پرویز حاجیانی

Background: Energy plays a very important role in the production structure and welfare of every society. Iran's economy has a very high energy intensity compared to other countries, which results in the loss of scarce energy resources. Reducing energy intensity is highly correlated with energy efficiency and productivity, and the Iranian economy along this path has no other way to increase efficiency and productivity and to develop a knowledge-based economy. Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate and measure energy efficiency and its changes in Iran's provinces with emphasis on selected components of knowledge-based economy during the period of 2006-2015. Methodology: The statistical population of the present study is Iran. Statistical sample is the provinces of Iran whose performance has been studied for the years 1394-1384. In this study, energy intensity was first estimated using panel econometric method and emphasis on selected components of knowledge-based economy (including Knowledge and ICT) for provinces. Then, the total energy efficiency of the two factors with the presence of knowledge-based economy variables that are significant in the energy intensity model and without the knowledge-based economy variables were measured using data envelopment analysis method and also to investigate the efficiency changes of the index The Malmquist-Leonburger productivity is used. Results: The results show that the variables of information technology (variables of ratio of mobile subscribers to total population) and knowledge variable (ratio of number of students to total population) and real GDP per capita have inverse and significant relationship with energy intensity variable. The value added ratio of services sector to the whole economy also has a positive and significant effect on the energy intensity variable. The average energy efficiency in terms of knowledge-based economy components was 51% and without them 49%. It can be concluded that the provinces o