Extended Exergy Analysis of the Nova Scotian Economy 2006

Abstract

Human societies may be modeled as very large complex systems involving multiple flows of energy and materials between different sectors. Traditional exergy analysis methods are inadequate for the analysis of such systems because they do not take non-energetic flows into account. Extended exergy analysis (EEA) allows for the inclusion of exergetic equivalents of such non-energetic quantities as labor, capital and the costs of environmental remediation. The economy is divided into seven sectors reflecting the organization of economic data reported by Statistics Canada. A model of the structural connectivity of the economy in terms of exchanges between sectors is constructed using economic data generated by Statistic Canada. Energy, exergy, and extended exergy efficiencies are calculated for each sector of the economy of Nova Scotia and compared with those of Norway, China, Italy, and the UK to identify similarities and differences between the composition and performance of sectors around the world.