scholarly journals Impact of Energy Monitoring and Management Systems on the Implementation and Planning of Energy Performance Improved Actions: An Empirical Analysis Based on Energy Audits in Italy

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 4723
Author(s):  
Carlos Herce ◽  
Enrico Biele ◽  
Chiara Martini ◽  
Marcello Salvio ◽  
Claudia Toro
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Energy Monitoring ◽  
Energy Audits ◽  
The Impact

The implementation of monitoring tools and energy management systems (EnMSs) supports companies in their long-term energy efficiency strategies, and they are essential to analyse the effectiveness of energy performance improvement actions (EPIAs). The first fundamental step towards increasing energy efficiency is the development of energy audits (EAs). EAs provide comprehensive information about the energy usage in a specific facility, identifying and quantifying cost-effective EPIAs. The crucial role of these tools in clean energy transition is remarked by the European Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), which promotes the implementation of EAs and EnMS programmes. The purpose of this work is to better understand the link between EnMSs (specifically ISO 50001) and EAs in the EED Article 8 implementation in two industrial and two tertiary sectors in Italy. Moreover, the impact of company size, energy monitoring systems, and EnMSs on planned and/or implemented EPIAs is analysed. Our findings show that, albeit the complexity of the variables involved in energy efficiency gap, the “energy savings/company” and “EPIA/site” ratios are higher in enterprises with an EnMS and monitoring system. Thus, a correct energy audit must always be accompanied by a specific monitoring plan if it is to be effective and useful to the company decision maker.

scholarly journals Energy Performance of Italian Oil Refineries Based on Mandatory Energy Audits

Energies ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 532
Author(s):  
Carlos Herce ◽  
Chiara Martini ◽  
Marcello Salvio ◽  
Claudia Toro
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Continuous Increase ◽  
Oil Refineries ◽  
Public Data ◽  
Energy Audits ◽  
The Impact

Petroleum products account for the 32.3% of worldwide primary energy. There are more than 100 oil refineries in Europe that directly employ 119,000 people with a turnover of EUR 600 billion and around 1.2% to the total value added in manufacturing. Therefore, the petroleum refining sector is very important in the European economy, and its decarbonization is crucial in the energy transition. Refineries present a high degree of complexity and integration, and the continuous increase of their energy efficiency is a key topic for the sector. In this work an analysis of the energy efficiency in ten Italian refineries based on mandatory energy audits and public data is presented. The primary (0.0963 ± 0.0341 toe/t), thermal (3421.71 ± 1316.84 MJ/t), and electrical (68.20 ± 19.34 kWh/t) specific energy consumptions have been evaluated. Some insights about the impact of refined products mix (mainly driven by production of diesel fuel) and Nelson Complexity Index in energy consumption are presented. Lastly, an overview of energy performance improvement actions (EPIAs) information extracted from energy audits is presented. This work presents a first step for the benchmark of Italian refineries that should be subsequently improved.

scholarly journals Upgrading the Smartness of Retrofitting Packages towards Energy-Efficient Residential Buildings in Cold Climate Countries: Two Case Studies

Buildings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurina C. Felius ◽  
Mohamed Hamdy ◽  
Fredrik Dessen ◽  
Bozena Dorota Hrynyszyn
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Heat Losses ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
The Impact

Improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings by implementing building automation control strategies (BACS) besides building envelope and energy system retrofitting has been recommended by the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) 2018. This paper investigated this recommendation by conducting a simulation-based optimization to explore cost-effective retrofitting combinations of building envelope, energy systems and BACS measures in-line with automation standard EN 15232. Two cases (i.e., a typical single-family house and apartment block) were modeled and simulated using IDA Indoor Climate and Energy (IDA-ICE). The built-in optimization tool, GenOpt, was used to minimize energy consumption as the single objective function. The associated difference in life cycle cost, compared to the reference design, was calculated for each optimization iteration. Thermal comfort of the optimized solutions was assessed to verify the thermal comfort acceptability. Installing an air source heat pump had a greater energy-saving potential than reducing heat losses through the building envelope. Implementing BACS achieved cost-effective energy savings up to 24%. Energy savings up to 57% were estimated when BACS was combined with the other retrofitting measures. Particularly for compact buildings, where the potential of reducing heat losses through the envelope is limited, the impact of BACS increased. BACS also improved the thermal comfort.

