CHAPTER Primary Data: The following methods are used for data collection

Transcription

1 CHAPTER RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 1. Primary Data: The following methods are used for data collection - Questionnaire - Interview, Discussion Secondary Data: Resources : The following was referred for collection of secondary data - Books - Journals, Magazine - Company Publications: Newsletter. Advertisement/Brochure/Annual Reports/ Company Profiles - Internet Sites 3. Type of Research Design: a. Descriptive, Explorative b. Contact Method: Personal Interview, Telephonic Interview, Sample Design : Following is the sample design of data collection a. Sample universe All Six automobile industries manufacturing passenger cars in Pune. b. Sample size All 95 Utility Engineers/ Managers were contacted, 78 responded. c. Sample Method Census 145

2 Research was carried out in different stages with the help of the research frame designed for this study. Since this topic is new and emerging, an exploratory and descriptive research methodology has been adopted for the study. The research instrument has been formulated on the basis of discussions with various experts, consultants in the area of energy efficiency, academics, etc. The Figure No. 4.1 shows the research methodology adopted for the research work. Figure No 4.1: Research Methodology Research Questions Literature review Formulation of research tools Pilot Study Sampling framework Objectives Reliability Results Discussion Conclusion Analysis Plan Data Collection: Mainly primary Data supported By secondary Sources Use of SPSS 146

3 This research analyses the status of implementation of industrial energy management and efficiency in passenger car manufacturing automobile industries in Pune. It provides comprehensive information about the industrial energy culture of these industries derived from both primary and secondary data sources. Some of the secondary data sources used includes books, scientific articles, work papers, internet resources and so forth. The methods used in this research are descriptive, exploratory and qualitative, tailored to answer and satisfy the research questions. The research employs an extensive review of relevant theories and literature related to energy security, energy management, energy efficiency, barriers for energy efficiency implementation. The study employed the use of structured questionnaire to gather primary data related to energy efficiency and management practice in selected industries. The respondents were asked to describe the energy management strategies used in their respective firms, also they were asked to express their views on barriers for energy efficiency implementation in their firms. Respondents were asked to fill a structured questionnaire covering the various aspects of the study. Response time for every questionnaire was recorded and on the average, each questionnaire took about 25 minutes. The questions were organized under the following topics: 1. Information of the respondent 2. Energy Management Techniques adopted to conserve energy at plant level utilities 3. Practice of per unit cost of utilities and its frequency 4. Frequency of Demand for utilities from users 5. Scope for utilities optimisation 6. Barriers to Energy Efficiency 7. Application of Energy Efficient Technologies in Electrical, Thermal and Water utilities 8. Practice of Performance Assessment of major utility equipment and its frequency 9. Training programs on energy management organised in industries 10. Need of training programs on energy management 147

4 There were different sections in the questionnaire which were designed to derive information about the status of energy management at plant level utilities, an overview of potential barriers to energy efficiency and energy management systems. The first section was designed to have information about the action taken by surveyed firms for energy management in their plants. In second section, the information about the utility costing practices with their frequency was asked to the respondents. The third sections was designed to collect the data about the gap between utilities generation and demand. The forth section was about to identify the potential barriers in adopting energy efficient technologies in selected industries. This will help energy managers and policy makers to take corrective action against respective barriers to overcome these barriers and implement most energy efficient technologies in industries to reduce energy consumption. The fifth section surveyed the effective implementation of energy efficient technologies, energy efficiency opportunities in these industries to reduce energy consumption. In this section, major electrical and thermal utilities such as Electricity, Compressed Air, HVAC systems, and Steam/Hot water were covered. The sixth section was about the performance assessment of major utility equipment like Chiller, Air Compressor, Cooling Tower and Pump. The performance assessment is very important in the sense that this the gap between the actual performance of the equipment and expected performance of the equipment which gives us potential for energy savings. The seventh and eighth sections were about the status of training programs on energy management conducted within the organisation and training needs of the employees. 4.2 SCOPE OF SURVEY AND PROCEDURE Considering nature of the problem which is very vast and multi-dimensional, for academic purpose, scope of the study was restricted to energy management at plant level utilities to reduce energy consumption. Geographical scope was restricted to automobile industries manufacturing passenger cars in Pune because of the wide spread number of industries. The study gathered data from 6 industries in the study area, thus the results of the study can be generalized using statistical generalization to provide a true reflection of 148

