Energy Management of the Major Energy‐Intensive Processes in Beer Production: A Systematic Review Within the <scp>POET</scp> Framework

ABSTRACT This research explores energy efficiency (EE) initiatives for evaluating and enhancing energy efficiency in energy‐intensive processes in the beer production industry, using the performance, operation, equipment, and technology efficiency (POET) approach, in South Africa, where beer production can account for 30% of the energy used by the food and beverage industry. Microbreweries spend about 8% of their production costs on thermal processes to produce craft beer. Large breweries have an average energy consumption of 0.43 kWh per liter of beer produced, compared to microbreweries, which use even more energy to produce the same amount. In this work, the energy‐intensive processes in microbreweries, including water heating, mashing, boiling, cooling, fermentation, and cold storage, are identified. The paper recommends energy management (EM) initiatives within the POET framework to reduce costs and improve energy efficiency. These initiatives are divided into four sub‐levels: conceptual, active, technical, and further improvement. The initiatives are chosen based on cost savings and the effort required. The paper also proposes using external energy sources, such as renewable energy, and energy storage systems, including ice thermal storage. The use of the POET framework suggests there are opportunities for substantial energy cost savings. The paper also demonstrates the role of model predictive control (MPC) in attaining operational efficiency in hybrid energy systems (HES) in heating and cooling applications with thermal and electrical energy storage systems. The adoption of hybrid energy systems can help lower energy costs and enhance technology and equipment. Energy savings in beer production range from 10% to 50%, depending on system size, initial inefficiencies, and energy‐efficiency measures adopted (based on diverse literature sources).