Estimating and analyzing energy efficiency in German and Colombian manufacturing industries using DEA and data panel analysis. Part II: Non-energy intensive sectors

This study analyzes energy efficiency trends in German and Colombian non-energy intensive sectors using data envelopment analysis (DEA) between 1998 and 2005. The results of the DEA show considerable variation in energy efficiency across non-energy intensive sectors during the sample period. At a second stage, regression analysis using panel data analysis reveals that several factors, including labor productivity, enterprise size, and capital input can be considered determinants of differences in energy efficiency among German and Colombian non-energy intensive sectors. Our results also show that different energy policies should apply in non-energy intensive sectors and that they should encourage the importance of energy efficiency in order to improve it, especially in small and medium enterprises and the industrial sector of developing countries.