Assessment of the uncertainty associated with the energy indicator

Abstract Environmental indicators have been constructed and used as a tool for measuring environmental performance for various purposes in the industrial environment including that of decision-making. However, few studies in the literature address the issue of the quality of the data used for the construction of these indicators, and one of the factors neglected is the uncertainty associated with them. This paper deals with a case study on the uncertainty in the energy indicators of a petrochemical industry in Brazil. In this study, there is an examination of the components involved in making the calculation of energy indicators, as well as their uncertainties. The end result is the development of a methodology that can be used for assessing the uncertainty of the indicators. The evaluation of this uncertainty shows a value greater than appropriate for the intended use of the indicator. In order to reduce this uncertainty, an attempt has been made to point out the most striking features that require investment in human and economic resources, such as improvement in the measurements and implementation of new measurers at critical points.