Italian food wholesaler Foppa is using intelligent charging technology to align its industrial truck fleet with its on-site solar energy production, achieving up to 90 percent charging from self-generated photovoltaic power.
The family-owned company, headquartered in Egna in the Italian province of Bolzano, has operated a photovoltaic system since 2009. Expanded over time, the installation now delivers approximately 1 MWp of capacity. The challenge was not generating electricity — it was synchronizing it with warehouse operations.
“Our cold storage facilities and industrial trucks require high amounts of energy, especially in the evening and at night. At the same time, we generate a large amount of solar power during the day. The question was how to bring the two together in a sensible way in order to reduce costs and make better use of our self-generated electricity,” explains Renè Celva, Managing Director Purchasing and Logistics at Foppa.
Real-Time Charging Instead of Timed Charging
To solve that mismatch, Foppa implemented Jungheinrich’s Active Load Management (ALM) system. Unlike conventional time-based charging setups, ALM connects directly to the company’s energy management system and adjusts charging in real time.
“Active Load Management ensures that the chargers are activated precisely when sufficient solar power is available. At the same time, the charging power is dynamically adapted to the existing infrastructure and the energy contract,” explains Sergio Bandirali, Solution Design Energy Systems at Jungheinrich Italy.
The system continuously synchronizes solar generation and vehicle charging demand, directing available solar surplus into the fleet while minimizing grid draw and avoiding infrastructure overload.
Lithium-Ion Enables Flexible Solar Charging
A critical component of the solution is lithium-ion battery technology. Unlike lead-acid systems, lithium-ion batteries can accept short, variable charging cycles, making them well-suited to fluctuating renewable generation.
“Unlike lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries can also be charged at short notice and with variable power levels,” says Bandirali. “This is a major advantage when adapting the charging process to fluctuating solar power generation.”
The results have been significant.
“With Active Load Management, we have been able to increase the share of self-generated electricity used for charging our industrial trucks to around 90 per cent,” reports Celva. “At the same time, we have further reduced our energy costs – without the need for stationary battery storage.”
By avoiding the need for additional battery storage infrastructure, Foppa maintains flexibility while reducing exposure to electricity price volatility.
Fleet Retrofit and Expansion
The project included retrofitting three existing vehicles and adding nine new Jungheinrich ECE order pickers equipped with integrated ALM functionality. Twelve ALM-enabled order pickers are now operating at the Egna site.
Beyond energy savings, the lithium-ion fleet eliminates battery changeovers, removes the need for dedicated charging rooms, and simplifies battery handling processes.
Looking Ahead
The Egna deployment demonstrates how photovoltaic systems can be integrated directly into material handling operations through intelligent load control. With the solar installation currently generating more electricity than required for fleet charging, Foppa is evaluating additional applications.
“Together with Jungheinrich, we are looking at how we can use the surplus electricity for additional logistics-related processes in the future,” says Celva.
The project highlights a growing intersection between renewable energy management and warehouse fleet electrification — particularly in facilities already investing in on-site solar generation.
