Speciale Hannover Messe

14 SPECIAL HANNOVERMESS E 2023 investments in energy efficiency. Savings of up to 10% can be achieved even in the first step, according to many experts. It’s about recognizing energy flows and then taking action. Sometimes, even relative- ly small measures can add up to saving. Many companies still use uncontrolled motors to drive pumps or fans, for exam- ple. Almost two-thirds of the electricity consumed by industry is due to electric motors. Frequency converters control the speed of a motor (and pump or fan), and in many applications they can re- duce energy consumption by 30 to 50%; in extreme cases, according to the sup- pliers, as much as 90% can be saved. For years now, machine builders have been discussing the IIoT and connected machines. This primarily involved the ex- change of production data. The next step is to integrate the machines into the com- pany’s energy system. When energy is cheap, the machines run at full speed. In addition, companies are developing new business models such as peak shaving. Peak shaving is a process used in the management of electricity demand, in which a power grid operator reduces the amount of electricity used during periods of high demand, in order to avoid over- loading the grid and potentially causing blackouts. This is often achieved by us- ing energy storage systems, such as bat- teries, or by temporarily reducing pow- er to certain non-essential loads. And a glimpse into the further future: when em- ployees connect their electric vehicles at the plant’s charging station in the morn- ing, the vehicles become temporary stor- age units for production.