Energy & Charging Management as a Key Task

The Linde connect:charger

A typical start of a shift: Conveyor systems and sorting facilities ramp up, automated transport systems begin their routes – energy demand rises significantly within a very short time. Charging processes for electric forklifts can also cluster within specific time windows. Such peak loads are predictable and offer opportunities for targeted control.

However, with the growing share of wind and solar energy, the temporal structure of energy supply is changing: Since electricity generation depends on weather and time of day, supply fluctuates more significantly throughout the day. This opens up the possibility for companies to specifically align energy consumption and processes with these dynamics and to make economical use of existing flexibility.

“Energy, but also power, are major cost drivers for many of our customers,” explains Matthias Bald, Head of Energy Solutions at KION ITS EMEA: “This makes systems that specifically optimize energy use in intralogistics all the more important.” Especially for our logistics customers, charging industrial trucks is one of the biggest energy consumers in the warehouse today. “That’s why it’s no longer enough to simply let all vehicles charge simultaneously and uncontrolled at the end of a shift,” says Bald: “Intelligent charging management is needed.”

What does that mean in practice? Intelligent charging management ensures that not all vehicles charge at the same time. Instead, charging processes are prioritized and staggered over time, for example based on operational needs, state of charge, and available connection capacity. Systems track energy demand in the warehouse in real time, take load limits into account, and control the charging processes in such a way that peak loads are avoided, the infrastructure is used optimally, and energy is utilized economically and in line with demand.

Lithium-ion technology is a key foundation for this. It operates up to 30 percent more efficiently than traditional lead-acid batteries and, thanks to higher charging power, enables significantly shorter charging times and thus increased fleet availability. At the same time, more flexible charging processes are possible, such as intermediate charging during short breaks. However, with increased performance comes greater complexity. Charging management solutions are therefore true game changers, as they enable: Dynamic control of charging power Charging power is adjusted in real time to current energy demand and available grid capacity. This helps avoid bottlenecks and ensures that available resources are used more efficiently. Avoiding Peak Loads (Peak Shaving) By strategically scheduling charging operations, high simultaneous power demands are reduced. This not only reduces the load on the power grid but can also significantly lower the cost of electricity. Coordination of energy flows within the vehicle fleet

Energy distribution is systematically controlled so that vehicles are charged according to priority and operational planning. This ensures that prioritized vehicles used in critical processes are always available.

KION as a bridge builder

Against this backdrop, KION is strategically expanding its traditional mechanical engineering business to include energy-related aspects. The goal is to more closely integrate traditional mechanical engineering and electrical infrastructure where it offers concrete added value for the customer. A diverse field that also presents challenges for a mechanical engineering group. Regional energy experts play a key role here. They support sales and customers locally in our markets in better understanding, evaluating, and translating the increasing complexity surrounding the topic into concrete solutions. This means that KION no longer focuses exclusively on the vehicles, batteries, and chargers themselves, but also on their relevant infrastructure. Fundamental to this is the use of data that makes energy flows transparent and enables optimization. “With our products, we function not only as a sensor that collects data, but also as an actuator that actively intervenes in the control of energy flows,” says Matthias Bald.

The path to this goal is being taken step by step:

1. Monitoring

Creating transparency regarding energy consumption and charging processes by collecting and analyzing relevant data and making it available for optimization.

2. Targeted control of charging power

Actively adjust and optimize charging processes so that energy is distributed according to demand and peak loads are avoided.

3. Automation

Integrating systems so that they are compatible with higher-level energy management solutions and charging processes are controlled automatically.

“With our strategy of compatibility, KION is consistently growing into the task of efficiently and sustainably solving tomorrow’s challenges as well,” says Bald. Because even as demands related to energy, electrification, and automation continue to rise, the technological foundations for most applications already exist—and can be specifically developed further and intelligently interconnected.

At the same time, complexity is increasing: energy systems are becoming more interconnected, processes more automated, and requirements more dynamic. Yet this is precisely where the leverage lies—those who understand these interrelationships and actively manage them can tap into efficiency potential in a targeted manner and make their systems more robust and future-proof.

With a holistic approach that connects energy, vehicles, and processes KION is creating the conditions to effectively support customers even in an increasingly dynamic environment. After all, energy must not only be available at all times in a facility but also intelligently integrated into operations. This presents a key opportunity for the intralogistics of tomorrow.