ISAER - International Society for the Advancement of Emergy Research

The 14th Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Advancement of Emergy Research
2021-05-03 08:00 - 2021-05-09 17:00 (America/New_York) | Haidian District
The 14th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Advancement for Emergy Research, a.k.a., the Emergy Society, will be held in the Members' Area of this website from Monday, May 3, 2021, until Saturday, May 8, 2021.
Four members of the Executive Council will be elected by April 30, 2021. Voting will begin in the Members' Area on Friday, April 23, 2021, and extend through April 30, 2021. the votes will be counted on May 1, 2021, and the results announced at the Annual Meeting.
Note: Emergy Synthesis 11 and the 13th Annual Meeting of the Emergy Society were not convened because of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

WEBINAR 2.0 - Information and Emergy: What Did Odum Intend?
2022-06-10 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Online, www.isaer.org, United States
Tom Abel, Tzu Chi University
Over two years and a deep dive into Odum’s writings on the topic of ‘information’, I have written three papers, coming at the topic from different directions. I wish to share what I have learned with the emergy community. The first paper is a review of Odum’s theoretical position on information, what it is, and what it does. That paper then connects Odum’s information and his Fifth Law Hierarchy Principle to my continuing development of a hierarchy of cultural information forms. The second paper looks exclusively at Odum’s application of emergy to information. It reviews all of Odum’s information emergy studies to extract a number of evaluation principles that he developed over time. It then applies those principles in a new emergy analysis of one of the scales of cultural information production, duplicating several of the approaches that Odum established. The third paper is addressed to exploring Odum’s ‘structural life cycles’ approach to the information cycle, an approach that I now feel is superior to his first efforts in 1996. That method is demonstrated with Odum’s analysis of Texas Highways. In total, this talk should give you an ‘Odum overview’ of an extremely important topic in the world, the production and reproduction of information. Today, we know these information forms as social media, scientific research, movies, games, sacred texts, money, military tactics and technologies, laws, and others, each that ‘feeds-back control’ to shape all of our lives.

Mini-Conference #5
2022-06-29 08:00 - 10:00 (America/New_York) | Online, www.isaer.org, United States

EMERGY & ENVIRONMENTTAL ACCOUNTING
2022-10-17 08:00 - 2022-10-21 17:00 (America/New_York) | Haidian District
A live and virtual 5-day workshop stressing
emergy theory, concepts, and principles
The workshop is composed of four sessions each day, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. One or two sessions each day will be devoted to case studies that include hands-on computations of emergy or simulation of models to reinforce the lecture material and extend understanding of systems concepts.
Access to a laptop computer and EXCEL software will be necessary. Course materials will be downloadable from the course website.

11TH BIENNIAL EMERGY RESEARCH CONFERENCE – 2023
2023-01-12 - 2023-01-14 | J. WAYNE REITZ UNION, GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA, 655 Reitz Union Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32603, United States

Emergy Workshop
2023-06-14 | Zoom Meeting
Tom Abel, as Chair of the ISAER Prosperous Way Down (PWD) working group, is organizing an interactive web-based workshop about the state of the future.

Does humanity have the means to avoid potential disasters, already described by many, to build a prosperous future? The pessimist says, “not likely”, the idealist suggests, naively “of course”. The systems scientist says, look for system principles that may help to illuminate a way forward… not to tell people what to do, but to show them what will be required of them.

If you are interested in participating, please send an email to Mark Brown at mtb@ufl.edu with the subject Futures Workshop. We will then send those interested in attending more information about the structure of the workshop and a ZOOM link to join on June 14th.

Emergy Conference 2025
2025-01-16 08:00 - 2025-01-18 17:00 (America/New_York) | J. WAYNE REITZ UNION, GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA, 655 Reitz Union Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32603, United States
Save the date!!!

