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Renewable energy

Integration of Renewable Energy Sources into Industrial Systems Unlocks New Opportunities for Sustainability

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Research conducted by the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research has shed new light on the integration of renewable energy sources, battery energy storage, and electric vehicles into industrial systems. According to the study, this integration can lead to new opportunities for reducing emissions and improving sustainability. However, it also poses new challenges due to complex interactions between these new technologies. A methodology for designing a holistic energy management system, based on advanced digital twins and optimization techniques, has been proposed to minimize the cost of supplying industry loads and electric vehicles using local renewable energy sources.

Key Takeaways:

  • The integration of renewable energy sources, battery energy storage, and electric vehicles into industrial systems unlocks new opportunities for reducing emissions and improving sustainability.
  • The coordination and management of these new technologies pose new challenges due to complex interactions.
  • A methodology for designing a holistic energy management system, based on advanced digital twins and optimization techniques, has been proposed to minimize the cost of supplying industry loads and electric vehicles using local renewable energy sources.
  • The proposed approach uses a two-layer optimization framework based on mixed-integer linear programming to minimize the cost of purchased energy from the grid, local second-life battery operation, and electric vehicle fleet charging.
  • The study confirms the effectiveness of digital twins for forecasting and performance analysis in complex energy systems.
  • The optimization strategies reduce the operational costs by 1.3%, compared to the actual industry procedure, resulting in daily savings of EUR 24.2 through the efficient scheduling of electric vehicle fleet charging.
  • The proposed approach has been successfully demonstrated in a real-world case study within the context of the waste collection and management industry.

Statistics:

  • 1.3% reduction in operational costs achieved through optimization strategies.
  • EUR 24.2 daily savings through efficient scheduling of electric vehicle fleet charging.
  • 15 (13) number of Applied Sciences, volume and issue numbers of where the study was published.

Sources:

  • Energy Management System for Renewable Energy and Electric Vehicle-Based Industries Using Digital Twins: A Waste Management Industry Case Study. Applied Sciences, 2025,15(13):7351. (Applied Sciences - http://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci)
  • "Studies from Catalonia Institute for Energy Research Provide New Data on Renewable Energy (Energy Management System for Renewable Energy and Electric Vehicle-Based Industries Using Digital Twins: A Waste Management Industry Case Study)." Ecology, Environment & Conservation. August 1, 2025; p 356.

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