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JL-26, the Joule Ledger

A method for measuring, accounting for and reporting the energy a machine uses to complete useful work. Current text: JL-26 Edition 2026 r0, a draft published 30 October 2026.

Get the textbook Read the closure rule

Reviewed 5 November 2026

What it covers

JL-26 applies to conventional processors, brain-inspired hardware, biological computers using living neurons, robots, drones and edge devices, and the facilities that house them. Every result states its meter point, label and grade, and results are never compared across different meter points.

The method in six parts

Five accounts

Intake, Reserve, Work, Overhead and Waste.

The accounts

The closure rule

The accounts must balance within the stated uncertainty.

The rule

Meter points

M1 device, M2 board, M3 rack, M4 facility.

The boundaries

Five ratios

Decision Yield, Overhead Ratio, Landauer Gap, Energy Return, Autonomy.

The ratios

Labels and grades

Measured, Estimated, Projected; Declared, Witnessed, Replicated.

Labels and grades

Worked examples

A ledger that closes and one that does not.

The examples

How it is written

  • Requirements use "shall", in the style of ISO standards.
  • Each parameter is marked as sourced from published practice or as an AAERL choice.
  • The edition is the year (JL-26 for 2026); corrections appear as revisions (r1, r2), and formulas change only in a new edition.
  • Units are joules, watt-hours and kilowatt-hours only. See the changelog.

Status

JL-26, the Joule Ledger, is a proprietary measurement method published by AAERL. It is not a consensus standard and has not been adopted by any standards body or regulator.

Questions

Is JL-26 free to read?

The method is summarized on this site, and the textbook explains it in full.

Can I report a Declared result myself?

Yes. A Declared result is reported by the organization using JL-26 and is free to submit.

Keep reading

The five accountsThe five accounts of the Joule Ledger: what each records, how it is measured, and why every joule entering a machine must land in exactly one of them.The closure ruleThe closure rule: Intake = ΔReserve + Work + Overhead + Waste, the residual, the uncertainty test, and why one account must be measured independently.The five ratiosThe five JL-26 ratios: Decision Yield, Overhead Ratio, Landauer Gap, Energy Return and Autonomy, with their formulas, units and which direction is better.

Take the next step.

JL-26, the Joule Ledger: five energy accounts that must close, four meter points, five ratios, and labels and grades for every result. How it works.

Get the textbook Read the closure rule