Search

Energy performance improvement in manufacturing is hindered by the lack of information on energy use in production and by the predominant economic vision in the assessment of energy interventions. This paper proposes a framework that integrates energy performance mapping with energy systems optimization. The framework introduces a new dimension to energy performance mapping by tracing energy use along processing and energy conversion steps and revisits multi-criteria assessments by assigning penalties to the energy performance gap with best practice. The suitability of food manufacturing for the application of the framework is exemplified from both a top-down and bottom-up perspective. More than 80% reductions in purchased energy carriers and non-renewable energy sources are achieved in a representative process through interventions coupling sector-specific manufacturing knowledge and energy expertise. With regard to one of the interventions, the introduction of the penalty is shown to shift the optimal solution, yielding more than 25% reductions in energy consumption compared to a purely economic assessment. The proposed framework can help industrial stakeholders identify improvement opportunities and develop more sustainable energy systems in manufacturing. Its widespread use can encourage poor performing companies to align with best practice and virtuous companies to continuous innovation to maintain their competitive advantage. [Display omitted] • A framework for energy performance improvement in manufacturing is proposed. • The framework introduces a new dimension to energy performance mapping. • The framework revisits multi-criteria assessments with an applicative orientation. • 80% reductions in purchased and non-renewable energy are achieved in a case study. • The introduction of the penalty yields 25% energy reduction in the optimal solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]