Introduction to Energy statistics
Energy statistics comprises a very comprehensive statistical domain, it includes almost all business subjects and households. In many countries, during recent years, energy sector was characterised by intensive developments of new energy policies the aim of which is to secure energy supplies, sustainable energy consumption, decrease fossil fuels dependence and improvements in energy efficiency. In these processes, energy statistics is recognised as a key platform not only for policy base development, but also for monitoring the progresses towards defined targets and goals.
As energy is vital to many sectors of the economy, energy data significantly contributes to explaining the developments in other areas, such as energy prices, transport sector, energy poverty, impacts of climate change and other.
To develop timely, reliable, consistent, and accurate energy statistics, it is necessary to have available methodologies and appropriate recommendations on how to develop a system of energy statistics in a country. In its endeavours to harmonise reporting of series of energy indicators, many international organisations (EUROSTAT, International Energy Agency, United Nations Statistical Department and other) joined their forces in developing the specific methodologies for annual and monthly reporting, as well as for compiling and publication of energy data. This continuously becomes more complex and detailed, and requires high quality energy data and statistical evidence for sound decision making.
The growing demand for energy data is a big challenge for statisticians, the new profile of statisticians should include both comprehensive statistical skills and profound understanding of energy sector. The costs effectiveness of the development, production and dissemination is often highlighted as one of the main obstacles in functioning energy statistics systems. The new policies require more and more data collections and work with comprehensive energy databases that needs to be permanently maintained and processed with an adequate IT support.
Energy statistics distinguishes several kinds of reporting, out of which energy balance is the most comprehensive and detailed representation of overall energy system of a country. Other common reporting on energy statistics data includes monthly statistics, energy prices, end-use energy consumption, share of energy from renewable sources and other.
