Energy Balances
Communication Of The Results
The Canadian Experience
Gary Smalldridge, Chief, Energy Section
May 2009
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Energy Balances A complex data set
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Interpretabilityof a complex data set
“The numbers have spoken!”
Is our data presentation
easily understood?
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Varied users and needs
• Statistics Canada
• Natural Resources Canada
• Environment Canada
• Industry organizations
• IEA/OECD
• Academia, Researchers and Public
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Accessibility Energy Balances
Output must be easily accessible to all types of data users
- sophisticated and - non-sophisticated
Many challenges to accessibility - i.e. confidentiality
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Methods of dissemination
The ‘Daily’ release (media) CANSIM (online retrieval system) Publications hard copy and internet Data sharing agreements
• other government departments• regulatory agencies• and, industry associations
International agreements • International organizations (IEA)
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The ‘Daily’ Primary Method
of public data dissemination
• Announces availability of data • Easy to read highlights & data summary
tables• Points to supporting data CANSIM tables• Points to data sources, methods and
supporting surveys information• Identifies data dissemination and subject
matter officer (e-mail address / toll free telephone number)- rapid turn around of enquiries
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Energy Balances Dialogue with data users
User input very important Helps to identify
• data gaps
• data quality issues
• data interpretation issues
• And, data presentation problems
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Gary Smalldridge, Chief, Energy Section,
Manufacturing and Energy Division,
Statistics Canada
(613) 951-3567