Energy-carbon neutrality optimization in production scheduling via solar net metering

Energy is an indispensable resource in manufacturing, and it carries both financial and environmental pressures for enterprises. Considering this importance, this research presents an optimization framework to allow energy-intensive industries to move towards energy-carbon neutrality via production scheduling and renewable energy. This involves integrating renewable energy system decisions into production scheduling, incorporating solar photovoltaic modules and energy storage systems, and leveraging energy policies, such as net metering programs, that provide credits for net excess generation. The proposed optimization framework is built under a multi-objective Mixed Integer Linear Programming formulation, using time-indexed variables. The model is showcased within the context of a case study involving an energy-intensive plastic injection molding process. Furthermore, a robust optimization approach using Monte Carlo simulations is presented for the construction of confidence intervals used in estimating the lifespan of solar installations. Results demonstrate that manufacturing systems that enable their solar photovoltaic system with an energy storage dispatching capability are more cost competitive to lower net metering compensation rates than those that do not.