SOLAR & ENERGY EFFICIENCY
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Schletter strengthens its senior management team Heiko Logisch has joined global solar
mounting systems manufacturer Schletter as Chief Transformation Officer (CTrO), supporting the company’s ground-mount business with immediate effect. In this newly created position, he is responsible for strategic supply chain development, as well as project and quality management. “Alongside effective project management, a flexible and high-performing supply chain is a key success factor for our ground- mount business,” says Schletter CEO Daniel Rehm. “With Heiko Logisch, we have gained a highly experienced manager who will systematically advance these areas.” Over the past few years, Schletter has already laid the foundations for further growth. The PV mounting systems manufacturer can draw on both its own production capacity in China and a network of established suppliers in countries including Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and the UK. “This combination of in-house production, short supply routes and a high degree of flexibility is a major advantage, particularly for our customers in Europe,” says Schletter’s new CTrO, Heiko Logisch. “If, for example, we can deliver driven piles to the construction site within one or two weeks, our customers can already start installation save by choosing a less popular departure time. Electricity pricing follows a similar principle: South African time-of-use tariffs use predefined peak, standard, and off-peak periods and rates to encourage customers to reduce consumption when demand strains supply, while lower prices encourage use at other times. Dynamic electricity tariffs go further, letting electricity prices change more often based on market conditions. But businesses cannot always move operations to the cheapest hours. Battery storage gives businesses more flexibility, letting them buy cheaper electricity, store it and use it when grid prices are higher. This is energy arbitrage. However, differences in electricity prices alone are not the only factor that should be considered when managing a site’s energy system. Beyond buying cheaper and using later “Traditional arbitrage asks whether electricity is cheaper now than later. Dynamic tariff optimisation asks what the entire energy system should do now to achieve the best financial outcome over the hours ahead,” says Nick Roche, Chief Product Officer, Rubicon. The APEX Microgrid Control System’s (MCS) new optimised dynamic tariff functionality combines electricity prices with forecasts of site consumption and solar generation, alongside available battery capacity, to determine the most financially effective operating strategy. “The MCS evaluates the available energy sources minute by minute and uses their costs to decide how to operate the system,” explains Roche. “For businesses with substantial energy bills, it turns everyday operating decisions into opportunities to save.” The benefit of looking beyond electricity
A crucial aspect of large-scale renewable projects is grid capacity and infrastructure. Without adequate transmission and distribution networks, the electricity generated cannot reliably reach consumers.
The aim is to stock components closer to the respective markets and respond more quickly to individual project requirements. Product development will also help improve component availability and reduce lead times, for example through further standardisation. Heiko Logisch brings many years of experience in transformation management and the strategic development of companies. Most recently, he served as Vice President Group Transformation at automotive supplier Thermal Management Solutions Group. Before that, he held senior roles at renowned consulting firms, including AlixPartners and Alvarez & Marsal. For Logisch, the industry itself was also an important factor in his decision to reporting also showed projected savings of R13.27 million over 15 years and a 5.1-year payback for the site’s complete energy installation. These figures include solar, battery storage, and dynamic tariff optimisation, not MCS alone. For engineers and contractors, this links system design and control to clients’ financial objectives. For decision makers, the reporting makes the business case visible in rands, savings and projected payback. “The value continues beyond installation:
while additional components are still on their way by sea.” At the same time, Schletter is expanding its logistics options. For shipments from its own production facilities in China, the company now uses several European ports: in addition to Hamburg, these include Rotterdam, Koper in Slovenia and two ports in France. This lets Schletter choose different import routes based on the project location and reduce onward transport distances within Europe. Logisch sees the further development of the company’s supply and warehousing structure as a key priority. Schletter is currently assessing strategically located warehouse sites in regions including Europe, Australia and Central America. prices alone becomes clear when deciding when to charge or discharge a battery. “Charging a battery from the grid during off-peak hours still incurs a cost. If available solar generation could charge it instead, the business has paid for electricity it need not have bought,” says Roche. Likewise, if electricity is expensive now but expected to cost more later, retaining stored energy for that later period may result in greater savings. During setup, installers can select the
Heiko Logisch
join Schletter. “I was specifically looking for a role with a company in the sustainability sector,” says Logisch. “In my new position at Schletter, I can contribute my experience while also helping to drive the expansion of renewable energy.”
www.schletter-group.com
Beyond arbitrage: how APEX turns changing electricity prices into lower operating costs A irlines charge more for flights at popular times and offer lower fares when demand is low. Travellers can the MCS keeps managing energy choices as prices and available supply change, helping businesses get more from their energy investment,” says Roche. As electricity pricing becomes more
dynamic, the value of battery storage will increasingly depend on how intelligently that energy is managed. Energy arbitrage is part of that opportunity. Dynamic tariff optimisation takes it a step further.
www.rubicon.tech
site’s applicable tariff, including pricing bands and seasonal changes. Where dynamic pricing is available, the MCS combines changing prices with forecasts to continually reassess how the system should operate. Sites without solar can also benefit by storing cheaper grid electricity for use during expensive periods. Putting a Rand value on smarter control Rubicon uses the MCS to intelligently manage energy use at its Richmond Park headquarters in Cape Town. During a demonstration, the MCS estimated a 24-hour electricity cost of R391.46 with its dynamic tariff function, compared with R628.75 without it: a projected saving of around R237, or 37.7%, for that period. The MCS’s financial
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OCTOBER 2024
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