View Thread

Energy Sustainability for Production Design and Operations

Special Issue Editors

 Eric W. T. Ngai and C. T. Daniel Ng

The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Hong Kong</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Polytechnic</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>

George Huang

The University of Hong Kong

Introduction

Energy efficiency is a buzzword of the 21^st century. To date, the importance of energy efficiency has been realized and stressed more than ever. The global community has become more concerned for and has given particular focus to energy efficiency improvement. Optimization of production output, quality, and production planning would not be sufficient without considering energy issues. Energy is becoming an important factor in the operating cost of production and manufacturing. Efficient energy management and sustainable energy have become important factors for business competitive advantages due to rising energy prices and increasing demand for environmental compliance. Reduction in energy use can help organizations save costs, thus becoming more competitive. Therefore, effective energy and utility management is a key factor to enhancing the competitive advantages of organizations, and promoting green and sustainable practices.

Driven by increased global awareness and concern for the environment and energy sustainability, including energy cost and security, energy suitability, low carbon energy generation, and so on, the global community has become more concerned for and has given particular attention to energy efficiency improvement. Due to increasing energy prices, energy cost has become an important factor in the total cost of the final product. The industrial sector plays an important role in past and future energy usage. Thus, a deeper understanding of proper energy utilization and usage evolving in the sector is important to formulating energy policies in the future.

In Asian countries like China, India, Malaysia, and Turkey, the industrial sector is the dominant energy usage sector (Zhang, 2003). For example, the industrial sector in India consumed about 60% of the total power in 2000 (Ashok and Banerjee, 2000). The industrial sector in Malaysia consumed about 48% of the total power use in 2007 (Saidur et al., 2009). China is the world factory that is currently facing a cascading energy challenge. Since 2001, the growth in energy usage in China has been 1.4 times faster than the growth in GDP, which is due to the following reasons: i) massive production of energy-intensive products and ii) rapid growth of heavy industries in China. In 2005, the coal usage of China surpassed 2.2 billion tons, which was more than the next three (the U.S., Russia, and India) coal-consuming countries combined (CSEP, 2011). Hence, energy sustainability remains a hot topic worldwide in both academic research and industry practices.

Realizing the importance of energy sustainability to competitiveness in the 21^st century, this special issue provides a forum to share and disseminate state-of-the-art research investigating and analyzing pertinent issues related to the designated theme. In this special issue, we seek to publish original works that employ both quantitative and quality research methodologies, such as modelling, optimization, simulation, system development, questionnaire surveys, case studies, and so on. The potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Economic impact models of energy sustainability
• Intelligent energy system model for production
• New and emerging technologies for the design and development of energy sustainability
• Energy saving, energy efficiency improvement, renewable energy applications in industries, second-law analysis and exergy considerations
• Energy informatics, energy monitoring and management of production and manufacturing processes
• Smart metering, load control, energy use behaviour, and smart grid
• Sustainable energy development and applications in industries
• Return on investment for sustainable energy development
• Impact of intelligent energy systems on value and productivity
• Strategic management of energy sustainability in production
• Business value of energy sustainability in production
• Modelling and analysis of low carbon energy generation
• Fuzzy analysis for sustainable energy systems

Preparation and Submission of Manuscripts

To prepare their manuscripts, authors should follow the "Instructions to Authors" presented at the journal web site (http://authors.elsevier.com/GuideForAuthors.html?PubID=505647&dc=GFA) or at the back of any recent issue of International Journal of Production Economics (IJPE). Manuscripts will be refereed according to the standards of IJPE. Please check and follow the instructions on electronic submission: http://ees.elsevier.com/ijpe/default.asp and select "Special Issue: Energy Sustainability" when asked to indicate the "Article Type" in the submission process. All papers will undergo the double-blind review process. Manuscripts should be submitted via IJPE's electronic submission system by 30 June 2012. For further enquiries, please contact any of the Special Issue guest editors.

Publication Schedule

Special Issue Editors

References:

Akay, D. and Atak, M. (2007) Grey prediction with rolling mechanism for electricity demand forecasting of Turkey. Energy, 32 (9), 1670-1675.

Akisawa, A., Kang, Y.T. and Shimazaki, Y. (1999) Environmentally friendly energy system models using material circulation and energy cascade-the optimization work. Energy, 24 (7), 561-578.

Ashok, S. and Banerjee, R. (2000) Load-management applications for the industrial sector. Applied Energy, 66 (2), 105-111.

CSEP, "Solving China's Energy Challenge"

http://www.efchina.org/FPubInfo.do?act=list&abb=AboutUs&sabb=2

Ngai, E.W.T., To, C.K.M., Ching, V.S.M., Chan, L.K. and Lee, M.C.M. (2011) Development of the conceptual model of energy and utility management in textile processing: A soft systems approach, International Journal of Production Economics. (in press).

Saidur, R., Rahim, N.A., <st1:place w:st="on">Ping</st1:place>, H.W., Jahirul, M.I., Mekhilef, S. and Masjuki, H.H. (2009) Energy and emission analysis for industrial motors in Malaysia. Energy Policy, 37 (9), 3650-3658.

Zhang, Z.X. (2003) Why did the energy intensity fall in China's industrial sector in the 1990s? The relative importance of structural change and intensity change. Energy Economics, 25 (6), 625-638.

       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Disclaimer:

This message (including any attachments) contains confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this message and notify the sender and the University immediately. Any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this message, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.

The University specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through University E-mail Facilities. Any views and opinions expressed are only those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the University and the University accepts no liability whatsoever for any losses or damages incurred or caused to any party as a result of the use of such information.