Hybrid microgrid systems for Energy Resilience : A Techno-Economic Assessment of a Fully Automated Industrial Logistics Centre

Sammanfattning

The transition to resilient and sustainable energy systems is a pressing priority for industrial actors, who face rising energy volatility, stringent climate policies, and tightly coupled supply chains. This thesis investigates whether hybrid microgrid configurations can improve the techno-economic performance and operational resilience of a fully automated logistics facility that operates continuously at full capacity. IKEA’s Malacky Packaging and Distribution Centre in Slovakia serves as the case study. The analysis is grounded in resilience engineering frameworks that distinguish resilience from reliability and conceptualise energy as a strategic supply chain asset. A quantitative, scenario-based methodology was employed, with simulations conducted in HOMER Pro v3.14 to compare a grid-only baseline with hybrid alternatives that integrate photovoltaic (PV), battery energy storage systems (BESS), and wind power. Results show that while the grid-only case offers the lowest near-term investment, hybrid microgrid systems deliver superior long-term outcomes. Scenario 1 (PV+BESS) reduces the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) by approximately 25% compared to baseline while providing 15 hours of outage autonomy (Resilience Index, RI = 0.59). Scenario 2 (PV+BESS+Wind) achieves 16 hours of autonomy (RI = 0.71) and reduces LCOE by approximately 21% versus baseline but faces practical limitations due to local wind permitting and regulatory constraints. Based on these findings, Scenario 1 is recommended as the most viable configuration, striking a balance between substantial cost savings and improved resilience. In contrast, Scenario 2 remains a potential longer-term option under more favourable regulatory conditions. All Future research should advance methods such as stochastic outage modelling and intelligent energy management, while also testing applications across diverse industrial sectors.