Load forecasts

Optimization of power plant deployment

Energy data management

Accounting grid management and load schedule management

Portfolio management

Load forecasts:

For industrial clients and municipal utilities, FSE Portfolio Management GmbH is responsible within the Fichtner Group for developing daily, monthly and yearly load and consumption forecasts. Together with the client, FSE identifies the main influencing factors – such as weather influences, calendar-specific effects and production influences – and provides support with the development and maintenance of artificial neural networks, for which purpose use is made also of the practical experience of FSE analysts as well as of the IT systems of SE Scherbeck Energy.

Optimization of power plant deployment:

Introduction of an IT solution for the analysis and optimization of energy management data, Austria

For optimal support of planning and operational tasks, Fichtner was commissioned by Energie AG in Upper Austria to implement and introduce an energy management database, an efficient energy use optimization system and a forecasting tool. For this purpose, commercially available systems and Fichtner's own solutions, EMSY-KWK and PROGNOSE, were tailored to the needs of the project and were introduced.

Conceptual study on the future energy supply to an industrial site, Germany

At its site in Wesseling, Basell Polyolefine GmbH operates numerous plants for the generation and distribution of power, steam, feedwater and other fluids, such as condensate, compressed air, etc. In order to obtain a decision-making basis for future upgrade and/or new-build measures, Fichtner was commissioned to develop the most suitable technical-economic solution concept. This conceptual study was required to devote particular consideration to the future energy supply to the site.

Deployment planning and short-term optimization of deployment, Germany

In order to achieve improvements in deployment planning and optimization of power plant deployment, Fichtner was commissioned by Hanover Municipal Utility to introduce a flexible and freely configurable IT solution. The aim was to compute various task-dependent scenarios and to use the findings to support the decision-making process. Use was made of the EMSY energy management system, which optimizes plant deployment while taking account of technical and economic parameters and constraints.

Optimization of power plant deployment with particular consideration of district heating, Germany

In order to optimize the management of its plants, Dresden Elektrizität und Fernwärme GmbH commissioned Fichtner to adapt and implement the EMSY energy management system. Developed by Fichtner Consulting & IT, the software system is used for the optimization of plant deployment while taking account of technical and economic parameters and constraints.

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Energy data management:

Central acquisition of operating data for Wuppertal Municipal Utility, Germany

For optimal planning of plant deployment, the redistribution company required central acquisition of the operating data of the connected power plants. Fichtner's experts provided project support with regard to definition of the performance requirements as well as in relation to configuration and installation of the energy data solution, including data validation and reporting

Integration of an energy data management system, Germany

Following the integration of a newly acquired power utility into the Vattenfall Europe Group, it was necessary for the company's existing energy data management system (EDM system) to be brought into line with the new system landscape at Business Unit Sales within Vattenfall Europe. The contract for organization and implementation of the project involved, in particular, the adaptation of the subsystems which had to be integrated, so that the time series could be imported without problem into the existing Vattenfall structure and managed. The contract also included management of the "Testing / Training" project team, which was responsible for performance testing of the new system and training of the employees. The project was handled by EnerConsult, a company which was acquired by Fichtner in 2004.

Introduction of PSI/Merkur energy data management system, Germany

The integrated sales and EDM system PSI/Merkur for the mapping of all business processes and energy data – from customer acquisition through to completion – was introduced in order to optimize the business processes at Bewag. The principal tasks related to the creation of the baseline data and the development of a staff training concept. In addition, the acceptance tests including supervision of the debugging process were organized. In order to optimize the launch phase, EnerConsult also developed scenarios for concurrent operation of both the old and new systems during the transitional period and devised a concept for the target processes and for project oversight. Finally, an MS-Office-based test routine was created for user support with data imports.

Review of existing situation and development of an action program on energy data management, Germany

In order to guarantee the capability of EnergieSüdwest AG to comply with pertinent regulations (VV II plus), there was a need to review the existing level of organization and IT support. Against this background, EnergieSüdwest awarded a contract for the identification and description of factors influencing energy data management. With a view to the planned introduction of an EDM system, EnerConsult examined the system landscape at EnergieSüdwest, analyzed the internal flows of information and data and developed future EDM communication structures for EnergieSüdwest as network operator. In addition, project plans were drawn up for the short-term implementation of interim measures and for the medium-term strategic development of EDM structures fit for the future.

