Knowledge demands for energy management in manufacturing industry - A systematic literature review

Abstract

The social context in relation to energy policies and advances in more energy efficient technologies is changing constantly, thus driving a need for change in the manufacturing sector. This study presents a knowledge-based framework that enables the understanding of the model for knowledge that has taken industrial energy efficiency to current levels and the analysis of the model in the current context of industry transition. The framework consists of three broader forms of knowledge and specific knowledge attributes that can capture the knowledge employed in industrial energy management. The framework is applied in a systematic literature review, analyzing the forms of knowledge and main aspects of energy management in manufacturing industries from 157 articles published between 2010 and 2020 in various academic journals. Besides the framework, the results show that the technical form of knowledge is the primary type of knowledge employed in energy management and that a paradigm-changing towards Industry 4.0. is seen. Another employed form of knowledge is process knowledge, which is concerned with the prerequisite information needed to implement energy management. Finally, leadership knowledge is also employed in energy management and a blend in these three forms of knowledge might move us beyond traditional knowledge towards new forms of knowledge that maximize the potential for energy management in manufacturing industries. The knowledge demands brought by Industry 4.0 for all forms of knowledge are identified and discussed.