energies
Article Specific Energy Consumption/Use (SEC) in Energy Management for Improving Energy Efficiency in Industry: Meaning, Usage and Differences Akvile Lawrence *, Patrik Thollander *, Mariana Andrei * and Magnus Karlsson * Department of Management and Engineering, Division of Energy Systems, Linköping University, SE-58183 Linköping, Sweden * Correspondence: akvile.lawrence@liu.se or akvile.lawrence@gmail.com (A.L.); patrik.thollander@liu.se (P.T.); mariana.andrei@liu.se (M.A.); magnus.karlsson@liu.se (M.K.)
Received: 7 December 2018; Accepted: 9 January 2019; Published: 15 January 2019
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.
Keywords: specific energy consumption; specific energy use; specific energy; SEC; energy management; energy efficiency; industry; energy use; manufacturing
Highlights
SEC is based on assumptions.
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• Assumptions for SEC calculations are rarely given. • SEC is used optimally for comparison when SEC calculations are uniform. • SEC is most reliable when calculated within the same study using continuous process data. • SEC emanating from a variety of individual case studies should be used with caution. 1. Introduction In order to reach the goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80–95% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels, industry has to improve its energy efficiency [1]. Improving energy efficiency is considered to be the most promising measure to mitigate climate change [2]. The global industrial sector accounted for ~42.8 EWh (~154 EJ) in 2014, of which Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries accounted for 69% (~29.5 EWh) of the global industrial energy end-use [3]. In this context, energy management is of great importance as it aims to reduce companies’ energy use and associated energy costs continuously [4].
Energies 2019 , 12 , 247; doi:10.3390/en12020247
www.mdpi.com/journal/energies
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