scholarly journals From Energy Audit to Energy Performance Indicators (EnPI): A Methodology to Characterize Productive Sectors. The Italian Cement Industry Case Study

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (24) ◽  
pp. 8436
Author(s):  
Giacomo Bruni ◽  
Alessandra De Santis ◽  
Carlos Herce ◽  
Luigi Leto ◽  
Chiara Martini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Cement Industry ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Metallic Mineral ◽  
Energy Audits ◽  
The Impact

In this work, a novel methodology to assess energy performance indicators of productive and economic sectors trough the analysis of the Italian mandatory energy audits database is presented. The updating of sectoral reference energy performance indicators is fundamental for both companies and policy makers—for the formers to evaluate and compare their energy performance with competitors in order to achieve improvements and for the latter to effectively monitor the impact of energy policies. This methodology could be potentially applied to all production sectors, providing key information needed to characterize various production processes from an energy point of view. Awareness of energy efficiency and sectorial benchmarking represent the first necessary steps for companies moving towards energy transition. This paper provides details of the statistical method developed and its application to the NACE 23 division “Manufacturing of other non-metallic mineral products”, with a focus on the cement industry. For this sector, results are presented in terms of specific indicators based on energy source. General results, methodological insights, and validation of the proposed case study are discussed.

scholarly journals The Environmental Impact Reduction obtained by implementing an Energy Management System. The advantages of using Energy Management and Energy Savings Standards when performing Industrial Energy Audits

2019 ◽  
Vol 112 ◽  
pp. 04007
Author(s):  
Mircea Scripcariu ◽  
Ioan Sevastian Bitir-Istrate ◽  
Cristian Gheorghiu ◽  
Aida Maria Neniu
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Energy Management ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Distribution Networks ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Energy Efficiency Improvement ◽  
Impact Reduction ◽  
Energy Audits

Energy audits are used world-wide for developing energy efficiency projects. Industrial consumers have complex energy supply, generation and distribution networks and a variety of energy use installations. Romanian industrial companies became more interested in the last years in implementing Energy Management Systems in accordance with ISO 50001 standard. This paper presents a comparison of using the current way of developing energy audits and the concepts provided by the ISO group of standards, by quantifying the environmental impact reduction generated by each methodology. Authors pointed out that current legislation does not fully match the rigors of the ISO 50001 group of standards when evaluating the Energy Baseline (EB), the Energy Performance Indicators (EPI) or the Energy Performance Improvement Actions (EPIA), thus leading to a lower global energy efficiency improvement in the hypothesis of implementing all the recommended EPIAs [1]. Identifying and developing energy efficiency measures following the recommendations of the energy management and energy savings group of standards may be more consistent and less risky for the industrial company, which in turn can lead to an overall improvement of the Carbon Footprint [2].

Analysis of Carbon Dioxide Emission Reductions From Energy Efficiency Upgrades in Consideration of Climate Change and Renewable Energy Policy Initiatives Using eQUEST

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Sclafani
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emission ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Emissions Reductions ◽  
Policy Initiatives ◽  
The Impact

In January 2008 the Governor of Hawaii announced the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative; an initiative that aims to have at least 70 percent of Hawaii’s power come from clean energy by 2030 [4]. In July 2009, the Hawaii Department of Accounting and General Services awarded NORESCO, an energy service company, a $33.9M contract to improve the energy efficiency of 10 government buildings. The avoided utility cost of the energy and water savings from the improvements is the project funding mechanism. The energy savings realized by the project will reduce carbon dioxide emissions associated with utility power generation. However, as renewable energy becomes a larger portion of the utility generation profile through the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, the carbon dioxide emissions reductions from specific energy efficiency measures may erode over time. This work presents a method of analysis to quantify the carbon dioxide emissions reduction over the life of a project generated by energy efficiency upgrades that accounts for both the impact of policy initiatives and climate change using DOE-2/eQUEST. The analysis is based on the fact that HVAC energy usage will vary with climate changes and that carbon dioxide emission reductions will vary with both energy savings and the corresponding utility’s power generation portfolio. The energy savings related to HVAC system energy efficiency improvements are calculated over the life of a 20 year performance contract using a calibrated DOE-2/eQUEST model of an existing building that utilizes weather data adjusted to match the predictions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The carbon dioxide emissions reductions are calculated using the energy savings results and a projection of the implementation of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. The emissions reductions are compared with other analysis methods and discussed to establish more refined expectations of the impact of energy efficiency projects in context with climate changes and policy initiatives.

