MIND ENERGY – Nachhaltige Energieversorgung
Sponsor:
The project is funded by the BMU via the project management organisation ZUG
Research period | 1 August 2011 to 31 July 2014
Funding | BMBF, Young Engineers Programme | Funding reference: 17N1011
Background | Nowadays, companies are generally dependent not only on electrical energy but also on fossil fuels in order to be able to produce goods. Owing to the increasing costs associated with extracting fossil fuels and the rapidly rising energy demand in emerging economies, it is anticipated that in around 20 years’ time, gas and oil will only be used to a limited extent for production processes and space heating in Germany due to low availability and high prices.
The alternative use of electrical energy is, in some cases, physically impossible, thermodynamically impractical or too expensive.
In order to allow sufficient lead time for the conversion of production processes and buildings to sustainable energy sources such as solar or wind energy, ambient or waste heat, and alternative fuels such as biomass or waste materials, companies must make strategic decisions in the near future regarding which energy sources are suitable for them.
Objectives | “MIND” stands for the mind and thus for the human ability to select, decide, and plan and pursue strategies. The aim of the “MIND-Energy” project is to enable companies to select a sustainable energy supply system that is suitable for them and to plan its implementation strategically for the next 10 to 20 years.
To this end, a software-based methodology is being developed to enable companies to assess which forms of renewable energy and energy storage are suitable for their production processes and locations, as well as the costs associated with such a transition. This will enable companies to make the strategic decisions necessary to ensure their operations regarding future energy supply, draw up time and cost schedules for the coming years, and secure regionally available fuels and storage capacity – where appropriate, through contracts.
Results and Application | The results of the MIND Energy project are structures and methods which, when applied whilst maintaining production output and comfort levels, enable companies in Germany to produce energy-self-sufficiently using significantly less energy and regionally available renewable energy sources.
The main beneficiaries of this methodology are therefore manufacturing companies. The methodology is primarily aimed at consultancy and planning firms, as well as large manufacturing companies with their own energy departments.
Please feel free to contact us for further information.
(Kopie 3)
Partners
On the one hand, the project was supported by consultancy and engineering firms specialising in energy technology, which are familiar with the practical requirements. Furthermore, manufacturing companies took part, providing data on their processes and their heating, cooling and electricity requirements as part of a pilot project, and assessing the feasibility of the solutions and strategies developed.
