Energy Management Practices on Construction Projects in Kampala Central Business District

Abstract

Energy is one of the largest requirements in the execution of construction projects. However, there is barely any literature as to how or whether the energy in use is properly managed. This report documents the findings of a study carried out in Kampala Central Business with the objective of finding out the energy management practices that are used on construction projects and suggesting paths for improvement. This was done using a cross-sectional design approach, making use of both qualitative and quantitative information, sourced from knowledgeable and technical personnel on construction projects that deal directly with managing resources like energy for selected construction and consulting companies, with active or running projects as well as stakeholders in the construction and energy management field in Kampala. Analysis was done on field data collected with questionnaires using descriptive statistics as aided by IBM SPSS software and the results derived revealed a list of practices and techniques used to manage the energy resource in the Kampala Central Business District as well as respondents’ opinions on how to improve the field. These results were subjected to discussions and it was concluded that the management of energy on construction projects was not deliberate. Furthermore, it was recommended that energy management should be made deliberate, applied to all projects and there should be supportive policy and institutional frameworks to improve energy management on projects.