Is imperfect evaluation a deterrent to adoption of energy audit recommendations?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayaraman Chillayil ◽  
M. Suresh ◽  
Viswanathan PK ◽  
Sasi K. Kottayil
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy Efficiency Improvement ◽  
Efficiency Measures ◽  
Effective Intervention Strategy ◽  
Productivity Gains ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Efficiency Gap

PurposeEnergy-efficiency leads to productivity gains as it can lower operating and maintenance costs, increase production yields per unit of manufacturing input and improve staff accountability. Implementation of energy-efficient technologies amongst industries, the factors influencing them and the barriers to their adoption have been the subject of several studies during the past three to four decades. Though energy-use behaviours of individuals or households are sufficiently explored, industrial energy conservation behaviour is scarcely studied. This study identifies the relationship between the different behavioural elements to open up a door for behaviourally informed intervention research.Design/methodology/approachTotal interpretive structural modelling technique was used to determine the relationship between different elements of the behaviour of energy managers. Expert responses were collected to understand the relationship between the behavioural elements, through telephone interviews.FindingsThe study identified the relationship between the behavioural elements and found imperfect evaluation as the key element with the highest driving power to influence other elements.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors postulate that a behaviourally informed intervention strategy that looks into the elements with high driving power such as imperfect evaluation, lack of focus on energy-saving measures and the lack of sharing energy-saving objectives can lead to: an increase in the adoption of energy efficiency measures and thereby a reduction in the energy efficiency gap; greater productivity gains and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; Preparation of M&V protocol that incorporates behavioural, organisational and informational barriers.Social implicationsVarious policy level interventions and regulatory measures in the energy field which did not address the behavioural barriers are found unsuccessful in narrowing the energy-efficiency gap, reducing the GHG gas emissions and global warming. Understanding the key driving factor of behaviour can help to design an effective intervention strategy to address the barriers to energy efficiency improvement.Originality/valueUnderstanding the key driving factor of behaviour can help to design an effective intervention strategy to address the barriers to energy efficiency improvement. This study argues that through the systematic analysis of the imperfect evaluation of energy audit recommendations, it is possible to increase the adoption of energy efficiency measures that can lead to greater productivity gains and reduced GHG emissions.

Industrial energy behaviour model: an analysis using the TISM approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayaraman Chillayil ◽  
Suresh M. ◽  
Viswanathan P.K. ◽  
Sushanta Kumar Mahapatra ◽  
Sasi K. Kottayil
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Audit ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy Behaviour ◽  
Industrial Energy ◽  
Organisational Behaviour ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Organisational Factors ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose In the realm of energy behaviour studies, very little research has been done to understand industrial energy behaviour (IEB) that influences the willingness to adopt (WTA) energy-efficient measures. Most of the studies on energy behaviour were focused on the residential and commercial sectors where the behaviour under investigation was under volitional control, that is, where people believe that they can execute the behaviour whenever they are willing to do so. The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors influencing the industry’s intentions and behaviour that leads to enhanced adoption of energy efficiency measures recommended through energy audits. In particular, this paper aims to extend the existing behaviour intention models using the total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) method and expert feedback to develop an IEB model Design/methodology/approach TISM technique was used to determine the relationship between different elements of the behaviour. Responses were collected from experts in the field of energy efficiency to understand the relationship between identified factors, their driving power and dependency. Findings The results show that values, socialisation and leadership of individuals are the key driving factors in deciding the individual energy behaviour. WTA energy-saving measures recommended by an energy auditor are found to be highly dependent on the organisational policies such as energy policy, delegation of power to energy manager and life cycle cost evaluation in purchase policy. Research limitations/implications This study has a few limitations that warrant consideration in future research. First, the data came from a small sample of energy experts based on a convenience sample of Indian experts. This limits the generalizability of the results. Individual and organizational behaviour analysed in this study looked into a few select characteristics, derived from the literature review and expert feedback, which may pose questions about the standard for behaviours in different industries. Practical implications Reasons for non-adoption of energy audit recommendations are rarely shared by the industries and the analysis of individual and organisational behaviour through structured questionnaire and surveys have serious limitations. Under this circumstance, collecting expert feedback and using the TISM method to build an IEB model can help to build strategies to enhance the adoption of energy-efficient measures. Social implications Various policy level interventions and regulatory measures in the energy field, adopted across the globe, are found unsuccessful in narrowing the energy-efficiency gap, reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and global warming. Understanding the key driving factors can help develop effective intervention strategies to improve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions. Originality/value The industry energy behaviour model with driving, linking and dependent factors and factor hierarchy is a novel contribution to the theory of organisational behaviour. The model takes into consideration both the individual and organisational factors where the decision-making is not strictly under volitional control. Understanding the key driving factor of behaviour can help design an effective intervention strategy that addresses the barriers to energy efficiency improvement. The results imply that it is important to carry out post energy audit studies to understand the implementation rate of recommendations and also the individual and organisational factors that influence the WTA energy-saving measures.