2026 International Summer Course on Environmental and Ecological System Engineering
2026-07-13 - 2026-07-20 | School of Environment – Beijing Normal University, Furen Rd, Beijing, Haidian District, 100088, China
课程主题 / Course Topics
Part A重塑绿色未来：环境核算与系统思维的全球视野
Environmental Accounting and Management
Part B驾驭循环经济：技术评估与可持续系统创新实践
Mastering the Circular Economy: Innovative Practices in Technological Assessment and Sustainable Systems

课程安排 / Course Schedule
Part A：环境核算与系统思维的全球视野 / Environmental Accounting and Systems Thinking

课程 / Course
主题 / Topic
核心内容 / Key Content

Course1
系统思维与能值核算导论
Systems Thinking and Emergy Accounting
系统思维与图解法反馈解析 A short summary of systems thinking and diagramming; the importance of feedbacks
能值核算：可持续性评估的系统生态学方法 Emergy accounting of an energy plant for sustainability assessment
可持续性概念解析：以沼气发电厂为例 The concept of sustainability: case study of a biogas power plant
能值核算中的系统边界拓展 The role of boundary extension in emergy accounting

Course2
系统性思维与能值理论基础
Systemic Thinking and Emergy Principles
系统性思维讨论与图示 Discussion of systems thinking: why think systemically? Drawing diagrams
能值理论原理与概念 Emergy principles and concepts in relation to everyday systems; thermodynamics, maximum power, hierarchy, and the Maximum Power Principle
地球圈能值基线测算 Calculation of renewable emergy sources from the Geosphere Emergy Baseline

Course3
LCA-能值协同与循环经济政策
LCA-Emergy Integration and Circular Economy Policy
生命周期评估与能值核算 Quick description of LCA and its use for calculating UEVs; examples of agricultural chemicals
制浆造纸系统生态优化 Integrated use of LCA and Emergy for high-quality paper making and assessment
能值分析优化循环经济政策设计 Emergy for circular economy policy-making
城市废物管理能值建模 Urban waste management, wastewater, and waste management policies

Course4
能值代数与静态/动态建模
Emergy Algebra and Static/Dynamic Accounting
能值代数规则体系 Discussion of Emergy Algebra and the issue of double counting
静态能值分析表构建 Example emergy accounting table: static accounting
动态能值分析表构建 Example of dynamic accounting using EXCEL solver

Course5
交通、能源与城乡系统能值评估
Emergy Assessment of Transport, Energy, and Urban-Rural Systems
多模式交通系统能值评估 Transportation patterns and mobility policies
多元发电系统能值评估 Electricity generation from different sources
城乡系统能值评估 Emergy assessment of rural and urban environments
电子废弃物回收能值评估 Emergy evaluation of electronic waste recovery: costs and benefits

Course6
能值、经济与城市系统
Emergy, Economy, and Urban Systems
能值-经济-货币关系讨论 Discussion of the relations between emergy, economy, and money
NEAD数据库使用 Using the NEAD
能值与城市系统关系讨论 Discussion of the relations between emergy and urban systems

Course7
能值评价案例与生物质发电
Emergy Evaluation Cases and Bioelectricity
货币-能量-能值的定义 Quick definition of value: money, energy, and emergy
能值评估实证案例 Practical examples of emergy evaluations for trade, agriculture, energy, recycling, and water
生物质发电系统能值核算 Emergy accounting of a bioelectricity production site
种养循环与能值子系统作用 Agriculture-breeding-conversion and the role of subsystems in emergy descriptions

Course8
生态系统概念与河口系统能值评估
Ecosystem Concepts and Estuarine Emergy Assessment
生态系统核心概念解析 Discussion of ecosystem concepts, natural capital, ecosystem services, limiting factors, species, and information
河口系统能值计算与制图 Computing and graphing emergy signature of estuarine systems
河口系统能值评估 Emergy evaluation of estuarine impacts and losses

Course9
生物质发电可持续性与尺度边界
Bioelectricity Sustainability, Scales, and Boundaries
生物质发电可持续性评估 Sustainability assessment of bioelectricity production through emergy indicators
系统可持续的尺度和边界 How different scales and boundaries address different narratives for system sustainability

