scholarly journals Evidence of an 'Energy-Management Gap' in U.S. Manufacturing: Spillovers from Firm Management Practices to Energy Efficiency

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gale A. Boyd ◽  
Mark Curtis
Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1775 ◽  
Author(s):  
A S M Monjurul Hasan ◽  
Mohammad Rokonuzzaman ◽  
Rashedul Amin Tuhin ◽  
Shah Md. Salimullah ◽  
Mahfuz Ullah ◽  
...  

Bangladesh faced a substantial growth in primary energy demand in the last few years. According to several studies, energy generation is not the only means to address energy demand; efficient energy management practices are also very critical. A pertinent contribution in the energy management at the industrial sector ensures the proper utilization of energy. Energy management and its efficiency in the textile industries of Bangladesh are studied in this paper. The outcomes demonstrate several barriers to energy management practices which are inadequate technical cost-effective measures, inadequate capital expenditure, and poor research and development. However, this study also demonstrates that the risk of high energy prices in the future, assistance from energy professionals, and an energy management scheme constitute the important drivers for the implementation of energy efficiency measures in the studied textile mills. The studied textile industries seem unaccustomed to the dedicated energy service company concept, and insufficient information regarding energy service companies (ESCOs) and the shortage of trained professionals in energy management seem to be the reasons behind this. This paper likewise finds that 3–4% energy efficiency improvements can be gained with the help of energy management practices in these industries.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adah-Kole Emmanuel Onjewu ◽  
Elmar Puntaier ◽  
Sundas Hussain

PurposeWhile pursuing energy management, firms simultaneously strive to boost sales as a path towards economic performance. Also, the literature suggests that family firms exhibit greater environmental commitment than their non-family counterparts. To examine these contentions, this review espouses contingency theory to interrogate the correlations of (1) energy consumption targets, (2) energy efficiency enhancing measures, (3) energy consumption monitoring and (4) the domestic sales performance of small family firms in Turkey's food sector.Design/methodology/approachData were sourced from the World Bank Enterprise Survey. A sample of 137 family firms in food production, processing and retail was analysed using non-linear structural equation modelling. Path coefficients were determined to estimate the extent to which energy management practices predict domestic sales.FindingsThe path analysis revealed that although energy consumption targets do not directly increase sales performance, they stimulate firms' energy efficiency enhancement measures and energy consumption monitoring to produce this effect by 21%.Research limitations/implicationsThe contingency lens espoused leaves room to capture further antecedents in small family food firms' technical, managerial, ownership, operational and architectural configuration that may also interact with or predict the propensity for energy management.Practical implicationsFor practitioners, the inherent findings demonstrate that there are firm-specific material benefits arising from adopting energy management practices. And, although small firms such as family food businesses may have low energy intensities, they can improve their sales performance by setting energy targets, installing energy efficiency enhancing measures and embarking on energy consumption monitoring.Social implicationsPublic stakeholders in Turkey such as the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the General Directorate of Energy Affairs and affiliate institutions can reflect on these findings to develop a coherent national energy management policy for small firms. Such initiatives are especially relevant to Turkey and its ambitions to join the EU which requires member states to set up a national energy efficiency action plan.Originality/valueThis inquiry is one of the first to examine energy management in the food sector at the family firm level through the contingency lens. Theoretically, the results draw attention and shed new light on disparate energy management practices and their discrete yet substantial contribution to sales performance.


Author(s):  
Jait Purohit

Energy efficiency (EE) has become an important benchmark in manufacturing industry due the increasing concerns about climate change and tightening of environmental regulations. However, most manufacturing and production industries today are only able to monitor aggregated energy consumption and lack the real-time visibility of EE on the shop floors. The ability to access energy information and effectively analyse such real-time data to extract key indicators is a crucial factor for successful energy management. While enabling real-time online monitoring of Energy Efficiency, it also applies data gathering analysis to detect abnormal energy consumption patterns and quantify energy efficiency gaps. Through a case study of a microfluidic device manufacturing line, we demonstrate how the application can assist energy managers in embedding best energy management practices in their day-to-day operations and improve Energy Efficiency by eliminating possible energy wastages on manufacturing shop floors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2671 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. M. Monjurul Hasan ◽  
Rakib Hossain ◽  
Rashedul Amin Tuhin ◽  
Taiyeb Hasan Sakib ◽  
Patrik Thollander

