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Analysis of Energy Conservation Factors in Buildings Using Interpretive Structural Modeling Methodology: An Indian Perspective

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Abstract

Increasing daily energy demand is a cause of concern globally; buildings consume most of the energy generated, so energy conservation in buildings should be a prime concern to save energy worldwide. In the Indian context, among the previous studies to figure out the driving factors responsible for conservation of energy in buildings, they focused mainly on a sector of buildings or highly localized, lacking a holistic approach. The attempt to find building conservation factors is meager and is in scarcity. This research fills the gap by providing a holistic approach to driving factors responsible for energy conservation in buildings. The present study seeks to explore the interrelationships between the twenty factors identified in this research using interpretive structural modeling (ISM) methodology. It arrives at the dominant factors that are highly influential in driving conservation principles in built environments in India. Among the twenty factors identified, the results indicate that the six most highly impactful factors are industry orientation, comfort, change in lifestyle, saving the environment, promoting sustainability, and testing new theories in energy conservation. The managerial applications of the derived results of this research are also discussed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil, Tamilnadu, 626126, India

    Syed Shuibul Qarnain, S. Muthuvel & Bathrinath Sankaranarayanan

Authors
  1. Syed Shuibul Qarnain
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  2. S. Muthuvel
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  3. Bathrinath Sankaranarayanan
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Correspondence to Bathrinath Sankaranarayanan.

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Appendix: Questionnaire

Appendix: Questionnaire

Below is the format of the questionnaire used in the survey.

Demographic profile of the expert:

1. Name: -……………………………………………

2. Educational Qualification: -………………………….

3. Energy conservation Experience (in years): -………

4. Name of Organization: -………………………………………………

5. Current position in organization: -……………………………………

6. Telephone number & Email: -…………………………………………

7. Sector (Industry/Academic/Contractor/Design Consultant/etc.): -……………………

Based on your experience in the industry and your knowledge, kindly fill up the table with the following criteria:

V::

i helps to achieve j

A::

j helps to achieve i

X::

i and j help each other to achieve mutually

O::

i and j do not help each other

Your responses will be dealt with in complete confidence; it will not be shared on any public platforms or social networking sites. It will not be shared with your competitor or any third party. These data are for research purposes only.

As a subject expert and specialist in energy conservation, your input is valuable as it will help bring about a productive outcome in this research.

My heartfelt gratitude for your time and effort.

Factor number

20j

19j

18j

17j

16j

15j

14j

13j

12j

11j

10j

9j

8j

7j

6j

5j

4j

3j

2j

1j

1i

                    

2i

                    

3i

                    

4i

                    

5i

                    

6i

                    

7i

                    

8i

                    

9i

                    

10i

                    

11i

                    

12i

                    

13i

                    

14i

                    

15i

                    

16i

                    

17i

                    

18i

                    

19i

                    

20i

                    

The following table describes the factors with factor numbers.

Factor No.

Name of the factor

1

Capital investment for energy conservation projects

2

Have knowledge of energy conservation

3

Attractive incentive schemes from the government

4

Will & self-motivation toward energy conservation

5

Availability of energy conservation resources

6

Favorable climatic environment for energy conservation projects

7

Payback period on conservation investment

8

Depletion of energy resources

9

Mismanagement of energy

10

Health factors/diseases

11

Industry orientation

12

SHIFT-retrofitting and makeover of energy Conservation Measures (ECM)

13

Market demand for energy conservation structures

14

Comfort & luxury

15

Abreast with technology

16

Change in lifestyle

17

Redundancy of conventional source

18

Saving environment

19

Promoting sustainability/educating/advertising & creating awareness in the community

20

Test new theories/innovation in energy conservation

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Qarnain, S.S., Muthuvel, S. & Sankaranarayanan, B. Analysis of Energy Conservation Factors in Buildings Using Interpretive Structural Modeling Methodology: An Indian Perspective. J. Inst. Eng. India Ser. A 102, 43–61 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40030-020-00483-z

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