Physical energy flow accounts (PEFA) record the flows of energy (in terajoules) from the environment to the economy (natural inputs), within the economy (products), and from the economy back to the environment (residuals).
PEFA is conceptually embedded in environmental-economic accounts. PEFA provide information on energy flows arranged in a way fully compatible with concepts, principles, and classifications of national accounts – thus enabling integrated analyses of environmental, energy and economic issues e.g. through environmental-economic modelling. PEFA complement the traditional energy statistics, balances and derived indicators which are the main reference data source for EU energy policies.
To Statistics Austria as well as all other national statistical institutes of the EU, there is a new data reporting obligation from 2017 onwards. As the current PEFA nomenclature used by Eurostat is not consonant with the one actually used for energy statistics, misinterpretations may occur. Therefore, Statistics Austria has developed a harmonised version for national purposes. Annual data collections as well as further information on the topic can be obtained from the Eurostat website.