Chapter 21 - Exergy Analysis of Countries, Regions, and Economic Sectors

Abstract

Publisher Summary Designing efficient and cost-effective systems that also meet environmental and other constraints is one of the foremost challenges that engineers face. This chapter introduces a comprehensive exergy analysis of countries, regions, and economic sectors and services. It is important to understand mechanisms that degrade energy and resources and to develop systematic approaches for improving systems in terms of such factors as efficiency, cost, environmental impact, etc. The undesirable effects of poor utilization of energy resources, especially regarding economics and ecology, demonstrate that the designing of appropriate energy systems requires careful analysis and planning. Exergy is also useful since it provides a link between engineering and the environment. Exergy analysis determines the true efficiency of systems and processes, making it particularly useful for finding appropriate improvements. For these and other reasons, exergy analysis is strongly recommended by many for use in the design of engineering systems and analyses of regional, national, and global energy systems as well as sectors of the economy. Analyses of regional and national energy systems provide insights into how effectively a society uses natural resources and balances such factors as economics and efficiency. Later energy and exergy utilization for Saudi Arabia is examined and compared to assessments for Turkey and Canada. Exergy analyses can also help in establishing standards to facilitate energy planning in the entire macrosystem and its sectors. The sample assessment carried out here demonstrates the simplicity and value of using exergy when analyzing industrial processes and economic sectors of a region or country.