Abstract
Index decomposition analysis (IDA) has been used to study energy use movements since the 1980s. Methods at that time consisted primarily of multiplying factors that ultimately yielded the aggregate quantity, such as energy use. IDA is a straightforward way for researchers to examine the individual impacts of economic intensity, economic structure, and other factors on energy consumption or greenhouse gas emissions. Other methods could take more complex approaches, such as analyzing the outputs of energy system models, to decompose aggregate quantities.
