Energy Efficiency in the Supply Chains and Logistics
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2018) | Viewed by 36983
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Energy efficiency has been largely neglected in supply chain and logistics. The production and logistics processes are usually seen as independent entities in which the objective of improving energy efficiency is targeted at the level of single companies. However, this myopic approach does not allow to fully discover the benefits achievable with energy efficiency with an assessment at the system level. Supply chains are a system of organizations, people, activities, and information that transform natural resources, raw materials, and components into finished products for consumers.
Measuring energy consumption of all supply chain actors makes it possible to identify the most energy consuming parts of the supply chain and also to detect the most influential decision-making steps of the supply chain, thus providing information for the assessment of energy saving potential. The ability to measure and to benchmark energy efficiency at the supply chain level is a prerequisite for the implementation and planning of energy efficiency measures in logistics.
Moreover, the availability of alternative logistics configuration offered by modern transportation equipment and warehousing technologies may allow to reduce consistently the energy impact of these activities.
Supply chain management can lead to increased opportunities for energy efficiency improvement and represents the major opportunity in overcoming the barriers of implementing energy efficiency measures. Since supply chain considers the product from initial processing of raw materials to the delivery to the customer, the holistic approach can ensure sustainability, thereby also satisfying customer needs for environmental-friendly end products.
Moreover, considering energy efficiency of the supply chains requires considerable rethinking on the strategic level (supply and distribution network design, supplier selection) as well as at the operational level (logistics decisions on inventory policies, lot sizing, shipment batch size).
By working closely with customers and suppliers, companies can reduce the energy impact and improve the economic results. Most companies still pay relatively minor attention to whether their suppliers apply energy management systems in their business activities; however, it is important to acknowledge the potential influence that supply chain interactions may have on improving energy efficiency as well as the environmental impacts and costs of the final products.
A stronger cooperation among the supply chain members and the implementation of the holistic approach, in which the point of view is shifted from the single company to the system, lead to the achievement of a global optimum instead of a local one.
Prof. Simone Zanoni
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- supply chain management
- energy management
- energy efficiency
- industrial symbiosis
- green supply chain
- energy efficiency networks
- energy efficient logistics
