Aspects of classification of energy sources in terms of their position in the sector of the economy

Abstract

The paper deals with the study of problems relating to classification of energy sources, in particular from the perspective of their position in covering of energy needs of country or economic sector. Classification of energy sources is currently often viewed as a set of fixed categories, but taking a closer look and making a deeper analysis can defined a number of criteria that might determine the final importance and position of resources in the context of complex connections. The composition of energy sources was analysed on a sample of nine countries, which was conceived with the intent to cover various kinds of standard and specific types of energy mixes. In the paper, several criteria for assessing the quantitative and qualitative nature of energy sources were defined. Sectoral, temporal, spatial and scale framework for the validity of the assessment were also defined. In the analysis, the attention was focused on the electricity sector and partially on the sector of transport. The results of the analysis indicate that in different conditions, the same energy source or group can be categorised in a different way, which may have a significant impact on the application of legislation in terms of the use of control, support and regulatory instruments. The analysis took into account in particular the aspects, which complement the recently published papers analyzed this complex issue.