The new production and office building of the energy, ventilation and air-conditioning technology manufacturer Alois Müller Group is completely free of CO2 emissions. The heart of the Green Factory in Ungerhausen with its 18,000 square meters of usable space is a huge photovoltaic system. The more than 200,000 solar cells on the roof achieve a power output of 1.2 megawatts. The modules supply enough energy to operate the entire production building almost two-thirds with solar power.
In order to optimize the use of solar energy on site, the Alois Müller Group has precisely analysed the entire material and energy flows required for the individual production steps. For this purpose, the individual production data were collected and evaluated over several years. In this way, the potential of load shifting and load management can be fully exploited. Intensive power consumers such as the laser machine are now mainly operated when sufficient solar power comes from the roof.
Storage concept built without batteries
In addition to this, temporary surpluses are buffered in a compressed air system, which mainly occur on weekends. The company then also produces the auxiliary materials such as fully demineralised water in its own reverse osmosis plant or nitrogen itself, and can thus also use solar power during times when production is at a standstill.
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Even now, the production data is still recorded and permanently compared with the current weather forecasts and the order situation via an intelligent Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. This enables the company to plan the individual production steps precisely, taking into account the production of solar power and the available workforce.
Blueprint for the factory of the future
This comprehensive and successful energy concept has now been awarded the Bavarian Energy Prize. With this award, the Free State of Bavaria honours outstanding achievements in the field of energy every two years. The Green Factory was able to prevail in the category „Energy distribution and storage – electricity, heat“. „Our Green Factory is so far unique in Germany – but it doesn’t have to stay that way,“ emphasises CEO Andreas Müller. „On the contrary: The concept of the Green Factory, i.e. the generation of solar power, the applied demand side management, the practiced sector coupling and the internal intelligent power grid, the so-called Smart Grid, can be adapted for almost all companies in Germany“. He invites all companies that want to see for themselves to come and visit his Green Factory. „If required, we will also present all components with the necessary key figures,“ explains Müller. (su/mfo)
