Integrating energy efficiency into core business practices – an institutional work perspective on the implementation of energy management systems

摘要

Energy efficiency in industrial firms has had more of a focusthan ever before. In particular, this has been driven by a growinglevel of interest amongst organisational stakeholders as diverseas suppliers, government, investors and customers. Withmore activity and focus, new roles are being created in firmsand new practices are being applied in order to improve the effectivenesswith which energy efficiency projects are identified,evaluated, presented for funding and implemented.This paper identifies and examines the emerging practicesof energy efficiency practitioners in Australian industrial firmsas they implement energy management systems. Specifically itaims to identify and explain the key practices that energy efficiencypractitioners apply with the aim of integrating energyefficiency into their organisation’s core business practices inorder to improve energy efficiency performance on an ongoingbasis.The research involved an analysis of the case study presentationsmade by twenty energy efficiency practitioners during theSeptember 2011 Australian Energy Efficiency Opportunitiesworkshop series. The data has been analysed and is describedin this paper within a theoretical framework that is based onthe notion of institutional work. Institutional work exploresthe practices used to influence the cognitive, normative andregulatory dimensions of the institutions that influence thedecisions made by individuals and firms on energy efficiencyissues. The paper concludes by considering the implications ofthe research for practitioners, policy makers and researchersthat have an interest in delivering organisation and economywide improvements through energy efficiency improvement inindustrial firms.