Energy conservation, the improvement of energy efficiency, is recognised
as an important part of energy policy. This thesis examines the potential
for conservation investment and possible energy savings, in part of the UK
industrial sector. Assessments of the extent and type of energy conservation
activity to date, both investments and energy management, within the
brewing, malting, distilling and dairy sectors are made. Achievements to
date affect future potentials.
In the light of a model of technical change related to energy conservation
several potentials are defined. The inter-related problems of estimating
or measuring these and measuring performance in energy management are
discussed.
Some estimates of potentials, with explicit assumptions, are made for the
four sectors studied. As any definition or measurement of potential is
arbitrary, processes of change are also examined. A soft systems model
of necessary activities in energy management is advanced and used to explore
managerial barriers to profitable conservation investments in companies
studied. Managerial factors for promoting successful energy management are
discussed. Economic barriers to change are explored by profitability
modelling for several energy conservation techniques used within the four
sectors, including heat pumps and combined heat and power.
The approach used throughout has been systematic and on several levels