Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Drivers for energy efficiency and their effect on barriers: empirical evidence from Italian manufacturing enterprises

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Energy Efficiency Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 13 December 2016

This article has been updated

Abstract

Industrial activities are responsible for a significant share of both global delivered energy demand and CO2 emissions. Hence, a widespread adoption of energy-efficient technologies and practices represents a crucial means for sustainable production. Adopting a novel framework of drivers for energy efficiency describing the effect of drivers on barriers in the decision-making process steps and able to account for the nature of drivers and the stakeholders responsible for their promotion, we have performed an exploratory investigation into 61 manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises in Northern Italy. Our findings have highlighted the importance of information and economic drivers, showing the need for enterprises to be supported not only by public institutions but also by external stakeholders involved in the supply of energy-efficient technologies and practices such as industrial associations and groupings, as well as service and technology suppliers. Moreover, our study has highlighted an almost equal relevance of both internal and external drivers. According to our findings, the increase of awareness—generating the interest to energy issues and stimulated both by external and internal stakeholders—as well as financial issues have emerged as the most critical in the decision-making process to adopt an energy-efficient measure. A preliminary comprehension of the mechanisms relating drivers to barriers in the decision-making process brought additional value to the study, highlighting the most effective and specific means to overcome the existing barriers. We have also explored the effect of several firm characteristics, such as firm size and energy intensity offering suggestions for industrial decision-makers as well as policy-makers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Change history

  • 13 December 2016

    An erratum to this article has been published.

References

  • Abdelaziz, E. A., Saidur, R., & Mekhilef, S. (2011). A review on energy saving strategies in industrial sector. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews., 15(1), 150–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • AIDA database. (2013). Available at: https://aida.bvdep.com.

  • ATECO. (2007). United Nation Statistic Division. Detailed structure and explanatory notes.

  • Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative case study methodology: study design and implementation for novice researchers. The Qualitative Report., 13(4), 544–559.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blomqvist, E., & Thollander, P. (2015). An integrated dataset of energy efficiency measures published as linked open data. Energy Efficiency., 8, 1125–1147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brunke, J.-C., Johansson, M., & Thollander, P. (2014). Empirical investigation of barriers and drivers to the adoption of energy conservation measures, energy management practices and energy services in the Swedish iron and steel industry. Applied Energy., 84(1), 509–525.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cagno, E., & Trianni, A. (2012). Analysis of the most effective energy efficiency opportunities in manufacturing primary metals, plastics, and textiles small- and medium-sized enterprises. Journal of Energy Resources Technology., 134(2), 021005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cagno, E., & Trianni, A. (2013). Exploring drivers for energy efficiency within small- and medium-sized enterprises: first evidences from Italian manufacturing enterprises. Applied Energy., 104, 276–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cagno, E., & Trianni, A. (2014). Evaluating the barriers to specific industrial energy efficiency measures: an exploratory study in small and medium-sized enterprises. Journal of Cleaner Production., 82, 70–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cagno, E., Trucco, P., Trianni, A., & Sala, G. (2010). Quick-E-scan: a methodology for the energy scan of SMEs. Energy, 35(5), 1916–1926.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cagno, E., Worrell, E., Trianni, A., & Pugliese, G. (2013). A novel approach for barriers to industrial energy efficiency. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews., 19, 290–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Catarino, J., Henriques, J., & Egreja, F. (2015). Portuguese SME toward energy efficiency improvement. Energy Efficiency, 8(5), 995–1013. doi:10.1007/s12053-015-9325-7.

  • De Groot, F. H. L., Verhoef, E. T., & Nijkamp, P. (2001). Energy saving by firms: decision-making, barriers and policies. Energy Economics., 23(6), 717–740.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Del Rio Gonzalez, P. (2005). Analysing the factors influencing clean technology adoption: a study of the Spanish pulp and paper industry. Business Strategy and the Environment., 14(1), 20–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenhardt, K. M., & Graebner, M. E. (2007). Theory building from cases: opportunities and challenges. Academic Management Review., 50, 25–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eurobarometer Team - European Commission (EC). (2007). Observatory of European SMEs—analytical report.

  • European Council. (2012). Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency, amending Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/EU and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC, page 1–56.

  • Eurostat. (2015). Regional GDP per capita in 2013: seven capital regions in the ten first places.

  • Fleiter, T., Hirzel, S., & Worrell, E. (2012). The characteristics of energy-efficiency measures a neglected dimension. Energy Policy, 51, 502–513. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2012.08.054.

  • Hasanbeigi, A., Menke, C., & Pont, P. (2010). Barriers to energy efficiency improvement and decision-making behavior in Thai industry. Energy Efficiency., 3(1), 33–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirst, E., & Brown, M. (1990). Closing the efficiency gap: barriers to the efficient use of energy. Resources, Conservation and Recycling., 3, 267–281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • International Energy Agency (IEA) (2014). Capturing the multiple benefits of energy efficiency. Paris: IEA Publications ISBN 978-92-64-22072-0.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jochem, E., & Gruber, E. (2007). Local learning-networks on energy efficiency in industry—successful initiative in Germany. Applied Energy., 84(7–8), 806–816.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, X., Niu, D., Bao, C., Suk, S., & Shishime, T. (2012). A survey study of energy saving activities of industrial companies in Taicang, China. Journal of Cleaner Production., 26, 79–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lombardy Region. (2016). Nel Nord dell’Italia, nel cuore dell’Europa. Available at: http://www.regione.lombardia.it/. [in Italian].

