Potential For Energy Efficiency Improvement Research Articles

Enhancing energy efficiency in Bangladesh’s readymade garment sector: the untapped potential of LED lighting retrofits

Purpose Previous studies emphasized the substantial energy-saving potential of light emitting diode (LED) lighting systems, especially in the clothing industry. However, the specific quantification of energy conservation potential in industrial factories, particularly in Bangladesh’s readymade garment (RMG) sector, remains unexplored. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential energy savings and efficiency improvements of lighting systems in Bangladesh’s RMG sector using LED technology. Design/methodology/approach Understanding and optimizing energy consumption is crucial in the RMG sector because this sector contributes significantly to the country’s export earnings. For this, an RMG factory was surveyed and possible lighting system retrofitting was estimated and compared. Findings The adoption of energy-efficient lighting options, particularly LED, could decrease the current lighting energy usage from 15% to 7.5% in Bangladesh. First, this study reveals, that the reduction of annual energy consumption was determined to be 18,220 kWh due to the retrofitting of the lighting system with LED tube. Second, it conducts real-time measurements to assess the suitability of in-building lighting systems, providing insights into the current scenario. Lastly, it evaluates the economic and environmental benefits of the proposed lighting system in the RMG industries. Due to the retrofitting of the lighting system, the reduction of equivalent CO2 gas emissions was found to be 119.896 tCO2. Originality/value For the first time, this study explored the potential for enhancing energy-efficient lighting system design through retrofitting in the RMG industry, with a focus on Bangladesh. By addressing these aspects, this study aims to contribute to the advancement of energy efficiency and conservation efforts in the RMG sector, ultimately fostering sustainable industrial development in Bangladesh and beyond.

A Systematic Review of Expert Systems for Improving Energy Efficiency in the Manufacturing Industry

Against the backdrop of the European Union’s commitment to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, efforts to improve energy efficiency are being intensified. The manufacturing industry is a key focal point of these endeavors due to its high final electrical energy demand while simultaneously facing a growing shortage of skilled workers crucial for meeting established goals. Expert systems (ESs) offer the chance to overcome this challenge by automatically identifying potential energy efficiency improvements, thereby playing a significant role in reducing electricity consumption. This paper systematically reviews state-of-the-art ES approaches aimed at improving energy efficiency in industry with a focus on manufacturing. The literature search yields 1668 results, of which 62 articles published between 1987 and 2024 are analyzed in depth. These publications are classified according to the system boundary, manufacturing type, application perspective, application purpose, ES type, and industry. Furthermore, we examine the structure, implementation, utilization, and development of ESs in this context. Through this analysis, this review reveals research gaps, pointing toward promising topics for future research.

The research of the impact of energy efficiency on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions at the national level

Improving energy efficiency is considered to be important and cost-effective strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is crucial in the face of global climate change. This study hypothesizes that there are significant differences in the impact of energy efficiency on economic and energy systems. Using quantile regression method, the impact of economic and energy characteristics on energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in 120 countries over the period 2010–2020 is investigated. Detailed analyses are conducted by dividing the countries into 12 groups based on gross national income per capita (Atlas method) and the share of resource rents in gross domestic product. A macro-level system of indicators for assessing energy efficiency is proposed, which can be linked to the economic and energy characteristics of the systems: National Energy Efficiency, Energy Intensity Ratio, Primary Energy Production Efficiency, Industrial Sector Energy Efficiency, Share of Low Carbon Energy, Population Energy Efficiency. The findings show that (1) global energy efficiency has remained largely unchanged over the decade; (2) there are differences in energy efficiency between fossil fuel producing and non-fossil fuel producing countries; (3) the factors that have an inverse effect on emissions in fossil fuels dependent countries include industrial energy efficiency and population energy efficiency, which are far from exhausting their potential; (4) despite the recognized importance of energy efficiency, its impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions globally has been unnoticeable. The study highlights that Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 13 on energy affordability and emission reductions are conflicting and require harmonization of mechanisms to achieve them, such as balancing climate change mitigation investments, identifying the potential for energy efficiency improvements across economy or improving energy saving practices. The overall conclusion suggests that there is an urgent need to review current decarbonization and energy efficiency initiatives, given the lack of significant global progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions or improving energy efficiency between 2010 and 2020.