Analyzing the “energy-efficiency gap”

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanupriya Bhardwaj ◽  
Eshita Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
High Income ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Energy Efficiency Measures ◽  
Energy Efficiency Gap ◽  
Efficiency Measures ◽  
Efficiency Gap

Purpose The key purpose of this paper is to quantify the size of the energy-efficiency gap (EEG) for air conditioners at the household level in Delhi. Most of the studies in the EEG tradition broadly define EEG as the difference between the actual and optimal level of energy efficiency. The optimal level of energy efficiency is defined at the societal level (that weigh social costs against social benefits) and the private level (that weigh private costs against private benefits). Design/methodology/approach The authors base the empirical results in this study on the basis of the primary data collected through in-person interviews of the high-income urban households in Delhi in 2014-2015. The sample of 101 households was collected through purposive random sampling. The survey data include information on type and number of AC possessed, hours of operations, socioeconomic characteristics and awareness and habits of households. Findings Using primary data of 101 high-income urban household, the paper finds that average EEG is about 10 per cent of total electricity demand of ACs at the household level. The maximum current saving potential measured as a difference between hypothetical energy consumption, if everyone adopts five star ACs, and actual energy consumption is estimated about 14 per cent of the total electricity demand of ACs. Results from the ordinary least squares regressions demonstrate that individual’s habits, attitude, awareness of energy-efficiency measures and perceptions significantly determine the size of the EEG. Among other things, authors’ empirical analysis shows that information can play a central role in guiding investment in energy-efficient technologies. From the analysis of improving access to understandable information about cost savings, payback period and emission reduction, it is found that full information leads to the significant reduction in the size of the expected private energy-efficiency gap from 10 to 2.98 per cent at the household level. Research limitations/implications This paper tests the significance of non-economic and non-social factors in determining the size of the EEG. Apart from socioeconomic factors such as income, occupation and education, individual’s energy-conserving habits and attitudes, awareness of energy-efficiency measures and perceptions are other important factors found to have a significant negative impact on the size of the EEG. This is particularly important for the designing of information programs by policymakers for promoting energy-efficiency choices in view of the change that is required in the behavior and attitudes of the households. Originality/value In this study, authors try to estimate the size of the EEG of ACs for the high-income urban households in Delhi. The private energy-efficiency gap estimated at 10 per cent of the household demand for ACs indicates existing saving opportunity for the private households. It is found that provision of comprehensive information about cost savings, payback period and emission reduction reduces the size of the EEG significantly from 10 to 2.72 per cent at the private level. This highlights the existence of limited and incomplete information in the market about the possible costs and benefits of energy-efficiency investments. This paper tests the significance of non-economic and non-social factors in determining the size of the energy-efficiency gap. Apart from socioeconomic factors such as income, occupation and education, individual’s energy-conserving habits and attitudes, awareness of energy-efficiency measures and perceptions are other important factors found to have a significant negative impact on the size of the EEG. This is particularly important for the designing of information programs by policymakers for promoting energy-efficiency choices in view of the change that is required in the behavior and attitudes of the households.

scholarly journals Implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive: Opportunities and Challenges

2015 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 3-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Zīgurs ◽  
U. Sarma
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Supply ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Regulatory Regime ◽  
Energy Prices ◽  
Efficiency Measures ◽  
Target Energy ◽  
End Use ◽  
Optimum Solution ◽  
Energy Utilities

