Energy-flexibility describes a company’s ability to adapt its energy consumption dynamically and in line with market demand. It includes the intelligent control of energy flows, production processes and storage systems in order to reduce costs, avoid peak loads and efficiently integrate renewable energies.

The key features of energy-flexibility are:

• Data-based control: use of real-time energy data and AI-supported forecasts to optimize energy consumption.
• Load shifting: adapting energy-intensive processes to favorable electricity prices in order to reduce energy costs and grid charges.
• Storage integration: use of energy storage systems for intermediate storage and use of renewable energies.
• Optimization of industrial utilities: increasing efficiency in cross-sectional technologies such as compressed air, cooling or lighting.
• Production adaptation: energy-optimized production planning that takes energy-intensive processes into account and plans them intelligently.

Energy-flexibility enables companies to sustainably reduce their energy costs, improve their environmental footprint and at the same time increase operational reliability and productivity.

There are many advantages from which your company can already benefit today:

• Cost savings: by automatically adjusting energy consumption to favorable price-windows, you can reduce your energy costs in the short and long term.
• Increased transparency and efficiency: real-time analyses and optimized processes can reduce the energy consumption of your cross-sectional technologies.
• Future-proofing: A scalable energy data infrastructure creates the basis for long-term optimization.
• Sustainability: the intelligent use of renewable energies helps to reduce your CO₂-emissions.
• Employee awareness: Detailed energy data and clear reporting promote energy awareness and motivation among your employees.

These benefits not only make your business more efficient, but also emphasize cost-saving and define a modern factory.

The days of fixed-price electricity tariffs have passed!

The last few years have proven that there are numerous factors that influence energy prices. Among other things:

• The coal phase-out
• Geopolitical events
• CO2 prices
• The expansion of renewable energies (RE) and electricity grids
• Other government interventions and levies

These factors, combined with the predicted increase in demand due to the electrification of energy-intensive processes, will cause energy prices to rise. (More on this in the FAQs)

Prices will also become more volatile due to the further expansion of RE and the daily, seasonal and weather dependencies of RE.

A plethora of laws and regulations are being enacted with the aim of ensuring a safe energy transition and creating incentives for companies to adapt to the availability of RE (e.g. §14a EnWG, §19 StromNEV).

The energy crisis of 2021-2022 has clearly shown how important it is to be prepared for unforeseeable developments. The factors mentioned above will continue to have a significant impact on the price of electricity in the coming years and make a forward-thinking energy strategy essential for all companies.