Assessing the potential for energy efficiency improvements in Latin America and Caribbean

This study assesses energy intensity trends in the Latin America and Caribbean region, identifies key regional drivers for energy efficiency improvements, and proposes policy recommendations using a rich panel dataset of 25 Latin American countries over the last 20 years. The results of the Fisher Ideal Index Decomposition, followed by the regression analysis, demonstrate that sectoral energy efficiency improvements account for most of the historical energy intensity declines in the region, also highlighting the importance of energy prices and regulatory policies. Counterfactual simulations show potential for significant improvements in otherwise stagnant energy intensity in the region by eliminating fossil fuel subsidies and achieving better national planning, strengthening implementation and governance capacity, and improving access to energy efficiency financing mechanisms.

AbSolut - Integration of Absorption Technologies in District Heating and Cooling Systems for Enhanced Economic and Ecological Impact

District heating (DH) systems play a crucial role in meeting heating demands across the European Union (EU) and Austria, with significant potential for energy efficiency improvements and decarbonization. However, the transition towards climate neutrality by 2040 poses significant challenges, particularly in decarbonizing existing DH systems and integrating renewable energy sources. This work explores the application of absorption technologies, specifically absorption heat exchangers (AHX), absorption chillers (AC), and absorption heat pumps (AHP), in optimizing DH systems. The study investigates the utilization of AHX as transfer substations to increase heat capacity within existing grids by up to 30%, facilitating the integration of renewables and reducing distribution heat losses. Additionally, AC implementation for cooling supply demonstrates efficiency improvements through dynamic operation modes, renewable energy integration, and reduced electricity demand. Furthermore, AHP for waste heat utilization in DH power plants showcases environmental benefits, cost savings, and enhanced energy security. Through detailed techno-economic analyses and case studies, the paper evaluates the viability and economic feasibility of absorption technologies in DH applications. Challenges such as system integration, spatial requirements, and driving energy optimization are addressed, offering insights into overcoming barriers to adoption. Overall, the research highlights the transformative potential of absorption technologies in enhancing the efficiency, sustainability, and resilience of DH systems. By leveraging these technologies, DH operators and stakeholders can navigate the transition towards climate neutrality, while ensuring reliable and cost-effective heating and cooling solutions for urban areas.

Identifying barriers and drivers for energy efficiency in steel and iron industries of Karachi, Pakistan: Insights from executives and professionals

Pakistan has faced a persistent energy deficit over the past few decades, with energy-intensive industries occupying a substantial share of energy consumption. Despite the potential for energy efficiency improvements within the industrial sector, numerous barriers hinder progress. This study identifies the barriers and drivers of energy efficiency practices specifically within the steel and iron industries of the economic hub of Pakistan. Through a questionnaire-based approach and follow-up interviews, responses were gathered from 32 executives and professionals within the steel sector, representing eight firms. Reliability analysis was conducted to ensure the robustness of the data. The analysis reveals that limited awareness and inadequate managerial commitment are significant barriers to energy efficiency initiatives. Moreover, ineffective policies and a lack of government implementation plans contribute to diminishing demand for energy-efficient technologies. However, there is a growing interest among respondents in reducing energy consumption to enhance cost-effectiveness. Key drivers such as long-term economic benefits, improved working conditions, and cost savings emerge as crucial factors motivating the adoption of energy-efficient practices. Positively, some companies have already initiated energy-saving measures, including the adoption of advanced technologies and renewable energy sources. These findings highlight the urgent need for collaborative efforts to overcome barriers and promote sustainability in steel and iron sector of Pakistan.

Design and Simulation of Double-Nozzle Venturi Bubble Generator for Aeration System

Aquatic organisms rely heavily on oxygen for survival and maintaining adequate dissolved oxygen (DO) levels is crucial for the health and productivity of aquaculture systems. Aeration methods, such as venturi bubble generators, play a vital role in enhancing DO concentrations by facilitating oxygen transfer from the atmosphere to water. This study explores the performance of traditional venturi bubble generators and introduces a novel double-nozzle design for potential improvements in energy efficiency and oxygen transfer. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), we compared the performance of conventional half-inch and one- inch venturi bubble generators to a newly proposed double-nozzle design. Pressure profiles, velocity distributions, turbulence characteristics, bubble size distributions, and energy losses were evaluated to assess the effectiveness of each design. Results revealed significant differences in performance among the three venturi bubble generator designs. Compared to traditional designs, the double-nozzle configuration demonstrated superior characteristics, including smaller bubble sizes, more uniform bubble distribution, and higher turbulence levels. However, the double- nozzle venturi bubble generator also exhibited notable power losses due to pressure fluctuations.