Abstract Discussions in Latvia are ongoing regarding the optimum solution to implementing Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on energy efficiency, amending Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/EU and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC (Directive 2012/27/EU). Without a doubt, increased energy efficiency contributes significantly to energy supply security, competitive performance, increased quality of life, reduced energy dependence and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, Directive 2012/27/EU should be implemented with careful planning, evaluating every aspect of the process. This study analyses a scenario, where a significant fraction of target energy efficiency is achieved by obliging energy utilities to implement user-end energy efficiency measures. With implementation of this scheme towards energy end-use savings, user payments for energy should be reduced; on the other hand, these measures will require considerable investment. The energy efficiency obligation scheme stipulates that these investments must be paid by energy utilities; however, they will actually be covered by users, because the source of energy utilities’ income is user payments for energy. Thus, expenses on such measures will be included in energy prices and service tariffs. The authors analyse the ways to achieve a balance between user gains from energy end-use savings and increased energy prices and tariffs as a result of obligations imposed upon energy utilities. Similarly, the suitability of the current regulatory regime for effective implementation of Directive 2012/27/EU is analysed in the energy supply sectors, where supply tariffs are regulated.

Evaluation of Energy Efficiency Improvement Program for Rental Homes

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesley Herrmann ◽  
Moncef Krarti
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Improvement Program ◽  
Green House ◽  
Energy Efficiency Improvement ◽  
Green House Gas ◽  
Efficiency Measures ◽  
Residential Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Audits ◽  
The City

Recently, the city of Boulder, CO has recently approved mandatory energy efficiency standard, called SmartRegs Program, for rental properties. Improving residential energy efficiency is a goal of the city as they strive to meet the green house gas reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol. However, energy efficiency is typically not implemented in rental units because of a split incentive between landlords and tenants. This paper evaluates the various retrofit measures that improve rental homes energy efficiency as well as the effectiveness of SmartRegs Program. First, various energy efficiency measures are evaluated through walk-through and detailed energy audits to assess their effectiveness in improving the energy performance of rental homes. Based on the results of the energy audits and survey of various stake holders, a set of recommendations have been defined to ensure that the SmartRegs program be successfully implemented in order to improve the overall performance and quality of rental homes. Moreover, it is found that energy efficient can increase the thermal comfort levels and decrease the energy costs for tenants, increase the value of the property for landlords, and help the city meet their green house gas reduction goals.

scholarly journals Decarbonizing Local Mobility and Greenhouse Agriculture through Residential Building Energy Upgrades: A Case Study for Québec

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (20) ◽  
pp. 6820
Author(s):  
James Bambara ◽  
Andreas K. Athienitis ◽  
Ursula Eicker
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Resistance Heating ◽  
Electric Resistance ◽  
Efficiency Measures ◽  
Fresh Vegetables ◽  
Electric Resistance Heating

Electrification is an efficient way to decarbonize by replacing fossil fuels with low-emission power. In addition, energy efficiency measures can reduce consumption, making it easier to shift to a zero-carbon society. In Québec, upgrades to aging buildings that employ electric resistance heating offer a unique opportunity to free up large amounts of hydroelectricity that can serve to decarbonize heating in other buildings. However, another source of energy would be needed to electrify mobility because efficiency measures free up small amounts of electricity in summer compared to winter. This study reveals how building efficiency measures combined with solar electricity generation provide an energy profile that matches the requirements for decarbonizing both mobility and heating. The TRNSYS software was used to simulate the annual energy performance of an existing house and retrofitted/rebuilt low-energy houses equipped with a photovoltaic (PV) roof in Montreal, Québec, Canada (45.5° N). The electricity that is made available by upgrading the houses is mainly considered for powering battery and fuel cell electric vehicles (BEVs and FCEVs) and electrifying heating in greenhouses. The results indicate that retrofitting 16% or rebuilding 12% of single-detached homes in Québec can provide enough electricity to decarbonize heating energy use in existing greenhouses and to operate the new greenhouses required for growing all fresh vegetables locally. If all the single-detached houses that employ electric resistance heating are upgraded, 33.4 and 21.8 TWh year−1 of electricity would be available for decarbonization, equivalent to a 19% and 12% increase of the province’s electricity supply for the retrofitted or rebuilt houses, respectively. This is enough energy to convert 83–100% of personal vehicles to BEVs or 35–56% to FCEVs. Decarbonization using the electricity that is made available by upgrading to low-energy solar houses could reduce the province’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by approximately 32% (26.5 MtCO2eq). The time required for the initial embodied GHG emissions to surpass the emissions avoided by electrification ranges from 3.4 to 11.2 years. Building energy efficiency retrofits/rebuilds combined with photovoltaics is a promising approach for Québec to maximize the decarbonization potential of its existing energy resources while providing local energy and food security.

