Energy Reliability

Key Factors That Impact Energy Reliability

Grid Stability

The aging electric grid is increasingly vulnerable to disruptions caused by extreme weather and equipment failures. Grid instability can lead to blackouts, voltage sags, or frequency variations, which threaten energy reliability for industrial users.

As industries accelerate electrification, maintaining grid stability becomes increasingly critical. Electrified systems can increase demand on already strained utility infrastructure, especially during peak periods. Skyven’s Arcturus hybrid model addresses this challenge by operating in parallel with existing steam boilers, reducing dependence on the grid while enhancing reliability.

Arcturus enables manufacturers to participate in demand response programs, where facilities are incentivized to reduce electricity use during peak demand. During these events, Arcturus can seamlessly revert back to existing systems, such as natural gas boilers, ensuring uninterrupted steam supply and protecting production. This flexibility not only prevents grid strain but also supports broader energy reliability efforts by acting as a controllable load that helps balance supply and demand.

Energy Source Flexibility

A flexible energy mix enhances energy reliability by reducing dependence on any single source. As global electricity demand surges—driven by rapid adoption of electric vehicles and the rise of data centers, which could consume up to 10% of global electricity by 2030—grid stability is under growing pressure. Simultaneously, renewables like wind and solar are adding substantial capacity, but their intermittency creates new challenges for balancing supply and demand. These fluctuations can lead to grid strain, oversupply, or even forced curtailment of clean energy.

This dynamic, compounded by fuel shortages and geopolitical uncertainty, contributes to energy cost volatility and raises concerns about long-term reliability—especially for manufacturers who rely on uninterrupted steam supply. Hybrid solutions, such as Skyven Arcturus, which enable seamless switching between energy sources for on-site steam generation, offer a resilient and efficient way to safeguard against these risks.

Learn more about how having a redundant source of steam enhances reliability while reducing costs.

Energy Storage Solutions

Thermal energy storage (TES) systems are critical tools for enhancing energy reliability in both commercial and industrial settings. These systems charge using electricity when supply exceeds demand—such as during off-peak hours or periods of high renewable generation—and discharge that energy as heat when demand spikes or generation dips.

Within industrial facilities, battery storage provides a buffer against grid fluctuations and outages, helping maintain steady heat availability for critical processes. This is especially valuable during peak demand periods, when energy prices soar or utilities call for demand response. Facilities equipped with battery storage can avoid these high costs and reduce reliance on backup generators, which are often expensive and carbon-intensive.

Predictive Maintenance & Monitoring

Predictive maintenance uses real-time data, advanced analytics, and machine learning to identify potential equipment failures before they occur. Unlike traditional preventative maintenance, which follows a fixed schedule, predictive maintenance is condition-based. This allows industrial facilities to service equipment only when necessary—reducing downtime, minimizing costs, and improving energy reliability.

In energy systems, predictive maintenance is especially important. Equipment like boilers, compressors, and heat exchangers must operate efficiently and continuously to support production. Sensors embedded in these systems monitor critical parameters such as temperature, pressure, vibration, and flow rates. When data trends indicate a deviation from normal operating conditions, maintenance teams can intervene early—preventing costly breakdowns and avoiding unscheduled outages.

When integrated into a facility’s energy management system, predictive maintenance also enables more reliable and efficient energy performance. For example, tracking the performance of industrial heat pumps helps ensure optimal thermal efficiency and avoids disruptions in steam supply. Early detection of issues—like fouled heat exchangers or abnormal pressure drops—means corrective action can be taken before reliability is compromised.

Incorporating predictive analytics into industrial operations not only reduces maintenance costs but also extends equipment lifespan and improves safety. Most importantly, it strengthens energy reliability by ensuring that key infrastructure is always operating at peak performance.

Why Is Energy Reliability Important for Industrial Operations?

For industrial facilities, energy reliability is imperative. Even brief interruptions can cost thousands or millions in lost production, damaged equipment, and delayed shipments.

The costs of downtime in manufacturing can range from $500,000 per hour in the oil and gas industry to upwards of $2 million per hour or more in other industries, according to a Siemens report.

Industries such as ethanol, chemicals, and food and beverage processing depend on continuous energy to operate high-load equipment and maintain tight process tolerances. In these settings, the link between energy reliability and operational efficiency is direct and profound.