5 industries in automobile industries. The study area was a high profile area with energy efficiency and management hotspots. Considering number of automotive industries manufacturing passenger cars in Pune, researcher collected data from all 6 automobile industries. For the study purpose, based on data available with Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers and factual data, the selection of the companies was done based on industries manufacturing passenger cars in Pune. In total 6 companies were visited and utility engineers/managers were contacted. Out of 95 respondents 76 respondents responded to the questionnaire. These are the Engineers and Managers who are looking after utilities and energy management dedicatedly and were the ultimate respondents for the researcher. The questionnaire got filled by respective respondents from corresponding industries. Assessment of some parts of the questionnaire required quantification; these assessments were subjective and based on the bias of the respondent. Despite this problem, the result of assessment provides a good basis for inferring the level of energy efficiency implementation, utilities costing, performance assessment of major utility equipment, barriers for energy efficiency improvement, training needs etc. 4.3 QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN Since the present study aims describing status of energy management and barriers to energy efficiency in passenger car manufacturing automobile industries in Pune to elaborate the possibilities of energy savings, the most suitable method for interviewing these industries are personal interviews using a structured questionnaire. While the questionnaire gives structure to the interview, the interviewer holds additional discussions with the respondent to capture as much qualitative information as possible. The questionnaire was designed in-line with guidelines for questionnaire design recommended by Babbie and Mouton (2008) to ensure that respondents express their opinions on all topics (and sub-topics) that have been found to be relevant for answering the research questions. Questionnaire was designed after going through related literature and secondary data. It was designed to understand energy conservation measures adopted by the industries, barriers to energy efficiency, costing practices for utility 149

6 services, performance assessment of major utility equipment, energy management training needs etc. to reduce energy consumption. The questionnaire was structured to contain closed-ended questions only. The questions asked were clear and simple and void of double meaning. The reason why a closed-ended question was used in this study is because closed-ended questions is widely used in survey research and it provides a greater uniformity of responses. Closed-ended questions are easier to answer by respondent, and the data gathered are easier for researcher to analyse and interpreted. Questionnaire was tested for validity with the help of Cronebach Alpha Reliability Test. As shown in table No. 4.1, Test value is which represents reliable data and research can proceed further for statistical analysis. Table No.4.1 Reliability of Questionnaire Item Statistics Questions Mean Std. Deviation N q1_a q1_b q1_c q1_d q1_e q1_f q1_g q1_h q1_i q1_j q1_k q1_l q1_m q1_n compressed air chilled water treated water hot water q

7 q q6_a q6_b q6_c q6_d q6_e q6_f q6_g q6_h q6_i q q q q9_a q q q q q q q q q q24_air compressor q24_chiller q24_cooling tower q24_centrigural pump q q q30_electrical system q30_water system q30_compressed air q30_air conditioning q30_hot water