Energy conservation opportunities: evidences from three industrial clusters in India

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shankara Naik ◽  
Virupaxi Bagodi
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Industrial Clusters ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Efficiency Improvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy Efficiency Improvement ◽  
Energy Auditing ◽  
Barriers To Energy Efficiency

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to examine the monitoring of electrical energy consumption, measures adopted for reducing energy consumption, barriers to energy efficiency improvement and driving forces for energy efficiency improvement in three industrial clusters. It is intends to capture the managerial perspectives on energy saving practices and to identify the possible energy saving opportunities in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach Three industrial clusters were identified for the study. Research instrument based in-person survey was conducted in which the authors directly administered the questionnaire to all the 181 organisations. This was thought of to facilitate not so well-educated respondents. The survey took about six months in which 110 units responded. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis and path analysis were used to draw inferences. Findings There is ample scope for energy savings in the studied clusters. Energy efficiency in many organisations has deteriorated. Their attitude to embrace new or modern technology is shunning. Management’s belief that prevailing technology is efficient, lack of skilled labour, lack of accessibility to updated or modern technology, and lack of compatibility of new technology are found to be the barriers to energy efficiency improvement. Benchmarking by appropriate governments and publicly financed energy auditing act as the driving forces. Originality/value The SMEs must use simple yet powerful energy auditing practices on regular basis to reduce energy consumption. This will not only result in lesser energy costs but also lessen the burden on environment. As these are predominantly small enterprises, appropriate governments interventions are essential to bring the desired change.

Energy efficiency of Iran buildings: a SWOT-ANP approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 726-746
Author(s):  
M. Khojaste-Sarakhsi ◽  
Seyed Hassan Ghodsypour ◽  
S.M.T. Fatemi Ghomi ◽  
H. Dashtaki-Hesari
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Energy Market ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy Efficiency Improvement ◽  
Network Process ◽  
International Investors ◽  
The Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of energy efficiency improvement of Iran building sector and develop strategies based on them and finally prioritize these strategies according to experts’ judgments. This SWOT analysis is developed based on a detailed study in Iran energy market along with consulting with several energy specialists and has not been conducted before. Design/methodology/approach Since SWOT analysis is not capable to rank the developed strategies, analytical network process method is applied to prioritize them according to experts’ judgments. Results are compared with the results of the hierarchical network process (AHP). Findings Numerical results show that modification of the energy tariff system is the most important strategy. Besides this strategy, four other ones are related to the role of government in Iran energy market, while the remaining ones can be accomplished by domestic or international companies. They are about worn out appliances, inefficient buildings and inefficient lighting systems. Originality/value The SWOT analysis and the developed strategies can provide an insight into the improvement of buildings’ energy efficiency in Iran and some similar countries. All the developed strategies have two sides. One is the regulatory and supporting role of the government and the other is about the investment and implementation considerations. As most of the required rules have been established, the ground is prepared for domestic or international investors to start or develop their energy-related businesses in Iran market.

Green training supporting eco-innovation in three Brazilian companies: practices and levels of integration

2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 387-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Saturnino Neto ◽  
Charbel José Chiappetta Jabbour ◽  
Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa Jabbour
Keyword(s):  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate World ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Systematic Development ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Levels Of Integration

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show results from the relationship between green/environmental training and the development of three projects of low-carbon eco-innovations in top Brazilian companies. Design/methodology/approach – This study includes three organizational projects for low-carbon eco-innovations in products (A, B and C) with the objective of reducing their impact on GHG emissions, the so-called low-carbon products. Data were collected from several sources of evidence, including in-depth interviews, document analyses and direct observations. Findings – The authors verified that the environmental training interface for mitigating climate change is relevant for the systematic development of low-carbon products in most of the cases studied. Originality/value – Low-carbon eco-innovations are a trend in the corporate world; however, there is not enough literature and practical evidence on this subject. Thus, this paper adds new evidence to the literature.

