title: Determining the life cycle energy efficiency of six biofuel systems in China: a Data Envelopment Analysis.
abstract: This aim of this study was to use Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to assess the life cycle energy efficiency of six biofuels in China. DEA can differentiate efficient and non-efficient scenarios, and it can identify wasteful energy losses in biofuel production. More specifically, the study has examined the efficiency of six approaches for bioethanol production involving a sample of wheat, corn, cassava, and sweet potatoes as feedstocks and "old," "new," "wet," and "dry" processes. For each of these six bioethanol production pathways, the users can determine energy inputs such as the embodied energy for seed, machinery, fertilizer, diesel, chemicals and primary energy utilized for manufacturing, and outputs such as the energy content of the bioethanol and byproducts. The results indicate that DEA is a novel and feasible method for finding efficient bioethanol production scenarios and suggest that sweet potatoes may be the most energy-efficient form of ethanol production for China.
authors.affiliation: CESQA (Quality and Environmental Research Centre), Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China; Center for Energy Technologies, AU-Herning, Aarhus University, Birk Centerpark 15, DK-7400 Herning, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jingzheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China; Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies & Systems of the Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
authors.forename: Shiyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China; Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies & Systems of the Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China. Electronic address: lcdong72@cqu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Lichun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: CESQA (Quality and Environmental Research Centre), Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazzi
authors.affiliation: CESQA (Quality and Environmental Research Centre), Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scipioni
authors.affiliation: Center for Energy Technologies, AU-Herning, Aarhus University, Birk Centerpark 15, DK-7400 Herning, Denmark.
authors.forename: Benjamin K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Sovacool
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D002681:China; D003246:Conservation of Energy Resources; D000431:Ethanol / Q000032:analysis; D002365:Manihot / Q000737:chemistry; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000737:chemistry; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Biofuel; Data Envelopment Analysis; Energy efficiency; Life cycle