On January 1, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) launched a microgrid at its Berlin, Germany, facility – a battery system that works like a virtual power plant. In the process, Freudenberg is helping to stabilize the public grid, clearing the way for renewable energy, and reducing the cost of electricity with the aid of artificial intelligence.
The amount of electricity produced from wind and solar energy – naturally – depends on the weather and the time of day. Where does surplus electricity go if the wind is strong and the sun is shining in the middle of the day? Where does the electricity come from at 7 a.m. on a wintry day, when the water boilers and coffeemakers are switched on around the country – and when it’s dark outside and the weather is calm?
Microgrids help to temporarily offset fluctuations in the grid and stabilize utility frequency. Their battery systems make power available in line with the demand. In other words, they store power for the times when it is needed. The battery system serves as a backup. At FST’s Berlin site, this type of micro network, with a capacity of 556 kilowatt hours and an output of 704 kilowatts, was connected to the grid on January 1.
Microgrids offer advantages to grid operators. They can decide whether to draw power from the microgrid as part of a bidding process. Users also benefit from the continuous availability of the electricity. FST profits in two ways. At its Berlin facility. FST uses the stored electricity to smooth out load curves and reduce peak loads, which result when a number of users within the factory simultaneously draw on the electricity. These peak loads determine its price. The lower occurance of peaks, the lower the grid fees – the prices that FST pays. Since January 1, the facility has covered peak demand for electricity from its own microgrid, decreasing its energy costs long-term.
With its new battery backup system, FST is not only reducing costs – it is making money as well. The purchase and sale of electricity on the spot market is known as arbitrage trading. Here the basic idea is to buy electricity at certain times during the day when the cost is low so it can be sold hours later at a profit.
FST doesn’t do this by itself. Its microgrid is leased out and the lessor – a company called Frequenz – takes care of the entire process. It uses artificial intelligence to coordinate the interplay of internal load management, grid stability and arbitrage.
Commeo is the third partner in the project. The company was the source of the stationary energy storage system at the core of the battery module and provides fire protection using an elaborate security system. The name Commeo may have a familiar ring. Freudenberg and the systems specialist formed a long-term, strategic partnership in 2020. The company uses batteries from Freudenberg e-Power Systems, formerly XALT Energy, in its storage systems, closing the circle for a successful project.
8 tons on 35 pallets
Besides his job as a global engineer in components, Marek Semrau (at right in the image at lower left), is championing the cause of renewable energy at FST. He launched the microgrid project in Berlin, helping out personally and even driving a forklift. The energy storage system, consisting of control panels, battery modules, inverters and many meters of cables, is housed in a previously unused, 4-meter-high loft. In mid-December 2022, 8 tons of parts, delivered on 35 pallets, had to be raised by forklift to the location and then positioned and connected piece by piece. “We are entering new territory with Freudenberg’s first microgrid. We are going to gather experience and evaluate it,” Semrau said.
He can visualize other opportunities. If the system were expanded, there could be a way to supply the plant with power on a temporary basis. This is known as a “standalone microgrid.” Power would be assured in the event of a blackout, at least until all the machines and processes could be properly shut down or until the emergency power generators could kick in. A microgrid could also be combined with a photovoltaic system that produces electricity on its own.
