Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Physical energy flow accounts (PEFA) is one module of the European environmental-economic accounts - Regulation (EU) 691/2011 Annex VI. PEFA record the flows of energy (in terajoules) from the environment to the economy (natural inputs), within the economy (products), and from the economy back to the environment (residuals), using the accounting framework of physical supply and use tables.
PEFA provide information on energy flows arranged in a way fully compatible with concepts, principles, and classifications of national accounts – thus enabling integrated analyses of environmental, energy and economic issues e.g. through environmental-economic modelling. PEFA complement the traditional energy statistics, balances and derived indicators which are the main reference data source for EU energy policies.
This national metadata refers to the PEFA questionnaire delivered to Eurostat: data on supply (table A), use (table B), transformation use (table B1), end use (table B2) and emission-relevant use (table C), key indicators of physical energy flow accounts by NACE Rev. 2 activity (table D), and physical energy flow accounts totals bridging to energy balances totals (table E).
Physical energy flow accounts (PEFA) datasets have the following dimensions:
Supply and use tables (STK_FLOW): the elements of this dimension are the five tables detailing energy supply (questionnaire table A) and use; the total energy use (table B) is the sum of transformation use (table B1) and end use (table B2), and a certain part of it is emission relevant (table C).
Energy product (PROD_NRG): (not relevant for questionnaire table D and E) The flows of energy recorded in PEFA are broadly grouped into natural energy inputs (flows from environment to economy), energy products (flows within economy), and energy residuals (flows from economy to environment mainly). Each of these generic groups is further broken down. In total this dimension distinguishes 31 items which are regulated in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/172.
Classification of economic activities - NACE Rev.2 (NACE_R2): (not relevant for questionnaire table E) The supply and use of energy flows is broken down by NACE classification of economic activities. The aggregation level used is A*64 (i.e. 64 branches), fully compatible with ESA supply and use tables. Furthermore, this dimension includes private households, accumulation (e.g. product inventories), the rest of the world economy for imports and exports, and the environment.
Indicators (INDIC_PEFA): (only relevant for questionnaire tables D and E): Various key indicators that can be derived from the physical supply and use tables and so-called 'bridging-items' which present the various elements explaining the differences between the national totals as reported by PEFA vis-a-vis the national totals as reported by Eurostat's energy balances.
Geopolitical entity (GEO): EU Member States, EFTA countries, candidate countries, and potential candidates.
Period of time (TIME): Energy flow data are annual.
Unit (UNIT): Energy flows are reported in Terajoules.
3.3. Coverage - sector
The data set covers the entire national economy as defined in national accounts (ESA 2010, paragraph 2.04), as well as its physical relation to economies in the rest of the world and the environment.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Physical energy flow accounts (PEFA) are conceptually rooted in the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) which is an international statistical standard. The SEEA central framework provides standard concepts, definitions, classifications, accounting rules and tables for the provision of statistics on the environment and its relationship with the economy. PEFA constitute satellite accounts to the National Accounts (NA). Hence, the statistical concepts and definitions of PEFA are derived from those of NA. As far as applicable PEFA is also compliant with the statistical concepts and definitions internationally established for energy statistics: the International Recommendations for Energy Statistics (IRES). Three concepts are essential to PEFA: 1) The concept of three generic types of energy flows as established in SEEA, namely: a) natural energy inputs: flows from the natural environment into the economy such as fossil energy carriers in solid, liquid and gaseous form, biomass, solar radiation, kinetic energy in form of hydro and wind, geothermal heat etc.; b) energy products: output flows from production processes as defined in national accounts (ESA); typically products produced by extractive industries, refineries, power plants etc.; c) energy residuals: mainly energy in form of dissipative heat arising from the end use of energy products, flowing from the economy into the natural environment. 2) The accounting framework of (physical) supply and use tables as established in NA and SEEA; 3) The residence principle as established in NA and SEEA, i.e. PEFA records energy flows related to resident unit's activities, regardless where those occur geographically.
