Unlocking Plant-level Resource Efficiency Options: A Unified Exergy Measure

In this research we propose a physical measure of resource efficiency, based on exergy, which combines energy and material flows in a single dimensionless metric, bounded by 0 and 1. The inclusion of materials in the efficiency metric makes it possible to compare a wide range of industrial devices and processes, and even different sectors, using a consistent framework. Resource efficiencies for steel-making processes were computed as an example and were found to range from 10.0% in sinter plants to72.1% in coke ovens. A unified resource efficiency measure helps identify the drivers of resource consumption and reveal opportunities to reduce carbon emissions.