This book describes the Exergy-based Input - Output (ExIO) framework a comprehensive
methodology for assessing the primary fossil fuels requirements for the production of goods and
services within a given economy from a lifecycle perspective. In the ExIO approach exergy is
assumed to be the best suited thermodynamic metric for characterizing fossil fuels. The
mathematical formulation of ExIO is based on Input-Output analysis which defines boundaries in
time and space for any system or product analyzed encompassing its entire lifecycle. The
Hybrid-ExIO approach has been developed to increase the accuracy of results and to analyze
energy systems in detail leading to the definition of criteria and indicators for identifying
and optimizing the primary fossil fuels requirements of system products. Lastly the
Bioeconomic ExIO model has been proposed to account for the side effects that the working hours
required for producing goods and services have on the total primary fossil fuels consumption.
As such the book will be of considerable interest to both researchers and engineers in
industry offering them essential guidelines on the utilization of exergy and thermoeconomic
analysis.