3.5. Statistical unit
Data refer to activities of resident economic units in the sense of SEEA CF 2012 and national accounts (ESA), including households.
3.6. Statistical population
The national economy is as defined in SEEA CF 2012 and national accounts (ESA); i.e. all economic activities undertaken by resident units (see ESA 2010, paragraph 2.04). A unit is said to be a resident unit of a country when it has a centre of economic interest in the economic territory of that country, that is, when it engages for an extended period (1 year or more) in economic activities in that territory.
3.7. Reference area
Estonia
3.8. Coverage - Time
Data from 2014 to 2021
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
The unit of measure is terajoule (TJ).
The data refer to the calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
PEFA are legally covered by Regulation (EC) No. 691/2011 on European environmental economic accounts as amended by Regulation (EU) No. 538/2014. EEEA currently include six modules (air emissions accounts, environmentally related taxes by economic activity, economy-wide material flow accounts, environmental protection expenditure accounts, environmental goods and services sector accounts, and physical energy flow accounts).
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The rules of confidentiality followed in Estonia are that avalue of indicator is confidential if a) it makes up more than 90% of the total value, and b) if it comprises less than 3 units. Most cells that have been marked confidential are marked so because of these rules. After the primary confidentiality is assigned, it is necessary to find the secondary confidential cells. In Statistics Estonia in order to find secondary confidential cells the programme Tau-Argus is used.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Data on PEFA are not confidential in Estonia.
8.1. Release calendar
Data on PEFA for 2014-2021 will be published on Statistics Estonia website on 30th of September 2023.
The preannounced schedule of publication of data is announed at the beginning of year.
8.2. Release calendar access
Link to the release calendar on Statistics Estonia website is:
The users are informed about the data will being released via release calendar published on Statistics Estonia website at the beginning of the year. The statistical data are disseminated to all users at the same time via Statistics Estonia website.
Data are disseminated annually.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
News releases are not made
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
A Statistics Explained article on is partially based on PEFA data.
No other quality documents besides Quality Reports submitted to Eurostat together with PEFA Questionnaire data have been compiled.
11.1. Quality assurance
The control checks implemented into PEFA Questionnaire 2023 were used for detecting potential errors or inconsistencies before the data were transmitted to Eurostat.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Statistics Estonia performs all statistical activities according to an international model (Generic Statistical Business Process Model – GSBPM). According to the GSBPM, the final phase of statistical activities is overall evaluation using information gathered in each phase or sub-process; this information can take many forms, including feedback from users, process metadata, system metrics and suggestions from employees. This information is used to prepare the evaluation report which outlines all the quality problems related to the specific statistical activity and serves as input for improvement actions.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Users of Physical Energy Flow Account (PEFA) derived indicators include policy makers in environmental ministries, environmental organisations, researchers and students.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No surveys are conducted on user satisfaction.
12.3. Completeness
All the cells in Questionaire tables for the year 2014-2021 were filled in.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The overall accuracy is considered to be good.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable to statistical accounts.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable to statistical accounts.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable to statistical accounts.
13.3.1. Coverage error
Not applicable to statistical accounts.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not applicable to statistical accounts.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not applicable to statistical accounts.
13.3.2. Measurement error
Not applicable to statistical accounts.
13.3.3. Non response error
Not applicable to statistical accounts.
13.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Not applicable to statistical accounts.
13.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
Not applicable to statistical accounts.
13.3.4. Processing error
Not applicable to statistical accounts.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not applicable to statistical accounts.
14.1. Timeliness
PEFA data are published on Statistics Estonia website at the same time the data were sent to Eurostat (T+21)
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
Not applicable.
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Not applicable.
14.2. Punctuality
Not applicable.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Data on PEFA are compiled according to international guidelines and insofar comparable. Application of the PEFA Builder tool ensures comparability to a certain extent.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Please see the table in 15.2.1.1.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.
