Holtab optimises energy with modern technology

There is a long history of collaboration between Holtab and various technology companies on digitalisation and energy optimisation. Holtab has implemented the new technology in a rational, clever and “typically Smålandish” way, says Mikael Miglis, digital lead at ABB Electrification:

"Holtab often learns new techniques by testing things in real life. The company’s own factory and operations have become a test bed for digitalisation and energy optimisation. The company gets tools to achieve its own sustainability goals and acquire critical knowledge, which they can then bring to their customers."

Connected, sustainable factory

Holtab aims to reduce its carbon footprint and become a net electricity supplier as early as 2025. To achieve this, the company has installed solar panels on roofs and facades at the factory in Tingsryd, increasing its energy efficiency.

"We are reviewing our operations to identify climate-smart and energy-efficient solutions, from alternative materials to controlled charging and additional solar cells. To know where, how and when to take action, we use ABB’s connected platform ABB Ability™ Energy Manager, where data from different measurement points are collected and visualised in one place," says Mohamed Ezzo, Senior Business Developer at Holtab.

How it's done:

• First, the existing energy system must be digitalised and connected to the ABB Ability Energy Manager cloud service. A gateway is installed in an existing switchboard or compact secondary substation (CSS) that collects metering data from the energy system and forwards it to the ABB platform. It is then easy to get an overview of how energy consumption looks both in real time and over time, in the different parts of the business.
• The next step is to analyse the collected energy consumption data. Perhaps you find there’s a peak every day between eight and nine in the morning and you wonder how this could be. You find that that is when the factory gets up and running and employees start charging their cars. What measures could reduce electricity consumption and how do they interact with the energy system at large? Perhaps the charging can be controlled to start at eleven o'clock instead, when the electricity price is lower and the solar cells on the roof produce more electricity.

"Another thing I would like to highlight is electricity quality and reactive power. A lot of the energy that companies buy is squandered, which is a huge waste. With the help of measurements and sophisticated data analysis, this can largely be addressed," says Mikael Miglis.

Tailor-made services

How companies want to handle the analysis of the data that is visualised and collected in ABB Ability™ Energy Manager depends on their own expertise and capabilities. For example, a Swedish bus company purchased the technology via Holtab when they bought secondary stations for charging. Other companies prefer to get help according to Mohamed Ezzo:

"Both Holtab and ABB offer consultancy services in which we produce customised, recurring reports and proposals for concrete improvement measures for our customers.

New tools and functions are constantly being added to the cloud service. Among other things, you can create reports on energy consumption and test the outcome of different energy efficiency measures.