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Energy Management and Energy Efficiency in Industry

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "B: Energy and Environment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2021) | Viewed by 21718

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Patrik Thollander

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Management and Engineering (IEI), Linkoping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
2. Department of Building, Energy and Environment Engineering, University of Gävle, 801 76 Gävle, Sweden
Interests: industrial energy management; energy efficiency in SMEs, barriers to and drivers for energy efficiency, energy audits, energy policies for improved industrial energy end-use, industrial energy efficiency potentials
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Prof. Dr. Thomas Zobel

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Co-Guest Editor

Department of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
Interests: corporate social responsibility; corporate governance; sustainable development; energy management; CSR; environmental management; industry; sustainability; sustainability management; management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Improved energy efficiency and energy management are key issues for the industry as it strives to increase productivity, improve competitiveness, reduce energy costs and at the same time contribute to reaching the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) that are associated with energy use and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. However, the high diversity among the various industrial sectors makes general solutions too shallow; rather, in-depth studies from various industrial sectors are needed. At the same time, energy management and in particular energy management systems are relatively new and most likely would benefit from the more mature field environmental management, in which energy efficiency is primarily studied from an environmental and sustainability perspective. Research has also shown a number of additional benefits related to energy efficiency, entitled multiple- or non-energy-benefits. Increased knowledge of such benefits has also been shown an increasing interest in recent years. Including those benefits may in the end make energy efficiency and energy management practices even more visually cost-effective and attractive for industrial decision-makers. Finally, case studies and ex-post evaluations of various types of energy efficiency policy programs for improved energy efficiency and climate change mitigation in industry, preferably including energy management components such as voluntary agreement programs, is of great need in order at least for policy-makers to learn and improve next generation policy programs. This Special Issue is seeking state-of-the-art papers in the field of industrial energy efficiency, energy management, case studies of multiple- or non-energy-benefits, energy efficiency and climate change mitigation policy programs. We encourage in particular publications which draw from the rich literature on environmental management, which in an interdisciplinary way includes such in the field of energy management. Also, novel papers in relation to lean production and energy efficiency, papers providing enhanced knowledge of energy-end-use in industry and the energy efficiency and carbon mitigation potentials, are encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Patrik Thollander
Prof. Dr. Thomas Zobel
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Energy management
Manufacturing industry
Process industry
Improved energy efficiency
Energy audits
Energy efficiency policy programs
Climate change mitigation policy programs
Lean manufacturing and energy efficiency
Energy end-use
Energy efficiency potentials
Environmental management systems
Environmental and energy management systems (e.g., ISO 14001 and ISO 50001)

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 600 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Economic and Production-Related Implications for Industrial Energy Efficiency: A Logistic Regression Analysis on Cross-Cutting Technologies

by Fábio de Oliveira Neves, Henrique Ewbank, José Arnaldo Frutuoso Roveda, Andrea Trianni, Fernando Pinhabel Marafão and Sandra Regina Monteiro Masalskiene Roveda

Energies 2022, 15(4), 1382; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15041382 - 14 Feb 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2461

Abstract

Increased industrial energy efficiency (EE) has become one of the main environmental actions to mitigate carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, contributing also to industrial competitiveness, with several implications on the production system and cost management. Unfortunately, literature is currently lacking empirical evidence on the impact of energy efficiency solutions on production. Thus, this work primarily aims at investigating the economic and production-related influence on the reduction in industrial energy consumption, considering the cross-cutting technologies HVAC, motors, lighting systems and air compressor systems. The analysis is performed using data from previous studies that characterized the main EE measures for the cross-cutting technologies. Four logistic models were built to understand how costs and production influence energy efficiency across such cross-cutting technologies. In this way, motivating industries to implement measures to reduce electrical consumption, offering an economic cost–benefit analysis and optimizing industry processes so that the reduction in electricity consumption adds to industrial energy efficiency were the aims of this study. The results of this work show through the adjusted indicators that senior management is mainly responsible for energy savings. The operational measures of each piece of equipment can be oriented in the industry towards a specific maintenance process for each technology, becoming an active procedure in industrial productions to obtain EE. Additionally, maintenance planning and control is essential to the reliability of the reduced energy consumption of cross-cutting technologies. This article concludes with managerial implications and suggestions for future research in this field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Management and Energy Efficiency in Industry)