Analysis of energy efficiency improvement potentials for the Taiwanese food industry

Analysis of energy efficiency improvement potentials for the Taiwanese food industry

Analysis of energy efficiency improvement potentials for the Taiwanese food industry

Analysis of energy efficiency improvement potentials for the Taiwanese food industry

Orthogonal design optimization for Cu/Sn58Bi-0.4Mg/Cu solder joint strength in ultrasonic-assisted soldering

This study investigated the influence of three ultrasonic-assisted soldering process parameters, namely soldering temperature, ultrasonic duration, and ultrasonic power, on the strength of Cu/Sn58Bi-0.4Mg/Cu solder joints. A three-factor, three-level orthogonal experiment was conducted by us using an L9 (34) orthogonal design, and the research outcome was evaluated in terms of solder joints shear strength. The optimal experimental design was determined through range analysis, and the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was performed to assess the individual impacts of each factor on the experimental results. Furthermore, we employed scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine the microstructures of the solder joints, investigate the progression of intermetallic compounds (IMC), and analyze the fracture surface morphology. Furthermore, we conducted essential Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) elemental analysis to study the diffusion and distribution of elements. Finally, validation experiments were performed to compare the optimal design from the orthogonal experiment with the design derived from theoretical analysis, revealing that the latter yielded superior results. This study has identified an excellent set of parameters for ultrasonically assisted Cu/Sn58Bi-0.4Mg/Cu bonding. It offers novel insights into parameter selection for ultrasonic-assisted soldering, with potential energy conservation and efficiency improvement benefits.

A machine-learning assisted multi-cluster assessment for decarbonization in the chemical fiber industry toward net-zero: A case study in a Chinese province

China has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, requiring deep decarbonization in its manufacturing sector, aligning with sustainable development goals such as climate action and responsible production. Notably, China's chemical fiber industry contributes over 70% of global production, facing challenges in net-zero transition due to differences in enterprise scale and energy efficiency. This study proposed an assessment framework for the decarbonization pathway for this type of manufacturing industries, use the chemical fiber industry as a case study. A hybrid model based on machine learning was introduced to predict the industry's energy consumption, while multiple-cluster standards were established to assess energy efficiency improvement potential. Monte Carlo simulation was employed to analyze the carbon trading impact on industry decarbonization. Using a Chinese province's chemical fiber industry as a case, results suggest its carbon emissions could reach 1.58 × 107 tCO2 by 2030, and energy efficiency enhancements could reduce emissions by approximately 22.6%. Achieving carbon neutrality would cause the industry to reduce profits by approximately 10%∼15% on higher-priced emissions trading system (ETS), unless additional carbon reduction techniques are adopted. This assessment framework can be applied to study decarbonization transitions in other manufacturing industries.

DIGITAL TWIN VALUE IN INTELLIGENT BUILDING DEVELOPMENT

The aim of the research. This article discusses the use of the Digital Twin in automation and its impact on the resulting solution. The research aims to illuminate the Digital Twin concept explanation and systematise the knowledge base and fulfill information gaps. Research results. The paper overviews the history of the concept and determines the main phases of Digital Twin development. The significant attention was paid to the classification issue to show the huge variation depending on Digital Twin‘s purpose, lifecycle phase, the scale of the physical twins and data amount in order to explain the twin‘s relation and the hierarchy of complex system. The defined capabilities and values of the concept identify the possible use cases and explain the potential benefits of Digital Twin implementation. Also, this paper takes a look at the use of Digital Twin in the area of building automation. This concept potentially may act as the integration platform for building management systems (BMS) and building information modelling (BIM) technologies with IoT solutions. The discussion of Digital Twin implementation for the building automation complex is presented. We conclude that the Digital Twin can integrate human factor to the control system by using the indexes of climate satisfaction, the feedback functionality and human-machine interfaces. As a result, the improvement of system efficiency depends on the coordination and orchestration of equipment operating mode. Conclusion. The Digital Twin has a high potential for energy efficiency improvements, as it considers many factors, integrates a huge amount of data and continuously improves themselves with real-world data.

