Including energy saving in planning and scheduling. A case study

Production processes consume more natural resources than is ecologically bearable, motivating environmental policies to emphasize the efficient consumption of renewable resources. A key issue in manufacturing is how to optimize processes to produce more with less energy, reducing overall costs and contributing to a green economy. Although most of the energy efficiency gains are achieved through more efficient machines and plants, a significant part of the energy savings can be achieved through optimized production and scheduling plans. Industrial companies plan their production considering many variables, but often neglect those related to energy availability and costs. This paper will address this issue through the design and test of an advanced planning and scheduling system for a manufacturing company. The planning and operation of energy-efficient production systems require the integration of the company's energy management systems and production scheduling, analysing the energy consumption behaviour of components and production processes, and designing optimization methods to deal with different scenarios. In particular, we will develop an optimization model for planning and scheduling operations based on the analysis of a combination of energy availability, costs and consumption patterns, and operational problems.