  We investigate the impact of dissipation on the energy balance in the
electron dynamics of metal clusters excited by strong electro-magnetic pulses.
The dynamics is described theoretically by Time-Dependent Density-Functional
Theory (TDDFT) at the level of Local Density Approximation (LDA) augmented by a
self interaction correction term and a quantum collision term in
Relaxation-Time Approximation (RTA). We evaluate the separate contributions to
the total excitation energy, namely energy exported by electron emission,
potential energy due to changing charge state, intrinsic kinetic and potential
energy, and collective flow energy. The balance of these energies is studied as
function of the laser parameters (frequency, intensity, pulse length) and as
function of system size and charge. We also look at collisions with a highly
charged ion and here at the dependence on the impact parameter (close versus
distant collisions). Dissipation turns out to be small where direct electron
emission prevails namely for laser frequencies above any ionization threshold
and for slow electron extraction in distant collisions. Dissipation is large
for fast collisions and at low laser frequencies, particularly at resonances.
