Title: Approaches to energy quality in energy analysis

Authors: M.G. Patterson

Addresses: Department of Geography, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Abstract: The concept of energy quality has been a persistent problem area, since energy analysis emerged as a separate discipline in the early 1970s. Various methods for measuring energy quality have been proposed, including: thermodynamic measures and their modern derivatives, OECD thermal equivalents and fossil fuel equivalents. Each of these methods are critically examined, and are found to be inappropriate for measuring energy quality in complex economic systems where a whole variety of processes, sources and end-uses are concurrently used. The quality equivalent methodology is introduced in the final section of the paper as a candidate method for measuring energy quality in complex economic systems, as well as providing a method for operationalising the Lovins-type end-use matching framework.

Keywords: end-use matching; energy analysis; energy efficiency; energy quality measurement; quality equivalent methodology; complex economic systems.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGEI.1993.063627

International Journal of Global Energy Issues, 1993 Vol.5 No.1, pp.19-28

Published online: 17 Jul 2014 *

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