Energy Balance
defines the overall energy balance, explains its purposes and compilation principles, structures its product columns and supply, transformation, and consumption rows, reproduces detailed and aggregated templates, and covers reconciliation and missing-data estimation
Energy Balance
An energy balance (the “overall” energy balance, as distinct from a commodity balance for a single product) is an accounting framework for the compilation and reconciliation of data on all energy products entering, exiting and used within the national territory of a country during a reference period. It must express all forms of energy in a common accounting unit and show the relationship between the inputs to and outputs from energy transformation processes. It should be as complete as possible, so that all energy flows are, in principle, accounted for, and is grounded in the first law of thermodynamics — the amount of energy within any closed system is fixed and can be neither increased nor diminished unless energy is brought into or sent out of that system [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.1, PDF p. 114, 2018].
Balances can also be compiled for a single energy product — energy commodity balances, or commodity balances for brevity. Commodity balances follow the general structure of energy balances but focus on single products and display some presentational differences [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.2, PDF p. 114, 2018].
Purpose (para 8.3)
An energy balance is a multi-purpose tool that:
(a) Enhances the relevance of energy statistics by providing comprehensive and reconciled data on the energy situation on a national-territory basis;
(b) Provides comprehensive information on energy supply and demand in the national territory, to understand the energy security situation, the effective functioning of energy markets and other relevant policy goals, and to formulate energy policies;
(c) Serves as a quality tool to ensure completeness, consistency and comparability of basic statistics;
(d) Ensures comparability between different reference periods and between different countries;
(e) Provides data for the estimation of CO2 emissions with respect to the national territory (see greenhouse gas emissions for the full treatment: basic energy statistics and energy balances are the main data source for energy-related GHG emissions, since the IPCC Guidelines share the same conceptual framework — IRES Ch. XI, Section D);
(f) Provides the basis for indicators of each energy product’s role in a country’s economy;
(g) Calculates efficiencies of transformation processes occurring in the country (e.g., refining, electricity production by combustion of fuels);
(h) Calculates the relative shares of the supply/consumption of various products (including renewables versus non-renewables) of a country’s total supply/consumption;
(i) Provides an input for modelling and forecasting.
[IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.3, PDF p. 114, 2018]
The multi-purpose nature of the balance can be further increased by supplementary tables that combine balance information with additional information on issues not explicitly reflected in the balance itself (see the reconciliation discussion at para. 8.50) [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.4, PDF p. 115, 2018].
Detailed and aggregated formats (para 8.5)
Energy balances can be presented in detailed and aggregated formats; the degree of detail depends on the policy concern, data and resource availability, and the underlying classifications used. The aggregated format is usually prepared for printed dissemination, where the number of columns and rows is constrained by practical considerations. It is recommended that countries collect data at a level of detail sufficient to compile a detailed energy balance (template: table 8.1); when that level of detail is not available or practical, it is recommended that countries at a minimum follow the aggregated energy balance template (table 8.2) [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.5, PDF p. 115, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.5.
Templates of detailed and aggregated energy balances (paras 8.47–8.49)
It is recommended that countries compile and disseminate an official annual energy balance every year, following as much as possible the template of a detailed energy balance presented in table 8.1 [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.47, PDF p. 123, 2018].
Both templates below use item codes and flow labels reconstructed verbatim
from the cleaned source (source/ires/08-balances.md), cross-checked against
the layout extraction (raw/_pdftotext/ires/08-balances-layout.txt). The
column headers — E1, E2, E3, …, Total, of which: Renewables — are
reproduced exactly as printed in the source PDF: IRES presents the template
with generic placeholder product columns (E1, E2, E3, an ellipsis for
further columns) rather than naming specific energy
product columns in the table itself. Per the column-sequencing rules set
out earlier in the chapter, these columns are meant to be populated with a
country’s chosen groups of energy products, organized per
SIEC (para. 8.12 above:
columns must be mutually exclusive and SIEC-based, with “total” followed by
supplementary subtotal columns such as “renewables”).
Both tables are structural templates — the data cells are blank in the
source; no numeric content is invented here.
