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Energy Efficiency Technologies and Policies for Productive Sectors: Environmental, Economic, and Social – Related Implications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 24764

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Chiara Martini

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Guest Editor

ENEA—Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Energy Efficiency Department, 00196 Rome, Italy
Interests: energy efficiency; economic analysis of energy efficiency interventions; energy use in the industrial sector; energy policies; energy modeling and scenarios; decarbonization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Claudia Toro

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Guest Editor

ENEA—Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Energy Efficiency Department, Casaccia Research Center, 00123 Rome, Italy
Interests: energy efficiency; energy use in the industrial sector; energy systems; process thermal consumption; energy analysis; exergy analysis; energy policies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Guest Editors are inviting submissions to a Special Issue of Energies on the subject of “Energy Efficiency Technologies and Policies for Productive Sectors: Environmental, Economic, and Social – Related Implications”. The adoption of energy efficiency measures has a key role to play in clean energy transition, relative both to residential and productive sectors. According to the well-known energy efficiency gap, existing energy efficiency technologies may not be adopted due to different barriers; thus, public policies would be needed to enhance and sustain their implementation. The long-term targets, as the one set by the EU Green Deal, would create opportunities for innovation, investments, and jobs, while simultaneously addressing social challenges (such as inequalities and energy poverty), creating markets for clean technologies, and strengthening company competitiveness. This shows the need to broaden the field of analysis since different interrelated dimensions are involved when focusing on energy efficiency in the productive sectors; both European and national regulatory and policy framework contribute to shape these interconnections.

The Special Issue will focus on technologies and policies for energy efficiency in productive sectors. The quantitative analysis of the main trends in the development and application of energy efficiency technologies in different productive sectors can usefully complement policy monitoring and long-term policy planning. Indeed, an analysis of energy efficiency policies would benefit an interdisciplinary approach, not only by combining economic and technical information, but also including an evaluation of environmental and social-related implications. These aspects are associated with the multiple benefits of energy efficiency, including decarbonization, pollution reduction, and energy poverty mitigation. The water–energy–environment nexus is also relevant, highlighting the potential interconnections of energy efficiency with environmental sustainability. Different policy strategies can be described in a single country or across different countries.

The suitable research Areas where authors can send papers to are energy efficiency and clean energy key technologies, energy policies and regulations, environmental and social analysis, as well as economical and financial aspects. Both theoretical and quantitative approaches, and the combination of both, are welcomed.

Dr. Chiara Martini
Dr. Claudia Toro
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. Energies 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 2600 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

energy efficiency in productive sectors
clean energy technologies
energy efficiency policies and regulations
multiple benefits
decarbonization

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 6565 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Evaluation of Energy Performance Indicators and Energy Saving Opportunities for the Italian Rubber Manufacturing Industry

by Matteo Piccioni, Fabrizio Martini, Chiara Martini and Claudia Toro

Energies 2024, 17(7), 1584; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17071584 - 26 Mar 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1182

Abstract

The objective of this work is the energy characterisation and evaluation of the energy efficiency potential of the rubber manufacturing industry in Italy, exploiting the detailed data included in energy audits by large and energy-intensive companies. This sector is divided into two sub-activities: the manufacture of rubber products and the production of tyres. Existing studies are focused mainly on tyre production, and there is a lack of quantitative evaluation of energy indicators that can provide guidance for improving process efficiency. In this work, updated global and specific energy performance indicators (EnPIs) related to the production process and to the auxiliary and general services are defined and evaluated. At the same time, targeted actions and interventions to improve the energy efficiency of the sector are analysed, showing the role of different intervention areas and their cost-effectiveness. The analysis is based on 100 Italian mandatory energy audits of the sector collected according to Art.8 EU Directive 27/2012. The applied methodology made it possible to calculate specific energy performance indicators by considering the overall and sub-process energy consumption of different production sites. Based on a detailed database containing real data from recent energy audits, this study provides an up-to-date and reliable benchmark for the rubber industry sector. In addition, the analysis of energy audits allows the identification of the most effective energy efficiency interventions for the rubber industry in terms of cost-effectiveness and payback time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency Technologies and Policies for Productive Sectors: Environmental, Economic, and Social – Related Implications)

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29 pages, 1849 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

An Econometric Analysis of the Energy-Saving Performance of the Italian Plastic Manufacturing Sector

by Valeria Costantini, Mariagrazia D’Angeli, Martina Mancini, Chiara Martini and Elena Paglialunga