8 Cronbach's Alpha Reliability Statistics No of Items Pilot study Questionnaire was tested with plot study of 30 valid sample size. The respondents were Managers and Engineers actively involved in utilities and energy management. This data was screened, filtered and processed for data interpretation. Pilot study confirmed multiple hypotheses which were supposed to be tested.a pilot survey of the study area revealed that large energy saving potentials exist for the following air conditioning system, compressor and pump systems, lighting systems and electrical systems,. The pilot survey also revealed that the energy saving potential for boiler system was very low and thus, required no attention. However, study found that there is also huge potential for water system, hence it was required to pay attention. Based on the findings of the pilot survey, the questionnaire was redesigned to query these energy saving hotspots (i.e. air conditioning, compressor and pump systems, lighting and electrical equipment, hot water and treated water system). The objective of pre-testing of the questionnaire was to ensure that the questionnaire was easy to understand to the respondents, and to eliminate the possibilities of misunderstanding, confusion and bias. In the pre-testing, 30 respondents from utility department of automobile industries were given the questionnaire. Later, each respondent was interviewed on the basis of the questionnaire, with an objective to locate the weak points of the questionnaire. Each respondent was requested to communicate the difficulties faced in filling up the questionnaire and possibilities for the further improvements for easy understanding of respondents. The suggestions regarding language, formulation of questions, sequencing, formatting etc. were noted and further discussed in the group setting. The confusing and problem questions were reformulated in consultation with the respective respondents and rechecked with all the respondents collectively. Thus, the questionnaire was edited to ensure that the correct form, sequence of questions, spacing, arrangement and physical appearance of the 152

9 questionnaire are checked for getting the desired response from persons filling the questionnaire. The final version of the questionnaire is placed at Appendix-II Questionnaire Format The questionnaire has been designed to cover all the important aspects of energy management in industrial utilities for the study. The table 4.1 indicates study areas, questionnaire section parts, and number of questions in various sections/parts. The questionnaire has 30 questions to which responses were sought. In addition, demographic information was also requested from the respondents at the start of the questionnaire regarding Name. Designation, Address, Contact numbers, Address of the organisation etc. Table No.4.2 Study Areas and Corresponding Parts of the Questionnaire Sr.No. Study of Areas Question Number 1 Energy conservations techniques adopted by the industries 1 2 Practice of utilities cost calculation with its frequency 2 3 Optimisation of utilities generation, Demand for utilities from 3-5 users 4 Barriers to Energy Efficiency 6 5 Energy Efficiency in Electrical System Energy Efficiency in Water Utilities Energy Efficiency in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning System 8 Energy Efficiency in Compressed Air System Energy Efficiency in Hot Water System Performance Assessment of critical utility equipment and it s frequency 11 Training Programs on Energy Management Training Needs of Employees on Energy Management in utilities

10 The each and every question was related to either objective or hypotheses and no unnecessary question was added to the questionanaire.the table 4.2 indicates objective/ Hypotheses and its corresponding question numbers in the questionnaire. Table No.4.3, Objective/Hypotheses and Corresponding Question Number in the Questionnaire Sr.No. Objective /Hypotheses Question Number 1 To study the Energy Management measures adopted by selected industries to explore the possibilities of Energy Savings. 2 To study the practice of Utilities cost calculation by selected Industries. 3 To study the co-ordination between utilities Generation and Demand for optimization of utilities. 4 To study the training needs of employees for energy management in utilities. 5 To study the barriers in adoption of Energy Efficient Technologies in selected industries. 6 H1: Industries are lagging in effective application of Energy Efficient Technologies in utilities. 7 H2: Industries normally practice Periodic Energy Performance Assessment of utility equipment with the standard procedure. 8 H3: Industries need to conduct additional training programs on energy management Survey Process This is study a descriptive and explorative research. The data was collected through means of closed ended questionnaire. Descriptive research is used to describe characteristics of a population or phenomenon being studied. Exploratory studies are 154

