Ornua transforms its own infrastructure into dynamic energy storage
The Ornua case demonstrates how existing infrastructure can be utilised smartly. The smart energy management system flexOn transforms cooling warehouses and electric boilers into dynamic energy storage that flexibly responds to market prices. The result: reduced energy costs and an improved ROI.
Our customer
Ornua, the company behind the Kerrygold brand, is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products. It supplies 110 countries worldwide and operates 10 business locations. Ornua’s German site in Neukirchen-Vluyn is responsible for packaging, distribution, and sales of Ornua products in Germany and Austria.
Industry
Butter processing
Location size
22.293 m2
Optimisation areas
Cooling system & electric heat generation
The challenges
No response to energy prices
Ornua already reduces consumption and peak loads. Further savings can only be achieved through dynamic load shifting, aligned with market prices and renewable energy generation.
Untapped potential
Electric heat generators, such as electric boilers, can be flexibly optimised in line with market prices. Without smart control, this potential has remained untapped until now.
Our solution for Ornua
Market price optimisation using cold storage
Our smart energy management system flexOn uses Ornua’s cold storage as a dynamic energy storage asset. flexOn pre-cools the storage during periods of low electricity prices. The system then leverages the cold buffer to reduce electricity consumption when prices are high. In doing so, we make use of temperature fluctuations of just a few degrees below zero, while consistently ensuring product quality.
Optimisation & control of the electric heat generator
The smart energy management platform applies a similar principle to the electric heat generator. Using AI, flexOn analyses electricity market prices and optimises the boiler’s consumption accordingly. When electricity is cheap, the boiler is preheated; as soon as prices rise again, consumption is reduced. In this way, the electric heat generator can also be used as a thermal storage unit to increase the flexibility of Ornua’s electricity consumption.
What convinced the energy manager
“The main challenge in this project was the communication between systems: making sure the right signals reached the right place at the right time to start the heating process. Together, we achieved this, and the electricity cost savings can now be conveniently evaluated with flexOn!”
Benefits at a glance
Reduced energy costs
Reduced energy costs by optimising cold storage and electric boilers to spot market prices
Flexible infrastructure
Fully unlocking the flexibility potential of Ornua’s existing infrastructure
Improved ROI
Improved return on investment (ROI) of cold storage and electric boilers through their use as energy storage
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