Table 8.1 — Template of a detailed energy balance
| Item code | Flows | E1 | E2 | E3 | … | Total | of which: Renewables |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Primary production | ||||||
| 1.2 | Imports | ||||||
| 1.3 | Exports | ||||||
| 1.4.1 | International marine bunkers | ||||||
| 1.4.2 | International aviation bunkers | ||||||
| 1.5 | Stock changes (closing-opening stocks) | ||||||
| 1 | Total energy supply | ||||||
| 2 | Statistical difference | ||||||
| 3 | Transfers | ||||||
| 4 | Transformation processes | ||||||
| 4.1 | Electricity plants | ||||||
| 4.2 | CHP plants | ||||||
| 4.3 | Heat plants | ||||||
| 4.3 | Coke ovens | ||||||
| 4.4 | Patent fuel plants | ||||||
| 4.5 | Brown coal briquette plants | ||||||
| 4.6 | Coal liquefaction plants | ||||||
| 4.7 | Gas works (and other conversion to gases) | ||||||
| 4.8 | Blast furnaces | ||||||
| 4.9 | Peat briquette plants | ||||||
| 4.10 | Natural gas blending plants | ||||||
| 4.11 | Gas-to-liquids (GTL) plants | ||||||
| 4.12 | Oil refineries | ||||||
| 4.13 | Petrochemical plants | ||||||
| 4.14 | Charcoal plants | ||||||
| 4.15 | Other transformation processes | ||||||
| 5 | Energy industries own use | ||||||
| 6 | Losses | ||||||
| 7 | Final consumption | ||||||
| 7.1 | Final energy consumption | ||||||
| 7.1.1 | Manufacturing, const. and non-fuel mining industries, total | ||||||
| 7.1.1.1 | Iron and steel | ||||||
| 7.1.1.2 | Chemical and petrochemical | ||||||
| 7.1.1.3 | Non-ferrous metals | ||||||
| 7.1.1.4 | Non-metallic minerals | ||||||
| 7.1.1.5 | Transport equipment | ||||||
| 7.1.1.6 | Machinery | ||||||
| 7.1.1.7 | Mining and quarrying | ||||||
| 7.1.1.8 | Food and tobacco | ||||||
| 7.1.1.9 | Paper, pulp and print | ||||||
| 7.1.1.10 | Wood and wood products (other than pulp and paper) | ||||||
| 7.1.1.11 | Textile and leather | ||||||
| 7.1.1.12 | Construction | ||||||
| 7.1.1.13 | Industries not elsewhere specified | ||||||
| 7.1.2 | Transport, total | ||||||
| 7.1.2.1 | Road | ||||||
| 7.1.2.2 | Rail | ||||||
| 7.1.2.3 | Domestic aviation | ||||||
| 7.1.2.4 | Domestic navigation | ||||||
| 7.1.2.5 | Pipeline transport | ||||||
| 7.1.2.6 | Transport not elsewhere specified | ||||||
| 7.1.3 | Other, total | ||||||
| 7.1.3.1 | Agriculture and forestry | ||||||
| 7.1.3.2 | Fishing | ||||||
| 7.1.3.3 | Commerce and public services | ||||||
| 7.1.3.4 | Households | ||||||
| 7.1.3.5 | Not elsewhere specified | ||||||
| 7.2 | Non-energy use |
The table spans two printed pages in the source, with an identical header row repeated at the top of the continuation (rows 7.1.2.4 onward) [IRES, Ch. VIII, Table 8.1, PDF pp. 123–124, 2018]. The row sequence follows directly from the balance structure described above (paras 8.10–8.46): top block (1.1–1.5, total energy supply), statistical difference (row 2), middle block (transfers, the fifteen transformation plant categories per the para. 5.70 reference list, energy industries own use, losses), and bottom block (final energy consumption, disaggregated by the manufacturing/transport/other groups of paras. 8.36–8.42, plus non-energy use).
Table 8.2 — Template of an aggregated energy balance
It is recognized that countries may compile balances using a different format or structure, and that an aggregated format may be sufficient for some national purposes; to ensure international comparability and to assist in monitoring implementation of international agreements and conventions, it is recommended that the template in table 8.2 be used, as applicable, when only main aggregates are to be shown [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.48, PDF p. 124, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.48.
