Energy management in the Portuguese ceramic industry: Analysis of real-world factories

Ruivo, L.C.M.; Russo, Michael; Lourenço, Rúben; Pio, D.T.

doi:10.1016/j.energy.2021.121628

Cited by 9 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 36 publications

(49 reference statements)

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“…Hence, the specific scheme must be tailored for each sector. Some examples of manufacturing sectoral analyses of energy efficiency in SMEs include those for the textile [174], bakery [175], foundries [176], tourism [177], food and drink [178,179], wood [179,180], primary metals [94,179], plastics [95], ceramic [103], and horticultural [181] industries. However, contributions regarding energy efficiency in the SMEs in the services sectors are scarce [89].…”

Section: Review Of Qualitative and Quantitative Studies On Energy Eff...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Efficiency Policies for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Review

Herce,

Martini,

Toro

et al. 2024

Sustainability

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The importance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from economic, social, and environmental point of views and the crucial role of energy efficiency are widely recognized. However, the development of effective policies and their analysis are still challenging topics, for which research is relatively scarce. The main reasons for this are the high heterogeneity of SMEs, their low energy impact compared with energy-intensive enterprises, the lack of quantitative in-formation on the energy consumption of SMEs, and the low awareness of SMEs on energy topics. The structural paradigm change in the energy markets has underlined the importance of EE in SMEs. Several studies have been devoted to analyzing EE policies, using different methods and targets, not necessarily with a focus on SMEs or quantitative figures. This study presents a scoping review aimed at mapping the scientific literature on this topic, assessing its volume, nature, characteristics, type of evidence available, key concepts, and possible gaps. The existing contributions were systematized on three assessment levels regarding the EE policies for SMEs: general framework for their classification; comprehensive analysis of contributions providing qualitative information; in-depth analysis of evaluation studies including quantitative information. This study highlights the need for a good balance between economic and supportive mechanisms and the crucial role of energy audits. The analyzed contributions show that despite SMEs’ efforts to develop EE policies, there are still important barriers to be addressed. Moreover, there is an important lack of quantitative analyses, which are necessary for the development a harmonized policy evaluation approach. Based on a synthesis of the review findings, key learnings for the better design, implementation, and evaluation of EE policies for SMEs are provided.

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Section: Review Of Qualitative and Quantitative Studies On Energy Eff...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Efficiency Policies for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Review

Herce,

Martini,

Toro

et al. 2024

Sustainability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Starting from the 1980s, several technologies and strategies were introduced in this sector, with the ultimate goal of reducing (or at least optimizing) the energy consumption, and thereby enhancing the economic competitiveness [11]. Most of the developments have been focused on improving the energy efficiency of kilns, such as waste heat recovery and thermal insulation, since their operation largely affects the energy consumption of the ceramic production process [12]. The concept of energy savings has evolved to the rational use of energy through the adoption of cogeneration, i.e., the exploitation of a single primary energy source for the generation of both electricity and heat.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy and Environmental Assessment of Cogeneration in Ceramic Tiles Industry

et al. 2022

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Ceramic tile manufacturing is a highly energy-intensive process. Concerns about carbon emissions and energy costs make energy management crucial for this sector, which holds a leading role in Italian industry. The paper discusses the energetic and environmental performance of cogeneration (CHP) in the ceramic industry, where prime mover exhaust heat is supplied to a spray-dryer system, contributing to the satisfaction of the thermal demand and decreasing natural gas consumption. A thermodynamic model of a dryer unit, validated against real data, has been set-up to provide a detailed representation of the thermal fluxes involved in the process. Then, the thermal integration with two types of CHP prime movers of similar electric size (4 MW) is investigated. Energetic results show that the gas turbine can contribute up to 81% of dryer thermal consumption, whilst internal combustion engine contribution is limited to 26%. A methodology was ad-hoc defined for the environmental assessment of CHP, accounting for global (CO2) and local (CO and NOX) emissions. Results confirm that CHP units guarantee reduction of CO2 and NOx compared to separate generation, with maximum values equal to 81 g/kWhth and 173 mg/kWhth, respectively; CO emission is decreased only in the case of gas turbine operation, with savings equal to 185 mg/kWhth.

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