Strategies for optimized Energy Management
In this article, we will show you how you can optimize your energy costs and benefit from other advantages through peak load management, consumption forecasts and the automated control of flexible systems.
Optimized power supply & use of renewable energies
Flexible Energy Management
CO2-neutral production is only possible with an energy supply based on renewable energies. The current share of around 20 percent is set to increase further in the future to ensure that the energy transition to a CO2-free energy supply succeeds.
The electricity market offers market participants particular opportunities here, as exchange prices fluctuate greatly against the backdrop of rising electricity volumes from wind and photovoltaics (PV). At times they are even negative – so a consumer receives money when purchasing electricity. Based on EnEffCo®, ÖKOTEC enables you to exploit these savings potentials through digital flexible energy management.
We synchronize the supply of renewable energies with production-related electricity demand
Energy Flexibility
In order to become part of the energy transition, consumers must become increasingly active in the procurement of electricity and adapt to changing market situations. Industrial power generation plants and storage facilities in particular can be used flexibly and adapted to market requirements.
The volatility of renewable electricity generation requires balancing via the electricity market, either through plannable flexible systems on the generation side or on the consumer side. We enable industry and commerce to plan production and efficient energy requirements and offer flexibility where it is available and needed at the right time, while continuously taking all production-relevant framework conditions into account.
Energy suppliers need planning security and industrial and commercial enterprises want the lowest possible electricity prices. We reconcile these two needs by enabling industry and commerce to offer flexibility, i.e. to adapt their production and also their own electricity generation to the needs of the electricity market. This can reduce electricity costs.
- Do you actively manage grid capacity, e.g. to reduce peak loads or atypical grid usage?
- Are there already conditions in the electricity supply contract that promote or remunerate improved electricity procurement information or flexible system use?
- Do you draw up electricity timetables or are you planning to introduce them?
- If you already create electricity schedules, is this largely automatic?
- Are you evaluating alternative deployment strategies for systems that can be operated dynamically over time within defined limits, e.g. on the basis of an hourly or quarter-hourly electricity price or as part of balancing energy marketing?
- Will they increasingly rely on self-generation (PV, wind) or electricity-based technologies for heat or steam generation in the future or set up energy storage or charging stations for e-mobility?
Head of Energy Markets
Arne Grein
„We enable industry and commerce to integrate into the electricity market and offer their flexibility in self-generation and self-consumption. This saves them electricity costs and stabilizes the power supply system at the same time.“
Our offer
Solutions for Optimized System Operation
With our EnEffCo® Energy efficiency monitoring software, it is possible to monitor and forecast energy and process data and set target values for optimal operational management. The aim is to shift electricity consumption from times with high electricity prices to times with low or even negative prices. This is achieved by combining storage, self-generation systems and the flexibility of selected consumers. In this way, production can be planned and flexibly designed in terms of energy and adapted to changing framework conditions. We support our customers in connecting to the electricity markets as well as energy suppliers and marketing service providers in integrating flexibility potential into energy management processes.
In concrete terms, this means that we optimize the operation of your systems using algorithms and setpoints. Communication with the energy supplier provides clarity on how the system deployment must be planned and implemented. We also provide relevant market and weather data, which is incorporated into the modeling and decision-making process.
Conception and Evaluation
- Evaluation of the possible uses and restrictions of flexible systems, taking price and weather forecasts into account
- Modeling and analysis as well as economic evaluation of Flexibility Operation and investments
- Conception of the operating strategy and implementation at field level
Peak Load Management
- Recording restrictions on operating resources, the flexibility of individual systems and production processes
- Robust trend in electricity consumption within the current quarter of an hour
- Output of recommended actions (digital alarm or control signals)
Forecast
- Consideration of relevant and non-deterministic influences (e.g. consumption, generation, prices, weather, operating restrictions)
- Preparation of forecasts for production, consumption and prices based on production planning and weather influences
- Determining the risk of forecast deviations
Integrated Flexibility Operation
- Modeling taking into account technical and operational restrictions (e.g. temporary power limit, minimum downtimes, start-up and shut-down processes)
- Optimization environment (use of EnEffCo® software including mathematical optimization tools)
- Enabling the exchange of data between the company and the electricity supplier or grid operator for handling market processes
Flexible Charging of E-Vehicle Fleets
- Data connection of charging stations (manufacturer-independent)
- Analysis and monitoring of charging processes
- Optimal and cost-efficient control of charging processes
Success Story
Jack Link’s Europe GmbH: CHP control with EnEffCo®
Jack Link’s identified automated control of the CHPs, taking into account the market situation, as a significant potential for improvement. Against this backdrop, ÖKOTEC investigated the forecasting and evaluation of flexibility in plant deployment.
Ornua Germany GmbH
Peak load management cooling supply
The cooling requirements and system efficiency of refrigeration are weather-dependent and cause peak loads. In addition to the use of EnEffCo® as controlling software in accordance with ISO 50001, our flexible energy management reduces peak loads in refrigeration.
Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR)
Development of an intelligent charging infrastructure
Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR) was looking for a technological solution to set up a future-oriented and cost-optimized charging infrastructure for its fleet of e-vehicles, which is currently being built up, while taking into account all of the fleet’s usage requirements. BSR used EnEffCo® flexible energy management to implement flexible charging for its e-vehicle fleet.
Team Leader EnEffCo® Software Architecture
Dr. Alexander Weber
„Flexible electricity tariffs help to reduce the costs of an overall system that is heavily based on renewable energies. This ultimately helps electricity customers and therefore also industrial companies.“
Further solutions
News about flexible energy management
AI-supported optimization of systems and processes
EnEffCo® connects systems and processes for smart operations. In this interview, Dr. Hans Rüdiger Lange explains how companies can leverage AI and digital solutions to realize savings potential and strengthen their competitiveness.
White paper peak load management
Power prices for electricity have been pointing in one direction in particular since 2024: upwards. This increases the incentive for all companies that have not agreed individual grid fees to reduce their peak loads in order to save costs.
Do you need support or expertise? We look forward to your contact!
Head of Digital Analytics & Energy Markets
Christoph-Richard Kühn
Senior Sales Manager