(introductory text...)

Energy cost and energy requirement
Why energy analysis?
Net energy intensity
What criteria are offered by energy analysis?
Conclusion
References

Malcolm Slesser

Systems Analysis Division, Joint Research Centre, Commission of the European Communities, Ispra, Italy

In recent years, there has been a burgeoning interest in what is sometimes called the "energy cost" of goods and services. The purpose of this paper is to explain what is meant by "energy cost" and how such numbers can usefully be employed to evaluate systems, such as the conversion of organic residues. In doing so, I must touch on the methodology used to obtain the numbers, but this does not represent a major part of the paper, for it is liberally described in the literature (1, 2).