It is important to note that although energetic analysis is important, it can be unreliable as it is based on the First Law of thermodynamics and is always conserved, disregarding entropy generation and internal irreversible losses as prescribed by the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Furthermore, it does not account for external losses embodied by waste streams. Exergy analysis is a useful alternative that can overcome these limitations, reflecting the quality or the fraction of energy that is utilizable and accounting for any losses. Exergy destruction, exergy loss, cumulative exergy demand and exergy efficiency are all potential metrics that can indicate the resource intensity and efficiency of a process, reflecting the environmental impact of a process more holistically than energy.