Electricity costs
Production demand does not always fall in the cheapest electricity periods. Explore how banked energy could help manage expensive hours and peaks in site demand.
Energy storage for manufacturing
Help manage electricity costs, make better use of renewables and plan for the changing energy needs of your manufacturing operation.
The operational challenge
Start with the costs, operating patterns and supply constraints that shape your factory.
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Production demand does not always fall in the cheapest electricity periods. Explore how banked energy could help manage expensive hours and peaks in site demand.
Interruptions can affect output, product quality and delivery schedules. Identify your critical equipment and assess the support your operation would need.
Solar and wind generation do not always match factory demand. Assess how storage could retain surplus energy for use during later shifts or busier periods.
New machinery, additional shifts and electrification can change your energy requirements. Plan around your connection limits and the next phase of investment.
The Sherwood FAB · Free Air Bank
Bank energy on site.
Use it when production needs it.
The Free Air Bank stores energy for later use, helping manufacturers make better use of renewable electricity and manage the timing of electricity supply and demand.
Electricity can come from generation on site, supply through the grid or a blend of both. Your factory does not need its own solar panels or wind turbines to explore the FAB.
The system is configured around your energy sources, machinery, shift patterns and available connection. The aim is to fit storage around the way your operation actually works.
Explore the systemGenerate | Bank | Use
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Bring generation and supply into the picture, from rooftop solar to electricity supplied through the grid. Understand when energy is available and how this compares with your production schedule.
Electricity drives compression in the FAB. Energy is banked on site as compressed air and retained heat. Plan charging around available generation, electricity tariffs and connection capacity.
Retained heat warms the released air, which drives an expander coupled to a generator. Use banked energy when factory demand rises, renewable generation falls or grid electricity is more expensive.
The FAB stores energy; it does not create it. The right operating strategy depends on your electricity supply, tariffs, storage losses and production demand.
One site · Connected energy needs
Consider the equipment and supporting services that share your electricity supply.
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Map machinery demand across production runs, changeovers and shift patterns. Identify when equipment operates together and where the largest demands occur.
Discuss your productionBring compressed air, heating, cooling and ventilation into the assessment. These supporting services can shape the site's demand alongside production machinery.
Explore your requirementsAssess new production lines, electric heating and vehicle charging alongside existing loads. Build an energy plan that reflects the changes you expect to make.
Plan your next stepFlexible by design
Think building blocks. Configure the FAB around your current requirements, with a route to add storage capacity as your manufacturing operation develops.
Look beyond electricity alone. Discuss whether heating, cooling or compressed air outputs could add value to your proposed configuration.
Any integration needs to reflect the required temperatures, pressures and operating hours, alongside its effect on the overall system energy balance.
Configured around your operation
Build the business case around your factory's actual demand, operating priorities and plans for investment.
Request technical informationReview electricity use across shifts, production cycles and shutdown periods. Compare demand with available generation and tariffs to identify where storing energy could create value.
Potential savings depend on the proposed system, storage losses, operating strategy and your site's supply arrangements.
Assess when generation exceeds site demand and how much of that surplus could be banked for later use. Consider available storage capacity, charging power and the next opportunity to use the energy.
Storage may help reduce the need to limit generation, but it cannot absorb unlimited surplus. The right configuration depends on your generation and demand profiles.
Identify the equipment that needs support during an interruption, the power it requires and how long that support would be needed. Include any starting demands and requirements for a controlled shutdown.
Any role in backup supply must be specifically designed and assessed, including controls, changeover and operation during a grid outage. Storage alone does not guarantee uninterrupted production.
Assess electrical connections, equipment positioning, service access and the local operating environment. Consider future machinery and production changes alongside today's requirements.
Storage can help manage when electricity is drawn from the grid, but it does not increase the physical capacity of your connection. Allow for the energy and time needed to recharge the FAB.
Your FAB's service needs depend on how it is used and the local operating environment. Sherwood uses advanced telemetry to monitor the system remotely, matching servicing to actual use and operating conditions.
Sherwood manages servicing through an operations and maintenance contract, with support arrangements agreed for your proposed system.
Request the proposed system's efficiency, design life, component replacement assumptions and warranty terms. These need to reflect the equipment, operating cycle and outputs included in your configuration.
Assess costs and carbon outcomes against your current operation, including the electricity used to charge the system. Storage should form part of a wider assessment of energy efficiency, generation and electrification opportunities.
Tell us about your refrigeration demand, energy supply and plans for electrification. We can explore the requirements and where the FAB could fit.
Share your details and our team will be in touch.