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21 pages, 1900 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Barriers to and Drivers of Energy Management in Swedish SMEs

by Noor Jalo, Ida Johansson, Mariana Andrei, Therese Nehler and Patrik Thollander

Energies 2021, 14(21), 6925; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14216925 - 21 Oct 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3298

Abstract

The energy efficiency gap is known as the difference between optimal level of energy efficiency and the actual level of achieved energy efficiency. Energy management has proven to further close the energy efficiency gap. Energy management may differ depending on whether it concerns a large, energy-intensive company or small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs are of high interest since they form a large share of the economy today. For SMEs, a lighter form of energy management, in the form of energy efficiency network participation, has proven to deliver sound energy efficiency impact, while for larger, energy-intensive firms, a certified energy management system may be more suitable. However, various barriers inhibit adoption of energy efficiency measures. While there is an array of research on barriers to and driving forces for energy efficiency in general, research on barriers to, and driving forces for, energy management is rare, one exception being a study of energy-intensive pulp and paper mills. This holds even more so for industrial SMEs. This paper aims to identify the barriers to, and drivers for, energy management in manufacturing SMEs. Results of this explorative study show that the top four barriers to energy management are lack of time/other priorities, non-energy-related working tasks are prioritized higher, slim organization, and lack of internal expert competences, i.e., mainly organizational barriers. The top four drivers for energy management are to reduce production waste, participation in energy efficiency networks, cost reduction from lower energy use, and commitment from top management. Furthermore, results show that energy management among the studied SMEs seems to not be as mature, even though the companies participated in an energy management capacity building program in the form of energy efficiency networks, which, in turn, shows a still largely untapped potential in the societal aim to reduce the energy efficiency and management gaps. The main contribution of this paper is a first novel attempt to explore barriers to, and drivers for, energy management among SMEs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Management and Energy Efficiency in Industry)

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19 pages, 3083 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Optimum Wood Procurement Scenario and Its Dynamic Management for Integrated Energy and Material Production in Carbon-Neutral Forest Industry

by Teijo Palander and Jari Takkinen

Energies 2021, 14(15), 4404; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14154404 - 21 Jul 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2756

Abstract

The digitalization of the forest sector, the increased demand of energy-wood, as well as faster market changes have increased the number of challenges for wood procurement of the forest industry. The aim of the study is to optimize wood procurement (upstream of supply chain) of energy and material production in integrated situations, and to consider the effects of production changes on the management of procurement regions. Three scenarios described integrated production situations in a carbon-neutral forest industry: (1) declining export, (2) energy reform, and (3) extensive energy reform. Time-varying capital-, cost-, and energy efficiency of the dynamic wood-flow model affected the competitiveness of the procurement regions. As a novel contribution, energy efficiency was modeled using the price of emission allowance as a cost parameter. The results show the positive effects of the energy reforms, which partly compensate for the declining exports. In addition, it is possible to change wood procurement in the regions in a market-oriented way. Decision makers should optimize purchases, inventories, and procurement resources as business processes, which are also considered success factors for the forest industry in integrated production situations. The strategic solution of extensive energy reform provides a potential approach for carbon-neutral customer-oriented supply chains, but it needs tactical energy efficiency analysis in future studies of sustainability, if the ultimate goal is to implement a carbon-free forest industry and bioeconomy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Management and Energy Efficiency in Industry)

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26 pages, 8451 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Taxonomy, Saving Potentials and Key Performance Indicators for Energy End-Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Aluminium Industry and Aluminium Casting Foundries

by Joakim Haraldsson, Simon Johnsson, Patrik Thollander and Magnus Wallén

Energies 2021, 14(12), 3571; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14123571 - 15 Jun 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4017