| Item code | Flows | E1 | E2 | E3 | … | Total | of which: Renewables |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Primary production | ||||||
| 1.2 | Imports | ||||||
| 1.3 | Exports | ||||||
| 1.4 | International bunkers | ||||||
| 1.5 | Stock change (closing-opening) | ||||||
| 1 | Total energy supply | ||||||
| 2 | Statistical difference | ||||||
| 3 | Transfers | ||||||
| 4 | Transformation processes | ||||||
| 5 | Energy industries own use | ||||||
| 6 | Losses | ||||||
| 7 | Final consumption | ||||||
| 7.1 | Final energy consumption | ||||||
| 7.1.1 | Manufacturing, const. and non-fuel mining industries, total | ||||||
| 7.1.1.1 | Iron and steel | ||||||
| 7.1.1.2 | Chemical and petrochemical | ||||||
| 7.1.1.X | Other industries | ||||||
| 7.1.2 | Transport, total | ||||||
| 7.1.2.1 | Road | ||||||
| 7.1.2.2 | Rail | ||||||
| 7.1.2.3 | Domestic aviation | ||||||
| 7.1.2.4 | Domestic navigation | ||||||
| 7.1.2.X | Other Transport | ||||||
| 7.1.3 | Other, total | ||||||
| 7.1.3.1 | of which: Agriculture, forestry and fishing | ||||||
| 7.1.3.2 | of which: Households | ||||||
| 7.2 | Non-energy use |
Compared to table 8.1, the aggregated template collapses the fifteen transformation-plant categories into a single “transformation processes” row (4), the international-bunkers split (marine/aviation) into one row (1.4), and the manufacturing and transport sub-industry breakdowns into a small set of named lines plus an “other/X” catch-all, while retaining the same overall row-block sequence [IRES, Ch. VIII, Table 8.2, PDF p. 124, 2018].
Supplementary tables and memorandum items (para 8.49)
Additional information can be presented in supplementary tables and/or memorandum items alongside the energy balance. IRES gives two examples: (i) flaring, venting and re-injection that may occur during primary energy production, which is not covered in the balances themselves (this corresponds to data item 3.3, “extraction losses”, in Chapter V); and (ii) flaring, venting and re-injection occurring during transformation processes, which — even though covered in the energy balance — is not explicitly identified there (it is folded into the generic “losses” row, item 6). Collecting and compiling such supplementary information is useful for several reasons, including its relevance to greenhouse-gas-emissions estimation and, for extraction losses specifically, its link to assessing the depletion of underground resource deposits. Supplementary information of this kind can be presented together with the energy balance to respond to specific user needs [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.49, PDF p. 125, 2018].
Scope and boundaries (paras 8.6–8.8)
The scope of an energy balance is determined by three boundaries:
(a) Territory boundary — the boundary of the national territory of the compiling country;
(b) Product boundary — the scope of all energy products shown in the balance columns;
(c) Flow boundary — the scope of energy flows shown in the balance rows.
[IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.6, PDF p. 115, 2018]
The product and flow boundaries are fixed in the short term, but as technology advances, new energy sources may become available and should be reflected in balances when used [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.7, PDF p. 115, 2018].
The scope of an energy balance does not include:
(a) Passive energy, such as the heat gain of buildings or solar energy falling on land to grow crops;
(b) Energy resources and reserves (which can nevertheless be considered in additional tables);
(c) Extraction of materials not covered in primary energy production (e.g., natural gas flared or vented) — some such data are included in the data reference list and can be shown in an additional table;
(d) Peat, waste and biomass used for non-energy purposes.
[IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.8, PDF p. 115, 2018]
General principles (para 8.9)
Eleven general principles govern the coverage and structure of an energy balance:
(a) The balance is compiled with respect to a clearly defined reference period; it is recommended that countries, as a minimum, compile and disseminate an energy balance on an annual basis [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.9(a), PDF p. 115, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.9(a).
(b) The balance is a matrix represented by rows and columns.
(c) Columns represent energy products that are produced and/or available for use in the national territory.
[IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.9(b)–(c), PDF p. 115, 2018]
(d) The column “total” contains cells that sum the data entries of the corresponding row; the meaning of the “total” column’s cells is not the same for all rows of the balance.
(e) Rows represent energy flows.
(f) A separate row is reserved for statistical difference, calculated as the numerical difference between the total supply of an energy product and the total use of it (see Statistical Difference).
(g) The detailed energy balance should contain sufficient rows and columns to show clearly the relationship between the inputs to and outputs from transformation processes (production of secondary energy products).
[IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.9(d)–(g), PDF p. 116, 2018]
(h) All entries should be expressed in one energy unit — it is recommended that the Joule be used, although countries could use other energy units (tons of oil equivalent, tons of coal equivalent, etc.); conversion between energy units should apply appropriate conversion factors, and the applied factors should be reported with the energy balance to make any conversion transparent and comparable [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.9(h), PDF p. 116, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.9(h).