Energies 2024, 17(4), 811; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17040811 - 8 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1136

Abstract

In a scenario characterised by mitigation concerns and calls for greater resilience in the energy sector, energy audits (EAs) emerge as an essential mean for enhancing end-use energy consumption awareness and efficiency. Such a tool allows us to assess the different energy carriers consumed in a productive sector, offering insight into existing energy efficiency improvement opportunities. This opens avenues for research to devise an econometrics-based methodology that encapsulate production sites and their environmental essentials. This paper contributes to the literature by exploiting the EAs received by the Italian National agency for New technologies, Energy, and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) in 2019 from the Italian plastics manufacturing sector, matched with Italian firm-based data extracted from the Analisi Informatizzata delle Aziende Italiane (Italian company information and business intelligence) (AIDA) database. In particular, we investigate how the implementation of energy efficiency measures (EEMs) is influenced by a set of contextual factors, as well as features relating to the companies and EEMs themselves. The empirical investigation focuses on the EAs submitted to ENEA in 2019, which was strategically chosen due to its unique data availability and adequacy for extensive analysis. The selection of 2019 is justified as it constitutes the second mandatory reporting period for energy audits, in contrast to the 2022 data, which are currently undergoing detailed refinement. In line with the literature, the adopted empirical approach involves the use of both the OLS and logistic regression models. Empirical results confirm the relevance of economic and financial factors in guiding the decisions surrounding the sector’s energy performance, alongside the analogous influence of the technical characteristics of the measures themselves and of the firms’ strategies. In particular, the OLS model with no fixed effects shows that a one-percent variation in investments is associated with an increase in savings performance equal to 0.63%. As for the OLS model, including fixed effects, the elasticity among the two variables concerned reaches 0.87%, while in the logistic regression, if the investment carried out by the production sites increases, the expected percentage change in the probability that the energy-saving performance is above its average is about 187.77%. Contextual factors that prove to be equally influential include the incentive mechanism considered and the traits of the geographical area in which the companies are located. Relevant policy implications derived from this analysis include the importance of reducing informational barriers about EEMs and increasing technical assistance, which can be crucial for identifying and implementing effective energy solutions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency Technologies and Policies for Productive Sectors: Environmental, Economic, and Social – Related Implications)

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28 pages, 3195 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energy Efficiency of AGV-Drone Joint In-Plant Supply of Production Lines

by Tamás Bányai

Energies 2023, 16(10), 4109; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16104109 - 16 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1456

Abstract

Energy efficiency plays an increasingly important role not only in supply chains, but also in in-plant supply systems. Manufacturing companies are increasingly using energy-efficient material handling equipment to solve their in-plant material handling tasks. A new example of this effort is the use of drones for in-plant transportation of small components. Within the frame of this article, a new AGV-drone joint in-plant supply model is described. The joint service of AGV-based milkrun trolleys and drones makes it possible to optimize the in-plant supply in production lines. This article discusses the mathematical description of AGV-drone joint in-plant supply solutions. The numerical analysis of the different AGV-drone joint in-plant supply solutions shows that this new approach can lead to an energy consumption reduction of about 30%, which also has a significant impact on GHG emission. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency Technologies and Policies for Productive Sectors: Environmental, Economic, and Social – Related Implications)

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27 pages, 6876 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Evolution of Energy Management Maturity in Organizations Subject to Mandatory Energy Audits: Findings from Italy

by Annalisa Santolamazza, Vito Introna, Vittorio Cesarotti and Fabrizio Martini

Energies 2023, 16(9), 3742; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16093742 - 27 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1661

Abstract

Promoting energy efficiency is a key element of the strategic commitment of the European Community. Prominent among the binding measures established by the 2012 Energy Efficiency Directive to further this vision is the requirement for large companies to conduct energy audits every four years. After receiving the second cycle of energy audit reports in December 2019, a new description of the energy situation of Italian companies was made available. This presented the previously inaccessible possibility of comparing the two situations reported in 2015 and 2019 to assess the development of energy efficiency practices in organizations subject to the legislative obligation of energy audits in the country. To this end, in collaboration with the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), a project was initiated with the aim of developing the tools and methodologies necessary to assess in more detail the evolution that has occurred in the four years since 2015. In this paper, the findings of the analysis conducted on a significant sample of companies in Italy are presented. Through the design of a maturity model to assess the degree of progress achieved in a company’s energy management, the results of the two situations were analyzed. The analysis was deepened by assessing the progress achieved in different aspects of Energy Management: “Strategic Approach”, “Awareness, Competence, and Knowledge”, “Methodological Approach”, “Organizational Structure”, “Energy Performance Management and Information System”, and “Best Practices”. Furthermore, the observed variations were statistically tested using a pairwise t-test to make statistical inferences about the maturity of the total population of Italian enterprises under legislative obligation. The results have shown an increase in overall energy management maturity in each maturity dimension. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency Technologies and Policies for Productive Sectors: Environmental, Economic, and Social – Related Implications)

