Knowra Energy return on investment Energy return on investment Energy return on investment (EROI) is the ratio of energy delivered by an energy source or process to the energy expended to obtain it. It measures net energy yield relative to the energy invested.
Net energy analysis : An accounting method that subtracts energy inputs from energy outputs to estimate usable net energy. It converts EROI into the net energy available after energy-sector costs.
EROI of oil : The energy return calculated for producing oil under a specified set of accounting boundaries. Oil's return varies across fields, production methods, and stages included in the calculation.
Howard T. Odum : An American ecologist who developed systems ecology and applied energy accounting to ecosystems and economies. His work helped establish energy return as a way to compare energy sources and ecological systems.
Energy payback ratio : The ratio of energy produced by a system to the energy required to construct or operate it over a defined period. It can resemble EROI, but the specified period and included energy inputs may differ.
Net energy : Energy remaining for use after subtracting the energy required to obtain and deliver it. EROI determines how much gross output remains as net energy under a given accounting method.
System boundary : The defined scope of processes, actors, and flows included in an analysis. Including or excluding extraction, refining, transport, or infrastructure changes the ratio.
EROI of solar power : The energy return calculated for generating solar electricity, including specified manufacturing and operational inputs. Its result depends on panel production, lifetime, location, and treatment of storage or grid infrastructure.
Charles A. S. Hall : An American systems ecologist known for developing and applying energy-return analysis to fuels and economies. Hall made EROI a central framework in modern energy studies.
Levelized cost of energy : The average cost per unit of electricity generated over a power plant's lifetime. It measures monetary cost rather than energy invested, so cheap energy need not have high EROI.
Energy economics : The study of energy production, distribution, and consumption using economic analysis. EROI adds a physical energy constraint that monetary prices alone may not reveal.
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