Course10
环境影响能值评估与模型模拟
Environmental Impact Emergy Assessment and Simulation Modelling
环境影响能值评估讨论 Discussion of environmental impact and assessment of environmental impacts
替代方案比较与净能值计算 Discussion of emergy evaluation of alternatives; computing Net Emergy
模型模拟：用EXCEL示例 Simulation modelling: examples using EXCEL

Part B：技术评估与可持续系统创新实践 / Innovative Practices in Technological Assessment and Sustainable Systems

课程 / Course
主题 / Topic
核心内容 / Key Content

Course 1
能源系统与效率分析
Energy Systems and Efficiency
系统介绍 Introduction to systems
能源系统 Energy system
效率极限 Efficiency limits
需求减少 Demand reduction

Course 2
能源系统建模
Energy System Modelling
全球能源系统建模 Global energy systems modelling, e.g. global calculator or OSeMOSYS

Course 3
可持续材料与循环经济评价
Sustainable Materials and Circular Economy Metrics
可持续材料 Sustainable materials
循环经济创新评价 Circular economy metrics
重工业转型 Transforming heavy industry

Course 4
资源流可视化：桑基图
Visualising Resource Flows: Sankey Diagrams
桑基图原理与资源流可视化练习 Principles of Sankey diagrams and practical resource-flow visualisation

Course 5
技术-经济分析（TEA）基础与应用
Introduction to TEA and Applications
TEA核心概念 Key concepts and components of TEA studies
TEA应用 Applications in chemical engineering and energy systems

Course 6
可再生能源技术案例：平准化能源成本
Renewable Energy Case Study: Levelised Cost of Energy
基于可再生能源技术案例，开展平准化能源成本计算练习 Worked example towards calculating the levelised cost of energy for renewable energy technologies

Course 7
成本估算与财务评价
Cost Estimation and Financial Evaluation
成本估算 Estimating production costs
经济评估方法 Financial evaluation methods, e.g. NPV, IRR, pay-back period
敏感性分析 Sensitivity analysis: single-parameter, scenario analysis, and multi-parameter analysis, e.g. Monte Carlo

Course 8
可再生能源技术-经济评价综合案例
Integrated TEA Case Study for Renewable Energy
可再生能源技术-经济评估实例：敏感性测试与情景建模综合应用 Worked example assessing financial performance of renewable energy technology with sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis

Course 9
生命周期思维与LCA方法
Life Cycle Thinking and LCA Methodology
生命周期思维与方法概述 Overview of life cycle thinking and LCA methodology
LCA研究范式：从低成熟度技术实证到政策影响建模 Research applications of LCA from low-TRL technologies to policy impact analysis
LCA-TEA协同建模 Integrating LCA and TEA methods to quantify cost-climate trade-offs

Course 10
环境影响评估与LCA-TEA协同案例
Environmental Impact Assessment and Integrated LCA-TEA Case Study
可再生能源技术环境影响实证研究：LCA建模与多指标权衡框架 Worked example assessing environmental impacts of renewable energy technology
LCA-TEA协同建模实例：多情景下平准化减碳成本测算 Worked example quantifying the levelised cost of carbon savings

教师团队 / Teaching Team
Part A 教师团队 / Part A Teaching Team

Prof. Mark Brown
佛罗里达大学 | University of Florida
环境工程教授、湿地与环境政策研究中心主任，师从系统生态学奠基人 H. T. Odum，并为国际能值分析学会创始人。研究聚焦生态系统服务评估、能-水-食物耦合及可持续政策建模，推动能值理论在生态经济决策中的应用。
Professor of Environmental Engineering and Director of the Wetlands and Environmental Policy Research Center. Mentored by H. T. Odum and founder of the International Emergy Society, his work focuses on ecosystem service valuation, energy-water-food nexus, and sustainable policy modelling.

Prof. Sergio Ulgiati
意大利那不勒斯帕特诺普大学 | University of Naples Parthenope, Italy
环境科学教授，可持续系统分析与生态经济学专家。研究融合能值分析与生命周期评估（LCA），量化自然-社会系统资源流动与可持续性，关注可再生能源系统优化、城市代谢建模及环境-社会系统耦合。
Professor of Environmental Science and expert in sustainable systems analysis and ecological economics. His work integrates Emergy Analysis and LCA to quantify resource flows and sustainability in nature-society systems, with a focus on renewable energy systems, urban metabolism, and environment-society nexus.

