Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge, UK
27 – 29 June 2022
Understanding the interactions between energy and the economy in society is crucial if we are to navigate the future challenges of climate change and providing wellbeing for all. The thermodynamic concept of exergy, which reflects the quality of energy in units of work, helps us to trace the transformation of energy along supply chains and quantify the efficiency and losses from energy conversion. Useful exergy (UE), the useful part of energy that is delivered to the end of each energy chain, is an informative metric due to its close association with economic metrics, such as GDP.
A burgeoning community of academics are now interested in developing the use of exergy to understand industrial and economic systems. The community has been catalysed by five International Exergy Economics Workshops: 2014 at the University of Leeds, 2016 at the University of Sussex, 2018 at the Instituto Superior Técnico/University of Lisbon, 2020 (virtual), and 2021 (virtual).
On 27 June – 29 June 2022 the sixth International Exergy Economics Workshop (IEEW2022) was held in Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. 30-40 researchers met over 3 days to discuss past, present and future research.
See IEEW 2022 Workshop Programme and also photos.
Day 1 – 27 June 2022
Session 1 – Exergy Economics – a map of the field
Session 2a – Dynamics 1
- Summary abstracts
- Andrieu–Dynamic modeling of the raw materials-energy-GDP nexus
- Guevara–SDA vs IDA in energy and decarbonization analysis
- Jacques and Delannoy–Macroeconomic dynamics of the energy transition: a global, biophysical, stock-flow consistent model
- Tan–A whole-systems approach to urban energy demand reduction for long-term energy security
Session 2b – Downstream services and wellbeing
- Summary abstracts
- Carmona–Stock-Flow-Service Interactions in the Global and the UK Social Metabolisms: An Exergy Approach
- Tostes–The evolution of rail transport in the World from 1835 to 2020
- Pinto–Electricity consumption of computers – the theoretical and practical limits for thermodynamic efficiency
- Foxon–Pathways for impact of digitalisation on energy demand
Session 3a – Economics 1
- Summary abstracts
- King–Modeling Consumption as a Behavior (of Effective Demand) versus a Residual of Production: Comparison via the HARMONEY model
- Noel–Modeling the economy as a dissipative structure with scarce resources
- Salg–Energy-Extended CES Function and the Economy-Wide Rebound – Revisited
- Ravaioli–Introducing exergy economics in macroeconomic agent-based modelling for the climate change, economic inequality and growth nexus
Session 3b – Industry
- Summary abstracts
- Taylor–The technical and economic implications of decarbonising UK industry
- Azevedo– Tracing all the materials in the UK: from raw materials to final goods
- Morgado–Control vs. reported data in the assessment of industrial plants’ Resource Efficiency – the case study of clinker manufacturing in Europe
- Bolson–Visualising resources interactions for cross-industry metrics
- Cullen–Insights for Industry from IPCC WGIII Mitigation of Climate Change
Day 2 – 28 June 2022, with links to slides where applicable
Session 4 – Big projects, books, and initiatives
- Summary Abstracts
- Metz – Introduction to the BioPhysical Economics Institute (BPEI)
- Brockway – 5 year Fellowship – Applying thermodynamic laws to the energy-GDP decoupling problem
- Heun – A Framework for Sustainability Thinking: A Student’s Introduction to Sustainability Challenges
- Andrieu – The Shift Project
- Jacques_Delannoy – Assessing the economic consequences of an energy transition through a biophysical stock-flow consistent model
- Felicio – MOOT – Massive Open Online Tool
- Jacques – 2% for 2 degrees
Session 5a – Long run analysis
- Summary abstracts
- Heun–Accounting for the long run
- Jennings–Analysing energy conversion pathways: efficiencies, morphology, and prevalence over time
- Otojanov–The role of energy transition in the British Industrial Revolution
- Felicio–The impact of electrification on the aggregated carbon intensity of the energy system: The case of Portugal from 1960–2016
- Henriques–Long-run energy decoupling and decarbonization in Europe: the role of electrification
Session 5b – Net energy / EROI
- Summary abstracts
- Roman–Peak Oil and the minimum EROI for society
- Ecclesia–Measuring societal Energy Return On Investment (EROI) at the useful stage: the predominant role of capital for the efficient use of energy
- Bercegol–Useful Energy Investment for the Global Energy Transition
- Arias–How much does it cost? Hiding costs of oil depletion in Ecuador: A biophysical approach
- Aramendia–Estimation of useful energy stage EROI of fossil fuel energy and comparison with renewable energy
Session 6a – Dynamics 2
- Summary abstracts
- Pinto–The rise and stall of world electricity efficiency:1900-2017, results and implication for the renewables transition
- Verzier–Dynamic modelling of the raw materials-energy-GDP nexus 2
- Guittonneau–The feasibility of energy transitions: a methodology of coupling economic and natural resource models
Session 6b – Economics 2
- Summary abstracts
- Domingos–Useful exergy and economic growth: intensities, capital and efficiency
- Santos–The economy as an exergy processing system: national accounts with a useful exergy producing extended energy sector
- Brockway–Energy efficiency and economy-wide rebound effects I
- Jarvis–Energy efficiency and economy-wide rebound effects II
Day 3 – 29 June 2022, links to slides where applicable
Session 7 – New directions & emerging scholarship
Session 8 – Idea generation and development
Session 7 + 8 Summary
Exergy Economics 