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Industrial Energy Management and Sustainability

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2021) | Viewed by 19173

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Miriam Benedetti

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Guest Editor

Energy Efficiency Department, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, ENEA, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
Interests: industrial energy management; industrial energy efficiency; energy benchmarking; energy efficiency assessment; compressed air systems; industrial waste heat recovery; industrial ecology; industrial symbiosis; cleaner production; industrial sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Vito Introna

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Guest Editor

Department of Enterprise Engineering, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
Interests: energy management; industrial sustainability; production system planning and optimization; Industry 4.0; lean production; smart maintenance; project management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Growing environmental concerns caused by increasing consumption of natural resources and pollution need to be addressed. Manufacturing dictates the efficiency with which resource inputs are transformed into economically valuable outputs in the form of products and services. Consequently, it is also responsible for the resulting waste and pollution generated by this transformation process. As a matter of fact, about one third of global total energy consumption is associated to manufacturing activities; thus, achieving higher energy efficiency in this sector has been the focus of research as well as of policy and industrial programs in recent years. In particular, being able to effectively manage energy and energy-related activities has proven to be a fundamental capability for companies willing to improve their sustainability, as it constitutes the first, critical step to understanding their processes and to identifying and correctly evaluating improvement opportunities.

This Special Issue focuses on Energy Management and Sustainability of both manufacturing processes and systems, including methods, practices, tools, applications, and experiences. Papers are particularly invited in the following areas:

Methods and tools for measuring and analyzing energy performances with particular interest in their application for measuring industrial sustainability performance;
Modelling and simulation techniques for energy efficiency improvement of manufacturing processes and systems;
Methods and tools for energy efficiency opportunity identification, evaluation, and implementation;
Decision support tools and techniques for energy efficiency, also including multiple benefits evaluation methods;
Energy performance benchmarking: tools and methods;
Energy management best practices and implications for the environment, with particular interest in real life examples and cases;
Analysis of the impact of effective energy management on the process, system, company or higher level sustainability;
Energy management systems (e.g., ISO 50001) and their contribution to sustainable development;
Energy efficiency financing schemes and their impact on industrial sustainability;
Green and lean manufacturing.

Dr. Miriam Benedetti
Prof. Dr. Vito Introna
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Industrial energy management
Energy performances
Energy benchmarking
Energy modelling and simulation
Multiple benefits
Industrial energy sustainability
Green and lean manufacturing

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

2 pages, 146 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Industrial Energy Management and Sustainability

by Miriam Benedetti and Vito Introna

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8814; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168814 - 06 Aug 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1004

Abstract

Increasing the sustainability of industrial activities is a top priority for national and supranational governmental institutions [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial Energy Management and Sustainability)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

19 pages, 3218 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design of a Database of Case Studies and Technologies to Increase the Diffusion of Low-Temperature Waste Heat Recovery in the Industrial Sector

by Miriam Benedetti, Daniele Dadi, Lorena Giordano, Vito Introna, Pasquale Eduardo Lapenna and Annalisa Santolamazza

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 5223; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13095223 - 07 May 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2158

Abstract

The recovery of waste heat is a fundamental means of achieving the ambitious medium- and long-term targets set by European and international directives. Despite the large availability of waste heat, especially at low temperatures (<250 °C), the implementation rate of heat recovery interventions is still low, mainly due to non-technical barriers. To overcome this limitation, this work aims to develop two distinct databases containing waste heat recovery case studies and technologies as a novel tool to enhance knowledge transfer in the industrial sector. Through an in-depth analysis of the scientific literature, the two databases’ structures were developed, defining fields and information to collect, and then a preliminary population was performed. Both databases were validated by interacting with companies which operate in the heat recovery technology market and which are possible users of the tools. Those proposed are the first example in the literature of databases completely focused on low-temperature waste heat recovery in the industrial sector and able to provide detailed information on heat exchange and the technologies used. The tools proposed are two key elements in supporting companies in all the phases of a heat recovery intervention: from identifying waste heat to choosing the best technology to be adopted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial Energy Management and Sustainability)

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17 pages, 2675 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Cogeneration Supporting the Energy Transition in the Italian Ceramic Tile Industry

by Lisa Branchini, Maria Chiara Bignozzi, Benedetta Ferrari, Barbara Mazzanti, Saverio Ottaviano, Marcello Salvio, Claudia Toro, Fabrizio Martini and Andrea Canetti

Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 4006; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13074006 - 03 Apr 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3652

