A suggestion. Why don't you or PG or someone do a thermo primer? Libelle did decently, but as you said to analyze this you have to use the Helmholtz free energy and/or exergy concepts.

a thermo primer

I always reckoned that almost everyone would switch off when the equations started.

to analyze this you have to use the Helmholtz free energy and/or exergy concepts.

Exactly. To do this in a way that is accurate is not trivial. I've made a couple of presentations to economists, with a positive reception, but I don't know how much stuck.