Why Emergy- and Exergy Analysis are non-commensurable methods for the assessment of energy conversion systems

The paper discusses a fundamental incompatibility between Emergy- ('EMA') and Exergy ('EXA') Analysis. Both approaches quantify the resource consumption of physical systems by applying space- and time integrated energy input/output methods. A detailed theoretical analysis and two specific examples show that at least one of the claims made by EMA practitioners is based on a misinterpretation of the exergy accounting practices, that the claim that "emergy is embodied exergy" is inconsistent with EMA procedures, and that if these procedures were amended to correctly account for exergy flows, EMA would resemble Szargut's Cumulative Exergy Content method and/or Extended Exergy Accounting.

[1]  Howard T. Odum,et al.  Energy, ecology, and economics , 1973 .

[2]  Sergio Ulgiati,et al.  Energy quality, emergy, and transformity: H.T. Odum’s contributions to quantifying and understanding systems , 2004 .

[3]  Stephan Kabelac,et al.  Exergy of solar radiation , 2005 .

[4]  Jan Szargut,et al.  International progress in second law analysis , 1980 .

[5]  R. A. Gaggioli,et al.  The concepts of thermodynamic friction, thermal available energy, chemical available energy and thermal energy , 1962 .

[6]  Geoffrey P. Hammond,et al.  Energy and sustainability in a complex world: Reflections on the ideas of Howard T. Odum , 2007 .

[7]  Enrico Sciubba,et al.  Extended Exergy Accounting as a general method for assessing the primary resource consumption of social and industrial systems , 2007 .

[8]  Simone Bastianoni,et al.  Emergy as a function of exergy , 2007 .

[9]  Enrico Sciubba,et al.  A brief Commented History of Exergy From the Beginnings to 2004 , 2007 .

[10]  H. Odum,et al.  Self-Organization, Transformity, and Information , 1988, Science.

[11]  Silvia Bargigli,et al.  An emergy evaluation of complexity, information and technology, towards maximum power and zero emissions , 2007 .

[12]  J. E. Ahern,et al.  The exergy method of energy systems analysis , 1980 .

[13]  S. Ulgiati,et al.  Emergy-based indices and ratios to evaluate the sustainable use of resources , 1995 .

[14]  B. Bakshi,et al.  Promise and problems of emergy analysis , 2004 .

[15]  E. Sciubba.  Beyond thermoeconomics? The concept of Extended Exergy Accounting and its application to the analysis and design of thermal systems , 2001 .

[16]  George Tsatsaronis,et al.  Exergy Costing in Exergoeconomics , 1993 .

[17]  Jan Szargut,et al.  Exergy Analysis of Thermal, Chemical, and Metallurgical Processes , 1988 .

[18]  E. Sciubba,et al.  Exergy Destruction as an Ecological Indicator , 2008 .

[19]  Enrico Sciubba,et al.  Exergy and extended exergy accounting of very large complex systems with an application to the province of Siena, Italy. , 2008, Journal of environmental management.

[20]  R. Petela.  Exergy of Heat Radiation , 1964 .

[21]  Sergio Ulgiati,et al.  Emergy Analysis and Environmental Accounting , 2004 .

[22]  Enrico Sciubba,et al.  Emergy and exergy analyses: Complementary methods or irreducible ideological options? , 2005 .

[23]  M. J. Moran,et al.  Exergy Analysis: Principles and Practice , 1994 .

[24]  Enrico Sciubba,et al.  From Engineering Economics to Extended Exergy Accounting: A Possible Path from Monetary to Resource‐Based Costing , 2004 .

[25]  E. Sciubba,et al.  Modeling the energetic and exergetic self-sustainability of societies with different structures , 1995 .

[26]  Enrico Sciubba,et al.  Modular Repowering of Power Plants With Nominal Ratings Lower Than 180 MW: A Rational Design Approach and Its Application to the Italian Utility System , 1994 .

[27]  Simone Bastianoni,et al.  The solar transformity of oil and petroleum natural gas , 2005 .

[28]  M. J. Moran,et al.  Thermal design and optimization , 1995 .

[29]  Sergio Ulgiati,et al.  Emergy evaluations and environmental loading of electricity production systems , 2002 .

[30]  M. T Brown,et al.  Embodied energy analysis and EMERGY analysis: a comparative view , 1996 .