To accelerate the implementation of the national "dual-carbon" strategy and the construction of a new energy system, and to strive for accurate load control and refined user management, following the guiding principle of "government leadership, power grid organization, government-enterprise collaboration, and user implementation," many cities and counties have established municipal/county-level power load management centers, including Ningbo and Cixi in Zhejiang Province, Dalian in Liaoning Province, Zhuzhou and Loudi in Hunan Province, Yichang and Huanggang in Hubei Province, and Linfen in Shanxi Province. This marks a substantial and crucial step forward in the digital reform of the energy sector in various regions, and is of great significance for accelerating the construction of a new energy system, implementing the energy big data strategy, developing the digital economy, and building smart cities. For example, the Ningbo Municipal Energy Big Data Management Center has connected energy consumption data from over 10,000 large-scale enterprises and 3,079 energy-consuming enterprises in Ningbo, as well as air conditioning load data from 698 public buildings. It has also launched more than 20 energy big data products, including public building air conditioning load management, industrial park energy management, and green factory energy monitoring.
Acrel has also participated in the construction of the above-mentioned municipal power load management centers. This article combines the requirements of the new smart energy system for energy digitization and Acrel's energy digitization technology to provide a preliminary solution for energy interconnection, interaction and coordinated optimization, and to continuously promote the construction of the new energy system.
Overview of Integrated Smart Energy Systems
Traditional energy management systems, which monitor energy sources like electricity from a single entity, are no longer sufficient to meet the demands of new energy systems. Scientific and systematic integrated smart energy management, employing a big data information integration model, optimizes the absorption of new energy sources and improves energy utilization efficiency. It also facilitates the transformation from individual equipment energy conservation to intelligent and systematic approaches. Integrated smart energy management systems collect, monitor, predict, and manage data from all units of the energy system, laying a solid foundation for high-quality energy utilization and service provision—the very purpose of building power load centers in various regions. Based on dynamic energy pricing mechanisms and grounded in the power grid, distributed generation, energy storage systems, adjustable loads, and electric vehicle charging stations, integrated smart energy systems automatically adjust to different stages of electricity demand, ensuring the stable operation of the power system. Overall, integrated smart energy management systems have become a crucial component in the construction of new energy systems.
Overall Architecture of Integrated Smart Energy Management System
The integrated smart energy management system involves many stakeholders, including the power grid, energy service providers, large, medium, and small energy-consuming enterprises, and even individuals. It's a system requiring multi-party participation, necessitating excellent compatibility and ease of use. First, the system design needs to support various industrial interfaces, such as third-party system interfaces, smart sensing device interfaces, and energy-consuming devices. Second, the system needs to support convenient data acquisition and interaction, including mobile apps, mini-programs, and web interfaces. Furthermore, the system requires a wide distribution and large number of connected smart devices. It can implement a hybrid wired and wireless networking mode based on actual needs and network conditions, enabling the collection, analysis, and optimized control and management of data from various energy sources, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Integrated Smart Energy Management System Architecture
Integrated Smart Energy Management System Software Architecture
The software architecture mainly includes a perception layer, a data layer, an application layer, and a presentation layer, as shown in Figure 2. The perception layer consists of field protection, measurement, and control equipment and other subsystems, transmitting data to the data platform via wired/wireless methods. The data platform is responsible for data acquisition, processing, storage, and interaction, and distributes the data to various application layers. The application layers utilize data from multiple perspectives, such as energy supply, energy management, load management, energy consumption analysis and prediction, and energy operation and maintenance, according to user needs, and display the data to different users to complete energy management functions. The integrated intelligent management system can achieve real-time acquisition and monitoring of data from various types of energy media, and utilize digital technology to more intuitively display and control energy data, enabling better energy utilization.
Figure 2 Software Architecture of Integrated Smart Energy Management System
Application of Acrel Integrated Smart Energy Management System
The AcrelEMS Enterprise Microgrid Energy Efficiency Management System and the Acrel-EIOT Energy Internet of Things Platform Solution are comprehensive smart energy management systems designed based on the aforementioned concepts. The AcrelEMS Enterprise Microgrid Energy Efficiency Management System is an energy management platform for industry users, including medical buildings, educational buildings, highways, and electronics factories, providing segmented energy efficiency management solutions based on industry characteristics. The Acrel-EIOT Energy Internet of Things Cloud Platform, on the other hand, provides a no-debugging solution for geographically dispersed and numerous IoT devices, making it easier for small and medium-sized users to connect their devices to the platform and obtain the necessary data at low cost, such as charging pile operation, decentralized energy metering and billing, etc. It has no geographical restrictions or professional skill requirements for users and has already provided energy data services to users in multiple countries. Both systems are based on the same data platform, deriving different applications to provide different types of users with integrated energy management solutions covering "source, grid, load, storage, charging, and maintenance," and managing energy usage and scheduling according to user-defined policies.
