KETEP 세계에너지시장정보

Researchers at University of Leeds recently carried out a study aimed at further investigating the extent to which this idea is true, by comparing the estimated net energy produced by burning fossil fuels with that produced by sustainable energy technologies. The findings of their analyses, published in Nature Energy, suggest that the transition towards renewable energy systems might not actually entail a decline in net energy.

"For a given energy system, the energy return on investment (EROI) refers to the ratio of the energy delivered to society divided by the energy invested," Emmanuel Aramendia, co-author of the paper, told Tech Xplore. "A common and enduring view is that fossil fuels have higher EROIs than renewable energy and therefore return substantially more net energy to society than renewable energy systems. This view questions the possibility of a low-carbon transition without drastic reductions in living standards."