College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 220 Davenport Hall, 607 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci. 2013 Jan 28;371(1986):20120005. doi: 10.1098/rsta.2012.0005. Print 2013 Mar 13.
The research of the Energy Research Group (ERG) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign through the 1970s and early 1980s has recurring bouts of popularity. That research traced the flow of various energy types from nature to the final product or service, using modified economic input-output analysis. That information allowed for a comparison of alternative uses of products and services that delivered the same demand. The goal of the study was to identify the energy-conserving potential of the alternatives. Interest in that research has risen and fallen with the price of energy through three cycles now, with the current interest also encompassing materials conservation. Although the specific numerical results of this work are dated, the process by which the analysis was conducted creates, at least, a suggestion for future analysis in the arena of materials research. A review of the ERG history, including techniques pioneered for investigating the potential for energy conservation and some of the ancillary lessons learned along the way, may be of some use to those working on issues of materials conservation today. In the coming years, the most relevant research will include assessment of the socio-economic-ecological impact of technological materials conservation policies.
伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校的能源研究组（ERG）在 20 世纪 70 年代和 80 年代早期的研究反复受到关注。该研究使用改进后的经济投入产出分析，追踪了各种能源类型从自然到最终产品或服务的流动。这些信息允许对提供相同需求的产品和服务的替代用途进行比较。该研究的目的是确定替代品的节能潜力。随着能源价格的三个周期，对这项研究的兴趣已经上升和下降，目前的兴趣也包括材料保护。尽管这项工作的具体数值结果已经过时，但分析的过程至少为材料研究领域的未来分析提供了一个建议。对 ERG 历史的回顾，包括为研究节能潜力而开创的技术，以及沿途学到的一些辅助经验教训，可能对今天从事材料保护问题的人有所帮助。在未来几年，最相关的研究将包括评估技术材料保护政策对社会-经济-生态的影响。
