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Quality, Knowledge and Information Management Tools as a Way to Improve the Energy Sector

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "C: Energy Economics and Policy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 28814

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Logistics, University of Maribor, Mariborska cesta 7, 3000 Celje, Slovenia
Interests: logistics; low emissions cars; risk assessment; supply chain
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Management, Czestochowa University of Technology, ul. Armii Krajowej 19”B”, 42-200 Częstochowa, Poland
Interests: industry 4.0; online management
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Guest Editor
Faculty of Management, Czestochowa Institute of Production Engineering, University of Technology, ul. Armii Krajowej 19”B”, 42-200 Częstochowa, Poland
Interests: digitalization; quality management; Industry 4.0; IoT; AI; renewable energy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The energy sector is developing rapidly and dynamically in the current economic situation. This requires the involvement of management methods in this industry, as well. In the energy sector, the concept of quality, information, and knowledge management has become a popular research topic. The importance of cross-sectional research is related to the increasing complexity of quality solutions, information, and knowledge management tools provided to enterprises. This Special Issue aims to present and discuss the main challenges posed by quality tools, Industry 4.0 technologies and information, and knowledge management, as well as the opportunities they offer for the development of the energy sector. Scientists are invited to submit original research papers and review articles that will stimulate efforts to understand the latest trends in the energy sector. Topics will include but are not limited to modern progress in the various countries, managing energy progress in Industry 4.0, online energy management in Energy 4.0, and industrial management.

Prof. Dr. Jereb Borut
Dr. Justyna Żywiołek
Dr. Joanna Rosak-Szyrocka
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • quality
  • Industry 4.0
  • online management

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 422 KiB  
Article
Safety and Work Organization Management in the Early Days of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Lignite Mining and Energy Sector in Poland
by Sławomira Kamińska-Berezowska and Małgorzata Suchacka
Energies 2022, 15(12), 4239; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15124239 - 09 Jun 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1372
Abstract
The paper presents the results of sociological qualitative research on safety management in work organization. The focus was on how to adapt the workforce to the sanitary regime during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic in the lignite mining and energy sector in [...] Read more.
The paper presents the results of sociological qualitative research on safety management in work organization. The focus was on how to adapt the workforce to the sanitary regime during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic in the lignite mining and energy sector in the Bełchatów poviat (Łódź voivodeship, Poland). The study aimed to identify the dimensions of safety and the work culture created in crisis conditions as perceived by workers. Based on the conducted analysis, the process of adapting employees to the new rules of work organization was reported, including the transition from fear and anxiety to control over threats and negative emotions. The essence of the research was to support institutional memory to consolidate the existing knowledge and use it in the future. Full article
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24 pages, 3207 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Customer Satisfaction with the Quality of Energy Market Services in Poland
by Joanna Rosak-Szyrocka, Justyna Żywiołek and Maciej Mrowiec
Energies 2022, 15(10), 3622; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15103622 - 15 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4253
Abstract
Environmental protection, sustainable development, quality, and value have become the goals of societal development in the twenty-first century. As the core of environmental protection, the new energy sector has become a widespread trend. In this article, we will look at how well and [...] Read more.
Environmental protection, sustainable development, quality, and value have become the goals of societal development in the twenty-first century. As the core of environmental protection, the new energy sector has become a widespread trend. In this article, we will look at how well and how satisfied customers are with the energy market’s service. A literature review of energy sector quality and value issues was conducted. The survey was conducted in 2021 in Poland with over 2404 respondents by the CAWI survey. Additionally, it was given a qualitative analysis. In the next step, we applied selected quality management methods and tools. The results of the study clearly show that the respondents expect energy companies to become more involved in building customer–enterprise relationships. Research shows that employees of energy companies should be trained more often in the field of customer service, especially in terms of an individual approach to the customer, which has value for the customer. The authors propose ways to build an arrow diagram to increase customer satisfaction levels. A model of elements determining quality as well as value for clients in the energy market was built. Full article
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20 pages, 3346 KiB  
Article
Internet of Things as a Sustainable Energy Management Solution at Tourism Destinations in India
by Sunil Tiwari, Joanna Rosak-Szyrocka and Justyna Żywiołek
Energies 2022, 15(7), 2433; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15072433 - 25 Mar 2022
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 3573
Abstract
The development of tourist destinations has been determined by sustainable energy management and the advancement of traditional methods. The rate of development must adapt to technological innovations while also considering future generations. The present study aims to determine to what extent tourism personnel [...] Read more.