11 mostly done for the following reasons: (1) to satisfy the researcher s curiosity and desire for better understanding, (2) to test the feasibility of undertaking a more extensive study, and (3) to develop the methods to be employed in any subsequently study (babbie,2004). 4.4 UNIT OF ANALYSIS The primary unit of analysis is the process of energy management within energy using automobile industries in Pune. In particular, the research focuses on status of energy management in these industries which includes energy efficient technologies those are widely used, barriers in their implementation, utility costing and equipment performance assessment. The research also focuses on status of energy management training programs and identifies employee training needs. 4.5 SAMPLE STRUCTURE The sample data collected for this study was from the utility engineers and managers working in automobile industries manufacturing passenger cars in Pune. Considering scope of the study and technical, managerial aspects of the study, utility engineers, managers were the ultimate respondents for the study Respondents Consultation A letter introducing the study and its purpose was printed on the front cover of the questionnaire booklet. The letter explained why the study was being conducted, the importance of each respondent s response, and procedure for responding the questionnaire. The respondents were assured that the data collected from them will be strictly used for academic study purpose only. The respondents were also assured that their responses to the survey were anonymous. The respondents were further asked to feel free to add extra information that they think may be interest of the research. For that, the additional space was provided in the questionnaire. 155

12 4.5.2 Follow-up Mails and Monitoring Returns Follow-up: Follow-up mails were sent to the non-respondents in form letter of encouragement to participate in the study. Babbie (2004) suggests that follow-up mails provide an effective method to increase response rates in mail surveys and this method was thus adopted for this study. Further, the respondents were called over phone to remind them to respond the questionnaire. Follow up was found very helpful to get the immediate response from the respondents. The questionnaire was handed over to respondents in person for most of the respondents and other respondents were contacted through mail to respond the questionnaire as per the convenience Monitoring returns: As soon as the completed questionnaires were returned, the return rate table was designed in order to monitor the each and every questionnaire. Information about these filled in questionnaires was generated in a tabular format. It was very useful to understand about the pending questionnaires Formulation of Hypotheses In this regards, the different statements are being stated which shall form the part of hypotheses. These statements reflects the student s primary perception about the industries under study based on the pilot study. The researcher was working as a Utility Manager with Automobile industries manufacturing passenger cars in Pune and he was a certified energy manager from Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Government of India. Therefore, it is natural that he has developed certain perception about these industries. However, these perceptions do not carry any bias or prejudice in their formation and the study. The following statements form the hypotheses part of the study and hereafter shall be referred as H1, H2 H1 Industries are lagging in effective application of Energy Efficient Technologies in utilities. 156

13 H2 Industries normally practice Periodic Energy Performance Assessment of utility equipments with the standard procedure. H3 Industries need to conduct additional training programs on energy management Testing of hypotheses: Since data is categorical, Z Test of Proportions or Binomial Test is the most appropriate to test the hypotheses and same is used here. The data was fed to SPSS and results were obtained by using Binomial Test. If p value is less 0.05 (Level of significance),then it means that there is a significance difference between two categories that is proportion of people saying Yes and proportion of people saying No and then the hypotheses was accepted or rejected based on the results. In case of qualitative phenomena, we have data on the basis of presence or absence of an attribute(s).with such data the sampling distribution may take the form of binomial probability distribution whose mean would be equal to n.p and standard deviation equal to under root of n.p.q, where p represents the probability of success, q represents the probability of failure such that p + q =1 and n the sample size. Instead of taking mean number of successes a standard deviation of the number of the successes, we may record the proportion of successes in each sample in which case the mean and standard deviation (or the standard error) of the sampling distribution may be obtained as follows: Mean proportion of successes = (n.p)/n = p And standard deviation of the proportion of successes = If n is large, the binomial distribution tends to become normal distribution, and as such for proportion testing we make use of the test statistic z as under: 157

14 z = (P p) / Where P is the sample proportion. For testing of proportion, we formulate H 0 and H a and construct rejection region, presuming normal approximation of the binomial distribution, for a predetermined level of significance and then may judge the significance of the observed sample result. Chi-square test of uniformity (Goodness of Fit) However, chi-square test of uniformity was applied at some places wherever category is more than 2 to check whether frequencies are uniformly distributed over all categories. Degree of freedom is calculated based on the formula, DF= (No of categories -1). Fisher s Exact Test was also applied in continuation with Chi-square test of uniformity wherever required. 4.6 STUDY PERIOD Present research work as carried out from February 2011 to June