Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

5-1-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Engineering (MSE)

Department

Electrical Engineering

First Advisor

Alexander Domijan

Second Advisor

Javier Ortega

Third Advisor

Nantakan Wongkasem

Abstract

Using two facilities as illustrative examples, this research investigates how a manufacturing plant's operational and financial context may influence its investment decisions in energy-efficiency measures. This challenges the primacy of the simple payback period (SPP) as a screening tool and instead demonstrates the role of operational context in investment decision-making. To this extent, this study is anchored to a qualitative comparative case study analysis of two ITAC energy assessments for two manufacturing plants in Texas: a higher value-added aerospace MRO plant (GE Aerospace, TR0060) versus a cost-sensitive automotive stamping plant (UMP Metal Stamping, TR0061). The two cases illustrate two different investment rationales. Under the strategic rationale, GE Aerospace feels comfortable undertaking longer simple payback project investments, mainly driven by reliability needs. Considering cost pressures, UMP Metal Stamping favors short, simple payback projects of a more tactical nature. Furthermore, scale significantly impacts the viability assessment, turning an HVAC replacement from an economically unjustified project into an economic imperative, with an SPP of 0.63 years in the twenty-four-seven operating GE facility versus 3.33 years in the UMP facility. Therefore, the discussion recommends developing a contextual framework for energy management to help classify projects at strategic, tactical, and scale levels and identify investment priorities that go beyond simple financial parameters.

Comments

Copyright 2026 Cynthia Aranda. All Rights Reserved. https://proquest.com/docview/3371164092

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