Abstract

Increasing energy efficiency within the industrial sector is one of the main approaches in order to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. The production and processing of aluminium is energy and greenhouse gas intensive. To make well-founded decisions regarding energy efficiency and greenhouse gas mitigating investments, it is necessary to have relevant key performance indicators and information about energy end-use. This paper develops a taxonomy and key performance indicators for energy end-use and greenhouse gas emissions in the aluminium industry and aluminium casting foundries. This taxonomy is applied to the Swedish aluminium industry and two foundries. Potentials for energy saving and greenhouse gas mitigation are estimated regarding static facility operation. Electrolysis in primary production is by far the largest energy using and greenhouse gas emitting process within the Swedish aluminium industry. Notably, almost half of the total greenhouse gas emissions from electrolysis comes from process-related emissions, while the other half comes from the use of electricity. In total, about 236 GWh/year (or 9.2% of the total energy use) and 5588–202,475 tonnes CO_2eq/year can be saved in the Swedish aluminium industry and two aluminium casting foundries. The most important key performance indicators identified for energy end-use and greenhouse gas emissions are MWh/tonne product and tonne CO₂-eq/tonne product. The most beneficial option would be to allocate energy use and greenhouse gas emissions to both the process or machine level and the product level, as this would give a more detailed picture of the company’s energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Management and Energy Efficiency in Industry)

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17 pages, 669 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On the Application of Small-Scale Turbines in Industrial Steam Networks

by Ansgar Weickgenannt, Ivan Kantor, François Maréchal and Jürg Schiffmann

Energies 2021, 14(11), 3149; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14113149 - 28 May 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3739

Abstract

This study investigates the technical and economic feasibility of replacing throttling valves with smale-scale, oil-free turbomachinery in industrial steam networks. This is done from the perspective of the turbomachine, which has to be integrated into a new or existing process. The considered machines [...] Read more.

P = [0.5, \dots, 250

kW] and have been designed using real industrial data from existing processes. Design guidelines are developed, which take into account the thermodynamic process as well as engineering aspects of such a turbomachine. The results suggest that steam conditioning prior to heat exchange could be completed by small expanders to produce mechanical work, reducing exergy destruction and improving site-wide energy efficiency compared to throttling valves. Cost estimates for such machines are presented, which serve as a basis for case-specific investment calculations. The resulting payback times of less than 18 months highlight the economic potential such solutions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Management and Energy Efficiency in Industry)

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14 pages, 495 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Will the Management Structure of Energy Administrators Affect the Achievement of the Electrical Efficiency Mandatory Target for Taiwan Factories?

by Feng-Fan Liao and Wun-Hwa Chen

Energies 2021, 14(7), 2021; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14072021 - 6 Apr 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2687

Abstract

Since 2014, Taiwan has promoted a 1% annual electricity saving target to promote electrical efficiency efforts. As the industrial sector accounts for approximately 60% of the overall electricity consumption of Taiwan, this sector presents the greatest opportunity for improving Taiwan’s overall energy efficiency. Here, the energy audit data of industrial energy users are analyzed via logistic regression to understand the factors impacting their likelihood of achieving the targeted 1% electricity saving. Of the variables under study, the number of employees and the rank of the energy administrator were significantly correlated with the likelihood of reaching the electricity saving target. Within the management structure of the factory, energy users with higher-ranking energy administrators are more likely to achieve the targeted 1% electricity saving. As it is impractical to rapidly increase the number of employees, higher-ranking employees, i.e., factory executives, should be appointed as energy administrators to improve users’ electrical efficiency and thus reach the targeted 1% annual electricity saving. Based on the findings of our research, we put forward a point of view that in addition to the introduction of new technologies to improve energy efficiency, it can also be achieved through adjustments to the management structure of energy administration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Management and Energy Efficiency in Industry)

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