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29 pages, 1777 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energy Efficiency Policies in Poland and Slovakia in the Context of Individual Well-Being

by Anna Barwińska Małajowicz, Miroslava Knapková, Krzysztof Szczotka, Miriam Martinkovičová and Radosław Pyrek

Energies 2023, 16(1), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16010116 - 22 Dec 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2463

Abstract

Improving energy efficiency includes a number of measures implemented as part of the greening of the energy industry, which in turn is a prerequisite for the creation of a sustainable energy industry to ensure energy and environmental security for the world. Despite the adoption of the EU directives on energy efficiency, there is still insufficient public awareness in this area in Poland and Slovakia. This is particularly surprising because improving energy efficiency not only brings national and global benefits, but also has a significant impact on the well-being of individuals and households. The main purpose of the paper is to analyze the national policies of Poland and Slovakia, which are based on the European Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency, and which introduce new measures aimed not only at increasing energy efficiency, but also at increasing the well-being of households and individuals. Methods of desk research and content analysis were used. The current situation in both countries is illustrated by case studies that document the administrative process (Slovakia) and the calculation of energy savings (Poland) when using renewable energy sources in the case of family houses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency Technologies and Policies for Productive Sectors: Environmental, Economic, and Social – Related Implications)

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18 pages, 3120 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Fuelling the Fire: Rethinking European Policy in Times of Energy and Climate Crises

by Valeria Costantini, Valentina Morando, Christopher Olk and Luca Tausch

Energies 2022, 15(20), 7781; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15207781 - 20 Oct 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3882

Abstract

The European Union’s relative disregard for the economic, geopolitical and climatic concerns of its peripheral Eastern countries has contributed to making the war in Ukraine possible. Its consequences are now returning in the form of energy dependence and economic instability on the Union as a whole and the risk of economic crisis and deindustrialisation. This should prompt a re-assessment of the EU’s strategy towards its eastern neighbours, particularly in the energy and climate policy field. This evaluation starts from the issue of control over cheap energy as a key material foundation of state and interstate power. On this basis, we analyse the struggle between Russia and the European core states over Ukraine in terms of the ability to extract an economic surplus through the unequal exchange of energy. The current escalation should be understood as an attempt by the Russian petrostate to preserve the economic basis of its regime, which is threatened by the prospect of a low-carbon transition in Europe. We conclude that a massive acceleration of the transition away from fossil fuels is the key to economic, geopolitical and climate stabilisation, highlighting possible policy instruments the EU could use to secure its production system and protect citizens’ security. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency Technologies and Policies for Productive Sectors: Environmental, Economic, and Social – Related Implications)

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19 pages, 2300 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comprehensive and Integrated Impact Assessment Framework for Development Policies Evaluation: Definition and Application to Kenyan Coffee Sector

by Nicolò Golinucci, Nicolò Stevanato, Negar Namazifard, Mohammad Amin Tahavori, Lamya Adil Sulliman Hussain, Benedetta Camilli, Federica Inzoli, Matteo Vincenzo Rocco and Emanuela Colombo

Energies 2022, 15(9), 3071; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15093071 - 22 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3122

Abstract

The coexistence of the need to improve economic conditions and the conscious use of environmental resources plays a central role in today’s sustainable development challenge. In this study, a novel integrated framework to evaluate the impact of new technological interventions is presented and an application to smallholder coffee farms and their supply chains in Kenya is proposed. This methodology is able to combine multiple information through the joint use of three approaches: supply chain analysis, input-output analysis, and energy system modeling. Application to the context of the Kenyan coffee sector enables framework validation: shading management measures, the introduction of eco-pulpers, and the exploitation of coffee waste biomass for power generation were compared within a holistic high-level perspective. The implementation of shading practices, carried out with fruit trees, shows the most relevant effects from the economic point of view, providing farmers with an additional source of income and generating $903 of work for every million of local currency (about $9k) invested in this solution. The same investment would save up to 1.46 M m³ of water per year with the eco-pulpers technology. Investing the same amount in coffee-biomass power plants would displace a small portion of production from heavy-duty oil and avoid importing a portion of fertilizer, saving up to 11 tons of CO₂ and around $4k per year. The results suggest the optimal allocation of a $100m budget, which can be affected by adding additional constraints on minimum environmental or social targets in line with sustainable development goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency Technologies and Policies for Productive Sectors: Environmental, Economic, and Social – Related Implications)

