Physical Energy Flow Accounts

Definition

Physical Energy Flow Accounts (PEFA) present data on the physical flows of energy (expressed in terajoules). PEFA record energy flow data in relation to the economic activities of resident units of national economies. They present the supply and use of natural energy inputs, energy products and energy residuals. Economic activities comprise production, consumption, and accumulation.

Scope

PEFA record all energy flows associated with activities of economically resident units regardless where these activities actually take place geographically. NB: Energy statistics and the underpinning basic energy data follow rather a territory principle. Where energy statistics are used to build up PEFA, adjustments are needed to account for differences between territory and resident principle. Most notably, the use of energy for transport is recorded differently in energy statistics/balances. The production of energy products is recorded widely in the same way in both systems.

Implementation

In current implementations the data needed to generate these accounts come from energy statistics (e.g. IEA/Eurostat Annual Questionnaires) in a way that is compatible with the concepts, principles, and data reported under the International System of National Accounts (SNA) and European System of National and Regional Accounts (ESA).

PEFA are supposed to complement energy statistics. The idea is to align energy information closer to national accounts enabling the integration of energy concerns into macro-economic monitoring, analyses, modelling, and theory building.

Data Sources

National energy statistics constitute the primary data source for compilers of PEFA. Depending on the scope and level of detail provided in national energy databases the compiler will need additional auxiliary data sources such as e.g. national accounts, balance of payments, employment statistics, transport statistics and vehicle registers, foreign trade statistics etc.

Context

Energy Flow Accounts are examples of Physical Flow Accounts