New perspectives on institutional change : the case of changing energy management practices in Australia

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Business.This thesis provides new perspectives on the dynamics of institutional change by examining the case of changing energy management practices in large energy consuming organisations in Australia between 2006–2012. Effective energy management practices can deliver cost savings, greenhouse gas reductions and a range of benefits to organisations and society more widely through energy efficiency improvements. However, there is evidence to suggest that there is a gap between the availability of profitable energy efficiency projects in organisations and the extent to which such projects are implemented. Researchers refer to this phenomenon as ‘the energy efficiency gap’. The thesis builds on contemporary developments in the institutional entrepreneurship literature by developing a multi-level model to conduct the research. Due to the complexity of interrelated issues and events, case study method is applied to analyse and report on the dynamics of changing energy management practices over the study period. The primary research question is: How and why do energy management practices change? The research finds that energy management practices evolved over the study period through a process of ‘collaborative co-creation’; that is, multiple organisations were involved in experimentation, negotiation and consensus-building processes. These disrupted previously established energy management practices and informed the development and maintenance of new and more effective practices. The thesis contributes to the institutional theory literature by offering original and empirically tested insights into the conditions that support institutional change as a dynamic process involving interactions between multiple organisations. These conditions are that stakeholders with varying degrees of attachment to established management practices are engaged in the change process, roles emerge for institutional entrepreneurs and collaboration is facilitated through the enactment of constructive social skills. Change is further reinforced through shifts in the underlying beliefs about the energy management practices that are considered to be legitimate within a community of corporate energy practitioners. Based on the findings, it is concluded that energy efficiency policymakers can encourage the adoption of more effective energy management practices in organisations by developing and refining policies based on three key principles. First, energy efficiency policies should encourage a wide range of organisational stakeholders to engage in the process of energy efficiency improvement. Second, policies should be enduring in order to support learning and institutional change across business cycles. Third, policies should be flexible in order to align with the capability, needs and readiness of organisations in order to accelerate energy efficiency improvement

Reliable aerial thermography for energy conservation

A method for energy conservation, the aerial thermography survey, is discussed. It locates sources of energy losses and wasteful energy management practices. An operational map is presented for clear sky conditions. The map outlines the key environmental conditions conductive to obtaining reliable aerial thermography. The map is developed from defined visual and heat loss discrimination criteria which are quantized based on flat roof heat transfer calculations

STUDENTS’ AWARENESS OF AND ADHERENCE TO ENERGY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN SELECTED STUDENTS' HALLS OF RESIDENCE AT KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, GHANA

Energy management is one of the current policy directions of the Ghana government given the increasing challenges associated with energy generation to cope with the growing demand. A conscious attempt at adopting practices aimed at conserving energy is considered a sinequanonto coping with the current energy challenges in Ghana. However, an assessment of the awareness level of energy management practices is yet to be rigorously pursued as an agenda towards energy conservation in institutions and agencies perceived to be high energy consumers. Currently,the increasing growth in student numbers in the universities in Ghana and the high energy demands against the low level of energy generation to cope with these demands needs urgent attention. Consequently, adherence to effective energy management practices among students in these universities is considered a prima-facie in coping with the energy challenges in the country. The aim of this study was to assess the awareness and adherence levels of energy management practices of students in tertiary institutions in Ghana. Using KNUST as a case study, a questionnaire survey was carried out amongst students in residential accommodation on thecampus. Subsequently, mean score and one sample t-test analyses were employed to analyze the empirical data elicited. The findings revealed a generally low awareness and adherence level to the critical energy management practices amongst students. These findings have implications for energy policy formulation and innovations towards conservation and management.Keywords: Energy management; Ghana; Hostels; Student

Embedding Supply Chain Agility in Relationship between Energy Management Practices and Renewable Energy Supply Chain: An Empirical Investigation

In present economy, energy management practices is one the important source for reducing the energy consumptions in industrial sector and creating sustainability in organizations by producing renewable energy supply chain. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the relationship among energy management practices such as management commitment, energy awareness, energy knowledge, energy audit with renewable energy supply chain. It further investigates the supply chain agility as mediator. The nature of the current study is descriptive and quantitative. The data for present study is collected from manufacturing companies in Thailand by using self-administered questionnaire. 300 questionnaires are distributed in manufacturing companies by using simple random sampling technique. The smart PLS has been used for data analysis. The finding of the study shows that all the hypotheses are accepted and shows the positive and significant results. The findings reveal that the energy management practices such as management commitment, energy awareness, energy knowledge, energy audit have significant influence on renewable energy supply chain and supply chain agility significantly mediates the relationship. Further discussion and limitation of the study is also discussed at the end of the study

