Energy Sustainability Sensing in Manufacturing SMEs: Overview, Perspectives and Assessment Approaches

Aldona Kluczek

The work gives an overview of sustainability and energy issues integrated in sustainable manufacturing providing a comprehensive insight into emerging perspective of energy sustainability and actions for achieving sustainable energy. Therefore, the relevant concepts on energy efficiency, sustainability and their assessment based on indicators are highlighted. This monograph focuses on the evaluation of technologies and manufacturing processes using various assessment methods that maximize economic returns, minimize environment impacts and meet social expectations. It brings together the expertise of respected academics in the field of sustainable manufacturing over the last decade, offering an overview of sustainability assessment methodologies and associated indicators used in this field which were combined in the development of a comprehensive method to cover the major sustainable aspects and issues of assessing and measuring the energy sustainability in manufacturing while considering numerous dimensions such as economic, environmental and social. All these factors together could be useful and applicable in a new way. This is the topic of the current work which is based on the results of researching energy pattern, efficient production systems for sustainability, and policy providing multidimensional perspectives and knowledge necessary to achieve sustainable energy.