  • Masi, D., & Cagno, E. (2015). Barriers to OSH interventions in small and medium-sized enterprises. Safety Science., 71, 226–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Micheli, G. J. L., & Cagno, E. (2010). Dealing with SMEs as a whole in OHS issues: warnings from empirical evidence. Safety Science, 48, 729–733.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagesha, N., & Balachandra, P. (2006). Barriers to energy efficiency in small industry clusters: multi-criteria-based prioritization using the analytic hierarchy process. Energy, 31(12), 1633–1647.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, B. S., Assenza, G. B., Assenza, D., & Hasselmann, F. (2013). Barriers and drivers to energy efficiency—a new taxonomical approach. Energy Conversion and Management., 74, 403–416.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rohdin, P., & Thollander, P. (2006). Barriers to and driving forces for energy efficiency in the non-energy intensive manufacturing industry in Sweden. Energy, 31(12), 1836–1844.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rohdin, P., Thollander, P., & Solding, P. (2007). Barriers to and drivers for energy efficiency in the Swedish foundry industry. Energy Policy, 35(1), 672–677.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sardianou, E. (2008). Barriers to industrial energy efficiency investments in Greece. Journal of Cleaner Production, 16, 1416–1423. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2007.08.002.

  • Schleich, J. (2004). Do energy audits help reduce barriers to energy efficiency? An empirical analysis for Germany. Journal of Energy Technology and Policy., 2(3), 226–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schleich, J. (2009). Barriers to energy efficiency: a comparison across the German commercial and services sector. Ecological Economics, 68, 2150–2159. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2009.02.008.

  • Sorrell, S., Mallett, A., & Nye, S. (2011). Barriers to industrial energy efficiency: a literature review. Vienna: United Nations Industrial Development Organizations. Available at: http://www.unido.org/fileadmin/user_media/Services/Research_and_Statistics/WP102011_Ebook.pdf.

  • Streimikiene, D., Ciegis, R., & Grundey, D. (2008). Promotion of energy efficiency in Lithuania. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews., 12, 772–789.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • THCU. (1999) Conducting survey research, (2.0 ed.) (pp. 1–60). University of Toronto. Available at: http://www.thcu.ca.

  • Thollander, P., & Dotzauer, E. (2010). An energy efficiency program for Swedish industrial small- and medium-sized enterprises. Journal of Cleaner Production., 18(13), 1339–1346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thollander, P., & Ottosson, M. (2008). An energy efficient Swedish pulp and paper industry—exploring barriers to and driving forces for cost-effective energy efficiency investments. Energy Efficiency, 1(1), 21–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thollander, P., Paramonova, S., Cornelis, E., Kimura, O., Trianni, A., Karlsson, M., Cagno, E., Morales, I., & Jiménez Navarro, J. P. (2015). International study on energy end-use data among industrial SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and energy end-use efficiency improvement opportunities. Journal of Cleaner Production., 104, 282–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trianni, A., & Cagno, E. (2012). Dealing with barriers to energy efficiency and SMEs: some empirical evidences. Energy, 37(1), 494–504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trianni, A., Cagno, E., Thollander, P., & Backlund, S. (2013a). Barriers to industrial energy efficiency in foundries: a European comparison. Journal of Cleaner Production., 40, 161–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trianni, A., Cagno, E., Worrell, E., & Pugliese, G. (2013b). Empirical investigation of energy efficiency barriers in Italian manufacturing SMEs. Energy, 49, 444–458.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trianni, A., Cagno, E., Marchesani, F. & Spallina, G. (2013c). Drivers for industrial energy efficiency: an innovative approach. 5th International Conference on Applied Energy (ICAE2013). July 1st–4th Pretoria (South Africa).

  • Trianni, A., Cagno, E., & De Donatis, A. (2014). A framework to characterize energy efficiency measures. Applied Energy., 118, 207–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trianni, A., Cagno, E., Marchesani, F., & Spallina, G. (2016a). Classification of drivers for industrial energy efficiency and effect on the barriers affecting the investment decision-making process. Energy Efficiency. doi:10.1007/s12053-016-9455-6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trianni, A., Cagno, E., & Farnè, S. (2016b). Barriers, drivers and decision-making process for industrial energy efficiency: a broad study among manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises. Applied Energy., 162, 1537–1551.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vidil, R., & Marvillet, C. (2005). The innovation process in the energy field. Energy, 30(8), 1233–1246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Worrell, E., Laitner, J. A., Ruth, M., & Finman, H. (2003). Productivity benefits of industrial energy efficiency measures. Energy, 28(11), 1081–1098.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin, R. K. (2003). Case study research: design and method. Applied social research methods (3rd ed.). London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Enrico Cagno, Andrea Trianni, Giovanni Spallina & Federico Marchesani

Authors
  1. Enrico Cagno
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrea Trianni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Giovanni Spallina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Federico Marchesani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrea Trianni.

Additional information

The original version of this article was revised: The given name of one of the authors was incorrectly captured as “Vincenzo” when it should be “Giovanni”.

An erratum to this article is available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-016-9498-8.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Cagno, E., Trianni, A., Spallina, G. et al. Drivers for energy efficiency and their effect on barriers: empirical evidence from Italian manufacturing enterprises. Energy Efficiency 10, 855–869 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-016-9488-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-016-9488-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation