IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v12y2019i2p247-d197785.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Specific Energy Consumption/Use (SEC) in Energy Management for Improving Energy Efficiency in Industry: Meaning, Usage and Differences

Author

Listed:
  • Akvile Lawrence

    (Department of Management and Engineering, Division of Energy Systems, Linköping University, SE-58183 Linköping, Sweden)

  • Patrik Thollander

    (Department of Management and Engineering, Division of Energy Systems, Linköping University, SE-58183 Linköping, Sweden)

  • Mariana Andrei

    (Department of Management and Engineering, Division of Energy Systems, Linköping University, SE-58183 Linköping, Sweden)

  • Magnus Karlsson

    (Department of Management and Engineering, Division of Energy Systems, Linköping University, SE-58183 Linköping, Sweden)

Abstract

Although several research studies have adopted specific energy consumption (SEC) as an indicator of the progress of improved energy efficiency, publications are scarce on critical assessments when using SEC. Given the increasing importance of monitoring improved industrial energy efficiency and the rising popularity of SEC as an energy key performance indicator (e-KPI), an in-depth analysis and problematization on the pros and cons of using SEC would appear to be needed. The aim of this article is to analyse SEC critically in relation to industrial energy efficiency. By using SEC in the pulp and paper industry as an example, the results of this exploratory study show that although SEC is often used as an e-KPI in industry, the comparison is not always straightforward. Challenges emanate from a lack of information about how SEC is calculated. It is likely that SEC is an optimal e-KPI within the same study, when all deployed SECs are calculated in the same way, and with the same underlying assumptions. However, before comparing SEC with other studies, it is recommended that the assumptions on which calculations are based should be scrutinized in order to ensure the validity of the comparisons. The paper remains an important contribution in addition to the available handbooks.