Investigating energy saving and climate mitigation potentials in cement production – A case study in Ethiopia

The cement industry is one of the most energy and emission-intensive sectors, accounting for approximately 7% of total-industrial energy use and 7% of global CO2 emissions. This study investigates the potential energy savings and CO2 abatement in the cement plants of Ethiopia. A Benchmarking and Energy Saving Tool for Cement is used to compare the energy use performance of the individual cement plants to best practices. The study reveals that all the surveyed plants are less efficient, with an average energy saving potential of 36% indicating a significant potential for energy efficiency improvement. Then, twenty-eight energy efficiency measures are identified and analyzed using a bottom-up energy conservation supply curve model. The results show that the cost-effective electrical energy and fuel-saving potentials of these measures are estimated to be 99 Gigawatt hours per year which is about 11.5% of the plants’ annual electrical energy consumption and, 2.7 Petajoules per year which is to be 12.5% of the plants’ annual fuel consumption, respectively. The cost-effective fuel measures have an annual average CO2 emission reduction potential of 254 kilo-tonnes per year which covers about 5% of the total CO2 emission. Sensitivity analysis is conducted using the key parameters that show some discrepancy in the base case results. This study could be used as a reference for policymakers to understand the potential for energy savings and CO2 abatement. It could also be used to design policies in improving energy efficiency in the cement sector.

Machinery import, R&D spillover, and energy efficiency

The gap in demand and supply of energy across Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries has increased energy insecurity in the region. Therefore, power outages have become pervasive, causing unemployment and a decline in production output. Among the several energy-saving factors identified in the literature across developing economies, technological spillover driven by trade openness appears to be a prominent factor in improving energy efficiency. Thus, this study evaluates the impact of machinery imported from OECD and non-OECD countries and its corresponding research and development (R&D) spillover on energy efficiency performance in 18 SSA countries from 1995 to 2017. Using a stochastic energy distance function, we discover that aggregated data from OECD and non-OECD countries have no significant effect on energy efficiency performance across SSA countries. However, results from disaggregated data for OECD and non-OECD machinery imports show that OECD machinery imports improve energy efficiency contrary to non-OECD imports. Thus, technology spillover from OECD countries is advantageous for SSA countries to reduce long-term energy-based emissions. Furthermore, our results show that human capital has no significant effect on SSA energy efficiency. Consequently, the results possess some policy implications; for instance, policymakers responsible for promoting science and technology could increase investment in human capital development by developing technology and engineering expertise and increasing GDP allocation to R&D activities. For energy efficiency scores, we observe substantial differences in efficiency across SSA countries – implying potential improvements in energy efficiency across SSA countries.

Research on exhaust energy distribution regulation for fuel economy improvement of turbocompound diesel engine

The stringent requirements for reducing CO2 emissions from internal combustion engines promote the development of waste heat recovery (WHR) technologies. Turbocompounding is a promising WHR technology offering fuel-saving potential along with low volume and weight requirements. Meanwhile, the exhaust energy distribution regulation plays a significant role in improving the engine fuel economy. In this study, the coupling influence and mechanism of the variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) turbine and power turbine (PT) regulation on the recovery power and engine performance were studied from novel perspective of exhaust energy distribution. And the cooperative control strategies of VGT rack position and PT speed under whole operating conditions were first proposed. It is concluded that the increase in the VGT rack position and the PT speed leads to a decrease in the proportion of exhaust energy distributed to the VGT turbine, which affects the intake and exhaust conditions, resulting in changes in PT power and net engine output power. In addition, as the engine speed increases under full load, the optimal VGT rack position and PT speed increase. Compared to the base engine, the equivalent brake specific fuel consumption can be reduced by 3.8% at the engine speed of 2200 r/min with the optimized control of the exhaust energy distribution for the turbocompounding. The control strategy of exhaust energy distribution is of great significance to explore the maximum potential of energy efficiency improvement of turbocompound diesel engines.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF THE WOOD-BASED PROCESSING MSMES IN THE NIŠ REGION

In the Niš region, there are 185 companies involved in the treatment or manufacture of wood and wood-based products. According to the national register of enterprise activity classification, 22.7 percent of micro, small and medium enterprises are engaged in the business of wood cutting and processing, 27.03 percent are in the business of construction carpentry production, 29.73 percent are in the business of wood packaging production, 2.7 percent are in the business of pellet production, and 32.43 percent are in the business of other wood treatment production or services. This article uses a preliminary energy audit assessment technique to address the concerns of potential improvements in competitiveness, energy efficiency, and waste wood biomass use potentials in selected representatives of the indicated company groups from the Niš region. Energy usage benchmarks are established based on the audits of the selected sample enterprises.

Can conversion of CO2 into fuels via electrochemical or thermochemical reduction be energy efficient and reduce emissions?

