Justification of energy efficiency indicators in the energy management system of construction production

Abstract

The article solves a scientific and applied problem of forming organizational and economic tools for evaluating the efficiency of construction production energy management. Given the dominance of the resource-based pricing method, the justification of energy efficiency requires an in-depth analysis of the current resource consumption standards. Since the vast majority of energy consumption on a construction site is accumulated in the process of mechanized vertical movement of loads, the focus of the study is directed at the operational resource intensity of lifting mechanisms. It is proved that relevant energy efficiency indicators should cover not only direct energy carrier costs for the immediate operation of equipment but also associated overhead costs caused by additional labor costs for the management, relocation, and maintenance of mechanization means.

The methodological basis of the research is the translation of statistical analysis methods, econometric modeling, and the theory of “soft computing” into the field of construction economics. Based on the dataset of resource estimating standards for the operation of construction machines and mechanisms, two aggregated samples are analyzed: diesel-engine cranes and electrically driven cranes. Using sample Student's t-tests, statistically significant differences in their operational parameters are empirically confirmed, in particular, total labor costs, needs for fuels and lubricants, and salary-coefficients of labor costs.

The scientific novelty of the research is the development of statistical-econometric two-factor multiplicative models that formalize the nonlinear power-law dependence of the maximum lifting capacity of cranes on the volumes of labor and energy carrier costs. It is established that for diesel cranes, the economies of scale act classically: the replacement of equipment with more powerful ones causes a slowdown in the growth of fuel costs and associated organizational costs. Instead, a diametrically opposite pattern was revealed for electric cranes: the intensification of their capacity causes an accelerated growth in the labor costs of the maintenance team, which exponentially increases energy consumption for general production purposes.

To implement the obtained models into the management contour of a construction enterprise, an author's approach based on the fuzzy set theory is proposed. Interval estimates of the degree of cost growth or savings are developed in the form of parameters of type-2 fuzzy numbers, which compensate for the stochasticity of deviations of actual data from theoretical ones. A graphical-analytical toolset is proposed for making predictive management decisions regarding the optimization of lease relations, the choice of construction equipment, and the identification of hidden resource-saving reserves during the implementation of construction contracts.