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Energy intensity is a measure of the energy inefficiency of an economy. It is calculated as units of energy per unit of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) or some other measure of economic output. High energy intensities indicate a high price or cost of converting energy into GDP. On the other hand, Low energy intensity indicates a lower price or cost of converting energy into GDP. The energy intensity of a country or region differs from its energy efficiency. Energy intensity is affected by climate, economic structure (e.g. services vs. manufacturing), trade, as well as the energy efficiency of buildings, vehicles, and industry. High energy intensity means high industrial output as portion of GDP. Countries with low energy intensity signifies labor intensive economy. Many factors influence an economy's overall energy intensity. It may reflect requirements for general standards of living and weather conditions in an economy. It is not atypical for particularly cold or hot climates to require greater energy consumption in homes and workplaces for heating (furnaces, or electric heaters) or cooling (air conditioning, fans, refrigeration). A country with an advanced standard of living is more likely to have a wider prevalence of such consumer goods and thereby be impacted in its energy intensity than one with a lower standard of living. Energy efficiency of appliances and buildings (through use of building materials and methods, such as insulation), fuel economy of vehicles, vehicular distances travelled (frequency of travel or larger geographical distances), better methods and patterns of transportation, capacities and utility of mass transit, energy rationing or conservation efforts, 'off-grid' energy sources, and stochastic economic shocks such as disruptions of energy due to natural disasters, wars, massive power outages, unexpected new sources, efficient uses of energy or energy subsidies may all impact overall energy intensity of a nation.

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Note on the Rate and Energy Efficiency Limits for Additive Manufacturing

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We review the process rates and energy intensities of various additive processing technologies and focus on recent progress in improving these metrics for laser powder bed fusion processing of metals, and filament and pellet extrusion processing of polymers and composites. Over the last decade, observed progress in raw build rates has been quite substantial, with laser metal processes improving by about 1 order of magnitude, and polymer extrusion processes by more than 2 orders of magnitude. We develop simple heat transfer models that explain these improvements, point to other possible strategies for improvement, and highlight rate limits. We observe a pattern in laser metal technologies that mimics the development of machine tools; an efficiency plateau, where faster rates require more power with no change in energy nor rate efficiency.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press2017

Energy intensity

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