The success of a sustainable, modular factory is increasingly decided at the interface between production and energy flexibility.

Those who can shift energy-intensive processes to periods with favorable electricity tariffs are transforming themselves from pure consumers to "flexumers/prosumers". This opens up potentially high savings and additional profits - but only if the planning systems and operating processes are geared towards the strongly fluctuating energy prices.

Opportunity instead of risk:
Volatile energy markets mean high, but also very low electricity costs over the course of the day. Those who successfully manage these fluctuations can achieve considerable savings in operation. In planning, on the other hand, it is important to combine the right energy sources, systems and storage facilities as early as possible. Traditional, experience-based approaches quickly reach their limits here: The greater the choice of technologies and possible configurations, the higher the risk of not choosing the optimum (and therefore most cost-effective) system mix.

Data, algorithms and AI:
Solution approaches therefore rely on extensive data bases and powerful algorithms. According to Elias Küpper, CEO of software developer RIZM, holistic optimization - which includes production data as well as energy supply and infrastructure - can often lead to savings in the millions. His team at Stanford University and RWTH Aachen University developed algorithms that precisely map actual price volatility and can thus create a digital twin of a location's entire energy industry.

Entry into flexible factory planning:
Companies can either look for previously unused flexibility in existing plants or exploit the opportunities directly in greenfield or brownfield projects. In any case, the more data and empirical values on actual energy consumption are available, the faster improvements can be planned and implemented. It is always important to take a holistic view: From the use of green hydrogen technologies, PV systems or heat pumps to the integration of innovative storage systems, each element must be coordinated with the interaction in the overall system.

Click here for the article in Ingencis Magazine:
https://www.ingenics.com/en/magazine/issue/12-2024-just-get-started/