Eaton’s “Factories as a Grid” Approach Helps Manufacturing Companies Advance Energy Security for More Affordable, Resilient Power

CLEVELAND, June 23, 2025 /3BL/ - Electricity is the backbone of modern industrial operations and digitalization provides new opportunities to optimize energy systems. Intelligent power management company Eaton is empowering customers to put electrification and digitalization to work in new ways with its Factories as a Grid approach that maximizes the functionality of existing energy systems along with renewable energy resources to achieve greater levels of energy resilience, affordability and efficiency. 

The strategy builds on Eaton’s Everything as a Grid perspective that provides customers with more energy choices and enables a flexible foundation to secure reliable and resilient power. Adopting this Factories as a Grid approach can help manufacturers simplify the electrification of critical processes while simultaneously improving energy efficiency, ensuring a constant supply uninterrupted power and reducing operational costs by producing and consuming electrical power more intelligently.

“There are multiple global megatrends at play impacting manufacturing. Everything is electrifying and extreme weather events are becoming more common,” said Marc Elliott, director – mining, metals, minerals, pulp and paper at Eaton. “Solving these challenges requires integrated solutions that transform electrical systems from simple loads on the grid into intelligent business assets that assure energy security. At Eaton, we’re leveraging our expertise and industry-leading solutions to help our customers make that happen.” 

The strategy hinges on the scaled implementation of intelligent power management solutions to manage the new demands of electrified processes. By taking a holistic view of energy needs and infrastructure, Eaton can help customers intelligently balance energy production and consumption to achieve operational goals, including:  

• Improved resilience using proven microgrid technology, onsite renewable energy generation and energy storage to support always-on power during grid interruptions.
• Reduced energy costs through the ability to react to real-time grid conditions and strategically produce, store and consume electricity generated on site.
• Improved energy efficiency and equipment performance supported by Eaton’s Brightlayer portfolio that delivers real-time and actionable insights.
• Cost-effective electrification including accommodations for electric fleet charging infrastructure that help reduce costs and save time.
• Accelerated decarbonization through the integration of onsite clean energy resources that can be monetized to maximize return on investment. 

Eaton is demonstrating its Factories as a Grid approach at its Arecibo, Puerto Rico manufacturing facility, which produces circuit breakers for homes, buildings and industrial applications. This first-of-its-kind project integrates onsite solar generation, energy storage and intelligent digital solutions into a microgrid that is cutting operational costs, energy consumption and emissions. 

Matt Hockman, president of Global Energy Infrastructure Solutions at Eaton, will highlight the Factories as a Grid approach during a keynote address focused on innovative approaches to meet growing energy demand during the Reuters Global Energy Transition 2025 event in New York City on June 25.

Learn more about how Eaton is helping build the factories of the future.   

Eaton is an intelligent power management company dedicated to protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for people everywhere. We make products for the data center, utility, industrial, commercial, machine building, residential, aerospace and mobility markets. We are guided by our commitment to do business right, to operate sustainably and to help our customers manage power ─ today and well into the future. By capitalizing on the global growth trends of electrification and digitalization, we’re helping to solve the world’s most urgent power management challenges and building a more sustainable society for people today and generations to come.   

Founded in 1911, Eaton has continuously evolved to meet the changing and expanding needs of our stakeholders. With revenues of nearly $25 billion in 2024, the company serves customers in more than 160 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com. Follow us on LinkedIn. 

Contact:

Kristin Somers
+1.919.345.3714
[email protected]

Regina Parundik 
Cobblestone Communications
+1.412.559.1614
[email protected] 

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