(i) Net calorific values should be used for measuring the energy content of energy products; if gross calorific values are used (for recuperation of latent heat or to maintain historical data series), the corresponding conversion factors should be reported and the method used clearly identified [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.9(i), PDF p. 116, 2018].
(j) Physical energy content vs. partial substitution method. To give a primary energy equivalent to electricity produced from non-combustible energy sources, the physical energy content method should be used: the normal physical energy value of the primary energy form is used for the production figure. This contrasts with the partial substitution method, which assigns to such electricity a primary energy value equal to the hypothetical amount of fuel that would be required to generate an identical amount of electricity in a thermal power station using combustible fuels. A country using the partial substitution method should clearly state this, together with the average generating efficiency of thermal power stations used to calculate the primary energy equivalent [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.9(j), PDF pp. 116–117, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.9(j).
Under the physical energy content method, for primary electricity the physical energy value is simply the gross generation figure for the source. Because no transformation process is recognized within the balances for the production of primary electricity, the percentage contributions of thermal vs. primary electricity to national electricity production cannot be calculated on a “fuel input” basis; instead, contributions should be calculated from the amounts of electricity generated by power stations classified by energy source (coal, nuclear, hydro, etc.) [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.9(j), PDF p. 116, 2018].
For electricity generated from primary heat (nuclear, geothermal and concentrating solar), the heat is the primary energy form. Because measuring the actual heat flow to the turbines can be difficult, it is recommended that, absent country- or case-specific information, the heat input be estimated using a default heat-input efficiency of 33 per cent for nuclear and concentrating solar, and 10 per cent for geothermal. In practice this means the equivalent primary nuclear or concentrating-solar heat is estimated as three times the electricity produced, and the equivalent geothermal heat is estimated as ten times the geothermal electricity output [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.9(j), PDF pp. 116–117, 2018].
(k) Production of primary and secondary energy, external trade in energy products, stock changes, final energy consumption and non-energy use should be clearly separated, to reflect the structure and relationships between energy flows and to avoid double-counting [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.9(k), PDF p. 117, 2018].
Structure: overview (paras 8.10–8.15)
An energy balance is a matrix showing the relationship between energy products (columns) and flows (rows). The structuring of a balance depends on a country’s energy production and consumption patterns and the level of detail required, but it is recommended that certain common approaches be followed for international comparability and consistency [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.10, PDF p. 117, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.10.
Columns. A column refers to a group of energy products; each cell shows a flow involving that group of products, as defined by the row name. The number of columns depends on whether the balance is for detailed analysis or general dissemination — a detailed balance may contain as many columns as needed, while a compact/disseminated version should highlight products important to the compiling country plus those needed for international comparison; even when only a compact version is generally disseminated, a more comprehensive electronic version should remain available to users needing more detail [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.11, PDF p. 117, 2018].
Sequencing of columns. It is recommended that:
(a) Groups of energy products be mutually exclusive and based on SIEC;
(b) The column “total” follow the columns for individual products (or groups of products);
(c) The “total” column be followed by supplementary columns containing additional subtotals (e.g., “renewables”), with the definition of such subtotals and any coverage clarification given in explanatory notes.
[IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.12, PDF p. 117, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.12.
Rows. The number of rows and their sequencing are intended to make the relationships between primary production, transformation and final consumption clear, while keeping the balance compact — especially in an aggregated format [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.13, PDF p. 117, 2018].
Sequencing of rows. It is recommended that an energy balance contain three main row blocks:
(a) Top block — flows representing energy entering and leaving the national territory, plus stock changes, to show the supply of energy on the national territory during the reference period;
(b) Middle block — flows showing how energy is transformed, transferred, used by energy industries for own use, and lost in distribution and transmission;
(c) Bottom block — flows reflecting final energy consumption and non-energy use of energy products.
[IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.14, PDF pp. 117–118, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.14.
A separate row for statistical difference is placed between the top and middle blocks [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.15, PDF p. 118, 2018].
Top block — energy supply (paras 8.16–8.24)
The top block shows flows representing energy entering the national territory for the first time, energy removed from the national territory, and stock changes. Entering flows are the production of primary energy products and imports of primary and secondary energy products; removing flows are exports of primary and secondary energy products and international bunkers [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.16, PDF p. 118, 2018].
