USAID General Publications Energy for All: A Guide to Key Concepts and Institutions in the Energy Sector

Why is this Guide Necessary? 

Energy is the driving force behind everything. The word that originally comes from the Greek language (ἐνέργεıα) has found its place in most living languages. It is used in different scientific disciplines, physics, biology, chemistry, technology, economy or in a philosophical sense.

It is present in the famous formula (E = m c2 ) in which Albert Einstein stated that energy is the product of mass and the square of the speed of light. We know that energy is present in everything that surrounds us, in every substance, microparticle and even in the unimaginably distant depths of space. Everyone needs energy and everyone should use it, but also know and understand it. With the spread of knowledge about energy and its manifestations, a special scientific and practical field called energetics (energy technology) emerged. Energetics deals with energy sources, the transformation of different forms of energy into the required form, the generation of electricity, transmission and distribution, procedures for its rational use, but also the effects of energy use on the environment.

The energy sector has strategic importance because energy is necessary and vitally important for everyday life - for lighting, heating, transportation, but it also represents a key element for all other sectors of the economy such as agriculture, industry, services and research and development