The development of tourist destinations has been determined by sustainable energy management and the advancement of traditional methods. The rate of development must adapt to technological innovations while also considering future generations. The present study aims to determine to what extent tourism personnel are aware of the skills, knowledge, and methods for sustainable energy management, and also to analyze the Internet of Things as a technological solution for sustainable energy management at tourism destinations in India with the help of the Servqual method. It is important to implement modern technologies such as internal things and develop a sustainable attitude toward tourism. Findings suggested that over each attribute of Servqual model, reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy and responsiveness of IoT as sustainable energy management solutions at tourism destinations in India, tourism stakeholders have higher level of expectations (23.41, 19.86, 18.45, 23.60 and 24.73) and perceptions (18.34, 16.50, 14.97, 18.17 and 19.20) followed by tourists expectations (22.10, 17.36, 16.01, 22.62 and 21.87) and perceptions (19.32, 11.75, 09.46, 15.06 and 17.43) and local residents expectations (20.17, 14.61, 14.87, 19.46 and 18.81) and perceptions (13.48, 08.85, 07.73, 13.54 and 12.94), respectively. Results also showed that older generations and traditional tourism destinations are unable to cope with the modern advanced terminology, tools, and management strategies, which makes the present study the most significant about changing the traditional way of energy management and developing tourism destinations as sustainable and responsible. Full article
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16 pages, 7420 KiB  
Article
Qualitative Analysis of Household Energy Awareness in Poland
by Joanna Rosak-Szyrocka and Justyna Żywiołek
Energies 2022, 15(6), 2279; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15062279 - 21 Mar 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3334
Abstract
Because of disruptive changes in energy businesses and services, as well as changes in people’s lifestyles around the world, energy demand and consumption have risen quickly in recent decades. A household energy awareness literature review was conducted. The survey was conducted in Poland [...] Read more.
Because of disruptive changes in energy businesses and services, as well as changes in people’s lifestyles around the world, energy demand and consumption have risen quickly in recent decades. A household energy awareness literature review was conducted. The survey was conducted in Poland with over 1097 respondents. Additionally, it was given a qualitative analysis. At the same time, in order to consider why energy consumption in households is increasing, a traditional quality management tool was used—the Ishikawa diagram. The Pareto–Lorenz diagram was used to analyze the causes of the increase in energy consumption in households. A model of the causes of increasing energy consumption in households has been built. The researchers calculated the chi-square test, which allows them to determine Pearson’s C coefficient. The C-Pearson coefficient can be calculated using the Chi square value. The results of the study clearly show that the respondents have knowledge of energy and the factors that influence the increase in its consumption but are not aware of why energy should be saved and what it means for the environment. The authors propose ways to build the awareness of household users through a modern quality management tool called the interrelationship diagram. Full article
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14 pages, 936 KiB  
Article
Trust in Renewable Energy as Part of Energy-Saving Knowledge
by Justyna Żywiołek, Joanna Rosak-Szyrocka, Muhammad Asghar Khan and Arshian Sharif
Energies 2022, 15(4), 1566; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15041566 - 20 Feb 2022
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4562
Abstract
Managing the consumer’s knowledge is a factor that is difficult to measure and not easy to achieve, but it is the basis for building trust in energy sources, including alternative ones. Social and ecological attitudes, as well as the economic situation, force consumers [...] Read more.