Modelling energy retrofit investments in the UK housing market

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan Adan ◽  
Franz Fuerst
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Housing Market ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Investment Decision ◽  
Property Market ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy Efficiency Measures ◽  
Energy Retrofit ◽  
Efficiency Measures ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – Improving the energy efficiency of the existing residential building stock has been identified as a key policy aim in many countries. The purpose of this paper is to review the extant literature on investment decisions in domestic energy efficiency and presents a model that is both grounded in microeconomic theory and empirically tractable. Design/methodology/approach – This study develops a modified and extended version of an existing microeconomic model to embed the retrofit investment decision in a residential property market context, taking into account tenants’ willingness to pay and cost-reducing synergies. A simple empirical test of the link between energy efficiency measures and housing market dynamics is then conducted. Findings – The empirical data analysis for England indicates that where house prices are low, energy efficiency measures tend to increase the value of a house more in relative terms compared to higher-priced regions. Second, where housing markets are tight, landlords and sellers will be successful even without investing in energy efficiency measures. Third, where wages and incomes are low, the potential gains from energy savings make up a larger proportion of those incomes compared to more affluent regions. This, in turn, acts as a further incentive for an energy retrofit. Finally, the UK government has been operating a subsidy scheme which allows all households below a certain income threshold to have certain energy efficiency measures carried out for free. In regions, where a larger proportion of households are eligible for these subsidies,the authors also expect a larger uptake. Originality/value – While the financial metrics of retrofit measures are by now well understood, most of the existing studies tend to view these investments in isolation, not as part of a larger bundle of considerations by landlords and owners of how energy retrofits might influence a property’s rent, price and appreciation rate. In this paper, the authors argue that establishing this link is crucial for a better understanding of the retrofit investment decision.

scholarly journals What energy management practice can learn from research on energy culture?

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 515-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Niklas Rotzek ◽  
Christoph Scope ◽  
Edeltraud Günther
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Management ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Energy Efficiency Gap ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Energy Behavior ◽  
Industrial Energy ◽  
Efficiency Gap

Purpose This investigation aims to reframe the sizeable literature on barriers and drivers for energy efficiency measures (EEMs) and the phenomenon of the energy efficiency gap. The authors identify a gap between academic methods and industrial needs, as well as a neglect of the cultural dimension, despite its considerable impact. On the basis of this insight, the purpose of this paper is to integrate all of the various influences on industrial energy behavior previously identified in the literature in a refined energy cultures framework. Design/methodology/approach This paper includes a systematic literature review of research in the field of energy management, energy efficiency and cultural aspects within barriers and drivers of energy behavior. The authors select and refine an existing energy cultures framework for the industrial context. To meet industrial needs, the authors applied an ontology mapping of its core elements onto an international standard common for industrial energy management practice. Findings First, the authors present a refined framework for industrial energy cultures incorporating past barriers and drivers as factors. The framework enables an evaluation of attitude and behavioral aspects, underlying technologies, organizational culture and actions related to energy as a system of interdependencies. Second, the factors are ranked on the basis of the number of appearances and empirical metadata. Economic aspects such as “purchase, installment and hidden costs”, “general investment and risk behavior” and “regulatory conditions” are the highest ranked factors, but “existing knowledge about EEM”, “hierarchy approach: top down” and “environmental concerns” follow closely and represent cultural aspects, which are still underrated. Third, while illustrating a successful mapping onto a standardized process of continuous improvement, the authors also argue for heightened academia–practice efforts. Practical implications Reframing the energy efficiency gap as a problem of what aspirations play a role, what technology is chosen and how technologies are used should increase the level of implementation of EEMs in the real business world. Introducing the refined energy cultures framework serves as a starting point for future transdisciplinary collaboration between academia and practice. Social implications Targeting the energy efficiency gap is an essential part of the sustainable development goals. The refined energy cultures framework allows for a better understanding of the industrial energy behaviors that are responsible for a significant share of a company’s success. The introduction of energy cultures serves as a starting point for future scholarly research within sustainability management accounting. Originality/value The investigation combines existing research streams, their concepts and their results about cultural aspects related to energy efficiency for both academics and practitioners. This review is the first to capture all of the various factors analyzed in academic literature using the energy cultures framework as a basis. The authors add to the theoretical development of that framework with its application to the industrial context. This is identified as a gap. Its refinement helps to holistically understand barriers and drivers of industrial EEMs to support its practical implementation.

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