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Net energy analysis must not compare apples and oranges - Nature Energy

  • ️Raugei, Marco
  • ️Mon Jan 28 2019
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  • Published: 28 January 2019

Nature Energy volume 4pages 86–88 (2019)Cite this article

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Energy return on investment (EROI) is a critical measure of the comparative utility of different energy carriers, including fossil fuels and renewables. However, it must not be used to compare carriers that cannot be put to similar end-use. In addition, combining carriers to arrive at estimates of ‘average’ or ‘minimum’ EROIs can be problematic.

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Fig. 1: EROI of domestic oil supply in California.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK

    Marco Raugei

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  1. Marco Raugei

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Correspondence to Marco Raugei.

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Raugei, M. Net energy analysis must not compare apples and oranges. Nat Energy 4, 86–88 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-019-0327-0

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  • Published: 28 January 2019

  • Issue Date: February 2019

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-019-0327-0