Physical energy flow accounts (PEFA)

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Sources and data collection methods

Data sources for PEFA include compilation of data derived from energy balance and data obtained from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics.

PEFA is one of the modules of European environment economic accounts and it complements the traditional energy statistics, balance and derived indicators which are the main reference data source used in EU energy policies. They are established in a way that is fully compatible with concepts, principles and classifications related to national accounts, which enables integral analyses of environmental, energy and economic issues, such as environmental and economic modelling. They are regulated by the Regulation (EU) No 691/2011 of the European Parliament and the Council of 6 July 2011 on European environmental economic accounts.

Physical energy flow accounts (PEFA) provide data on physical flows of energy, expressed in terajoules in a way that is fully compatible with concepts, principles and classifications of national accounts. They are reported according to the international National Accounts System (SNA) and the European System of National and Regional Accounts (ESA). PEFA captures data on energy flows in relation to economic activity of residential units of national economy, which includes supply and use of natural energy, energy products and energy residuals. The questionnaire encompasses economic activities such as production, use and transformation. The PEFA questionnaire is a set of the following five tables used by Eurostat to collect aggregated data:

•     Table A Physical supply table for energy flows

•     Table B Physical use table for energy flows

•     Table B.1 Transformation use of energy flows

•     Table B.2 End-use of energy flows (including non-energy use)

•     Table C Physical use of emission-relevant use of energy flows (related to fuel combustion)

•     Table D Vectors of key energy indicators

•     Table E Bridge table: Energy accounts indicators (residence principle) to energy statistics indicators (territory principle).

The PEFA questionnaire is completed by applying the residence principle, which means that all energy flows related to the activities of residential units are monitored, irrespective of where these activities are performed in geographical sense. Namely, national economy is defined as a overall value of all activities of residential units. Energy flows compiled in PEFA must relate to the activities of a residential unit rather than to the activities performed by units on the territory. This implies that energy flows related to residential units abroad must be taken into account (e.g., fuel supply of a resident unit). In contrast, energy flows related to the activities of non-residents on the territory (e.g., non-national trucks, bunkered non-resident vessels) must be excluded.

Consumption is entered into the PEFA tables according to the NKD activities, i.e. in line with the NACE Rev. 2 classification.

The basis of calculation and filling in the tables of physical energy flows are the following:

1) Data taken over from the publication Energy in Croatia, i.e., energy balance data

2) Data of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics on employed persons by activities

3) Data of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics on energy consumption in industry sector

4) Data of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics taken over form the Annual Report on Air Transport.

The data entered into the PEFA tables are compatible with data that were collected, analysed and prepared for energy balance, which is based on territorial principle: still, certain alignments as well as the collection of additional data are needed in order to fill in the PEFA tables according to the residence principle. Energy consumed on the territory by non-residents is excluded, while energy consumed by residents outside the territorial borders is included.

The service sector carries out more detailed analyses in accordance with the data of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics on the number of persons employed in the service sector, by activities. Data of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics on air transport statistics are used, as well as data on energy consumption in the industry sector.

Definitions

Physical energy flow accounts (PEFA) are a statistical accounting framework that records energy flows (in terajoules) from the environment to the economy (natural inputs), within the economy (products) and from the economy back to the environment (residuals).

Abbreviations

EU            European Union

Eurostat    Statistical Office of the European Union

NACE       a four-digit classification providing a framework for collecting and presenting statistical data by economic activity in a wide range of European statistics in the domains of economy, society, environment and agriculture

NKD          National Classification of Activities

TJ             terajoule