Exploratory Research Into Energy Efficiency Investment and Strategy

The object of research is the process of implementing energy-efficient measures at industrial enterprises. One of the problem is the trend of reduction of investment in the sphere of energy efficiency. It has been established that after several years of growth, global investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy sources began to decline in 2017. According to the International Energy Agency, there is a risk that the trend of investment shrinkage will continue. In the framework of the PINE project in Austria, 20 energy audits were carried out, which resulted in the introduction of measures aimed at energy efficiency. According to the results of the project, the link between investment and implementation of measures on energy efficiency and life cycle and type of enterprises implemented in companies of different industries was analyzed and argued. It is established that about 50 % of the identified energy savings from the implementation of measures is the result of the use of frequency drive drives, elimination of leakage of compressed air or modernization of lighting systems. This allows to develop rational business and policy strategies for enterprises at different stages of the life cycle. In the course of the study, an approach focused on single operations selected in this program has been analyzed, which facilitates the identification of links between energy consumption by production units and technological and organizational factors influencing its consumption. The scientific novelty of the research is expressed in the substantiation of critical strategic barriers in the field of investment in energy-efficient solutions, which allowed proposing rational business strategies and appropriate political support measures to overcome them. Due to the fact that enterprises with the same input and output resources can have a different process cycle, payback periods for the same implemented measures may be different. An analysis of the real experience of energy conservation with the developed business strategies and policies of political support allows it to be effectively disseminated in European countries

Integrating the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving with Discrete Event Simulation in Supply Chain Management

Part 7: TRIZ Combined with other ApproachesInternational audienceSupply chain challenges require not only effective management, but also a new innovative strategy to reduce costs and maximize its efficiency. Traditional problem-solving methodologies specific to the areas of supply chain management (SCM) find their limits when confronted with an inventive problem or a problem containing a contradiction. TRIZ (theory of inventive problem solving) is an effective theory for systematizing innovation and solving complex problems containing contradictions. Thus, the use of the theory TRIZ can be considered as a way to meet future challenges in SCM fields and get innovative solutions. This paper presents a method for solving supply chain problems and achieving a low-cost, based on complementarities between TRIZ and discrete event simulation and specific methods for solving supply chain problems. In the proposed model, a witness simulation model of the initial problem is developed to optimize the problem and find the system limits. Then, specific problem solving methods are applied to change the original description of problem and move towards a space in which a solution can be found. The discrete event simulation allows for experiments on the system to be created and analyzed. Thus, an experimental design was developed to establish the cause-and-effect relationships between the parameters of the system in order to formulate a generalized system of contradictions. And finally, ARIZ 85C, the most mature meta-methods of TRIZ, is used to address related contradictions for searching for an innovative solution, which must be subsequently implemented and evaluated in the discrete event simulation. The suitability of this new approach is finally proven through an industrial case study conducted in a company specialized in the manufacture of electronic devices for automobiles

Is TRIZ an Ecodesign method?

Several Ecodesign methods can be found in literature, though none has ever really established itself industrially. On the other hand there is a plethora of methods for problem solving which do not necessarily produce greener solutions. Among these, the most promising is the TRIZ methodology for inventive problem solving. TRIZ is not meant for Ecodesign, but recently more and more eco-applications can be found in the literature. This paper aims at providing a new interpretive key of the TRIZ methodology from an environmental point of view, to distinguish which tools and principles are readily applicable to Ecodesign from those that need to be customized. A detailed analysis of the best-known tools of the methodology applied to Ecodesign is presented, as well as how they have been integrated into a single operational tool called i-Tree

Assessment of the environmental impact and economic benefits of the adoption of cleaner production in a Brazilian metal finishing industry

The Metal Finishing Industry (MFI) use water and several chemicals in its production chain, which generatesboth liquid and solid hazardous waste. The present study evaluatesthe economic and environmental advantages of implementing cleaner production (CP) in a Brazilian MFI specialized in chrome and zinc. For the economic assessment, we adopted the measures of return on investment and internal rate of return. In order to measure the environmental impact, we used the Mass Intensity Factor. A case study methodology was adopted, with datacollectedthrough observation and semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that the adoption of CPin this sector encourages the deployment of a Rising Cascades System in Counterflow (RCSC) to minimize water consumption through the reuse and segregation of hazardous solid waste (sludge). The sludge generated may be sold as a byproduct for the production of ceramics. We identifiedopportunities to reduce costs by minimizing waste, although this does require investment. However, the return on such investments mayenable the implementation of CP. The reduction in environmental impact on the ecosystem was significant, with large reductions in hazardous components contained in the sludge being dumped in the environment. The results may guide the development of public policies in Brazil, particularly in the adoption of CP in MFI to disseminate environmental education and increase governmental control. © 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group