Thermo-ecological system analysis as a tool supporting the analysis of the national energy and environmental policy

This chapter presents the application of the concept of thermo-ecological cost in the analysis of EU and Poland’s energy policy in the aspect of their thermodynamic motivation. The thermo-ecological cost comprising the cumulative exergy consumption connected both manufacturing the useful product and compensation of its harmful impact on the environment. The level of converting the primary energy to final energy has been analyzed by means of their ratio as well as the ratio of final exergy to primary exergy. Indices of thermo-ecological costs and sustainable development served to analyze the improvement of the structure of the demand for primary energy. The same way was applied in the case of the production of electricity. The effects of implementing the cogeneration Directive has been analyzed by means of the thermo-ecological cost of centralized heat production in Poland. The specific indices have been used in the analysis of thermodynamic effects of waste heat recovery on the example of physical recuperation as an important way of improving the energy effectiveness.