropower and firewood), the country has to import energy to cover about 75 percent of its needs, whether in the form of crude oil, natural gas, coal or nuclear fuel. In 2017, 60 percent of the energy produced in Switzerland came from hydropower and 32 percent from nuclear power plants. In addition, 9 percent of its electricity was generated through other methods (refuse incineration, wind, photovoltaics, etc.). The shares are rounded up. More information about the potential of hydropower (Image: piovesempre/iStock)

        • ✘ False Given that Switzerland's energy resources are rather limited (aside from hydropower and firewood), the country has to import energy to cover about 75 percent of its needs, whether in the form of crude oil, natural gas, coal or nuclear fuel. In 2017, 60 percent of the energy produced in Switzerland came from hydropower and 32 percent from nuclear power plants. In addition, 9 percent of its electricity was generated through other methods (refuse incineration, wind, photovoltaics, etc.). The shares are rounded up. More information about the potential of hydropower (Image: piovesempre/iStock)

      • Question 4 of 7
        Illustration with Swiss flag

        4. What consumes the most energy in Switzerland?

          • ✓ Correct Transport uses the most energy from a proportional perspective, accounting for more than a third. And in absolute terms, its use of energy has increased the most since 1990. Energy consumption has increased fivefold in Switzerland since 1950, with population growth and economic development the key causes. Thanks to technical advances and more efficient energy use, per capita consumption has dropped by 15 percent since 1990. More information (Image: Evgeny Gromov/iStock)

          • ✘ False Transport uses the most energy from a proportional perspective, accounting for more than a third. And in absolute terms, its use of energy has increased the most since 1990. Energy consumption has increased fivefold in Switzerland since 1950, with population growth and economic development the key causes. Thanks to technical advances and more efficient energy use, per capita consumption has dropped by 15 percent since 1990. More information (Image: Evgeny Gromov/iStock)

        • Question 5 of 7
          Subterranean pipe system

          5. The Anergy grid on the Hönggerberg campus is one way that ETH Zurich is shaping its energy use along sustainable lines and reducing CO2. How does it work?

            • ✓ Correct ETH Zurich is building a underground storage system on its Hönggerberg campus to provide both heating and cooling and reduce CO2 emissions. It’s a simple idea: the underground storage works like a battery that charges or supplies energy depending on the season. While one building might need to be heated in winter, others (in particular those with servers or lab equipment) give off heat year-round and have to be cooled down. The ground storage system stores excess heat 150-200 metres below ground in geothermal probes filled with water. It can use this heat to provide heating in winter and cooling in summer. More information (Image: ETH Zurich/Florian Meyer)

            • ✘ False ETH Zurich is building a underground storage system on its Hönggerberg campus to provide both heating and cooling and reduce CO2 emissions. It’s a simple idea: the underground storage works like a battery that charges or supplies energy depending on the season. While one building might need to be heated in winter, others (in particular those with servers or lab equipment) give off heat year-round and have to be cooled down. The ground storage system stores excess heat 150-200 metres below ground in geothermal probes filled with water. It can use this heat to provide heating in winter and cooling in summer. More information (Image: ETH Zurich/Florian Meyer)

          • Question 6 of 7
            Illustration city and surroundings

            6. Why is renewable energy so important for the future of energy?

              • ✓ Correct The needs of the world’s population are met predominantly by non-renewable fossil sources, but CO2 and other atmospheric pollutants are released when coal, crude oil and natural gas are burnt. Renewable energy forms, such as wind power, hydropower, solar power, geothermal energy and biomass, produce much less CO2 and are less damaging to the environment. However, all forms of energy have some kind of impact on the environment. More information (Image: DrAfter123/iStock)

              • ✘ False The needs of the world’s population are met predominantly by non-renewable fossil sources, but CO2 and other atmospheric pollutants are released when coal, crude oil and natural gas are burnt. Renewable energy forms, such as wind power, hydropower, solar power, geothermal energy and biomass, produce much less CO2 and are less damaging to the environment. However, all forms of energy have some kind of impact on the environment. More information (Image: DrAfter123/iStock)

            • Question 7 of 7
              Solar cells and wind turbines

              7. As greater quantities of electricity are generated from wind and solar energy, it is becoming more difficult to compensate for output fluctuations compared with today’s blend of fossil fuels, hydroelectric power and nuclear power. This statement is ...

                • ✓ Correct The statement is true: given that the sun is not always shining and wind comes and goes, increasing wind and solar production makes it ever-harder to compensate for output fluctuations in the electricity grid. Researchers from the ETH Domain (ETH Zurich, PSI, Empa) launched the research platform ReMaP in 2018 to explore these complex interplays. More information and here (Image: artJazz/iStock)

                • ✘ False The statement is true: given that the sun is not always shining and wind comes and goes, increasing wind and solar production makes it ever-harder to compensate for output fluctuations in the electricity grid. Researchers from the ETH Domain (ETH Zurich, PSI, Empa) launched the research platform ReMaP in 2018 to explore these complex interplays. More information and here (Image: artJazz/iStock)

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