Energy management in manufacturing: From literature review to a conceptual framework

The literature on energy management in manufacturing is rapidly growing. Since the literature is also quite fragmented, we believe that the time has come to delve into current knowledge in the research field to provide directions for policy makers and guidance for future research. To achieve this, we present a detailed analysis of the research literature on energy management in manufacturing, now encompassing 365 articles published from 1995 to 2015 in a variety of academic journals. Six main lines of research related to energy management appear in the area of the study: (i) drivers and barriers, (ii) information and communication technologies, (iii) strategic paradigms, (iv) supporting tools and methods, (v) manufacturing process paradigms, and (vi) manufacturing performances in the trade-off. Thus, a framework is derived inductively based on a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the literature to describe the dynamic process of energy management in manufacturing. The review and the proposed framework might be useful for both academicians and practitioners, as the study raises central theoretical and managerial questions as well as providing suggestions for further research on this important yet complex topic. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.