EnerMan · Project

AI-Powered System That Cuts Factory Energy Bills by Managing Consumption Automatically

manufacturingPilotedTRL 7

enerman-h2020.eu

Imagine your factory could feel when it's wasting energy — like a smart thermostat, but for an entire production line. EnerMan built a system that watches everything happening on the factory floor, predicts when energy spikes are coming, and automatically adjusts machines to avoid expensive peak-hour electricity charges. It even uses a digital twin — a virtual copy of your factory — so you can test changes before making them for real. The system was developed with Fiat's research center and 22 other partners across 10 countries.

By the numbers

consortium partners involved in development

countries represented in the consortium

industry partners validating the technology

61%

industry ratio in consortium — strong commercial orientation

deliverables produced including documentation, tools, and demos

SMEs in the consortium bringing market perspective

The business problem

What needed solving

European manufacturers face rising energy costs and tightening carbon regulations, yet most factories still manage energy reactively — they see the bill after the damage is done. Production managers lack real-time visibility into how specific equipment, shift patterns, and operator behaviors drive energy consumption. Without predictive tools, factories miss opportunities to shift loads away from peak tariff hours or optimize for on-site renewable energy generation.

The solution

What was built

EnerMan delivered an autonomous energy management platform with a digital twin prediction engine, a simulation mechanism for energy-related indicators, and a visualization platform for real-time monitoring. The system includes 39 deliverables covering data collection, AI-based decision support, flexible production line control, XR-based operator training, and economic cost prediction based on peak load tariffs and renewable self-production.

Audience

Who needs this

Automotive manufacturers with large assembly lines and high energy overheadSteel and metals processors running energy-intensive furnacesFood and beverage plants with significant refrigeration and thermal loadsChemical manufacturers managing batch processes with variable energy demandFacility and energy managers at any large-scale discrete or process manufacturing site

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Automotive manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Car parts manufacturers and assembly plants with high energy consumption

If you are an automotive manufacturer dealing with rising electricity costs and pressure to meet carbon reduction targets — this project developed an intelligent energy management system with digital twins, tested with Fiat's research center, that predicts energy consumption patterns and automatically adjusts production line controls to reduce peak load charges. The platform was validated across 23 partners in 10 countries.

Steel and metals processing

mid-size

Target: Metal fabrication plants running energy-intensive furnaces and rolling mills

If you are a metals processor struggling with unpredictable energy costs from furnace operations — this project built a prediction engine that models your energy fingerprint, including operator behavior, and suggests changes to scheduling and equipment use. The visualization platform lets floor managers see real-time energy trends on specific assets.

Food and beverage production

mid-size

Target: Food processing plants with refrigeration, heating, and packaging lines

If you are a food manufacturer where refrigeration and thermal processing eat up your energy budget — this project created an autonomous decision support engine that evaluates whether your consumption meets sustainability targets and implements changes in production line controls. The system also includes XR-based training for personnel on energy-saving practices.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would this cost to implement in my factory?

The project data does not include specific licensing costs or implementation pricing. As an Innovation Action funded by the EU with 23 consortium partners, the technology was developed at research scale. Contact the coordinator to discuss deployment costs tailored to your factory size and complexity.

Can this work at industrial scale in a real production environment?

Yes — EnerMan was designed as an Innovation Action (IA), which targets technology validation in real-world conditions. The consortium includes 14 industry partners (61% of the consortium), including CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT, and delivered demo-level outputs including a simulation mechanism for energy indicators and a visualization platform. This indicates testing in operational environments.

Who owns the intellectual property and can I license it?

IP is shared among the 23 consortium partners across 10 countries, governed by the EU grant agreement. Licensing arrangements would need to be negotiated with the coordinator (CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT SCPA, Italy) or the specific partner that developed the component you need.

Does this help with EU energy regulations and carbon reporting?

EnerMan was built around energy sustainability KPIs and metrics. The system tracks energy consumption trends, peak load tariffs, renewable energy self-production, and demand response variations — all data points relevant to energy audits and EU reporting obligations under the Energy Efficiency Directive.

How long would it take to deploy in my facility?

The project ran from January 2021 to April 2024 for full R&D and validation across multiple sites. Based on available project data, deployment timelines for an individual factory would depend on existing sensor infrastructure and IT readiness. The 39 deliverables produced include documentation that could accelerate implementation.

Can this integrate with my existing factory systems and equipment?

EnerMan was designed to collect data from existing factory equipment and production lines, processing it into energy sustainability metrics. The architecture includes a flexible control loop that connects to various factory processes, suggesting it was built for integration rather than replacement of existing infrastructure.

Is there training and support available?

The project includes a built-in training mechanism with suggested personnel good practices for energy sustainability improvement. It also features an XR (extended reality) model of the factory to enhance situational energy awareness among floor staff — so training is part of the delivered system, not an afterthought.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a commercially serious consortium. With 14 out of 23 partners from industry (61%), led by CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT — the research arm of one of Europe's largest automotive manufacturers — the project had direct access to real factory floors for testing. The 5 SMEs bring agility and market focus, while 6 universities and 3 research organizations provide the scientific backbone. Spanning 10 countries (AT, BG, CH, CY, DE, EL, FR, IE, IT, TR) gives the technology exposure to diverse manufacturing environments and energy markets across Europe. The heavy industry involvement signals this was built for practical deployment, not just academic publication.

CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT SCPACoordinator · IT
ASAS ALUMINYUM SANAYI VE TICARET ANONIM SIRKETIparticipant · TR
DEPUY IRELAND UNLIMITED COMPANYparticipant · IE
FH OO FORSCHUNGS & ENTWICKLUNGS GMBHparticipant · AT
POLYTECHNEIO KRITISparticipant · EL
INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AGparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI FEDERICO IIparticipant · IT
ATHINA-EREVNITIKO KENTRO KAINOTOMIAS STIS TECHNOLOGIES TIS PLIROFORIAS, TON EPIKOINONION KAI TIS GNOSISparticipant · EL
SIMPLAN AGparticipant · DE
YIOTIS ANONIMOS EMPORIKI & VIOMIXANIKI ETAIREIAparticipant · EL
MAGGIOLI SPAparticipant · IT
AVL LIST GMBHparticipant · AT
AEGIS IT RESEARCH GMBHparticipant · DE
IOTAM INTERNET OF THINGS APPLICATIONS AND MULTI LAYER DEVELOPMENT LTDparticipant · CY
SPHYNX TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS AGparticipant · CH
FH OO STUDIENBETRIEBS GMBHthirdparty · AT
UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUSparticipant · CY
ALTFORM S.R.L.participant · IT
PANEPISTIMIO PATRONparticipant · EL

How to reach the team

CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT SCPA (Italy) — Fiat's research center coordinated this project. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the right technical contact.

Order a report on this consortium See CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT SCPA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how EnerMan's energy management technology could reduce your factory's electricity costs? SciTransfer can arrange a briefing with the project team and assess fit for your production environment.

Order a report on this topic More in Manufacturing & Industry 4.0