15.2.1.1. Comparability - over time detailed
Please use below table for explaining b)-flags (breaks in time series):
Year (of the break in series)
Questionnaire table(s)
Columns (NACE Rev. 2 activity, households etc.)
Rows (natural energy inputs, energy products, energy residuals)
Reason for' break in time series'
All years
All tables
No break in time series
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
PEFA data are coherent with National Accounts, Air Emission Accounts, Environmental Taxes Accounts and Energy statistics.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Not applicable; reported PEFA data are only annual.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
The data are coherent with principles, definitions and concepts in National Accounts (ESA - European System of Accounts), energy statistics (IRES - International Recommendations for Energy Statistics), and Environmental Accounting (SEEA - System of Environmental-Economic Accounting).
15.3.3. Do you cooperate with national colleagues compiling AEA?
Yes, we cooperate with colleaugues compling AEA.
Air emissions accounts (AEA) and physical energy flow accounts (PEFA) employ the same groupings of elementary economic units (NACE Rev. 2 activities) as the ESA supply and use tables.
15.3.4. Are there compilation elements that PEFA compilers jointly undertake with AEA compilers (e.g. distribution of road transport fuel use and emissions by NACE)?
The NACE categories of resident units were complient for both cases and are based on National Accounts. The same devision keys were used for allocation of road transport energy use and air emissions to NACE industries and householdsland transport.
The same devision keys were used for allocation use and air emissions of solid biofuels to NACE industries and households.
The same weighted average calorific values of oil shale used as fuel were used for energy usesand calculations of air emissions.
15.3.5. Do you report in PEFA imports and exports according to the SEEA-CF concepts for trade in goods (see SEEA-CF section 3.3.3, paras. 3.121 ff., and para. 1.46)?
Yes
15.3.6. Do you perform cross-domain plausibility checks between your PEFA data on air transport versus OECD's data on CO2-emissions of air transport?
Yes
15.3.7. Do you perform cross-domain plausibility checks between PEFA data points and corresponding data points in energy statistics (see PEFA validation rules)?
Yes
15.3.8. Do you perform cross-domain plausibility checks between PEFA data points and the corresponding data points in economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) (see PEFA validation rules)?
Yes
15.4. Coherence - internal
Eurostat's validation procedures should ensure full internal consistency, at least for the mandatory data points.
In the reporting cycle 2023, there are corrections to previously published data for reference years 2014-2020. With colleagues compiling AEA was worked out new methodology of air emissions arising from road transport by resident abroad. The data and methodology of road transport by Estonian residents abroad were revised due to the change of the data source. New methods based on official transport statistics were preferred and earlier data were revised. The revision of national accounts respective datasets has also been also initiated.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.
18.1. Source data
Data sources used to produce physical energy flow accounts are described in the following sub-concepts.
18.1.1. Which are the main data sources you employ for the use of natural energy inputs (i.e. who is extracting)?
Data sources were: 5 IEA/Euroatat Joint Questionnaires, energy statistics basic data, database of Estonian Geological Survey, fiscal year reports of enterprises, Yearbook of Oil Shale Industry, database of Estonian electricity and gas transmission system operator Elering.
18.1.2. Which are the main data sources you employ for supply of energy products (e.g. electricity, refinery products etc.)?
Data sources were: 5 IEA/Euroatat Joint Questionnaires, energy statistics basic data, air emissions accounts, National Point Sources Air Emission Database of facilities having air pollution permits managed by Estonian Environment Agency; reports of enterprises for Estonian Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Registry managed by Ministry of Environment.
18.1.3. Which are the main data sources you employ for the transformation use by energy transforming entities (NACE 2-digit divisions)?