Electrochemical and thermochemical conversion of CO2 into fuels are significant carbon conversion technologies to mitigate carbon emissions. Based on the captured CO2, many previous studies carried out tech-economic and environmental analyses for the CO2 conversion systems. However, it is unclear about the energy efficiency and emission reduction of the full-chain system after applying carbon conversion technologies to the carbon sources such as coal power plants and chemical industries. With a unified coal-fired power plant as the carbon source, this study conducted a full-chain systematic analysis of three representative CO2 conversion technologies (shown as routes 1, 2, and 3). Routes 1, 2, and 3 converted the emitted CO2 into fuels via CO2 electrolysis, MEA-CO2 electrolysis, and CO2 hydrogenation. The performance of three Routes in terms of energy efficiency and carbon emissions was comprehensively analyzed. And this work also investigated the energy efficiency improvement potential of three Routes. The results indicated that the energy efficiency of Route 1 was the greatest. And Route 2 exhibited optimal emission reduction. The core factors for enhancing the performance of full-chain systems were improving the efficiency of photovoltaic power generation and developing low-energy-consumption CO2 absorbents. The results also indicated that to date, from the perspective of converting CO2 into the fuel gas CO, no Routes had advantages over coal power plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS) or syngas production directly from coal gasification in terms of energy efficiency and carbon emissions. However, converting CO2 into high-value-added products might be more significant for integrating carbon emission reduction and storing renewable electricity.

An integrated collaborative decision-making method for optimizing energy consumption of sail-assisted ships towards low-carbon shipping

Energy conservation and emission reduction have become an urgent and important issue for the shipping industry in the context of low-carbon shipping. For sail-assisted ships, the application of wind energy can reduce energy consumption and thus greenhouse gas emissions. However, there still exists a high potential for energy efficiency improvement due to the lack of an effective optimization method for maintaining the hybrid system operating at the optimal state continuously. In this paper, a novel integrated collaborative decision-making method, considering the coupling influence of the sailing path, speed, wing-sail's angle of attack, and various environmental factors, is investigated to achieve energy conservation and emission reduction for sail-assisted ships. First, an integrated collaborative optimization model of the sailing path, speed, and sail's angle of attack is established. On this basis, a PSO-based integrated collaborative decision-making method for simultaneous optimization of sailing path, speed, and sail's angle of attack under various operational conditions is proposed. The study results show that the proposed method is capable of fully utilizing wind energy, meanwhile maintaining the hybrid power system operating at the optimal state under various operational conditions, and can reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by approximately 8.9% for a voyage.

Energy efficiency improvement potentials through energy benchmarking in pulp and paper industry

This study aims to highlight the energy improvement potentials of Pakistan's paper sector that is one of the most energy intensive industries by benchmarking its specific energy consumption (SEC) to produce a similar grade of paper. To address issues such as the lack of indicators for energy efficiency benchmarking in Pakistan's paper industry. Furthermore, energy saving potential was estimated by comparison with paper industries in the United Kingdom and Canada, where energy benchmarks have already been established and data on energy benchmarking is readily available. This study energy consumption data accounts for 75% of the total energy utilized in Pakistan's paper industry and is compared with the energy consumption of the UK and Canada paper sectors where the most up-to-date energy-saving techniques are used. The calculation shows that when compared to the paper industries in the UK and Canada, Pakistan's paper industry utilizes an additional 1.3 MWh of energy for every tonne of paper produced. With a total yearly paper production of 314,549 metric tonnes, this equates to an additional 408,913 MWh of overall annual energy use. It is concluded that if the proposed energy benchmark in this study is applied within the country's mill comparison, savings of 16.4% of overall energy consumption in the Pakistan paper sector can be achieved. It is also shown that the implementation of the best available techniques used in the UK and Canada in Pakistan's paper sector could result in a potential energy saving of 43% of the total energy consumed by this sector.

Energy Efficiency Optimization for Machining of Wood Plastic Composite

Enhancing energy efficiency is the key to realizing green manufacturing. One major area of interest in this regard is the improvement of energy efficiency of machine tools during the production of building materials. This project focuses on energy efficiency during the spiral milling of wood plastic composites. To this end, a response surface method was adopted to develop a model and establish the relationship between energy efficiency and milling conditions. Analysis of variance based on individual factors as well as two-factor interactions was performed to gauge their effects on energy efficiency. It was found that milling depth was positively correlated to power efficiency, while spiral angle and feed per tooth displayed non-monotonic behavior. An attempt was made to predict milling conditions that will yield the greatest material removal rate and power efficiency. For wood plastic composites subjected to up-milling, it was determined that a feed per tooth of 0.1 mm, milling depth of 1.5 mm, and spiral angle of 70° were ideal. Considering the potential improvements in energy efficiency and surface quality that these process parameters will bring, it is strongly recommended for use in the industrial machining of wood plastic composites.