scholarly journals Minimal Monitoring of Improvements in Energy Performance after Envelope Renovation in Subsidized Single Family Housing in Madrid

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 235
Author(s):  
Fernando Martín-Consuegra ◽  
Fernando de Frutos ◽  
Ignacio Oteiza ◽  
Carmen Alonso ◽  
Borja Frutos
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Nineteen Fifties ◽  
Environment Quality ◽  
Urban Complex

This study quantified the improvement in energy efficiency following passive renovation of the thermal envelope in highly inefficient residential complexes on the outskirts of the city of Madrid. A case study was conducted of a single-family terrace housing, representative of the smallest size subsidized dwellings built in Spain for workers in the nineteen fifties and sixties. Two units of similar characteristics, one in its original state and the other renovated, were analyzed in detail against their urban setting with an experimental method proposed hereunder for simplified, minimal monitoring. The dwellings were compared on the grounds of indoor environment quality parameters recorded over a period covering both winter and summer months. That information was supplemented with an analysis of the energy consumption metered. The result was a low-cost, reasonably accurate measure of the improvements gained in the renovated unit. The monitoring output data were entered in a theoretical energy efficiency model for the entire neighborhood to obtain an estimate of the potential for energy savings if the entire urban complex were renovated.

scholarly journals Energy Performance Assessment of Innovative Building Solutions Coming from Construction and Demolition Waste Materials

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1226
Author(s):  
Beatriz Fraga-De Cal ◽  
Antonio Garrido-Marijuan ◽  
Olaia Eguiarte ◽  
Beñat Arregi ◽  
Ander Romero-Amorrortu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Construction And Demolition Waste ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Demolition Waste ◽  
The Impact

Prefabricated solutions incorporating thermal insulation are increasingly adopted as an energy conservation measure for building renovation. The InnoWEE European project developed three technologies from Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) materials through a manufacturing process that supports the circular economy strategy of the European Union. Two of them consisted of geopolymer panels incorporated into an External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS) and a ventilated façade. This study evaluates their thermal performance by means of monitoring data from three pilot case studies in Greece, Italy, and Romania, and calibrated building simulation models enabling the reliable prediction of energy savings in different climates and use scenarios. Results showed a reduction in energy demand for all demo buildings, with annual energy savings up to 25% after placing the novel insulation solutions. However, savings are highly dependent on weather conditions since the panels affect cooling and heating loads differently. Finally, a parametric assessment is performed to assess the impact of insulation thickness through an energy performance prediction and a cash flow analysis.

scholarly journals Energy Monitoring System for Existing Buildings in Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 01003
Author(s):  
Sentagi Sesotya Utami ◽  
Faridah ◽  
Na’im A. Azizi ◽  
Erlin Kencanawati ◽  
M. Akbar Tanjung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Monitoring System ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Performance Testing ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Existing Buildings ◽  
Energy Monitoring ◽  
Building Permit ◽  
Significant Difference

Current studies conducted by JICA, AMPRI and IFC-World Bank, reported that large commercial buildings in Indonesia are not energy and water efficient. One of the cause is the lack of regulation. Meanwhile, effective regulations to reduce energy and water consumption are the concern mostly in a new building to obtain a building permit. This strategy is understandable as retrofitting existing buildings are often more difficult to be implemented, and enforcement is still a major issue in Indonesia. Local governments are currently working on streamlining building permit process as well as developing an online monitoring system for existing buildings. By applying a Building Energy Management System (BEMS) enables to reduce energy consumption up to 15%. An energy monitoring system was designed and installed through this research for Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics (DNEEP) building, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada. It is a 20 years old two-story building used for educational activities, which consist of classrooms, laboratories, offices and storage spaces. An audit energy was done recently in 2015 where an energy consumption of 261.299,636 kWh/year.m2 was reported. In the existing condition, a power meter is inaccessible and therefore, the only feedback of occupancy behavior in the energy consumption is through the electricity bill. The previous study has shown that building occupants would behave more efficiently if the amount of energy used is notified, and the amount of energy savings are recorded. However, these energy monitoring systems are considered expensive and uniquely tailored for every building. This research aims to design and install a cost effective BEMS based on occupant’s satisfactory assessment of the lighting, acoustics, and air conditioning quality. The data will be used as a decision supporting system (DSS) by building management through the use of a GUI. The design of the interface was based on a survey result from the prospective users. Installed energy monitoring system uses a current sensor with an accuracy of 98% and a precision of 0.04 A while the voltage sensor with an accuracy of 98% and a precision of 0.58 V. The performance testing shows that the number of web clients influences delay of data transmission. The result of the survey shows that GUI is categorized as fair in design without a significant difference between the perceptions of users with and without survey supervision.

