The Sankey visualization about our energy systems in America breaks down the percentages of different energy sources in varying states. Initially, it was confusing to read, specifically the image below, however the other tabs were quite interesting.
This visual breaks up the different types of energy and shows where each one is used (residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation). The numbers (to the left) are a bit confusing to me because I’m not quite sure what they represent. With that said, I do enjoy how interactive this page is. Just by hovering over the different types of energies, the visual becomes a bit clearer. It was surprising to me that in 2011, 1920 Trillion Btu was the estimated energy usage. I wonder what these numbers would be like now, especially during quarantine.
How We Use Energy:
This section of the website is very helpful as it gives some background of the topic. I specifically like the quizzes on the side of the page because they keep the reader engaged and interested. The statistics are also very interesting to read. I like how the reader can look more into a specific topic that interests them. For example, 28% of all energy in the United States is used to transportation.
At Home:
One great feature of this website is that they break up energy usage into homes (including televisions, lightbulbs, and washing machines) and road life. The “At Home” section is very interesting and even allows the reader to turn that dial in the middle of the screen to view the specific number of energy used, coal burned, and CO2 vented.
In Conclusion..
This site is extremely interactive which is why it is so great. There are many great statistics and explanations of how energy is used. Another great feature is that the reader can dive in deeper on a particular category that intrigues them.