The creation of a livable world through innovative automation technology is one of the key elements for Phoenix Contact and PLCnext Technology. An example of this is the collaboration with Interparking, a large car park operator, operating wide charging parks at Brussels Airport, to tackle the challenges of electromobility.

Challenge

At Brussels Airport, there are several parking garages with a total of 674 charging points for electric vehicles. The simultaneous use of these charging points leads to high energy demand, which the operator does not want to exceed to avoid additional costs due to peak loads. Therefore, Interparking was looking for a solution to efficiently manage the charging infrastructure and optimally utilize the grid capacity.

Solution

Phoenix Contact developed an intelligent energy management system called MINT, based on the open automation platform PLCnext Technology. This system enables flexible and scalable energy distribution, analyzing and optimizing energy consumption in real-time. Through close collaboration with Interparking, an efficient and reliable energy management was implemented that protects the charging infrastructure and ensures process continuity.

Technical implementation

The MINT energy management system coordinates energy distribution centrally over a network. In case of increased energy demand, the PLCnext Control automatically regulates which amount of energy is allocated to every single charging station. This prevents peak loads and minimizes additional costs for the operator. The open, modular system architecture of PLCnext Technology is key to guarantee flexibility and scalability.

Advantages

By intelligently orchestrating the available energy, all electric vehicles can be charged efficiently without causing peak loads. This saves the operator significant costs.  Furthermore, thanks to MINT, Interparking has been able to avoid having to invest heavily in a larger grid connection. Additionally, the solution provides a solid foundation for future optimizations, such as the integration of renewable energy sources and AI-driven real-time optimizations.

Future prospects

The version deployed at Brussels Airport, MINT Core, is just the beginning. It’s a very solid foundation for future expansions like MINT-ADVANCED. With MINT Advanced, Interparking will be able to integrate day-ahead pricing on the electricity market and combine it with weather forecasts to make energy consumption even more predictable and cost-effective. Thanks to AI, the MINT system is able to accurately and autonomously predict when to plan energy consumption, energy production and energy storage based on variable conditions and forecasts.

Conclusion 

The intelligent energy management system MINT from Phoenix Contact helps to avoid costly peak loads and saves the operator money. It ensures that the charging infrastructure can be always operated efficiently and sustainably. This solution demonstrates how automation technology can promote electromobility, reduce CO2 emissions, bring balance to the electrical grid and improve the quality of life in urban areas.

You need more information about the MINT energy management system by Phoenix Contact? Please follow this LINK and read more.

Would you like to learn more about PLCnext Technology? In our latest use case ‘Efficiency in existing plants’ you can discover how connecting building and production data can help manage energy flow and reduce costs.