Problems of adoption and adaptation of energy-conserving innovations in UK beverage and dairy industries |
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| Institution: | 1. University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark;2. University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal |
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| Abstract: | The study has three interrelated themes:We comment on underlying assumptions of some models of technological change and their particular shortcomings for the industries discussed here: brewery, malting, distilleries and processing dairies. These have implications for some attempts to forecast energy consumption patterns even under apparently favourable economic conditions.The results of recent survey work in these industries are analysed for what they can reveal about the uptake of recent inventions and some longer standing innovations in energy conservation and recovery, and the ability and willingness to both adopt and adapt from technically proven concepts with promising economic potential: less than 15 percent of technically “feasible” opportunities for energy conservation were taken up during the five year (1979–1984) period covered by the study.The conclusion drawn is that, site specific and local managerial factors as well as economic considerations dominate the performance of firm in the industry (as measured by energy cost-saving efforts). While industry-wide “savings targets” may have some psychological value, they cannot, therefore, be based on “benchmarks” linked to “best” practices and measurable levels of technological achievement from any recognisably “typical” group of firms. It follows that attempts to forecast future energy consumption or energy savings which assume such technological changes could be misleading, unless underpinned by clear statements about technical and technological choices specifically usable (not merely “available”) by large segments of well-defined industrial activities. |
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