Energy management practices in the Ministry of Defence: the British Army

i. Problem: Inconsistencies in levels of energy management in some areas of the British Army (Army) have been identified, which if left unchecked, may lead to ineffective energy management practices and inefficiencies which are common in many organisations. This will have financial and environmental implications for the organisation and requires further action to properly address their use of finite energy resources and the release of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2). ii. Objective: The objective has been to identify and improve the effectiveness of energy management practices in the Army, by building upon existing energy management structure, policy and procedures and examine the value of auditing processes. iii. Methodology: A review of existing energy management practices has been undertaken with the objective of reviewing a previously issued section covering utility management issues in the Army’s mandatory Logistic Support Inspection (LSI). A new and improved LSI section called ‘Utilities Management’ has been produced and has been trialled as part of Army LSI’s in two regional Army Brigades. The outcome of the trial is documented and subsequent recommendations made for the improvement of future energy management practices within the Army. iv. Achievements: A successful trial of the new and improved section on ‘Utilities Management’ has been undertaken which actively supports the work programme of Army Divisional and Brigade Energy Advisors in compliance with Army Policy and Regulations, as well as providing guidance and support to Army unit utility programmes. Land Command, who has responsibility for the management and administration of the Army’s LSI, is reviewing the new and improved section for incorporation into the mandatory inspection Army wide

Credit constraints, energy management practices, and investments in energy saving technologies : German manufacturing in close-up

We analyze the drivers and barriers that influence investments increasing the energy efficiency of firms' production processes or buildings in the German manufacturing sector based on microdata. In particular, we shed light on the relationship between financial barriers (e. g. credit constraints), information and knowledge (e. g. energy management practices), salience of energy-related topics, and the investments in energy saving technologies. A better understanding of firms' investment behavior regarding energy saving technologies is crucial to design efficient policy measures, which are necessary to achieve the imposed ambitious climate and energy policy targets. We use data from 701 structured telephone interviews in combination with commercial and confidential firm-level data. Our results suggest that energy management practices have a statistically significant positive relationship with investment decisions on energy saving technologies for production processes and buildings. Credit constraints are a barrier to investments in the energy efficiency of firms' production processes. Furthermore, high energy cost shares of heating or cooling, high energy intensity, energy self-generation and structured internal decision making processes influence the investments in energy efficiency positively

An Investigation into Energy Consumption and Existing Energy Management Practices in a Dublin Sports Centre

Rising energy costs are a concern to all businesses but especially to those who have a large energy demand. Sports centres with swimming pools have large requirements for heat and electricity in order to maintain thermal comfort within the pool and surrounding areas. Sports centres which were built in the 1970s were designed at a time when energy was cheap and many of today’s control strategies and energy efficiency measures were unavailable. This project is an investigation into the electrical and thermal consumption of the Tallaght Sports Complex. The Tallaght Sports Complex was built in the 1970s and is lacking in modern energy saving technologies. A detailed examination of the energy flows within the building is carried out and consumption patterns for all large energy users are identified. Methods of reducing energy consumption for the large energy users are discussed, calculated and in some cases, implemented. Results from the implemented energy saving strategies are analysed. The results of the project show that there is a large potential to reduce the energy demand of the Tallaght Sports Complex, mainly through the installation of a cross flow heat exchanger, but also through the use of variable speed drives and a building management system

Leveraging the Internet of things and open data to support clean energy in the greenhouse sector : preliminary summary of research findings february 2020

The current study, the first within a five-year program of research, focuses on understanding the energy needs of greenhouses, their energy management motivations, energy management practices, and the challenges and opportunities for sustainable energy. From June to October 2020, we interviewed nine people involved in the Canadian greenhouse industry. While we continue to collect data, this report provides a summary of key findings to date. The study explores energy management across diverse greenhouse sectors - vegetables, fruits, and flowers – in two Canadian provinces (Alberta and Ontario). We summarize the main findings below