Integration of an automated load management in a manufacturing execution system

Today, many nations strive for further decoupling of economic growth and CO2 emissions by increasing their use of renewable energies. Because wind and solar power supply is volatile and puts strain on the electric grid, industrial consumers' Demand Side Management (DSM) becomes crucial for balancing energy supply and demand. As DSM measures directly influence a production system's performance, energy-related factors have to be weighed carefully against other production targets within a company's production control. This paper presents methods for integrating load management into production control in order to minimize energy costs for companies. In order to promote the application of load management in production, these methods are implemented in a commercial Manufacturing Execution System.