Xundi, D; Liyin, S; Saixing, Z; Jorge, O J and Xiaoling, Z (2010) Relationship between energy consumption and economic development in construction industry. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 8(3), pp. 257-273. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
Purpose: This paper aims to explain the current state of energy consumption and economic development in Beijing's construction industry and identify the relationship between the two systems so as to supply decision support for the future. Design/methodology/approach: This paper presents a design of a coordinated development model based on the theory of synergetics. The focus of the paper is on how to integrate energy consumption indices and economic development indices to determine coordinated development indices in a relevant and useful manner. While analyzing energy composite consumption and economic composite development, respectively, all the variables normalized are eliminated inter-correlated characteristics by making use of principal component analysis (PCA). Findings: Beijing's construction development is experiencing the transition from economic development hysteresis to energy consumption hysteresis. The higher coordinated development degree is predicting the energy-economy system is trending to stability in Beijing's construction industry which does not necessarily mean a perfect development trend but an upper limit of the increasing rate in energy consumption. Thus, or at least maintaining the current economic development and energy utilization policy, production specifications, or using new technology, new method and economic policy to stimulate the economic development, or more attention from all the stakeholders being paid to saving more energy than before, will be still priority considerations for Beijing's construction industry in the following years. Originality/value: The paper proposes an original framework for examining the relationship between energy consumption and economic development in construction industry. The framework is also capable of identifying if the growth rate in energy consumption goes beyond the upper limit.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | China; economic development; energy consumption |
| Index terms: | construction development, construction industry, Beijing, principal component analysis, energy consumption, composite, new technology, China, consumption, methodology, stability, specification, decision support, economic policy, economic development |
| Subjects: | materials science, consumer economics, business policy, energy systems, innovation and technology management, Geography, contractual condition, production management, research methods, structural engineering, economic development, statistical analysis, industry analysis, decision analysis |
| Topics: | Stakeholder Management, Risk Management, Governance, Sustainability, Geographical Context, Project Management, Research Practice, Construction Materials, Engineering Principles, Contract Administration |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here