Design of a flexibility hub within a Net-Zero Energy Factory. The MESH4U demonstrator

Abstract

Industrial facilities might offer a high contribution to the integration into the grid of the volatile power generated by renewable energy sources (RES). In order to do that, flexibility must be identified, quantified and exploited. The flexibility might be exploited through the control of the manufacturing processes and/or by designing other flexibility options, such as energy storage systems (electric, thermal and compressed air) or controlling the logistic sector if it is electrified. Within the ERA-NET Project "MESH4U," the flexibility of an industrial facility is used both for operating the facility as a Net-Zero Energy Factory and to react to signals sent from a central flexibility hub. The aim of the study is to present the MESH4U demonstrator by pointing out the solutions developed for identifying, quantifying and exploiting the flexibility and how such flexibility could be used to better integrate the power generated by volatile RES.