4.1 Application of AcrelEMS Enterprise Microgrid Energy Efficiency Management System Based on Industry Energy Efficiency Improvement
AcrelEMS Enterprise Microgrid Energy Efficiency Management System provides industry-specific energy efficiency management solutions, supporting wired/wireless access to various smart devices and offering multiple third-party system interface protocols. It integrates functions such as enterprise microgrid power monitoring, energy consumption statistics, power quality analysis and management, intelligent lighting control, monitoring of major energy-consuming equipment, charging pile operation management, distributed photovoltaic monitoring, and energy storage management. Through a single platform, it enables centralized monitoring, unified scheduling, and unified operation and maintenance of the enterprise power grid, meeting the enterprise's requirements for reliable, safe, economical, and orderly power consumption. The platform supports both Chinese and English language options and is currently used in multiple industry and regional user-side energy management and power operation and maintenance platforms. A single platform has integrated data from over 1600 user substations, providing energy analysis and operation and maintenance management functions.
Figure 3. Application of AcrelEMS energy efficiency management platform
Power monitoring
Real-time monitoring and control of electrical parameters, operating status, and contact temperature of transformers, circuit breakers, DC power supplies, busbars, reactive power compensation cabinets, and cables in the enterprise's high and low voltage power distribution system; monitoring and mitigation of power quality in the main circuits of the enterprise's microgrid; timely handling of faults and issuance of alarm information; and improvement of the enterprise's power supply reliability.
Figure 4 Power monitoring function
Energy consumption analysis
Collect data on enterprises' energy consumption, including electricity, water, and gas, and conduct classified and itemized energy consumption statistics. Calculate energy consumption data and trends per unit area or per unit product, benchmark the energy efficiency of major energy-consuming equipment for energy efficiency diagnosis, calculate enterprise carbon emissions, and provide data support for enterprises to formulate carbon peaking and carbon neutrality routes.
Figure 5 Energy consumption analysis function
Lighting control
Intelligent lighting control functions can realize timed control, light-sensing control, scene control, dimming control, etc. according to the enterprise's situation. Combined with infrared sensors and ultrasonic sensors, it can realize the lights turning on when people are present and turning off when people leave. It can also realize centralized control according to the system's control strategy, saving enterprises lighting electricity.
Figure 6 Lighting control function
Distributed photovoltaic monitoring
Monitor the operation of distributed photovoltaic power stations of enterprises, including inverter operation data, photovoltaic power generation efficiency analysis, power generation and revenue statistics, and photovoltaic power generation control.
Figure 7 Distributed photovoltaic power generation monitoring
Energy storage management
Monitor the operation of energy storage systems, battery management systems (BMS), and energy storage converters (PCS), including operating modes, power control modes, predetermined values such as power, voltage, current, and frequency, and the charging and discharging voltage, current, SOC, and temperature of energy storage batteries. Set the charging and discharging strategies of the energy storage system according to the peak and valley characteristics of the enterprise, electricity price fluctuations, and instructions from the upper-level platform, control the charging and discharging of the energy storage system, achieve peak shaving and valley filling, and reduce the enterprise's electricity costs.
Figure 8 Energy Storage Management
Charging pile operation and management
It monitors the operating status of enterprise charging piles, provides charging pile fee management and status monitoring functions, and adjusts the charging power of charging piles according to changes in enterprise load rate and dispatch instructions from virtual power plants, so as to ensure the stable and safe operation of enterprise microgrids.
Figure 9 Charging Pile Management
4.2 Application of Acrel-EIOT Energy Internet of Things Platform Based on Big Data
The Acrel-EIoT Energy IoT Platform is a PaaS platform based on an IoT data middleware, implementing unified uplink and downlink data standards to provide energy IoT data services to internet users. The platform supports Chinese/English language switching and customizable function settings. Users can connect their IoT sensors to the Acrel-EIoT platform by scanning a QR code after installation and then access the required industry data services via mobile phone and computer. Users do not need to understand the platform itself, the structure and protocols of the downlink hardware, or possess any specialized knowledge. Currently, users in multiple countries are already receiving energy data services based on Acrel products.