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Review

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35 pages, 3290 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Digitalization, Industry 4.0, Data, KPIs, Modelization and Forecast for Energy Production in Hydroelectric Power Plants: A Review

by Crescenzo Pepe and Silvia Maria Zanoli

Energies 2024, 17(4), 941; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17040941 - 17 Feb 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2301

Abstract

Intelligent water usage is required in order to target the challenging goals for 2030 and 2050. Hydroelectric power plants represent processes wherein water is exploited as a renewable resource and a source for energy production. Hydroelectric power plants usually include reservoirs, valves, gates, and energy production devices, e.g., turbines. In this context, monitoring and maintenance policies together with control and optimization strategies, at the different levels of the automation hierarchy, may represent strategic tools and drivers for energy efficiency improvement. Nowadays, these strategies rely on different basic concepts and elements, which must be assessed and investigated in order to provide a reliable background. This paper focuses on a review of the state of the art associated with these basic concepts and elements, i.e., digitalization, Industry 4.0, data, KPIs, modelization, and forecast. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency Technologies and Policies for Productive Sectors: Environmental, Economic, and Social – Related Implications)

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32 pages, 4620 KiB

Open AccessReview

Perspective on the Development of Energy Storage Technology Using Phase Change Materials in the Construction Industry: A Review

by Sandra Cunha, Antonella Sarcinella, José Aguiar and Mariaenrica Frigione

Energies 2023, 16(12), 4806; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16124806 - 19 Jun 2023

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2051

Abstract

The construction industry is responsible for high energetic consumption, especially associated with buildings’ heating and cooling needs. This issue has attracted the attention of the scientific community, governments and authorities from all over the world, especially in the European Union, motivated by recent international conflicts which forced the countries to rethink their energy policies. Over the years, energy consumption has been based on non-renewable energy sources such as natural gas, oil and coal. Nowadays, it is urgent to implement solutions that aim to minimize these high energetic consumptions and act based on clean and renewable energy sources. In recent years, phase change materials (PCM) have become an area of high interest and development, since they allow to minimize the energy consumption in buildings, based in solar energy, due to their thermal storage capacity. The main objective of this work consists of a perspective of the evolution of the development and application of thermal storage technology through the incorporation of PCM in the construction sector, focusing on the last 10 years of research, showing the most recent developments of its application in construction materials, such as mortars, concrete, incorporation in porous aggregates, naturally based materials, carbon-based materials, boards, blocks and solar thermal systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency Technologies and Policies for Productive Sectors: Environmental, Economic, and Social – Related Implications)

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19 pages, 2886 KiB

Open AccessReview

IoT-Enabled Campus Prosumer Microgrid Energy Management, Architecture, Storage Technologies, and Simulation Tools: A Comprehensive Study

by Amad Ali, Hafiz Abdul Muqeet, Tahir Khan, Asif Hussain, Muhammad Waseem and Kamran Ali Khan Niazi

Energies 2023, 16(4), 1863; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041863 - 13 Feb 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3407

Abstract

Energy is very important in daily life. The smart power system provides an energy management system using various techniques. Among other load types, campus microgrids are very important, and they consume large amounts of energy. Energy management systems in campus prosumer microgrids have been addressed in different works. A comprehensive study of previous works has not reviewed the architecture, tools, and energy storage systems of campus microgrids. In this paper, a survey of campus prosumer microgrids is presented considering their energy management schemes, optimization techniques, architectures, storage types, and design tools. The survey is comprised of one decade of past works for a true analysis. In the optimization techniques, deterministic and metaheuristic methods are reviewed considering their pros and cons. Smart grids are being installed in different campuses all over the world, and these are considered the best alternatives to conventional power systems. However, efficient energy management techniques and tools are required to make these grids more economical and stable. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency Technologies and Policies for Productive Sectors: Environmental, Economic, and Social – Related Implications)

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