Total energy supply (TES)
The balance of the flows above, together with the change in stocks, represents the amount of energy available in the national territory during the reference period. This aggregate is total energy supply (TES), row 1 of the balance template (production + imports − exports − international bunkers − stock changes) [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.17, PDF p. 118, 2018]. TES is the headline supply-side aggregate of the energy balance; see Total Energy Supply for the full formula, sign-convention notes, and its restatement in balance-vs-accounts terms (IRES Ch. XI).
Middle block — transfers, transformation, own use and losses (paras 8.25–8.32)
The middle block shows transfers, energy transformation, energy industries own use, and losses [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.25, PDF p. 119, 2018].
- Transfers — the first line of the middle block — is essentially a statistical device to move energy between columns, overcoming practical classification and presentation issues from changes in the use or identity of an energy product (e.g., reclassifying oil products used as refinery feedstock, or products that no longer meet their original specification; see para. 5.17 and Transfers) [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.26, PDF p. 119, 2018].
- Transformation describes the processes that convert an energy product into another, generally more suitable for specific uses (see paras. 5.18, 5.68–5.74) [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.27, PDF p. 119, 2018]. Transformation is normally performed by energy industries, but many economic units outside energy industries produce energy products for their own needs and/or for sale — e.g., manufacturing plants producing their own secondary electricity or heat (autoproducers), or blast furnaces (ISIC Group 241, manufacture of basic iron and steel), whose by-product (blast furnace gas) has different energy uses worth accounting for as an output of the transformation of coke [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.28, PDF p. 119, 2018].
- Number of rows describing transformation. Each transformation row specifies the kind of plant performing the transformation, per the reference list at para. 5.70; it is recommended that countries show transformation by plant category to the extent possible and applicable [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.29, PDF p. 119, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.29.
- Sign convention. It is recommended that (a) energy entering transformation processes (e.g., fuels into electricity/heat generation, crude oil into refineries, coal into coke ovens) be shown with a negative sign representing the input, and (b) energy that is an output of transformation be shown as a positive number. The sum of the cells in each transformation row under the “total” column should therefore be negative, since transformation always results in some loss of energy when expressed in energy units; a positive figure would suggest an energy gain and indicate incorrect data or metadata (e.g., conversion factors) [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.30, PDF p. 119, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.30.
- Energy industries own use is the consumption of fuels, electricity and heat for the direct support of production and preparation for use of fuels and energy, except heat not sold (para. 5.20); it covers own use by energy industries (para. 5.23) and by other energy producers (para. 5.75) — e.g., electricity used in power plants for lighting, compressors and cooling, or fuels used to maintain the refinery process. A separate row in commodity and energy balances shows this consumption; for analytical purposes it is often further disaggregated by type of energy industry [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.31, PDF pp. 119–120, 2018].
- Losses (para. 5.19) occur during transmission, distribution and transport of fuels, electricity and heat; they also include venting and flaring of manufactured gases, losses of geothermal heat after production, and pilferage of fuels or electricity (non-technical losses) [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.32, PDF p. 120, 2018].
Bottom block — final consumption (paras 8.33–8.43)
The bottom block — final consumption — covers final energy consumption (consumption by energy consumers) and non-energy use of energy products. The sum of the two — final energy consumption plus non-energy use — is the balance’s headline demand-side aggregate, total final consumption, total energy supply’s counterpart on the demand side; see Total Final Consumption for the full definition and its relationship to TES. Final consumption is measured by deliveries of energy products to all consumers; it excludes deliveries for transformation processes and for the energy needs of energy industries (both covered in the middle block) [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.33, PDF p. 120, 2018]. Because the energy balance applies the territory principle, final consumption covers all consumption in the national territory regardless of the residence status of the consuming unit: energy consumed by residents abroad is excluded, while energy consumed by non-residents within the national territory is included [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.34, PDF p. 120, 2018].
It is recommended that final energy consumption be grouped into three main categories — (i) manufacturing, construction and non-fuel mining industries, (ii) transport, and (iii) other — further disaggregated according to countries’ needs [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.35, PDF p. 120, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.35.
- Manufacturing, construction and non-fuel mining industries covers use of energy products for energy purposes by the industry groups below (excluding transport use, recorded separately). It is recommended that countries show final energy consumption disaggregated by these groups (see table 5.3): iron and steel; chemical and petrochemical; non-ferrous metals; non-metallic minerals; transport equipment; machinery; mining and quarrying; food and tobacco; paper, pulp and print; wood and wood products (other than pulp and paper); textile and leather; construction; and industries not elsewhere specified [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.36, PDF p. 120, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.36/8.40.
