Visualization tool for the pre-evaluation of the flexibility potential of industrial consumers

Abstract

The complex task of evaluation of the demand flexibility applied to the industrial sector requires in-deep studies where the different production processes must be analysed in detail, as well as the way in which they are linked, the amount of energy that is consumed in different periods or the parameters that drive how energy is consumed on each of them. This analysis is time consuming for the customer, who usually needs some kind of support from an external energy services company for consulting purposes. Therefore, the mentioned analysis is frequently expensive, so that customers tend to be unenthusiastic to perform such evaluations. In this framework, this paper presents an easy-to-use mechanism, which has been properly tested, by means of which industrial customers can obtain a preliminary estimation on the demand flexibility potential that they could have, as well as some customized recommendations or guidelines to improve it and become even more flexible. This tool has been successfully validated in four industrial sites located in different European countries, obtaining very promising results, which are also discussed here.