Energy statistics basic data
18.1.4. Which are the main data sources you employ for the end use by end user entities (including non-energy use)?
5 IEA/Euroatat Joint Questionnaires, energy statistics basic data, statistical survey „Manufactured goods”; environmental taxes accounts, air emissions accounts, National Point Sources Air Emission Database of facilities having air pollution permits managed by Estonian Environment Agency; reports of enterprises for Estonian Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Registry managed by Ministry of Environment; Waste Management Data System managed by Estonian Environment Agency
18.1.5. Which auxiliary data do you use to develop 'distribution keys' to assign energy use to the detailed breakdown of production activities (NACE 2-digit divisions) and categories of household consumption?
We use energy statistics basic data, the NACE categories of resident units were complient for PEFA are based on National Accounts and Questionaire for statistics on final energy consumption in households.
18.1.6. Do you use the PEFA builder? If yes: for populating the PEFA Tables, or for control only?
Yes, PEFA_Builder_v5.7.1 was used for population of PEFA tables.
18.1.7. Which data sources do you use to make adjustments for the residence principle?
The same approach was used which was worked out for Air Emissions Accounts.
Estimations of transport disel from road transport of residents’ enterprises abroad are based on transport statistics (Road Traffic on National Territory for National and Foreign Vehicles by Type of Vehicle and Type of Road). Expenditures for purchase of fuel for road transport gasoline made abroad based on National Accounts data and data about expenditures for transport made by residents during their holiday trips, visiting friends or relatives and other trips abroad from one side and fuel prices the European Commission's Oil Bulletin from another side were used for calculation of the adjustments due to residential principle for road transport used by residence abroad. Adjustments due to residential principle for road transport fuels by non-residents were made based on tourism satellite account in cooperation with colleagues dealing with Environmental Taxes Accounts and National Accounts.
In case of adjustments for the residence principles for fishing and marine transport expenditures for purchase of fuel made abroad from National Accounts and fuel prises from environmental taxes accounts were used. In addition, quantity of bunkered fuels were divided between residents and non-residents based on energy statistics data and quantity of fuels bunkered by residents were added to quantity of fuels used for marine transport by residents. In case of adjustments for the residence principles for air transport expenditures for purchase of fuel made abroad from National Accounts and fuel prises from environmental taxes accounts were used. Quantity of bunkered fuels were divided between residents and non-residents based on OECD data and quantity of fuels bunkered by residents were added to quantity of fuels used for air transport by residents.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Data are collected annually.
18.3. Data collection
Data are collected by means of a questionnaire (deadline 30 September). Data collection is regulated in Regulation (EU) 691/2011 Annex VI.
Respondents are given access to a supporting tool for the calculation of PEFA from energy statistics (PEFA Builder).
18.4. Data validation
Data are extensively checked via a validation procedure using IT tools for the checking of formal compliance, consistency and plausibility. More about data validation can be found in point 11.1.
18.5. Data compilation
Data are compiled according to international methodological guidelines.
18.5.1. Imputation - rate
Not applicable.
18.5.2. Do you assign all supply of electricity and heat to NACE D35, or do you assign some to other NACE divisions than D35? Is the assignment you did fully aligned to the ESA monetary supply table submitted by your country?
We used PEFA_Builder. Supply of electricity and heat of autoproducers was assigned to economic activities of these autoproducers. The NACE category of autoproducers was aligned with National Accounts.
18.5.3. Which method do you use for the allocation of road transport energy use to NACE industries and households?
For the allocation of road transport energy use to NACE industries and households the expenditures on the road transport fuels in National Accounts was used as a distribution key. The same division keys were used in Air Emissions Accounts. The factors connecting expenditures for fuel from National Accounts and air emissions from road transport fuels were worked out. The methodology for division of air emissions arising from road transport by economic activities was worked out during pilot project and described in detail in final report of project (”Air Emissions and environmental taxes accounts”. Final report of Grant Agreement No 50904.2010.004-2010.590, Tallinn 2013)
18.5.4. Which method do you use for the allocation of energy use to detailed service industries (i.e. NACE 2-digit divisions 55-98)?