- Transport provides information on energy products consumed by any economic entity transporting goods and/or passengers within the national territory, disaggregated by mode as in paras. 5.89–5.96 [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.37, PDF p. 121, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.37. By convention, transport fuels used in fishing, farming and defence (including military transport) are excluded from “transport” in the balance, since the fuel’s main purpose there is agriculture or defence rather than transport; energy used in lift trucks and construction machinery on industrial sites is likewise treated as stationary consumption, not transport [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.38, PDF p. 121, 2018]. The category is subdivided by mode (see table 5.4): road, rail, domestic aviation, domestic navigation, pipeline transport, and transport not elsewhere specified [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.38, PDF p. 121, 2018]. Energy used at compressor/pumping stations for pipeline transport is included in transport, though some countries with large oil and gas production find it difficult to differentiate pipeline-transport energy from other fuels consumed in oil and gas extraction [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.39, PDF p. 121, 2018].
- Other consists of energy consumers not classified in the manufacturing/construction/mining category. It is recommended that countries at least subdivide this group into: households; commerce and public services; agriculture, forestry; fishing; and not elsewhere specified (including defence activities) [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.40, PDF p. 121, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.36/8.40. Fuels used in tractors for farming, in vessels for fishing, and for transport by military vehicles are included here (not under “transport”); fuel and other energy products’ consumption in fishing should cover all fishing vessels, including deep-sea fishing, and such deliveries must be excluded from quantities reported as international marine bunkers [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.41, PDF p. 121, 2018]. Countries are recommended to further subdivide these major consumer groups reflecting their needs and the level of detail in other areas of basic statistics [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.42, PDF p. 121, 2018].
Non-energy use of energy products appears as a separate row, further disaggregable by compiling countries according to their needs and priorities — e.g., non-energy use by the chemical and petrochemical industry, for transport, and others [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.43, PDF p. 121, 2018].
Figure 8.1 — uses of energy and their presentation in the balance
The structure of the middle and bottom blocks is designed to present various uses of energy products based on the concepts of Chapter V; Figure 8.1 illustrates how the cross-classification of energy use by purpose and user groups (Chapter V, Figure 5.2) is reflected in the energy balance [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.44, PDF p. 121, 2018].
(Unclear-extraction note: Figure 8.1 is a two-panel diagram — the users/uses matrix of Figure 5.2 on the left, mapped by arrows to the corresponding energy-balance line items on the right. pdftotext linearizes the boxes, arrows and matrix cells into a flat text stream, so the exact visual routing between the matrix cells (a)–(e) and the balance line items is reconstructed from the surrounding body text (paras. 8.44–8.45) and the analogous Figure 5.2, not read directly off the figure’s layout — the same caveat pattern used for Figures 5.1 and 6.1.)
The correspondence, per the source text, is:
- Transformation (by type) → matrix box (a)
- Energy industries own use → matrix box (b)
- Final consumption:
- Final energy consumption — industry (by type), transport, and other (households, commercial and public services, agriculture) → matrix boxes (c) and (d)
- Non-energy use → matrix box (e)
[IRES, Ch. VIII, Figure 8.1, PDF p. 122, 2018]
Statistical difference
A dedicated row for statistical difference sits between the top (supply) and middle blocks of the balance (para. 8.15 above). See Statistical Difference for the full definition, formula and diagnostic role. IRES Chapter IX names this same row explicitly as a quality indicator: commodity balances comparing energy consumption data against energy supply figures — i.e., the statistical difference flow — can be used to flag potential problem areas in the underlying data [IRES, Ch. IX, para. 9.19, PDF p. 134, 2018]; see Quality Measurement and Reporting.
Data reconciliation and estimation of missing data (paras 8.50–8.54)
Compiling an energy balance requires the use of various sources of data, including data collected by energy statisticians as well as by compilers working in other statistical domains. This means that the assessment of data accuracy, data reconciliation, estimation of missing data and imputation all play a significant role in processing the data that feed the balance. Detailed good-practice guidance will be provided in the forthcoming Energy Statistics Compilers Manual (ESCM); some general recommendations are set out below [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.50, PDF p. 125, 2018].
