Energy intensity is a measure of energy consumption that compares energy usage to another metric, usually the national GDP. Energy usage per household, per square foot of commercial space, and per industrial shipment worth of dollars may be referred to by the term sector-specific intensities. The efficiency of energy, conservation, and structural elements unrelated to technology or behavior are all variables that can be improved.
In other words, it is defined as the amount of energy required to generate a specific level of output. Reduced energy density occurs when a product or service is produced using less energy. It is a measurement of a country’s economic efficiency of energy. It quantifies the amount of energy needed to generate one unit of energy per unit of GDP.
What are Energy Intensity Indicators?
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has created a national system of indicators to track changes in the intensity of energy in our economy and economic sectors over time as part of a national priority for improving energy efficiency.
The capabilities of this set of energy intensity indicators include:
- Describing the changes in energy use’s components and severity.
- Educate the people about the ways in which and reasons behind the historical changes in energy intensity.
- Improved comprehension of the effects of program and policy choices on energy intensity should be added to other given inputs to policy and program analyses.
- Improve knowledge of the role that efficiency gains play in evolving energy marketplaces.
Additionally, note that the four end-use sectors (transportation, industrial, residential, and commercial), as well as electricity generation, can be used with this data on intensity indicators to continuously monitor the changes over time.
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