Suggested Citation

  • Akvile Lawrence & Patrik Thollander & Mariana Andrei & Magnus Karlsson, 2019. "Specific Energy Consumption/Use (SEC) in Energy Management for Improving Energy Efficiency in Industry: Meaning, Usage and Differences," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-22, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:2:p:247-:d:197785
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/2/247/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/2/247/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alexandre Poisson & Charles A. S. Hall, 2013. "Time Series EROI for Canadian Oil and Gas," Energies, MDPI, vol. 6(11), pages 1-20, November.
    2. Thollander, Patrik & Backlund, Sandra & Trianni, Andrea & Cagno, Enrico, 2013. "Beyond barriers – A case study on driving forces for improved energy efficiency in the foundry industries in Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Sweden," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 636-643.
    3. Phylipsen, G. J. M. & Blok, K. & Worrell, E., 1997. "International comparisons of energy efficiency-Methodologies for the manufacturing industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(7-9), pages 715-725.
    4. Peng, Lihong & Zeng, Xiaoling & Wang, Yejun & Hong, Gui-Bing, 2015. "Analysis of energy efficiency and carbon dioxide reduction in the Chinese pulp and paper industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 65-75.
    5. Charles A.S. Hall, 2011. "Introduction to Special Issue on New Studies in EROI (Energy Return on Investment)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(10), pages 1-5, October.
    6. Nathan Gagnon & Charles A.S. Hall & Lysle Brinker, 2009. "A Preliminary Investigation of Energy Return on Energy Investment for Global Oil and Gas Production," Energies, MDPI, vol. 2(3), pages 1-14, July.
    7. Worrell, E. & Cuelenaere, R.F.A. & Blok, K. & Turkenburg, W.C., 1994. "Energy consumption by industrial processes in the European Union," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 19(11), pages 1113-1129.
    8. Laurijssen, Jobien & Faaij, André & Worrell, Ernst, 2012. "Energy conversion strategies in the European paper industry – A case study in three countries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 102-113.
    9. Rogers, John Geoffrey & Cooper, Samuel J. & Norman, Jon B., 2018. "Uses of industrial energy benchmarking with reference to the pulp and paper industries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 23-37.
    10. Akvile Lawrence & Patrik Thollander & Magnus Karlsson, 2018. "Drivers, Barriers, and Success Factors for Improving Energy Management in the Pulp and Paper Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-35, June.
    11. Carey W. King & Charles A.S. Hall, 2011. "Relating Financial and Energy Return on Investment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(10), pages 1-23, October.
    12. Wilby, Mark Richard & Rodríguez González, Ana Belén & Vinagre Díaz, Juan José, 2014. "Empirical and dynamic primary energy factors," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 771-779.
    13. Rohdin, P. & Thollander, P., 2006. "Barriers to and driving forces for energy efficiency in the non-energy intensive manufacturing industry in Sweden," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(12), pages 1836-1844.
    14. Thollander, Patrik & Danestig, Maria & Rohdin, Patrik, 2007. "Energy policies for increased industrial energy efficiency: Evaluation of a local energy programme for manufacturing SMEs," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(11), pages 5774-5783, November.
    15. De Beer, Jeroen & Worrell, Ernst & Blok, Kornelis, 1998. "Long-term energy-efficiency improvements in the paper and board industry," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 21-42.
    16. Rohdin, Patrik & Thollander, Patrik & Solding, Petter, 2007. "Barriers to and drivers for energy efficiency in the Swedish foundry industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 672-677, January.
    17. Patterson, Murray G, 1996. "What is energy efficiency? : Concepts, indicators and methodological issues," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 377-390, May.
    18. Fleiter, Tobias & Fehrenbach, Daniel & Worrell, Ernst & Eichhammer, Wolfgang, 2012. "Energy efficiency in the German pulp and paper industry – A model-based assessment of saving potentials," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 84-99.
    19. Neelis, Maarten & Ramirez-Ramirez, Andrea & Patel, Martin & Farla, Jacco & Boonekamp, Piet & Blok, Kornelis, 2007. "Energy efficiency developments in the Dutch energy-intensive manufacturing industry, 1980-2003," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 6112-6131, December.
    20. Lawrence, Akvile & Karlsson, Magnus & Thollander, Patrik, 2018. "Effects of firm characteristics and energy management for improving energy efficiency in the pulp and paper industry," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 825-835.
    21. Saygin, D. & Worrell, E. & Patel, M.K. & Gielen, D.J., 2011. "Benchmarking the energy use of energy-intensive industries in industrialized and in developing countries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(11), pages 6661-6673.
    22. Phylipsen, Dian & Blok, Kornelis & Worrell, Ernst & Beer, Jeroen de, 2002. "Benchmarking the energy efficiency of Dutch industry: an assessment of the expected effect on energy consumption and CO2 emissions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(8), pages 663-679, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Beisheim, Benedikt & Krämer, Stefan & Engell, Sebastian, 2020. "Hierarchical aggregation of energy performance indicators in continuous production processes," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    2. Elpida V. Tachmitzaki & Eleni A. Didaskalou & Dimitrios A. Georgakellos, 2019. "Energy Management Practices’ Determinants in Greek Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-18, December.
    3. Rolandas Drejeris & Danguolė Oželienė, 2019. "Modeling Environmental Actions of Corporate Sustainable Activity: Evidence from Lithuania," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2019(5), pages 69-93.
    4. Fayas Malik Kanchiralla & Noor Jalo & Simon Johnsson & Patrik Thollander & Maria Andersson, 2020. "Energy End-Use Categorization and Performance Indicators for Energy Management in the Engineering Industry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-24, January.
    5. Feng-Fan Liao & Wun-Hwa Chen, 2021. "Will the Management Structure of Energy Administrators Affect the Achievement of the Electrical Efficiency Mandatory Target for Taiwan Factories?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-14, April.
    6. Kristaps Locmelis & Dagnija Blumberga & Andra Blumberga & Anna Kubule, 2020. "Benchmarking of Industrial Energy Efficiency. Outcomes of an Energy Audit Policy Program," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-15, May.
    7. Azarpour, Abbas & Mohamadi-Baghmolaei, Mohamad & Hajizadeh, Abdollah & Zendehboudi, Sohrab, 2022. "Systematic energy and exergy assessment of a hydropurification process: Theoretical and practical insights," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PC).
    8. Hasan, A S M Monjurul & Tuhin, Rashedul Amin & Ullah, Mahfuz & Sakib, Taiyeb Hasan & Thollander, Patrik & Trianni, Andrea, 2021. "A comprehensive investigation of energy management practices within energy intensive industries in Bangladesh," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    9. Minh Nguyen Dat & Kien Duong Trung & Hoang Truong Huy, 2021. "Energy Benchmarking Management for Beer and Beverage Industry in Vietnam," Management, Sciendo, vol. 25(2), pages 36-58, December.
    10. Mehdi Bensouda & Mimoun Benali & Ghada Moufdi & Taoufik El Bouzekri El Idrissi & Abdelhamid El Bouhadi, 2023. "Energy Audit as an Instrument to Tackle Internal Barriers to Energy Efficiency: Lessons from Moroccan Industrial Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-19, July.
    11. Tra Van Tung & Nguyen Thi To Nga & Huu Tap Van & Tran Hai Vu & Ksawery Kuligowski & Adam Cenian & Nguyen Quang Tuan & Phuoc-Cuong Le & Quoc Ba Tran, 2023. "Energy Efficiency and Environmental Benefits of Waste Heat Recovery Technologies in Fishmeal Production Plants: A Case Study in Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-18, August.
    12. Serena Marco & Selene Varliero & Stefano Caserini & Giovanni Cappello & Guido Raos & Francesco Campo & Mario Grosso, 2023. "Techno-economic evaluation of buffered accelerated weathering of limestone as a CO2 capture and storage option," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 28(3), pages 1-16, March.
    13. Oluwaseyi Kayode Fadele & Ademola Olagoke Afolabi & Dolapo Opeyemi Oloyede & Olufemi Olusola Adedire & Hafsat Bankole & Adeniyi Adetunji, 2020. "Specific energy consumption of a Moringa oleifera seed shelling machine," Research in Agricultural Engineering, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 66(3), pages 104-111.
    14. Ulvi Rzazade & Sergey Deryabin & Igor Temkin & Egor Kondratev & Alexander Ivannikov, 2023. "On the Issue of the Creation and Functioning of Energy Efficiency Management Systems for Technological Processes of Mining Enterprises," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-21, June.
    15. Junfeng Wang & Zicheng Fei & Qing Chang & Shiqi Li, 2019. "Energy Saving Operation of Manufacturing System Based on Dynamic Adaptive Fuzzy Reasoning Petri Net," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-17, June.
    16. Kiril Simeonovski & Tamara Kaftandzieva & Gregory Brock, 2021. "Energy Efficiency Management across EU Countries: A DEA Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-19, May.
    17. Raman Kumar & Sehijpal Singh & Ardamanbir Singh Sidhu & Catalin I. Pruncu, 2021. "Bibliometric Analysis of Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) in Machining Operations: A Sustainable Response," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-30, May.
    18. Alessandro Franco & Lorenzo Miserocchi & Daniele Testi, 2023. "Energy Indicators for Enabling Energy Transition in Industry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-18, January.
    19. A S M Monjurul Hasan & Mohammad Rokonuzzaman & Rashedul Amin Tuhin & Shah Md. Salimullah & Mahfuz Ullah & Taiyeb Hasan Sakib & Patrik Thollander, 2019. "Drivers and Barriers to Industrial Energy Efficiency in Textile Industries of Bangladesh," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-19, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Akvile Lawrence & Patrik Thollander & Magnus Karlsson, 2018. "Drivers, Barriers, and Success Factors for Improving Energy Management in the Pulp and Paper Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-35, June.
