Resource networks: Decentralised factory operation utilising renewable energy sources

Striving for sustainability, most industrialised countries make increasing use of renewable energy sources to meet their energy demands. This causes power generation to become more decentralised and volatile, making flexibility in production (i.e. energy demand) a fundamental necessity for manufacturing companies. Hence, it is to be expected that companies which attain a symbiosis of renewable energy applications, efficient technologies, and innovative approaches to production organisation will have a competitive advantage in the future. The EU funds research in this direction as part of the REEMAIN project, amongst others. In particular, a concept for Resource Networks is developed. These networks aim to manage production using renewable energy sources by dividing a complex factory into smaller subsystems including energy suppliers and consumers, as well as storages to reach this symbiosis. This paper explains the concept and its application within Fraunhofer IWU’s E³-Research Factory.