Energy efficiency in production processes - the influence of consumption visualization and staff training

This paper examines the influence of the visualization of consumed compressed air and staff training on the consumption behavior of employees in a real production process. To measure potential changes in consumption behavior a real-effort experiment at the Training Factory for Energy Productivity, a real production setting at iwb of TUM, had been designed. Therefore, four groups were defined, each group in a different experimental setting. This experiment is the first one ever conducted in a real-life setting and thus adds valuable results to academia and practitioners. Compared to the group without any information about the amount of consumed compressed air the participants provided with a display showing this information saved on average 7-8%. The group provided with a movie about general measures to save compressed air in production consumed around 24% less compressed air than all other groups of participants. Generally, no significant differences between male and female participants had been found.