Drivers for practical implementation and suggestions:

The complexity of the exergy concept, the lack of understanding among practitioners and the time/cost demands are all related issues. Respondents and interviewees identified some means through which these could be possibly overcome. Following are the comments of interviewee #1:

Table 29 - An excerpt from a discussion with an expert about overcoming the barriers of difficulty in understanding the exergy concept – Part 1

Researcher Could you comment on the suitability of an exergy based with regards to identifying surplus resource in a factory, in comparison with an energy based approach?

Interviewee If it’s as easy to implement as an energy approach, then I don’t see much hindrance

in using it.

Researcher Do you think a step by step exergy audit methodology which an auditor or factory manager could apply would be beneficial in terms of adding value to the approach?

Interviewee Yes – if you could demonstrate it practically Researcher Could you expand on this please?

Interviewee Because you are in direct contact with personnel form companies themselves, you

could understand what motivates them to test it. And how this methodology might respond to their needs.

The above conversation suggests that if the method developed in this research project is somehow moulded into an easy to apply form, then companies might consider using it. Interviewee #2 commented on this issue as well, and identified a need for learning the exergy concept at educational institutions. In response to a question regarding the utility of the presented approach, the interviewee added,

“But if it’s taught in universities or when studying (before university) would learn what are the insights of this thing then when they are in work life etc. they would have the basic knowledge of this

thing, I would be much easier to present these results for them.”

Later in the interview, a similar comment was made.

“I think there should be some public seminars where exergy audits and exergy is presented and people get to know what is behind this word.”

Interviewee #3 had very interesting views, and provided useful suggestions to overcome the identified barriers. A relevant part of the interview is provided below,

Table 30 - An excerpt from a discussion with an expert about overcoming the barriers of difficulty in understanding the exergy concept – Part 2

Researcher So if these insights are there, why isn’t the industry acting? How could we effectively introduce the concept of exergy in the industry so that the insights could be converted into some action?

Interviewee Well, if I would have answered this question, say ten years ago, I would have given the answer which is the most common answer given by engineer, policy makers and economists. That is to provide information campaigns, raise awareness and then things change. But if you are to gain cultural transformation, for any concept, it always starts with the theory and education. In this case, most manufacturer, they don’t even know what exergy is, so I think having to introduce it effectively, firstly would be to include it in the school system. Not only energy, but exergy, not only at university level, but in elementary school and onwards. Secondly, the whole system of valuing energy and not its quality of course needs to be reformulated and that is a political issue that I am very doubtful it will ever happen. But then, that would also have to be taken into account or the research community needs to develop methods so that, when we speak about sustainability, we don’t only speak about quantity but also about quality. That could also develop the methods, for example, the methods today don’t apply quality so these two issues

Addressing this same issue, Interviewee #3 identified a possible future academic study to this thesis as follows,

“One further study to be done within the UK, having a questionnaire rather than having semi- structured interviews, asking, guys why you are not deploying exergy. That could provide some insights, but really it would be for academics, than changing or increasing the use exergy analysis.”

Table 31 lists all the drivers identified through the interviews and written responses. The major distinct ones are summarized as,

1. If somehow its application could be made easier, its practical application in the industry could improve.

2. More examples of practical case studies, to engage the industry 3. Educate students and practitioners

4. New methods that use the 2nd law of thermodynamics for measuring sustainability

5. A step-by-step guide for exergy auditing would help reduce the practical complexity of conducting such an audit.

Table 31 - Drivers for the practical application of the devised approach to factory analysis

Person Driver identified

Interviewee #1  If it is easy to implement, then not much hindrance to it

 Practical demonstration to engage the industry

Interviewee #2  Teaching the concept within the education system

 Good for application in industries with large variation in energy quality and water consumption e.g. food production

 Public seminars that present exergy audits

Interviewee #3  Methods and tools that incorporate the 2nd law of thermodynamics in sustainability analysis

 Step-by-step exergy audit methodology would help acceptance and practical application of the concept

 A study to investigate the barriers to implementation of industrial exergy analysis in the UK.

Global Packaging Sustainability Manager at SABMiller

 Increasingly our stakeholders are keen to find a tangible numerative measure for sustainable development activities

Associate Director at CorEnergy Limited

 that it would be an

excellent way of demonstrating full-life cycle production

efficiency and to

identify areas for improvement

Survey respondent #1  It helps in waste management