Flexibility options identification within Net Zero Energy Factories

Renewables will be the main sources for supplying energy (electric, thermal and gas) to end consumers. The European Union target is to cover about 80% of the energy loads by 2050. However, more flexibility options are needed to integrate such a huge amount of volatile energy sources into energy systems (electric, thermal and gas). Energy storage systems and multi energy systems are the best options. Industrial manufacturing systems also hide a large potential of flexibility options which could be offered to the system operators or be used within the manufacturing system to integrate the power generated by renewables into the manufacturing processes. The aim of this study is to identify and define the flexibility options that industrial microgrids might use to integrate volatile energy sources into the manufacturing process. The study analyzes the industrial microgrid from the point of view of a “net zero energy factory” and focuses mostly on the contribution that energy storage systems, production buffer stocks and smart transformers might provide to increase the flexibility options.