Prof. Francesco Gonella
意大利威尼斯大学 | Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy
威尼斯 Ca’ Foscari 大学教授，曾任国际复杂疾病系统动力学研究中心主任。研究兴趣包括环境物理学、环境-健康耦合、系统思维及高等教育。
Professor at Ca' Foscari University of Venice. He was Director of the Center for the Study of the Systemic Dynamics of Complex Diseases. His research interests include environmental physics, environment-health nexus, systems thinking, and higher education.

Prof. Gengyuan Liu
北京师范大学 | Beijing Normal University
北京师范大学教授，长期致力于城市代谢、环境耦合、生态产品价值实现等方面的研究。
Professor at Beijing Normal University. His research focuses on urban metabolism, environmental nexus, and value realization mechanisms for ecological products.

Part B 教师团队 / Part B Teaching Team

Prof. Jonathan Cullen
剑桥大学 | University of Cambridge
可持续工程教授，剑桥资源效率研究组负责人。研究聚焦工业代谢、资源效率、高耗能行业低碳转型及可再生技术资源约束评估。
Professor of Sustainable Engineering and leader of the Cambridge Resource Efficiency Research Group. His work focuses on industrial metabolism, resource efficiency, low-carbon industrial transitions, and resource constraints for renewable technologies.

Prof. Jon McKechnie
诺丁汉大学 | University of Nottingham
可持续工程教授，主要研究能源系统技术-经济分析（TEA）与生命周期评价（LCA）。研究方向包括可再生能源成本建模、碳捕集系统评估及生物质/废弃物资源化路径优化。
Professor of Engineering Sustainability, specialising in TEA and LCA for energy systems. His research covers renewable energy cost modelling, carbon capture system evaluation, and optimisation of biomass and waste valorisation pathways.

Dr. Fanran Meng
谢菲尔德大学 | University of Sheffield
格兰瑟姆未来可持续未来中心研究员，化学、材料与生物工程系长聘副教授。研究聚焦资源效率与可持续工程系统，融合过程模拟、物质流分析、LCA/TEA与优化方法。
Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Chemical Engineering and researcher at the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures. His work focuses on resource efficiency and sustainable engineering systems, integrating process modelling, material flow analysis, LCA/TEA, and optimisation.

招生对象 / Target Participants
面向国际高校及科研院所环境与生态工程及相关专业在读研究生，并招收部分优秀本科生。完成课程学习的学员将获得课程结业证书。北京师范大学学生可在课程结束后提交学生证号，申请认定相应课程学分。
This program is open to current postgraduate students in environmental and ecological engineering or related disciplines from international universities and research institutions, with limited places available for outstanding undergraduate students. Upon completion, participants will receive a course completion certificate. BNU students may apply for course credits by submitting their student ID number after completing the course.
报名方式 / Course Registration
请扫描下方二维码或访问报名链接完成报名。
Please complete registration by scanning the QR code below or visiting the registration link.

课程支持单位 / Supported by

中文名称
English Name

多尺度生态模拟与环境安全调控技术创新基地
Multi-scale Ecological Simulation and Environmental Security Regulation Technological Innovation Base

区域环境安全全国重点实验室
State Key Laboratory of Regional Environment and Sustainability

国际能值分析学会
International Society for Advancement Emergy Research

国际清洁生产进展网络
Advances in Cleaner Production Network

中国城市科学研究会城市群绿色发展专业委员会
Urban Agglomeration Green Development Committee of Chinese Society for Urban Studies

欢迎全球高校及科研院所学生报名参加！
We warmly welcome students from universities and research institutions worldwide.

4th International Symposium on Green Development of Urban Agglomerations & Sino-UK Bilateral High-Level Seminar on Urban Climate Resilience and Green Transition
2026-09-27 - 2026-10-04 | Haidian District
Check out the details and the Call for Participation on our news page here!
... or head straight to the conference website ⬇️
