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Future Energy Stratergy
Future Energy Stratergy
As manufacturers adjust to the realities of the post-COVID-19 era, they have a unique
opportunity to embrace sustainability to mitigate risk, improve energy efficiency in their
operations and recession-proof their business.
Energy is the common denominator in achieving these three goals. Looking beyond just the
type of energy used to power their plants, manufacturers now have the technology available
to help determine how and when energy is used—benefiting their company, their customers
and the planet.
Reducing load and forecasting future demand – Facilities with heavy industrial equipment
or large air conditioners that cycle on and off during the manufacturing process face steep
demand charges that can account for more than 50% of utility bills. Technologies such as
onsite battery storage that can charge during low-cost electricity periods and discharge when
demand charges are highest or loads are greater can help control and ultimately reduce energy
costs. Implementing solutions that enable facilities to forecast future demand charges also
enable manufacturers to shift energy consumption to lower their bills. This provides the
flexibility to make economic tradeoffs when determining how much energy to deploy or save
for later, allowing manufacturers to proactively reduce peak charges and supplement when
energy demand increases.
Even though manufacturers may have a hard time seeing the long view as they're addressing
the firestorm of issues from COVID-19 and its resulting economic downturn, now is the time
to build a foundation for a strong future. Energy solutions such as solar, wind power and
battery storage coupled with AI can improve operational efficiency, make facilities more
resilient to power outages, and help manufacturers become sustainability leaders.
As Chief Technology Officer for Stem, Inc., Larsh Johnson leads hardware and software
engineering to meet the unique solar/energy/resilience needs of manufacturing companies--
including Saint-Gobain, Alsco, Food Service Partners, Kieran Label Corporation, Reliance
Metalcenter, Royal Philips Electronics N.V., ShoEi Foods, and more. Prior to joining Stem,
he was CTO at Siemens Digital Grid. He was also a founding member of the Department of
Energy’s Gridwise Architecture Council (GWAC) and remains a member emeritus. He
earned his B.S. and an M.S. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.