October 29, 2012 - A smart-grid demonstration project announced this week in Switzerland will test how companies can manage industrial power demand to optimize their use of renewable energy.
The test involves three massive freezer warehouses owned by Migros, the country's largest retailer and supermarket chain. The buildings, which cover an area roughly equivalent to 30 football fields, are maintained at a temperature of minus 18 degrees Fahrenheit – which requires 500,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each month.
It is relatively straightforward to predict and control energy use when the warehouse doors are closed – the freezers are, in effect, thermal storage devices that stay cold for a relatively long time even when their power supply is shut off.
The process isn't as simple during daily deliveries when literally thousands of pallets are transferred to trucks for transportation to Migros' 990 stores. When that happens, the air-conditioning units click on and off constantly to accommodate – similar to what happens when you open your refrigerator door.
Migros is teaming up with IBM, local utility BKW and national grid operator Swissgrid to test how the smart grid can be used to improve the process. read more>>>
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