Huurre introduces technology solution for cost-efficient electricity generation

At the beginning of this year, Huurre, Fortum, S-Voima and Etelä-Karjalan Osuuskauppa agreed to develop a demand-side management solution based on Huurre’s automation technology. The first site to apply the technology is Etelä-Karjalan Osuuskauppa’s Prisma supermarket in Imatra, where experiences are being gathered for the next stages of the process. As power generation patterns are diverging, balancing the demand improves the reliability of the power system and reduces costs. Fortum’s Spring project has developed a virtual battery concept, which allows the capacity to be flexibly adjusted in order to maintain the balance of the grid. Fortum has chosen Huurre as its technology partner in demand-side management automation together with refrigeration and heat production solutions that are the balancing wearing parts. Huurre has developed a smart iTOP application for automated management of the demand flow in the grid. Using artificial intelligence, the unique innovation drives the power consumption to more suitable times without sacrificing food safety. “Huurre’s iTOP control technology, developed at the Huurre technology centre, promotes the integration of renewable energy in line with the energy and climate strategy, and we will help Finland to succeed in the global energy revolution,” says Janne Mäntynen, Huurre’s Head of Global Sales, Refrigeration Automation. “Different refrigeration and heating solutions consume a large amount of energy globally. Huurre’s iTOP system makes it possible to connect them in a scalable manner to our ever-growing virtual battery,” says Business Development Manager Ilari Alaperä from Fortum. “Demand-side management is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce our CO2 emissions and to make the entire power system more manageable. The solution we are now testing has no impact on the on-site conditions,” says Mikko Härkönen, Property Manager at Etelä-Karjalan Osuuskauppa.