Intelligent cold production: an example of applied AI and digital twins at the Karlsruhe Stadtwerke

Stadtwerke Karlsruhe: Intelligent systems for urban cold supply

The need to use energy more efficiently is becoming increasingly important in times of climate change and increasing energy costs. This applies not only to heating and power supply, but also to the area of ​​cold production, which is particularly indispensable in modern, densely built -up urban areas and for specialized applications such as data centers or medical facilities. Urban energy suppliers, such as the Stadtwerke Karlsruhe, have a special responsibility here. You not only have to ensure security of supply, but also find innovative ways to reduce operating costs and at the same time make a contribution to sustainability. An impressive example of how this can be achieved is the optimization of cold production for the garden carée area in Karlsruhe with the help of advanced digital technologies.

As a municipal company with around 1,100 employees, the Stadtwerke Karlsruhe reliably supply well over 400,000 people in the region with essential forms of energy such as electricity, natural gas, district heating and drinking water. Part of this wide range of tasks also includes the operation and maintenance of complex energy systems for large real estate complexes, such as the refrigeration supply system for the garden carée. This area is a multifunctional building complex that houses a mixture of apartments, office space, medical practices, a shop line, restaurants and a critical data center. An interruption -free and needs -based cold supply is of crucial importance for the smooth operation of all units.

The existing refrigeration system of the garden carées is by no means simple. It combines different technologies to enable the most flexible and potentially energy -efficient supply. The centerpiece is three absorption chest machines that offer the advantage that they can not be operated with expensive electricity, but with environmentally friendly district heating or even glaze from a nearby refinery. This system is supplemented by a conventional compression cold machine with two comprehensiveers, which is used at high cold or specific operating conditions, as well as a recurrence that releases the excess heat to the environment.

Despite the principle of reacting flexibly to the cold and outside temperatures through the combination of different producers, the Karlsruhe municipal utility company faced a common challenge: there was a lack of detailed transparency about the actual energy consumption of the overall system and the interplay of the individual components. Before the introduction of an intelligent solution, the insight into the efficiency was essentially limited to the annual balance sheet. At the end of the year you could see how many megawatt hours of cold were produced and how much electricity and district heating were spent on this. However, a detailed analysis of which component used at what time and whether this was in optimal ratio to the generated cold was not possible. This condition was aptly described by those responsible at the municipal utilities as a kind of “blind flight”, since the potential for targeted optimizations remained largely hidden.

Project goal: More transparency and significant increase in efficiency

The clear goal of Stadtwerke Karlsruhe was therefore to end this state of transparency. They not only wanted to identify savings potential, but also actively and automatically implement them. The solution was found in the implementation of automated energy system management. This system, developed by the specialist Factor4Solutions, is based on AI-based software and uses the concept of the digital twin. The introduction of this system enabled a fundamentally new type of control of the refrigeration system and highly detailed energy controlling.

By installing the software and the necessary sensors, all energy flows within the refrigeration system became visible and measurable for the first time. Parameters such as the volume flow of the cold and cooling water, the temperatures at different points in the system as well as the exact energy consumption (electricity and district heating) of each individual component- from absorbers to the compressors and pumps to the return cooling- are now recorded and evaluated in real time. This comprehensive data basis is the key to optimization. The software can now continuously analyze which operating states are most economical. A simple but effective example of such optimization potential, which is uncovered by the transparent data acquisition, is the control of pumps. Pumps in cold systems often run regardless of the actual need with 100 percent volume flow. However, the detailed analysis shows that, depending on the required refrigeration services and system status, 60 percent or even less would also be sufficient. The manual or flat rate operates such units leads to a significant, unnecessary power consumption.

A frequently overlooked problem in cold systems, which is only visible through a detailed analysis, is the power consumption of the so -called auxiliary units. Pumps, fans in the return cooling or other side agents may have a similar or even higher electricity consumption than the actual refrigeration producers, especially if they are not optimally controlled. In many plants, the optimization is also limited to the individual component or an idealized operating state that is rarely achieved in reality - typically in less than three percent of all operating hours. As a result, considerable amounts of electrical energy are wasted during the predominant operation. The targeted improvement of the interaction of all components of a system is exactly the specialty of the implemented solution.

After six months: tangible successes and high potential

Factor4Solutions' intelligent software is pursuing a holistic approach. It does not consider every component in isolation, but the entire cold system as a dynamic unit. The energetic operating expenses of all relevant aggregates - cold producers, pumps, fans etc. - are assessed together. This is made possible by the use of digital twins of the individual components and the entire system. A digital twin is basically a virtual, high -precision model that reflects the real system in real time. This model allows the AI ​​to calculate different operating scenarios and continuously determine how the individual components have to work together to achieve the maximum system efficiency.

The system is no longer controlled by rigid, predefined schemes (e.g. a certain machine always runs as a base load, a different one as a peak load), but dynamic and needs -oriented. The selection and regulation of the units are now selected on the basis of the current weather conditions (outside temperature), the actual cold requirement and the determined efficiency. Through standardized communication protocols, intelligent system management delivers the individual refrigeration generators and auxiliary units in a targeted manner and regulates their performance. The result is a company that achieves the highest possible efficiency at the system level in every conceivable load situation and under all environmental conditions.

