Study on Energy Efficiency and Flexibility in Machinery and Production

Abstract

Increasing energy costs, the change from conventional to renewable energy sources and the growing awareness of green production, especially in Germany, are crucial challenges for society and for industry. Renewable energy sources, especially solar and wind power, lead to a limited and volatile energy supply. Therefore, energy is no longer a resource which is available and ready on demand in the future. This change in energy supply hugely influences the production and industrial processes and is leading to alternative forms of production. There are high potentials in terms of energy efficiency and energy flexibility to master the described challenges. This paper presents an overview of the current state of the art in energy efficient and, especially, energy flexible production. The focus is on new aspects caused by the changes in production processes. Furthermore, research action fields concerning the energy flexibility of production machines are shown and explained through a practical example.