Examining energy efficiency potential in South African manufacturing facilities

Date
2020-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : Globally energy efficiency plays a vital role in reducing energy demand and consumption, limiting global warming by reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and improving economic competitiveness. As the industrial sector consumes more energy than any other sector there is vast opportunity to derive benefit from implementing energy efficiency programmes. Industries have been implementing a number of energy efficiency programmes globally, but there is still a large percentage of opportunities that remain unimplemented with the potential for energy savings ranging from 8 to 61% across developed and developing countries. This study focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of implementing energy efficiency projects in industries, using the energy efficiency component of AECI’s Green Gauge programme as a case study. The first part of the literature review focused on assessing the key drivers and barriers towards implementing energy efficiency measures in industry globally and locally, and the second part examined the extent of energy efficiency and its components used in the manufacturing sector. A synthesis of the results of AECI’s Green Gauge programme is then presented by connecting the key outcomes from analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data and then connecting the literature review with practice. The energy efficiency component of AECI’s Green Gauge programme was overall beneficial to the 16 manufacturing facilities that implemented the programme realising approximately 11% of the total potential energy savings. One of the key outcomes was that the majority of the energy efficiency measures implemented in the Green Gauge programme were low or no capital investment and low payback opportunities. Extrapolating the energy savings from the low or no capital investment and low payback projects from AECI’s Green Gauge programme to the South African Industrial sector, it was estimated that energy savings of approximately 10% of South Africa’s electricity consumption can be realised. The key findings and insights were used to develop a model to enable companies to practically roll out an energy efficiency programme taking into account key insights emerging from the results.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Energiedoeltreffendheid speel wêreldwyd 'n belangrike rol in die vermindering van die vraag en verbruik na energie, asook wat betref die beperking van aardverwarming deur die vermindering van koolstofdioksied-uitlatings (CO2) en die verbetering van ekonomiese mededingendheid. Aangesien die nywerheidsektor meer energie verbruik as enige ander sektor, is daar eindelose geleentheid om voordeel te trek uit die implementering van energie-doeltreffendheidsprogramme. Nywerhede implementeer wêreldwyd 'n aantal energie-doeltreffendheidsprogramme, maar daar is steeds 'n groot persentasie geleenthede met die potensiaal vir energiebesparing – dit wissel tussen 8 en 61% in ontwikkelde en ontwikkelende lande – wat nie toegepas word nie. Hierdie studie fokus op die evaluering van die doeltreffendheid van die implementering van energie-effektiwiteitsprojekte in nywerhede, en gebruik die energie-doeltreffendheidskomponent van AECI se Green Gauge-program as gevallestudie. Die eerste deel van die literatuuroorsig fokus op die beoordeling van die belangrikste dryfvere en hindernisse in die uitvoering van energie-doeltreffendheidsmaatreëls in die nywerheid wêreldwyd en plaaslik, en in die tweede deel word die omvang van energie-doeltreffendheid en die komponente, wat in die vervaardigingsektor gebruik word, ondersoek. Daarna word 'n sintese van die resultate van die Green Gauge-program van AECI aangebied deur die belangrikste uitkomste uit die ontleding van die kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data te verbind en die literatuuroorsig dan met die praktyk te verbind. Die energie-doeltreffendheidskomponent van AECI se Green Gauge-program was oor die algemeen voordelig vir die 16 vervaardigingsfasiliteite wat die program geïmplementeer het, en het ongeveer 11% van die totale potensiële energiebesparing bereik. Een van die belangrikste uitkomste was dat die meerderheid van die energie-doeltreffendheidsmaatreëls, wat in die Green Gauge-program geïmplementeer is, min was met geen kapitaalinvestering en lae terugbetalingsgeleenthede. Met die ekstrapolering van die energiebesparing van die lae, of geen kapitaalinvestering, en lae terugbetalingsprojekte van AECI se Green Gauge-program na die Suid-Afrikaanse nywerheidsektor, word geraam dat energiebesparing van sowat 10% van Suid-Afrika se elektrisiteitsverbruik gerealiseer kan word. Die belangrikste bevindinge en insigte is aangewend om 'n model te ontwikkel om ondernemings in staat te stel om 'n energie-doeltreffendheidsprogram prakties uit te voer met inagneming van sleutelinsigte wat uit die resultate voortspruit.
Description
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
Keywords
Manufacturing industries -- Energy consumption -- South Africa, UCTD
Citation