scholarly journals Economic assessment of energy efficiency investments in dwellings = Evaluación económica de inversiones de eficiencia energética en viviendas

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hector Hernández
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Economic Modelling ◽  
Evaluación Económica ◽  
Energy Performance Of Buildings ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Definition Of

In order to improve the energy performance of buildings, the need to value economically investments of energy efficiency associated with the rehabilitation of dwellings arises. This point of view provides an useful tool for analysts who start in the economic appraisal of energy efficiency investments. The present research gives a conceptual framework for the economic assessment of these types of investments in dwellings. As a result, it is possible to identify two techniques in the appraisals of this nature: dynamic and static approaches. Both methods contrast the benefits (energy savings) with the costs of investments over time. However, they differentiate the opportunity and the moment when investment must be carried out given an uncertainty scenario. This conceptual precision allows the study of several publications where different alternatives in retrofitting houses where evaluated, confirming the considerations that must be taken into account when economic modelling is made: the type of approach to be used (dynamic or static) and; at the definition of the investment alternatives and scenarios, the aspects of time, irrevocability and uncertainty.ResumenEn pro de la mejora del desempeño energético de los edificios, surge la necesidad de evaluar económicamente las inversiones de eficiencia energética asociadas a la rehabilitación de viviendas. Este punto de vista trata de ser una herramienta útil para analistas que se inicien en la evaluación económica de inversiones en eficiencia energética. La presente investigación muestra un marco conceptual de la evaluación económica de este tipo de inversiones en viviendas. Como resultado, es posible identificar dos enfoques presentes en los análisis económicos de esta naturaleza: el dinámico y el estático. Ambos métodos contrastan los beneficios (ahorros energéticos) con los costes de las inversiones en el tiempo. Sin embargo, diferencian la oportunidad y el momento en que la inversión debe realizarse dado un escenario de incertidumbre. Esta precisión conceptual permite estudiar varias publicaciones donde se evaluaron diferentes alternativas de reacondicionamiento en viviendas, confirmándose las consideraciones que deben tenerse presentes en momento de realizar la modelación económica: el tipo de enfoque a usar (dinámico o estático) y, en la definición de las alternativas de inversión y escenarios, los aspectos de tiempo, irrevocabilidad e incertidumbre.

scholarly journals Key Factors Influencing the Achievement of Climate Neutrality Targets in the Manufacturing Industry: LMDI Decomposition Analysis

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (23) ◽  
pp. 8006
Author(s):  
Kristiāna Dolge ◽  
Dagnija Blumberga
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Decomposition Analysis ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Industrial Activity ◽  
Intensity Effect ◽  
Wood Processing ◽  
Activity Effect ◽  
The Impact

The manufacturing industry is often caught in the sustainability dilemma between economic growth targets and climate action plans. In this study, a Log-Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) decomposition analysis is applied to investigate how the amount of industrial energy-related CO2 emissions in Latvia has changed in the period from 1995 to 2019. The change in aggregate energy-related CO2 emissions in manufacturing industries is measured by five different factors: the industrial activity effect, structural change effect, energy intensity effect, fuel mix effect, and emission intensity effect. The decomposition analysis results showed that while there has been significant improvement in energy efficiency and decarbonization measures in industry, in recent years, the impact of the improvements has been largely offset by increased industrial activity in energy-intensive sectors such as wood processing and non-metallic mineral production. The results show that energy efficiency measures in industry contribute most to reducing carbon emissions. In the future, additional policies are needed to accelerate the deployment of clean energy and energy efficiency technologies.

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