Towards an energy management system transformation in an industrial plant through industry 4.0 technologies

Just like quality, safety and sustainability, energy is a transversal aspect in the management of an industrial production plant and energy management is a topic of increasing interest for both sustainability and economic reasons. On the other hand, the fourth industrial revolution has led to the development of innovative technologies from the point of view of connectivity, data analysis and automation (such as Big Data Analytics, Internet of Things, smart sensors, wearables, etc.). As a result, industrial plants are changing their appearance, becoming increasingly complex digital systems. The technologies and the opportunities of innovation available are extensive but fostering their implementation in a conscious and effective way is not simple. In fact, it strongly depends on the characteristics of the specific reality examined and little is known about the potential contribution of the Industry 4.0 related technologies for the specific field of energy management systems. Therefore, starting from a literature review of the available tools deriving from Industry 4.0, this paper analyses their potential application to an energy management system, distinguishing among the various aspects that may concern its comprehensive implementation (e.g. design, monitoring and control, budgetary planning and control, etc.). Thus, the purpose of this paper is to provide a clear view of the opportunities deriving from these new tools in the context of a transformation of the energy management system of an industrial plant towards the paradigm of 4.0.