Measuring energy performance: A process based approach

Abstract

Companies are looking for actual information regarding the productivity of their energy resources, as this production factor plays a distinct role in their value chain. The objective of this study is to develop processes to continuously measure energy performance, considering its full integration into an Extended Enterprise framework. The problem of energy efficiency is related to sustainability research, not only for its scarcity and environmental impact, but for the condition which necessitates defining efficiency as a dimension of operational performance. The production process is the fundamental unit where energy performance is measured, since the transformation of inputs into outputs occurs in processes. In the design of this study, energy performance is represented by a framework, a map of indicators, and a longitudinal input-output process model. The problem is influenced by the concept of enterprise efficiency, and direct and indirect energy efficiency indicators are developed to continuously monitor energy performance. Based on a demonstration of its application using Monte Carlo simulation to test the performance indicators, it is shown that the indicators can be integrated at three hierarchical levels: (i) energy efficiency by source; (ii) energy co-efficiency of the process; and (iii) energy co-efficiency of the extended enterprise. The result is a modular architecture showing how energy performance can be measured and integrated into a network of processes such as the extended enterprise.