Custom Cockpit
The system can customize the required dashboard pages based on user concerns, including energy prepayment, charging pile operation, energy consumption statistics, revenue statistics, and operation and maintenance status of various equipment such as elevators, air conditioners, and lighting.
Figure 10 Definition of Energy Internet of Things Cockpit
Data collection and data monitoring
Real-time monitoring of electrical parameters such as voltage and current in each distribution cabinet enables remote measurement, remote signaling, and remote control. Real-time monitoring of environmental parameters such as room temperature and humidity, smoke detection, and water immersion in each distribution cabinet. Monitoring of transformer operating status and energy consumption parameters, calculation of losses, identification of economic operating ranges, and reduction of energy consumption.
Figure 11 Data Acquisition and Monitoring
Energy consumption statistical analysis
It mainly involves statistical analysis of energy consumption data, energy consumption breakdowns, regional energy consumption, and energy consumption indicators. This includes a total energy consumption ratio, which refers to the percentage of total energy actually consumed, and is represented using various graphical methods for comprehensive energy consumption analysis.
Figure 12 Energy Consumption Statistical Analysis
Electrical and fire safety management
By integrating electrical fire detectors, wireless temperature sensors, and smart circuit breakers, real-time monitoring and management of fire hazard parameters such as residual current and cable temperature in power distribution circuits are achieved. Fire water level gauges are installed in fire pools and tanks to detect changes in fire water levels; fire water pressure gauges are installed in fire pipes and sprinklers to monitor the pressure in the fire pipelines. In indoor locations such as homes, hotels, and apartments where smoke or combustible gases may be present, stand-alone smoke detectors or combustible gas detectors are installed to detect the presence of smoke and combustible gases in these areas.
Figure 13 Electrical fire safety management
Energy Fee Management
It is suitable for property lessors to manage energy charges for rented properties, supports integrated water and electricity charge management, and has tenant account opening, closing, and refund operations. It supports time-of-use electricity pricing and tiered electricity pricing settings, as well as power overload threshold settings, and can be integrated with payment applications to enable self-service payment.
Figure 14 Energy consumption fee management
Charging pile operation and management
When users need to manage charging piles at multiple charging stations, they can connect the charging piles to the platform themselves, enabling monitoring of the charging pile status and management of charging fees via QR code scanning and card swiping. During peak electricity consumption periods, if the charging load is too high and exceeds the capacity of the power supply transformer, the platform can automatically set charging power limits or add new charging limits, or activate new energy sources to ensure energy supply security.
Figure 15 Charging Pile Operation and Management
Lighting control management
It can remotely control the switching on and off of lighting equipment, and can automatically control the lights based on illuminance, latitude and longitude, sunrise and sunset times, and time settings to save lighting energy.
Figure 16 Lighting Control Management
Carbon emission analysis
It measures users' carbon emissions and tracks their carbon footprint, provides carbon emission inventories, and conducts quota calculations and assessments.
Figure 17 Carbon Emission Analysis
4.3 Acrel Integrated Smart Energy Management Sensing Equipment
In addition to software, Acrel's integrated smart energy management system also includes field sensors, smart gateways, and other equipment, forming a complete "cloud-edge-device" digital system. Specifically, it includes high and low voltage power distribution integrated protection and monitoring products, power quality online monitoring devices, power quality management, lighting control, new energy charging piles, and electrical fire protection solutions, which can provide enterprises with one-stop service capabilities for microgrid digitalization. Some of the equipment is shown in Table 1.
Conclusion
The integrated smart energy management system design and application provides solutions for the digital management of energy in new energy systems, and offers technical support for connecting massive amounts of data within the system. The AcrelEMS enterprise microgrid energy efficiency management system and the Acrel-EIOT energy IoT platform, in conjunction with Acrel's sensing devices, provide customized energy management solutions for users of all sizes across various industries. This supports users in digital monitoring of energy systems and automatic collaborative management of multiple sources, helping users improve energy safety and efficiency, and contributing to the establishment of a stable and secure new energy system.
