Schedule Optimization, Grid Connection, Visualization & Monitoring:
Smart Energy Management for an Integrated Energy Park

How can an energy park—comprising a biomass cogeneration plant, combined heat and power (CHP) units, heat storage systems, and various heat and electricity consumers—be operated in the most economically optimal way? This challenge posed increasing demands on TEAtherm GmbH at its Dinkelsbühl site. With the site-wide EPOC® EMS, the CONENGA Group developed a customized solution that automatically optimizes plant operations and capitalizes on market opportunities in a targeted manner.

TEAtherm GmbH’s energy park reliably supplies greenhouses, a district heating network, and a sewage sludge drying facility with heat and process steam. At the same time, the electricity it generates is flexibly sold on the electricity and balancing energy markets.

However, the multitude of interlinked energy flows and volatile electricity prices make economically optimal operation highly complex. Until now, operational planning has been handled by an external service provider. The goal was therefore to develop an in-house, site-wide energy management system that intelligently integrates technical, economic, and market-related factors and largely automates plant operations.

In collaboration with TEAtherm, the CONENGA Group developed a comprehensive energy management system based on EPOC® EMS.

At the heart of the solution is a digital twin of the entire energy park. It provides a realistic representation of all energy generators, storage systems, consumers, and distribution networks. Using mathematical optimization methods, the system continuously calculates the economically optimal operating schedule, taking into account weather forecasts, electricity prices, fuel costs, emission costs, and technical constraints.

In addition to optimization, the system handles automated communication with electricity and balancing energy suppliers, provides schedules for plant operations, and displays all operational statuses in an intuitive user interface.

Thanks to its modular design, the system can be expanded at any time to include additional facilities or new marketing strategies.

With its new energy management system, TEAtherm now has an intelligent platform that automatically controls its entire energy infrastructure and optimizes it for maximum efficiency.

The solution not only increases transparency and the level of automation, but also lays the groundwork for future expansions, such as the integration of new plant components or additional electricity markets and sales channels, such as intraday trading.

Project Results at a Glance

• Additional revenue of €15,000 to €30,000 per month
• Economically optimized operation of the entire energy complex
• Automated Resource Planning and Market Communication
• Greater Transparency Through Digital Visualization
• Significantly reduced manual effort
• Flexible scalability to meet future needs