A study on estimating the energetic and exergetic prices of various residential energy sources

In choosing the type of any energy sources for residential and other uses, their prices play in general a big role. These prices are based on energy values. Besides this, the application of the exergy, which is a way to a sustainable future, is more meaningful in providing information for long-term planning of resource management. In the present study, energy and exergy prices of various energy sources are investigated. The energy sources considered include coal, natural gas, furnace oil, diesel oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and wood, while electric resistance along with heat pump and district heating are also covered. In this context, chemical exergy relations of these energy sources are presented first. The prices of various energy sources in the Turkish residential sector, which is given as an illustrative example, are then used in the calculations. Finally, the energy and exergy prices are compared with each other, while the main conclusions are listed. The highest unit energy price is that of diesel oil, while the lowest one is that of natural gas. The differences between the energy and exergy prices are small for all energy carriers.