Combining the strengths and weaknesses of different sectors can open the door to innovation and more efficient solutions. As a heavily industrialised country, the Czech Republic has two key characteristics that can be very well exploited in this context - a strong position in central heat supply and a diverse industrial profile with a wide range of energy needs.
Energy integration: Finding opportunities in differences
The modern energy industry is based on working with data and integrating different sources and appliances. Each sector has its own specific consumption and production profile, which can change significantly over time - in minutes, hours, days or even seasons. The key to success is to identify the right opportunities where different needs and opportunities intersect, and to effectively bring these opposites together.
In the thermal and industrial energy sectors, we can see examples where one sector can balance the weaknesses of the other. While industrial companies often face fluctuations in electricity demand, thermal power plants have flexibility in energy storage, especially in the form of hot water. This difference can be the basis for effective cooperation, which ORGREZ, together with its subsidiary ORGREZ ECO, is helping to find. As energy experts with many years of experience in implementing sustainable energy principles, they focus on the 3Es - economy, efficiency and ecology.
The role of the corporate energy manager: traditional approaches and new challenges
Previously, the corporate energy manager was a key player in managing electricity consumption in industrial companies. His job was to predict consumption and perform peak-shaving - trimming consumption peaks by disconnecting less important appliances such as air conditioning or HVAC. This method was very effective as long as electricity prices remained stable and predictable.
However, as renewable energy sources (RES) became more prevalent in the market, the situation began to change. Energy production from RES is less predictable, making it more difficult to plan consumption. Therefore, companies are increasingly turning to advanced consumption management systems that use market and weather forecasting models to better optimise their energy strategy.
Strategic partnerships with thermal power plants: new opportunities for the industry
For industrial companies that want to manage their consumption efficiently, there is an exciting opportunity in working with district heating companies. While companies have limited options for energy storage (battery storage is possible, but not economically viable), district heating companies are in a much better position in this respect. Electrified district heating plants can store energy in the form of hot water and thus shift their electricity consumption to periods of lower demand.
This flexibility opens the door for cooperation, whereby district heating plants can help industrial companies to reduce peak electricity demand and thus costs. For the district heating companies themselves, this means creating a new product that brings economic stability.
Why seek a strategic partner?
Cooperation between industrial companies and thermal power plants offers a number of advantages for both parties. Industry gets the opportunity to improve its consumption profile, which is particularly important for companies with fluctuations in electricity consumption. On the other hand, thermal power plants benefit from a new business opportunity that helps them to better use their capacity and stabilise the economics of their operations.
Have you found your strategic partner yet? If not, together with our subsidiary ORGREZ ECO, we will be happy to help you find the right path to a mutually beneficial cooperation.