Improved energy efficiency is being considered as one of the significant challenges to mitigating climate change all over the world. While developed countries have already adopted energy management and auditing practices to improve energy efficiency, the developing countries lag far behind. There are a limited number of studies which have been conducted in the context of developing countries, which mostly revolve around highly energy-intensive sectors. This study looks into the existence and importance of the challenges to and motivating forces for the adoption of energy management practices in Bangladesh, a developing country, focusing on the non-energy-intensive manufacturing industries. Conducted as a multiple case study, the results indicate the existence of several barriers towards adopting and implementing the management of energy practices in the non-energy-intensive industries of Bangladesh, where among them, “other preferences for capital venture” and “inadequate capital expenditure” are the most dominant. This study also identified a number of driving forces that can accelerate the acceptance of energy efficiency practices, such as the demands from the owner, loans, subsidies, and a lowered cost–benefit ratio. Findings of this study could assist the concerned stakeholders to develop beneficial policies and a proper regulatory framework for the non-energy-intensive industries of developing countries like Bangladesh.


Author(s):  
Naseha Wafa Qammar ◽  
Zohaib Ur Rehman Afridi ◽  
Shamaima Wafa Qammar ◽  
Fazal Muhammad ◽  
Farman Ali ◽  
...  

The aim of this study is to investigate the ongoing energy management and energy efficiency practices in the industries of Peshawar division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The outcomes of this research shows that Khazana Sugar Mills, Caliph Pharmaceutical, Naguman Flour Mill have no or low awareness of energy management practices (awareness level mainly includes barriers to energy efficiency and drivers for energy efficiency) except FF steel mill. The major paces observed in lacking the awareness are (1) “understanding level of staff and workers about energy savings due to energy management practices” (2) “interest level of top managers for energy management implementation” (3) “awareness level regarding energy efficiency” (4) “lack of technical competence” (5) “use of standardized procedures”. When the industry managers were inquired about the relationship with energy service providers it is found that there is absolute absence of energy engineers, relationship with energy consultancies and long-term energy strategy in all the industries. It was also found that there is lack of using renewable energy technologies in all industries as they were relying upon using the generators during the blackout hours. In terms of percentage, the energy saving factor of 36 kWh/day has also observed with the replacement of fluorescent tube lights with light emitting diode (LED) tube lights. Proper maintenance and energy management practices in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) would also save energy in a significant amount. The study shows that there is an overall improvement factor of 4% to 8% if the inclusion of energy management and energy efficiency practices would have been applied in all the stated industries.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7703
Author(s):  
Iftikhar Ahmad ◽  
Muhammad Salman Arif ◽  
Izzat Iqbal Cheema ◽  
Patrik Thollander ◽  
Masroor Ahmed Khan

The two major reasons behind the world’s energy crisis are losses in energy transmission and less efficient energy use at sinks. The former flaw can be catered by changing the entire energy transmission system which requires investment and planning on a large scale, whereas the later deficiency can be overcome through proper management of energy utilizing systems. Energy-intensive industries have a substantial share in energy consumption and equally high energy saving potentials if they adopt some integrated and improved energy efficiency. This study investigates the energy management systems in the iron and steel sector of Pakistan, and compare it with findings of similar work in Sweden, Bangladesh, and Ghana. A systematic questionnaire was circulated in the iron and steel sector across the country and afterward the collected data was analyzed to find major barriers and drivers for efficient energy management practices. In addition, questions on non-energy benefits and information sources relevant to the energy efficiency were also part of the questionnaire. Cost reduction resulting from lowered energy use was rated as the most important driver for applying energy-efficient operation. On the other hand, the cost of production disruption was considered among high-level barriers to the implementation of improved energy efficiency. An increase in the life-time of equipment was labeled as the top non-energy benefits. Company peers and seminars/conferences were referred as the best information sources related to energy efficiency. The outcome of the study will be helpful to the decision-maker in the industry, as well as the government levels.


Proceedings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Joanna Southernwood ◽  
Grigoris K. Papagiannis ◽  
Erudino Llano Güemes ◽  
Luisa Sileni

Few small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have undertaken an energy audit to date and even fewer have taken action to implement energy-saving measures. Lack of time, knowledge, and finance, coupled with the low priority that SMEs give to energy management, are the most commonly cited barriers to effective energy management in SMEs. Four projects funded by Horizon 2020 (SPEEDIER, SMEmPower Efficiency, E2DRIVER, and Innoveas) have developed innovative capacity-building programmes designed to eliminate these barriers and encourage SMEs to undertake energy audits and implement the recommended energy efficiency measures. This paper presents an overview of the innovations being tested and suggests a series of policy recommendations that could help to drive uptake of energy audits in SMEs.


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