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Customer application 4 April 2024
The Path the More Sustainable Business

Successful Electrification and Networking at WAGO

One of the great challenges that companies face lies in switching their office and production environments over to sustainable, networked, electrified solutions. WAGO’s success provides a clear example of how specific measures can help a company successfully orient itself towards sustainability while also supporting its industrial customers on with the right product portfolio and know-how as they work towards the same goal.

At a Glance:

  • Organizing Intelligent Power Distribution

  • WAGO Uses Its Own Portfolio of Solutions

  • Investing in Sustainability

These days, sustainability is one of the most important aspects of corporate management. Whether it is a startup, an exchange-listed conglomerate, or anything in between – every company needs to consider its own actions carefully. That is a complex task: Many different forms of sustainable business need to be taken into account and provided with concrete, measurable methods. Specific steps are then required for gradual, structured implementation of these methods. WAGO has also chosen this approach and has embedded it within its corporate objective of making sustainability an integral component of all business decisions.

As a manufacturer of electrical interconnection and automation technology, WAGO possess a unique combination of hardware, software and engineering expertise that helps automate industries around the world. Headquartered in Minden, Germany, the company has customers who demand integrated solutions for efficient, cost-effective production, as well as assurances that their OT systems will be future-proof and reliable. This fits perfectly with the company’s vision: “WAGO is the backbone of a sustainable and smart connected world.” Through these efforts, WAGO supports the transition to a renewable and sustainable society.

Organizing Intelligent Power Distribution

The conventional path of power distribution from the power plant, to the energy supplier, to the grid connection point is changing radically – and the roofs of production halls are just one place this change can be seen. However, this transition creates new challenges, such the necessity of safeguarding the power supply. Lukas Dökel knows how to maintain stability in the grid, despite the volatility caused by decentralized generation and consumption of electricity. As Head of Automation Sales & Industry Management for EMEA in the Smart Factory division at WAGO, he is the contact person for industrial customers who are actively involved in power supply conversion and optimization. “Renewable energy generation on companies’ own roofs, CHP plants on the premises or electricity from a new wind turbine in the neighboring community – such changes require internal and external infrastructure to be managed differently than before,” says Dökel, adding: “In such situations, my colleagues and I have the right answers.”

In the future, no company will be able to avoid the question of electrifying its production operations and office buildings. We support users in this process – whether for production, buildings, logistics or electromobility.
Lukas Dökel, Head of Automation Sales & Industry Management for EMEA – Smart Factory

The individual components need to be coordinated and closely interlinked. “Inside and outside the production facilities, we provide intelligent networks with reconfigurable control systems that work flexibly. Our systems orchestrate the generation, consumption and distribution in the systems,” says Dökel. For this process, his team relies on the corresponding WAGO control technology. The entire network needs appropriate intelligent “contacts” in the subunits. These are often challenging projects, since, depending on the location, it may be necessary for units to exchange data smoothly over longer distances and with low latency. The goal is seamless communication among all elements within an efficient microgrid, combined with intelligent load management to balance generation, consumption and distribution. A “microgrid” in this context means a corporate-level power network of loads and generators.

For this purpose, WAGO offers specific products and solutions for operating complex networks composed of different energy sources and loads. Example elements range from WAGO Load Management for precise control of charging infrastructure all the way to microgrids, and the energy data management ensures the necessary transparency. WAGO’s solutions stand out thanks to their overall flexibility, seamlessly integrating renewable energy, energy storage devices and loads. Users can configure the corresponding components with the Webservers that are included. Experts like energy managers, system integrators and industrial electricians benefit from tailored training and dedicated customer support.

In order to save energy, WAGO Energy Data Management records consumption for energy monitoring and processes this information for further analysis, archiving and reporting. It consists of Web-based software combined with a modular control system. The software automatically detects the different signals from the connected meters and sensors; these can be made available to additional energy analysis tools via simple parameterization. Information about fieldbus systems and/or analog values is collected in the process. Add EDM topology image.

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WAGO Energy Data Management, consisting of software combined with a modular control system, records measurement data for energy monitoring and processes it for further analysis, archiving and reporting.

Its parking lots also host more and more e-vehicles, and their drivers would like to leave with their battery fully charged. To make sure they can, WAGO has developed an intelligent charging management system. It ensures that no vehicle battery remains empty, while the company’s own production continues to run smoothly despite fluctuating consumption levels. Intelligent software can help tame costly peak loads. The WAGO Load Management application is compatible with standard Modbus-capable power measurement modules and other solutions. Data can be exchanged via a wide variety of communication protocols. Since application configuration and management are performed via a Web interface, these processes are location- and software-independent.

From load and energy data management, to efficient control technology: Sustainable management is an important goal for WAGO and is firmly embedded in the company’s philosophy.

WAGO Uses Its Own Portfolio of Solutions

These examples from the WAGO portfolio are the results of more than 70 years of corporate development. “What could be more natural than to take advantage of our broad portfolio of products and solutions for our own in-house sustainability goals?” asks Achim Zerbst, Facility and Senior Energy Manager at WAGO. He is responsible for all construction and conversion activities that require a planning basis. As a trained supply technician, he is almost like a customer within his own company when it comes to the WAGO portfolio. “We have been driving energy efficiency forward in production, logistics and the office spaces for years – while maintaining full operations,” explains Zerbst, identifying the ambition that lies behind this: “Our goal is to lead WAGO towards climate neutrality. And of course our own portfolio is a tremendous help.”

For us, energy efficiency is a natural part of our corporate culture. We invest directly in local expansion of solar and wind power – in other words, in truly renewable solutions.
Achim Zerbst, Facility Manager and Senior Energy Manager at WAGO

Investing in Sustainability

Energy flexibility is also a major goal for WAGO’s future. Since electrical energy is accounting for a growing proportion of consumption, WAGO invests in its own power generation wherever possible. The roofs at various locations are visible from afar and testify to the strategy behind this: “We currently have a few solar power systems in national and international projects. Other projects are in the pipeline, both in Germany and abroad, that will allow us to take the initiative in generating our own renewable electricity,” explains Zerbst.

The company’s own construction projects are also a significant source of leverage for sustainability, as Zerbst explains. The need for sustainable operation has to be taken into account during the planning phase. In addition, WAGO’s managing directors have approved larger investments in corresponding technology to ensure the implementation of costly, but sustainable energy concepts in existing buildings. “For example, in order to reduce our gas consumption and further electrify our heat generation, we are using more and more heat pump technology, both centralized and distributed – and not just in new buildings,” says Zerbst, adding: “This represents a major challenge on the system side. This process requires us to take some big steps, along with numerous individual measures.” For example, in existing properties and systems, the system temperatures are gradually being lowered, and the hot water supply is being switched over step by step.

Achim Zerbst appreciates the combination of know-how and technology in his own company when it comes to meeting his sustainability goals as a facility manager and is eager to take advantage of it: “Again and again, I seek out discussions with my colleagues when new optimization potential is at issue. In a company like ours, playing the role of internal customer is a pleasure,” he says with a laugh.