synthesis to special issue on new studies in eroi (energy return on investment)新的研究在eroi合成特殊问题(能源投资回报).pdf

Sustainability 2011, 3, 2496-2499; doi:10.3390/su3122496 OPEN ACCESS sustainability ISSN 2071-1050 /journal/sustainability Editorial Synthesis to Special Issue on New Studies in EROI (Energy Return on Investment) Charles A.S. Hall Departments of Environmental and Forest Biology and Environmental Studies, Graduate Program on Environmental Science College of Environmental Science, Forestry State University of New York Syracuse, New York, NY 13210, USA; E-Mail: Chall@; Tel.: +1-315-470-6870; Fax: +1-315-470-6954 Received: 10 December 2011 / Accepted: 13 December 2011 / Published: 14 December 2011 Abstract: This paper is a synthesis of a series of twenty papers on the topic of EROI, or energy return on investment. EROI is simply the energy gained from an energy-obtaining effort divided by the energy used to get that energy. For example, one barrel of oil invested into getting oil out of the ground might return fifty, thirty, ten or one barrel, depending when and where the process is taking place. It is meant to be read in conjunction with the first paper in this special issue and also a number of the papers themselves. As such I try to summarize what general trends we might conclude from these varied and often highly technical papers. About half of the papers are reports on empirical analyses of various energy sources such as Norwegian or Gulf of Mexico oil, Pennsylvania gas and so on. About a quarter of the papers are method