Development of measured-data management, Germany

In order to improve the management of energy data at Bewag, there was a need for the development and introduction of customized software to make it possible, among other things, for imported time series of measured data to be used for load profile optimization and for billing purposes. To this end, EnerConsult analyzed the particular requirement profile and developed a concept for an EDM system tailored to the specific needs of Bewag. In the further course of the project, the coordinated system was programmed into the existing system landscape and implemented, and data were imported from the old system.

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Accounting grid management and load schedule management:

For industrial clients and municipal utilities, FSE Portfolio Management GmbH is responsible within the Fichtner Group for handling accounting grid management for all four TSO zones. In this regard, in addition to sending and subsequent communication with the transmission system operator (TSO) via e-mail or FTP (File Transfer Protocol), FSE is responsible also for grid balancing across all TSO zones. Furthermore, FSE provides the standby service (24 hours/day) required by the network operator, in order to answer questions concerning the reporting of energy delivery to the TSO. The purchase and return of green energy quotas, spot transactions and derivatives as well as load forecasts are, of course, also taken into consideration in the creation of EEX spot bids and load schedules.

For numerous public utilities and companies from the chemical industry, FSE Portfolio Management GmbH handles not only accounting grid management but also schedule management.

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Portfolio management:

Configuration of structured power procurement for a company from the chemical industry (ISG), Germany

The company purchases a proportion of its power requirements through an indexed, open single-source power supply contract. The aim is to purchase the remainder on wholesale trading markets. FSE Portfolio Management – a company of the Fichtner Group – was awarded the contract to configure the company's structured procurement strategy, to ensure the transfer of know-how and to render the services required for implementation, this involving, more specifically, the following services: technical and economic appraisal of the contract situation, identification and evaluation of price- and volume-related risks (purchase and sale), risk assessment and development of risk-control measures – according to the specific risk profile, development of a power procurement strategy with the key elements of a) description of future market expectation, b) portfolio analysis with the basic structuring of procurement and selection of the products to be procured, with consideration being given to the company's self-generation capacities, c) definition of a suitable limits system with limits in relation to time and price, d) determination of a risk-bearing capital and e) review and, where appropriate, adaptation of the defined strategy – particularly in the case of decisive changes in the basic conditions and constraints with regard to implementation and organization of the procurement process, customer training for the preparation of transactions, market analyses and market information, strategy monitoring and delivery of purchase signals, execution of transactions on the various wholesale markets, reporting on the development of the portfolio.

Portfolio management for energy procurement by a company from the chemical industry (INEOS), Germany

The company switched from single-source power supply to structured procurement. FSE was awarded the contract to develop a cost-optimized procurement system, to ensure the transfer of know-how to the company and to render the required services for comprehensive portfolio management, this involving, more specifically, the following services: technical and economic appraisal of the contract situation, identification and evaluation of the price- and volume-related risks, development of a power procurement strategy, definition of a risk strategy (tranche size, limits, suppliers, etc.), organization of the procurement process, customer training for the preparation of transactions, market analyses and market information, execution of transactions on the EEX spot and derivatives markets as well as off-market, reporting on the development status of the portfolio, intra-day trading for load schedule balancing, long-, medium- and short-term load and consumption forecasts, load schedule creation and load schedule reporting (daily), accounting grid management (transfer and, where appropriate, correction and billing of the schedules with the TSOs, 24-hour on-call standby).

Creation of a risk manual and specifications for a municipal utility, Germany

The redistribution company plans to set up a trading department. FSE helped the municipal utility to create the risk manual with the key aspects of risk identification, assessment and control. In the further course of the project, the specifications were defined for the trading system on the basis of the requirement and process analysis and the bid solicitation process, selection and implementation of the optimal trading software were carried out. The further involvement of Fichtner's experts – through the rendering of services from the comprehensive range of portfolio management services – is planned.

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