Moreover, unreliable energy supply increases emissions and costs. Backup systems, often powered by diesel generators, are carbon-intensive and expensive to maintain. A more reliable energy infrastructure reduces both environmental impact and operating expenses.

How to Improve Energy Reliability

Smarter Infrastructure and Automation

Modernizing energy systems with smart grids, digital controls, and real-time analytics can significantly improve reliability. These systems dynamically adjust to demand fluctuations and alert operators to potential issues before they escalate.

Integrating Renewable Energy and Storage

Contrary to common myths, renewables can enhance energy reliability when combined with smart systems and storage. Solar panels paired with thermal energy systems, for instance, can maintain uptime during grid outages or price spikes.

Demand Response Programs

Demand response programs help balance the grid by reducing or shifting energy use during peak periods. Participating in these programs improves reliability while lowering energy costs and emissions.

Incorporate A Second Source of Power

Another key strategy is implementing redundant or hybrid energy systems that provide a second source of power. Boilerhouses often operate around the clock to meet industrial steam demand for processes like drying, pasteurization, or chemical reactions. However, even the most advanced natural gas boilers are only about 83% efficient, with substantial energy losses through exhaust gases, blowdown, and distribution inefficiencies.

Industrial heat pumps like Skyven Arcturus offer significantly higher efficiency. Integrating these systems not only reduces fuel consumption and emissions but also provides a secondary steam source.

Arcturus enables facility-wide fuel-switching, allowing manufacturers to seamlessly transition between electricity-powered steam generation and existing on-site steam generation systems based on market conditions. The Arcturus integration within the facility ensures that steam production is never dependent on a single fuel source.

The system continuously monitors energy prices, allowing the facility to use electricity when costs are low and revert to conventional boilers if electricity prices rise above a certain level. The approach provides significant cost savings, operational flexibility, and resilience against market volatility—ensuring manufacturers can adapt to changing energy conditions without compromising productivity.

Energy Efficiency vs. Energy Reliability

While they are closely connected, energy efficiency and energy reliability are not the same. Efficiency refers to reducing the amount of energy required to perform a task, while reliability focuses on the consistency of energy supply.

In industrial settings, efficient systems are generally more reliable. Less energy waste means fewer chances for overload or failure. However, high-efficiency equipment that depends heavily on a single power source may still be vulnerable if that source fails.

Skyven’s Arcturus steam-generating heat pump bridges this gap with high coefficients of performance (COP) and built-in redundancy. Arcturus uses mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) to transform low-grade waste heat into high-pressure steam, achieving COPs between 2.1 and 8.0—significantly higher than electric boilers.

The Link Between Energy Reliability and Sustainability

A sustainable energy strategy enhances long-term reliability. As the energy mix shifts toward renewables, the need for reliable systems that can handle intermittency becomes even more important.

Technologies like solar, wind, and hydro can be highly reliable when paired with energy storage, smart controls, and hybrid systems. Skyven’s Arcturus, for example, leverages waste heat and allows for fuel-switching, meaning it can respond to real-time grid conditions and avoid high electricity costs—making it both reliable and cost-effective​.

While carbon emission reductions vary depending on the type of facility using Arcturus and its operations, they can be upwards of 96,000 metric tons.

How Skyven is Supporting Energy Reliability in Industrial Sectors

Skyven Technologies is advancing energy reliability with decarbonization solutions purpose-built for industrial environments. The Skyven Arcturus system provides emissions-free steam using high-efficiency heat pumps that integrate seamlessly into existing infrastructure—with no process disruption.

Skyven Arcturus is built on Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR) technology, an advanced, highly efficient system that converts low-grade waste heat into boiler-quality steam.

Arcturus is a fully bypassable system, minimizing disruption during installation. Its design allows it to be located up to a half mile away from existing steam infrastructure, providing redundancy without costly facility upgrades.

This redundancy means manufacturers can maintain their current boiler setup while using Arcturus for cost-effective, low-carbon steam generation when electricity prices are favorable. This typically equates to Arcturus running 85%-90% of the time for on-site steam generation, and existing boilers generating steam the remaining 10-15% of the time.

Arcturus offers:

• More than three times the efficiency of standard boilers
• Zero downtime due to fuel-switching and redundancy
• Ability to optimize operations based on grid conditions, reducing both emissions and costs

Learn how Skyven helps industries achieve energy reliability.