Accuracy requirements. An energy balance includes interdependent elements of significantly differing levels of reliability, and it may become very difficult to assess the accuracy of the aggregated data. Such difficulties should not be regarded as insurmountable barriers to progress, but as challenges to be addressed as experience is gained and good practices are identified. It is recommended that accuracy requirements applicable to basic energy data used in the balance be clearly described in the country’s energy statistics metadata [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.51, PDF p. 125, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.51.
Estimation of missing data. It is recommended that countries estimate missing data in order to maintain the integrity of the balance, following the imputation methods and general principles established in other areas of statistics — for example, the International Recommendation for Industrial Statistics (IRIS 2008) — as well as good practices applicable to energy statistics specifically, to be elaborated in the forthcoming ESCM (see also Chapter VII’s discussion of editing and imputation) [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.52, footnote 67, PDF p. 125, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.52.
Reconciliation. Because compiling energy balances requires the use of data obtained from various data sources, reconciliation is needed to ensure the coherence of the data and the absence of double-counting. It is recommended that countries provide a summary of the reconciliation performed in the energy balance metadata, to ensure transparency of the balance’s preparation and to assist users in properly interpreting the information it contains and its relationship with other disseminated statistics [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.53, PDF p. 125, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.53.
Reconciliation of trade data. An example of data needing special attention is data on imports/exports of energy products and international bunkers. Because official foreign merchandise trade statistics do not always satisfy the needs of balance compilers here, enterprise surveys might be needed to complement them, in order to distinguish between these flows. It is recommended, however, that the suitability of foreign merchandise trade statistics always be reviewed and that available data be used to the maximum extent possible, to avoid duplication of effort and publication of contradictory figures. If the use of enterprise surveys does become necessary, and differing figures on exports and imports of energy products are to be published in energy balances and in trade statistics, an appropriate explanation of the differences should be published as part of the energy balance metadata. It is further recommended that energy and trade statisticians regularly review data collection procedures to ensure that the needs of energy statistics are met to the extent possible. A national correspondence table between the HS (Harmonized System) and SIEC should be developed and used, to present external trade flows in the energy categories adopted for energy balance purposes [IRES, Ch. VIII, para. 8.54, PDF pp. 125–126, 2018] — recommendations tracker row VIII/8.54.
This reconciliation work draws on the same statistical-data-source and compilation-method concepts described in Chapter VII; see also Data Compilation Methods for the general validation, imputation and estimation framework these balance-specific recommendations build on.
Related
- IRES Chapter VIII — Energy Balances — the chapter digest this page supports
- Total Energy Supply — the full treatment of the top block’s headline supply-side aggregate (formula, sign convention, balance-vs-accounts restatement), promoted out of this page
- Total Final Consumption — the full treatment of the bottom block’s headline demand-side aggregate, and its relationship to total energy supply
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions — the full treatment of purpose (e): how basic energy statistics and energy balances feed energy-related GHG emissions estimation under the IPCC Guidelines
- Statistical Difference — the dedicated balance row this page’s structure section places between the top and middle blocks
- Quality Measurement and Reporting — Chapter IX names the statistical difference row as a quality indicator (para 9.19)
- Commodity Balance — the single-product companion balance, recommended for every commodity in national use, that follows the energy balance’s format and concepts with noted structural differences
- Data Compilation Methods and Statistical Data Sources — the general validation, imputation and estimation framework the Section E reconciliation recommendations build on
- Energy Statistics Compilers Manual — the forthcoming companion guidance on data reconciliation and missing-data estimation good practices
- Cross-Classification of Uses and Users of Energy — the Chapter V matrix (Figure 5.2) that Figure 8.1 maps onto balance line items
- Energy Industries — performs most transformation and is the “own use” actor in the middle block
- Energy Consumers — the final-consumption actors of the bottom block, per the manufacturing/transport/other grouping
- Electricity and Heat Production — underlies the physical-energy-content vs. partial-substitution treatment of primary electricity (principle (j))
- Transport — the transport category and its modal breakdown, as reflected in the balance’s bottom block
- SIEC Classification System — the basis for the balance’s mutually exclusive product-group columns
- Energy Products — the products the balance’s E1, E2, E3, … columns stand in for once a country populates the template with its own SIEC-based product groups
- Production, Imports and Exports, International Bunkers, Stock Changes, Transformation, Losses, Energy Industries Own Use, Non-Energy Use, Final Consumption — the nine Chapter V flow definitions this balance structure organizes into rows
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