Abstract

Ceramic tile production is an industrial process where energy efficiency management is crucial, given the high amount of energy (electrical and thermal) required by the production cycle. This study presents the preliminary results of a research project aimed at defining the benefits of using combined heat and power (CHP) systems in the ceramic sector. Data collected from ten CHP installations allowed us to outline the average characteristics of prime movers, and to quantify the contribution of CHP thermal energy supporting the dryer process. The electric size of the installed CHP units resulted in being between 3.4 MW and 4.9 MW, with an average value of 4 MW. Data revealed that when the goal is to maximize the generation of electricity for self-consumption, internal combustion engines are the preferred choice due to higher conversion efficiency. In contrast, gas turbines allowed us to minimize the consumption of natural gas input to the spray dryer. Indeed, the fraction of the dryer thermal demand (between 600–950 kcal/kgH₂O), covered by CHP discharged heat, is strictly dependent on the type of prime mover installed: lower values, in the range of 30–45%, are characteristic of combustion engines, whereas the use of gas turbines can contribute up to 77% of the process’s total consumption. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial Energy Management and Sustainability)

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28 pages, 2640 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Technological Energy Efficiency Improvements in Cement Industries

by Alessandra Cantini, Leonardo Leoni, Filippo De Carlo, Marcello Salvio, Chiara Martini and Fabrizio Martini

Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3810; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073810 - 30 Mar 2021

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5315

Abstract

The cement industry is highly energy-intensive, consuming approximately 7% of global industrial energy consumption each year. Improving production technology is a good strategy to reduce the energy needs of a cement plant. The market offers a wide variety of alternative solutions; besides, the literature already provides reviews of opportunities to improve energy efficiency in a cement plant. However, the technology is constantly developing, so the available alternatives may change within a few years. To keep the knowledge updated, investigating the current attractiveness of each solution is pivotal to analyze real companies. This article aims at describing the recent application in the Italian cement industry and the future perspectives of technologies. A sample of plant was investigated through the analysis of mandatory energy audit considering the type of interventions they have recently implemented, or they intend to implement. The outcome is a descriptive analysis, useful for companies willing to improve their sustainability. Results prove that solutions to reduce the energy consumption of auxiliary systems such as compressors, engines, and pumps are currently the most attractive opportunities. Moreover, the results prove that consulting sector experts enables the collection of updated ideas for improving technologies, thus giving valuable inputs to the scientific research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial Energy Management and Sustainability)

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13 pages, 886 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Mining and Technology Industries as Catalysts for Sustainable Energy Development

by Katundu Imasiku and Valerie M. Thomas

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10410; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410410 - 12 Dec 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3704

Abstract

The potential for mining companies to contribute to sustainable energy development is characterized in terms of opportunities for energy efficiency and support of electricity access in mining-intensive developing countries. Through a case study of the Central African Copperbelt countries of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, energy efficiency opportunities in copper operations and environmental impact of metal extraction are evaluated qualitatively, characterized, and quantified using principles of industrial ecology, life cycle assessment, and engineering economics. In these countries the mining sector is the greatest consumer of electricity, accounting for about 53.6% in the region. Energy efficiency improvements in the refinery processes is shown to have a factor of two improvement potential. Further, four strategies are identified by which the mining and technology industries can enhance sustainable electricity generation capacity: energy efficiency; use of solar and other renewable resources; share expertise from the mining and technology industries within the region; and take advantage of the abundant cobalt and other raw materials to initiate value-added manufacturing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial Energy Management and Sustainability)

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24 pages, 895 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From Program to Practice: Translating Energy Management in a Manufacturing Firm

by Mette Talseth Solnørdal and Elin Anita Nilsen

Sustainability 2020, 12(23), 10084; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122310084 - 03 Dec 2020

Viewed by 1775

Abstract

A promising way to stimulate industrial energy efficiency is via energy management (EnM) practices. There is, however, limited knowledge on the implementation process of EnM in manufacturing firms. Aiming to fill this research gap, this study explores the implementation of a corporate environmental program in an incumbent firm and the ensuing emergence of EnM practices. Translation theory and the ‘travel of management ideas’ is used as a theoretical lens in this case study when analysing the process over a period of 10 years. Furthermore, based on a review and synthesis of prior studies, a ‘best EnM practice’ is developed and used as a baseline when assessing the EnM practices of the case firm. Building on this premise, we highlight four main findings: the pattern of translation dynamics, the key role of the energy manager during the implementation process, the abstraction level of the environmental program and, ‘translation competence’ as a new EnM practice. Managerial and policy implications, as well as avenues for further research, are provided based on these results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial Energy Management and Sustainability)

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