FLEXcheck
A Guideline for Estimating Industrial Flexibility Potential
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52825/isec.v2i.3276Keywords:
Industrial Flexibility, Flexibility Estimation, Software, Guidelines and Tools, Energy Efficiency, Peak Shaving, Load Shifting, Demand ResponseAbstract
With growing shares of volatile renewable energy generation and rising industrial energy demand, identifying and estimating flexibility potentials in industry is becoming essential. However, a crucial challenge is to provide an easily accessible way to bridge the gap between theoretical flexibility potential and practical implementation at industrial sites. FLEXcheck aims at providing a direct approach to this problem by delivering a structured guideline, supported by two tools: FLEXcel and FLEXscore. This allows companies to assess technical, economic, and practical flexibility with moderate data and expert input. FLEXcel provides a quick estimate via an Excel-based questionnaire, while FLEXscore offers a low-barrier techno-economic analysis using load and production profiles. First applications in Austrian industries demonstrate that even simple estimations can uncover significant flexibility potential and provide guidance for whether more detailed investigations should follow.
Downloads
References
[1] S. Estelmann, R.-U. Dietrich, and A. Seitz, Flexibilitätsoptionen in der Grundstoffindustrie Methodik | Potenziale | Hemmnisse. 2018. Accessed: Sep. 23, 2025. [Online]. Available: http://www.dlr.de/dlr/PortalData/1/Resources/documents/2018/05032018_Studie_Flexibilitaetsoptionen_in_der_Grundstoffindustrie.pdf
[2] C. Leinauer, P. Schott, G. Fridgen, R. Keller, P. Ollig, and M. Weibelzahl, ‘Obstacles to demand response: Why industrial companies do not adapt their power consumption to volatile power generation’, Energy Policy, vol. 165, p. 112876, Jun. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112876.
[3] N. Lashmar, B. Wade, L. Molyneaux, and P. Ashworth, ‘Motivations, barriers, and ena-blers for demand response programs: A commercial and industrial consumer perspec-tive’, Energy Res. Soc. Sci., vol. 90, p. 102667, Aug. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.erss.2022.102667.
[4] B. Riederer et al., FLEXcel. (Sep. 19, 2025). Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.16759276.
[5] B. Riederer et al., ‘Enabling a New Balance – Efficient Identification and Utilization of Techno-Economic Flexibilities in Industry’, Energy Sustain. Soc., no. Special Issue: 3rd Conference of the Innovation Network – New Energy for Industry, to be published 2026.
[6] B. Riederer, M. Gölles, T. Kienberger, and K. Pfleger-Schopf, Leitfaden zur techno-ökonomischen Bewertung von Flexibilitätspotentialen. Graz/Leoben, Austria: BEST – Bi-oenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH; Lehrstuhl für Energieverbundtechnik, De-partment Umwelt- und Energieverfahrenstechnik der Montanuniversität Leoben, 2025. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17231612.
[7] K. Pfleger-Schopf, ‘Kommunale Abwasserreinigungsanlagen mit optionaler thermischer Klärschlammverwertung als Flexibilitätsdienstleister in elektrischen Netzen’, 2021.
[8] J. C. Arlinghaus, P. Komarnicki, and M. Richter, ‘Prospektive Flexibilitätsoptionen in der produzierenden Industrie’, 2020, doi: 10.24406/iff-n-599494.
[9] Energieflexibilitätsoptionen in der Industrie - Fokus Bayern. vbw - Vereinigung der Baye-rischen Wirtschaft e. V., 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.vbw-bayern.de/Redaktion/Frei-zugaengliche-Medien/Abteilungen-GS/Wirtschaftspolitik/2024/Downloads/Studie-Energieflexibilit%C3%A4tsoptionen-in-der-Industrie_FINAL.pdf
[10] A. Sauer, E. Abele, H. U. Buhl, and Fraunhofer IPA, Stuttgart, Eds, Energieflexibilität in der deutschen Industrie: Ergebnisse aus dem Kopernikus-Projekt - Synchronisierte und energieadaptive Produktionstechnik zur flexiblen Ausrichtung von Industrieprozessen auf eine fluktuierende Energieversorgung (SynErgie). Stuttgart: Fraunhofer Verlag, 2019.
[11] A. Moser et al., ‘A MILP-based modular energy management system for urban multi-energy systems: Performance and sensitivity analysis’, Appl. Energy, vol. 261, p. 114342, Mar. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.114342.
[12] B. Riederer, M. Puster, K. Pfleger-Schopf, and M. Gölles, ‘FLEXcheck - Fragebogen “Identifikation industrieller Flexibilitätspotentiale”’, Aug. 2025, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17185135.
Published
How to Cite
Conference Proceedings Volume
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Bernd Riederer, Kerstin Pfleger-Schopf, Julia Schönfelder, Sebastian Dietze, Cyrus Alexander Emami, Martin Puster, Sandra Staudt, Valentin Kaisermayer, Daniel Muschick, Thomas Kienberger, Markus Gölles
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Funding data
-
Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft
Grant numbers 892426 -
Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft
Grant numbers 911438 -
Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung
Grant numbers PN 1513