Managing the consumer’s knowledge is a factor that is difficult to measure and not easy to achieve, but it is the basis for building trust in energy sources, including alternative ones. Social and ecological attitudes, as well as the economic situation, force consumers to acquire knowledge and shape their views and knowledge about household energy management. The aim of this article was to analyze the level of knowledge of household managers and determine the level of trust in alternative energy sources. To achieve this goal, previous research and reports were analyzed, and a proprietary quantitative and qualitative research was carried out. In connection with the conducted research, it was found that a very important factor is trust, influencing the perception of energy sources, and the knowledge gained allows for proper management of household energy, thus reducing costs. Research has shown that the trust of people managing energy in households is influenced by trust in renewable energy sources, which consists of knowledge, i.e., the level of social awareness and the willingness to acquire and expand one’s knowledge in this field. In all of the countries surveyed, the degree of trust is adequate, but it is directly proportional to the amount of knowledge and readiness to learn new things in this field. Full article
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14 pages, 1369 KiB  
Article
Knowledge Management in Households about Energy Saving as Part of the Awareness of Sustainable Development
by Justyna Żywiołek, Joanna Rosak-Szyrocka and Maciej Mrowiec
Energies 2021, 14(24), 8207; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14248207 - 07 Dec 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3351
Abstract
Energy conservation is a popular topic in scientific research today, despite the specific effects of energy conservation awareness still being investigated. Significant research about this topic has been performed in different countries. However, the research conducted so far concerns methods of energy saving, [...] Read more.
Energy conservation is a popular topic in scientific research today, despite the specific effects of energy conservation awareness still being investigated. Significant research about this topic has been performed in different countries. However, the research conducted so far concerns methods of energy saving, a building’s energy efficiency and new technologies; however, a significant part of society will live in technologically old buildings for a long time, which requires the involvement of consumers to save energy. To explain how energy-saving awareness plays a role in energy-saving behavior, this study will take city dwellers as a research facility and integrate relevant literature and disciplines, such as information and knowledge management, with the mechanistic study of how energy-saving awareness influences behavior that conserves energy and establishes a sensible behavior model. The survey was conducted in Poland, Portugal and Italy with over 18,000 people who declared that they are responsible for managing the household. In addition to the quantitative and qualitative research defining the percentage of behavior, the research group gave answers to the assessment of energy management, both assessing itself and the activities carried out in its own households on the Likert scale. The SERVPERF method was used for this. The results of the study clearly show that not only do economic factors affect energy saving, but also an informed society that cares about resource management. The research carried out presents the measures undertaken to save energy, and also identifies the level of knowledge and behavior that reflect pro-ecological trends and care for the sustainable development of the city, country and one’s own household. Full article
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21 pages, 999 KiB  
Article
Digitalization Business Strategies in Energy Sector: Solving Problems with Uncertainty under Industry 4.0 Conditions
by Rafał Trzaska, Adam Sulich, Michał Organa, Jerzy Niemczyk and Bartosz Jasiński
Energies 2021, 14(23), 7997; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14237997 - 30 Nov 2021
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 5515
Abstract
Digital transformation is a concept based on the use of digitalization and digitization. Digitalization leads to change of business models and provides a competitive advantage also in the energy sector. The process of change towards a digital business requires a specific strategy type, [...] Read more.
Digital transformation is a concept based on the use of digitalization and digitization. Digitalization leads to change of business models and provides a competitive advantage also in the energy sector. The process of change towards a digital business requires a specific strategy type, aimed to solve problems with uncertainty caused by Industry 4.0 implementation. This paper aims to propose a theoretical model combining different digitalization strategies and business models. Their theoretical foundations were discussed in the literature review part and related empirical research questions were attempted to be answered by the reference method analysis. The quantitative method of analysis was based on the secondary data from Eurostat for all EU member states and backed the theoretical part in terms of ICT variables. The novelty of this research is based on Hellwig’s reference method used in management sciences and the presented managerial implications. The discussed challenges of the energy sector are related to the digital strategy implementation, relationships between digital transformation and business models, and solutions for such issues as strategy communication and new roles for managers, who should become digital leaders in the energy sector organizations. The main consequence of the proposed model in this study, for the energy sector companies’ managers, is that uncertainty in modern energy sector organizations is more related to employees and their technical skills than implemented ICT itself. Full article
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