    2. Lawrence, Akvile & Karlsson, Magnus & Nehler, Therese & Thollander, Patrik, 2019. "Effects of monetary investment, payback time and firm characteristics on electricity saving in energy-intensive industry," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C), pages 499-512.
    3. Cagno, Enrico & Trianni, Andrea, 2013. "Exploring drivers for energy efficiency within small- and medium-sized enterprises: First evidences from Italian manufacturing enterprises," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 276-285.
    4. Wang, Ning & Wen, Zongguo & Liu, Mingqi & Guo, Jie, 2016. "Constructing an energy efficiency benchmarking system for coal production," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 301-308.
    5. Herrera, Bernardo & Amell, Andrés & Chejne, Farid & Cacua, Karen & Manrique, Raiza & Henao, Wilson & Vallejo, Gabriel, 2017. "Use of thermal energy and analysis of barriers to the implementation of thermal efficiency measures in cement production: Exploratory study in Colombia," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 140(P1), pages 1047-1058.
    6. Ke, Jing & Price, Lynn & McNeil, Michael & Khanna, Nina Zheng & Zhou, Nan, 2013. "Analysis and practices of energy benchmarking for industry from the perspective of systems engineering," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 32-44.
    7. Joakim Haraldsson & Maria T. Johansson, 2019. "Barriers to and Drivers for Improved Energy Efficiency in the Swedish Aluminium Industry and Aluminium Casting Foundries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-27, April.
    8. Trianni, Andrea & Cagno, Enrico & Farné, Stefano, 2016. "Barriers, drivers and decision-making process for industrial energy efficiency: A broad study among manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 1537-1551.
    9. Marlene Preiß, 2021. "Treiber und Hemmnisse betrieblicher Effizienzmaßnahmen – Vernetzung als Erfolgsfaktor [Drivers and barriers of operational efficiency measures—networking as a success factor]," Sustainability Nexus Forum, Springer, vol. 29(2), pages 93-106, June.
    10. Mette Talseth Solnørdal & Lene Foss, 2018. "Closing the Energy Efficiency Gap—A Systematic Review of Empirical Articles on Drivers to Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing Firms," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-30, February.
    11. Furszyfer Del Rio, Dylan D. & Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Griffiths, Steve & Bazilian, Morgan & Kim, Jinsoo & Foley, Aoife M. & Rooney, David, 2022. "Decarbonizing the pulp and paper industry: A critical and systematic review of sociotechnical developments and policy options," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    12. Teijo Palander & Kalle Kärhä, 2019. "Improving Energy Efficiency in a Synchronized Road-Transportation System by Using a TFMC (Transportation Fleet-Management Control) in Finland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-15, February.
    13. Hammond, G.P. & Norman, J.B., 2012. "Decomposition analysis of energy-related carbon emissions from UK manufacturing," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 220-227.
    14. Hasan, A S M Monjurul & Tuhin, Rashedul Amin & Ullah, Mahfuz & Sakib, Taiyeb Hasan & Thollander, Patrik & Trianni, Andrea, 2021. "A comprehensive investigation of energy management practices within energy intensive industries in Bangladesh," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    15. Jafarzadeh, Sepideh & Utne, Ingrid Bouwer, 2014. "A framework to bridge the energy efficiency gap in shipping," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 603-612.
    16. Salta, Myrsine & Polatidis, Heracles & Haralambopoulos, Dias, 2009. "Energy use in the Greek manufacturing sector: A methodological framework based on physical indicators with aggregation and decomposition analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 90-111.
    17. Lawrence, Akvile & Karlsson, Magnus & Thollander, Patrik, 2018. "Effects of firm characteristics and energy management for improving energy efficiency in the pulp and paper industry," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 825-835.
    18. Fleiter, Tobias & Hirzel, Simon & Worrell, Ernst, 2012. "The characteristics of energy-efficiency measures – a neglected dimension," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 502-513.
    19. Olsthoorn, Mark & Schleich, Joachim & Hirzel, Simon, 2017. "Adoption of Energy Efficiency Measures for Non-residential Buildings: Technological and Organizational Heterogeneity in the Trade, Commerce and Services Sector," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 240-254.
    20. Elena Stefana & Paola Cocca & Filippo Marciano & Diana Rossi & Giuseppe Tomasoni, 2019. "A Review of Energy and Environmental Management Practices in Cast Iron Foundries to Increase Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-18, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:2:p:247-:d:197785. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.