We use energy statistics basic data and the NACE categories of resident units were complient for PEFA are based on National Accounts.
We use PEFA_NaceBreakdown
18.5.5. How do you ensure a coherent assignment of energy use to economic activities (i.e. the use of energy products by a given production activity (NACE A*64 division) reported in PEFA must be coherent with the emissions reported in AEA)?
The NACE categories of resident units were complient for both cases and are based on National Accounts.
The same devision keys were used for allocation of road transport energy use and air emissions to NACE industries and householdsland transport. The same devision keys were used for allocation use and air emissions of solid biofuels to NACE industries and households. The same weighted average calorific values of oil shale used as fuel were used for energy usesand calculations of air emissions.
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable.
18.6.1. Seasonal adjustment
Not applicable.
Physical energy flow accounts (PEFA) is one module of the European environmental-economic accounts - Regulation (EU) 691/2011 Annex VI. PEFA record the flows of energy (in terajoules) from the environment to the economy (natural inputs), within the economy (products), and from the economy back to the environment (residuals), using the accounting framework of physical supply and use tables.
PEFA provide information on energy flows arranged in a way fully compatible with concepts, principles, and classifications of national accounts – thus enabling integrated analyses of environmental, energy and economic issues e.g. through environmental-economic modelling. PEFA complement the traditional energy statistics, balances and derived indicators which are the main reference data source for EU energy policies.
This national metadata refers to the PEFA questionnaire delivered to Eurostat: data on supply (table A), use (table B), transformation use (table B1), end use (table B2) and emission-relevant use (table C), key indicators of physical energy flow accounts by NACE Rev. 2 activity (table D), and physical energy flow accounts totals bridging to energy balances totals (table E).
Physical energy flow accounts (PEFA) are conceptually rooted in the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) which is an international statistical standard. The SEEA central framework provides standard concepts, definitions, classifications, accounting rules and tables for the provision of statistics on the environment and its relationship with the economy. PEFA constitute satellite accounts to the National Accounts (NA). Hence, the statistical concepts and definitions of PEFA are derived from those of NA. As far as applicable PEFA is also compliant with the statistical concepts and definitions internationally established for energy statistics: the International Recommendations for Energy Statistics (IRES). Three concepts are essential to PEFA: 1) The concept of three generic types of energy flows as established in SEEA, namely: a) natural energy inputs: flows from the natural environment into the economy such as fossil energy carriers in solid, liquid and gaseous form, biomass, solar radiation, kinetic energy in form of hydro and wind, geothermal heat etc.; b) energy products: output flows from production processes as defined in national accounts (ESA); typically products produced by extractive industries, refineries, power plants etc.; c) energy residuals: mainly energy in form of dissipative heat arising from the end use of energy products, flowing from the economy into the natural environment. 2) The accounting framework of (physical) supply and use tables as established in NA and SEEA; 3) The residence principle as established in NA and SEEA, i.e. PEFA records energy flows related to resident unit's activities, regardless where those occur geographically.
Data refer to activities of resident economic units in the sense of SEEA CF 2012 and national accounts (ESA), including households.
The national economy is as defined in SEEA CF 2012 and national accounts (ESA); i.e. all economic activities undertaken by resident units (see ESA 2010, paragraph 2.04). A unit is said to be a resident unit of a country when it has a centre of economic interest in the economic territory of that country, that is, when it engages for an extended period (1 year or more) in economic activities in that territory.
Estonia
The data refer to the calendar year.
The overall accuracy is considered to be good.
The unit of measure is terajoule (TJ).
Data are compiled according to international methodological guidelines.
Data sources used to produce physical energy flow accounts are described in the following sub-concepts.
Data are disseminated annually.
PEFA data are published on Statistics Estonia website at the same time the data were sent to Eurostat (T+21)
Data on PEFA are compiled according to international guidelines and insofar comparable. Application of the PEFA Builder tool ensures comparability to a certain extent.
