Intensity
Intensity is a measure of the energy inefficiency of an economy. It is calculated as units of energy per unit of GDP.
High energy intensities indicate a high price or cost of converting energy into GDP.
Low energy intensity indicates a lower price or cost of converting energy into GDP.
High energy intensity means high industrial output as a portion of GDP. Countries with low energy intensity signify a labor-intensive economy.
Many factors influence an economy's overall energy intensity. It may reflect requirements for general standards of living and weather conditions in an economy. It is not atypical for particularly cold or hot climates to require greater energy consumption in homes and workplaces for heating (furnaces or electric heaters) or cooling (air conditioning, fans, refrigeration). A country with an advanced standard of living is more likely to have a wider prevalence of such consumer goods and thereby be impacted in its energy intensity than one with a lower standard of living.
The energy efficiency of appliances and buildings (through the use of building materials and methods, such as insulation), fuel economy of vehicles, vehicular distances traveled (frequency of travel or more considerable geographical distances), better methods and patterns of transportation, capacities, and utility of mass transit, energy rationing or conservation efforts, 'off-grid' energy sources, and stochastic economic shocks such as disruptions of energy due to natural disasters, wars, massive power outages, unexpected new sources, efficient uses of energy or energy subsidies may all impact overall energy intensity of a nation.
Thus, a nation that is highly economically productive, with mild and temperate weather, demographic patterns of workplaces close to home, and uses fuel-efficient vehicles, supports carpools, mass transportation, or walks or rides bicycles, will have a far lower energy intensity than a nation that is economically unproductive, with extreme weather conditions requiring heating or cooling, long commutes, and extensive use of generally poor fuel economy vehicles. Paradoxically, some activities that may seem to promote high energy intensities, such as long commutes, could result in lower energy intensities by causing a disproportionate increase in GDP output.
Duffield, John S.; Hankla, Charles R. (2011). The Efficiency of Institutions: Political Determinants of Oil Consumption in Democracies. The Efficiency of Institutions. Vol. 43, No. 2. С. 187-205. New York: Comparative Politics.
Energy Information Administration. Wayback Machine. Retrieved from: https://web.archive.org/web/20230109222118/https://www.eia.gov/