The effectiveness of this approach was shown by the Stadtwerke Karlsruhe shortly after the test phase was completed and the fully commissioning of the system. As early as the first six months after the switch to intelligent control, the municipal utilities were able to record a significant reduction in electrical energy consumption - a saving of over 20 percent compared to the same period in the previous year. This efficiency gain is reflected in the operating costs and led to a financial saving in the five -digit range within this six months.

However, according to the experts, this is only the beginning. The first six months of operation under the new control also included periods in which the system was partially or completely based on the old, conventional regulation. The full potential of the intelligent solution unfolds over a complete annual cycle, since the optimal driving style of the various cold generators (absorber, compression, free cooling) depends heavily on the season, outside temperature and the specific cold requirement. The calculations of Factor4Solutions, based on the first operating data and simulations with the digital twin, predict a possible energy saving of over 40 percent over an entire year of operation. This ambitious goal is now in the sights of the Stadtwerke Karlsruhe.

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100 percent operational safety through intelligent surveillance

In addition to pure energy efficiency and cost reduction, the company safety of the creation is of great importance for a supplier like Stadtwerke Karlsruhe. The continuous availability of the cold is mandatory in particular when supplying a data center, where even short -term failures can have serious consequences. The intelligent solution offers another decisive advantage here: the system is not only set up once and then managed itself, but is permanently monitored, checked and optimized by the provider Factor4Solutions.

Although the municipal utilities also have their own surveillance systems and qualified staff, the additional, specialized care by the expert team from Factor4Solutions with their profound know-how in the area of ​​refrigeration technology and AI-based system optimization represents a valuable addition. The permanent remote monitoring using AI can often recognize anomalies or potential problems before it lead. Thanks to the digital twin and the real-time comparison of the current operating data with the ideal state of the model, it is possible to identify deviations early and to proactively inform customers about impending failures or necessary maintenance measures. This enables a predictive maintenance and avoids unplanned standards. The guarantee of business ability at all times is of fundamental importance for Stadtwerke Karlsruhe, not least because of the contractual obligation to deliver references, especially to the sensitive data center in the garden carée.

Introduction and integration of the solution

The introduction and implementation of the intelligent solution was smooth and uncomplicated from the perspective of the municipal utility. The cooperation with the external service provider, who already supervises the measurement and control technology of the municipal utility, was essential.

Together, the data points required for the setup of the software were identified and released. Factor4solutions, which controlled the solution from its location in Berlin from Remote, had clearly communicated in advance which specific data points from the system of the system were required. This included, for example, volume flows, temperatures and the exact values ​​of the heat and cold meters.

After this data was provided, the software was configured very quickly. The system was fundamentally set within one day and was able to start data acquisition and first analyzes. After only four to six weeks, a first comprehensive analysis of the system data was available. Based on the knowledge gained from this analysis, the system could be further fine -tuned. For example, it became clear which additional data points would be helpful for even more precise optimization, and the system was expanded and calibrated accordingly.

This relatively simple and quick integration makes the technology interesting for a variety of applications and industries, wherever complex cooling systems are in use and their efficiency is to be increased.

Fast amortization as a strong argument for the expansion of the cooperation

The positive effects of intelligent cold optimization were very quick and convincing for the Stadtwerke Karlsruhe. A look at the annual energy consumption and the refrigeration production compared to the previous year, even if the new control only worked to the full range for six months, showed significant increase in efficiency and measurable energy saving.

The economic consideration is particularly gratifying: the amortization period of the system is remarkably short. The annual costs that are incurred for the use of the software and the ongoing support by the refrigeration technology specialists from Factor4Solutions are already compensated for by the energy savings achieved within the first five operating months. This means that the system already generates cost savings that go beyond the system costs from the sixth month of the year. This fast return on investment (ROI) is a strong argument for the implementation of such technologies.

In view of the positive experiences and the proven increase in efficiency, it is not surprising that the Stadtwerke Karlsruhe not only consider the cooperation with Factor4Solutions, but is already implementing. Another cold supply system from Stadtwerke is now also supervised and optimized by the intelligent system. In addition, the municipal utilities operate a number of other cold systems of different sizes and complexity, which are potentially eligible for optimizing the AI ​​solution. Since the technology has proven to be flexible and integrated in almost all common cold systems, the chances are good that significant analyzes, transparency gains and other savings potential can also be realized in these systems by using AI and digital twins.

The project in the garden carée in Karlsruhe is a successful example of how modern digital technologies - in particular artificial intelligence and digital twins - can revolutionize energy efficiency in a traditionally energy -intensive area such as refrigeration. By converting operating systems into transparent, intelligently controlled systems, energy suppliers can not only save significant operating costs, but also increase operational safety and make an important contribution to the reduction in energy consumption and thus to climate protection. The success at Stadtwerke Karlsruhe shows that investments in smart, data -based optimization systems quickly expect and pave the way for a more sustainable and efficient energy supply. The initially impressive savings of over 20 percent and the predicted potential of over 40 percent underline the enormous potential that is intelligent control and networking of energy systems.

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Konrad Wolfenstein

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