Introduction to the Smart Energy Management System

Introduction to the Smart Energy Management System

TUS Syan’s Smart Energy Management System integrates clean energy with information technology and applies both in the overall energy management practices of industrial parks. Its main functions include the following.

1. Data Collection and Control

Centered on energy, networks, and users, the system covers monitoring of the user’s entire energy supply system, enabling process management and operational management for the whole system. It improves management methods for energy supply systems. The Smart Energy Management Platform is an integrated monitoring and control platform based on internet technologies. It enables overall optimization from energy production capacity and energy networks to the energy system as a whole, improves dispatch efficiency, and supports executive decision-making.

1.1 Monitoring Network Architecture

The system mainly consists of a four-layer architecture: the perception layer, network layer, platform layer, and application layer.

1. The perception layer includes integrated data acquisition, metering analysis, and real-time control systems, mainly composed of instruments, meters, and on-site PLC controllers.

2. The network layer transmits real-time data to the dispatch management center through various network systems such as ADSL, GPRS, 3G, 4G, and optical fiber. The management center can also send control commands to on-site controllers through the network system to execute control and adjustment instructions.

3. The platform layer is responsible for receiving data sent by on-site monitoring devices and storing real-time operating parameters in the database, providing foundational data for subsequent management, analysis, and control, while also handling data storage, analysis, alarms, and report printing.

4. The application layer is the direct interface for operators. It continuously performs dynamic analysis of uploaded data in real time and can issue adjustment commands based on the analysis results.

1.2 Control Functions

1. By calculating various parameters of each subsystem and of the entire heating supply system, the system determines the theoretical load conditions of the functional systems and adjusts the actual load values of each system as well as which systems should be activated. It can automatically and periodically switch the operation of various functional systems according to load rate, extending service life while ensuring energy savings.

2. The system adopts a general-purpose control system with functions including signal acquisition and conversion, logic control, VPN private network access, and GPRS communication interfaces. The monitoring center can use broadband or GPRS communication to perform parameter adjustment and remote control for each system, meeting unattended operation requirements.

3. The Smart Energy Management System is a cornerstone of the urban energy network. Through integrated development based on GIS technology and heating supply models, it fully leverages the advantages of both to realize process and operational management for the entire energy system.

2. 3D Monitoring Center

Through simulated 3D views of the park, the system monitors in real time the park’s energy flow, information flow, and value flow. Combined with simulated location mapping, it enables comprehensive real-time monitoring of key data related to energy stations (such as combined cooling, heating, and power systems, photovoltaic power stations, and geothermal energy), energy consumption (building consumption, zone consumption, and equipment consumption), user services (consultation, complaints, and repairs), and production management (inspection and maintenance). At the same time, alarm information calculated by the diagnostic early warning center can be displayed at relevant positions in the 3D view, allowing critical and alarm-related locations and equipment to be identified quickly and accurately. Video from important areas of the park can also be viewed remotely in real time.

3. Energy Consumption-Side Supervision

3.1 Energy Use Supervision

Energy consumption-side supervision includes analysis of regional energy consumption, building energy consumption, commercial user energy consumption, residential user energy consumption, and equipment energy consumption (including EV charging piles). It provides real-time curves, historical curves, year-over-year comparisons, and period-over-period comparisons for various indicators. It also monitors devices related to electricity, cooling, heating, gas, water, and steam, such as electric meters, transformers, power distribution rooms, reclaimed water stations, central air-conditioning systems, substations, and water supply network equipment, presenting energy consumption from different perspectives.

1. Real-time monitoring

Dynamically displays the energy consumption status of electricity, cooling, heating, gas, water, and steam.

2. Real-time analysis

Provides hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly cumulative values and rankings for all monitored indicators related to electricity, cooling, heating, gas, water, and steam.

3. Energy use by category

Measures electricity, cooling, heating, gas, water, and steam by energy type, and provides hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly cumulative values, rankings, and analysis for each category of load.

4. Itemized energy consumption

Measures loads by equipment type for itemized accounting, enabling hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly statistics and analysis of energy consumption for each sub-item circuit.

5. Consumption by user account

Measures energy use by user type, enabling hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly cumulative statistics, rankings, and analysis for each user.

6. Building energy consumption

Measures energy consumption by building, enabling hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly cumulative statistics, rankings, and analysis for each building.

7. Energy-saving analysis

Compiles monitored values for categorized, itemized, and account-based energy consumption, and conducts in-depth analysis of projects with high energy use.

8. Holiday energy consumption

Compiles historical energy consumption values for electricity, cooling, heating, gas, water, and steam during working hours, rest periods, and holidays, and analyzes standby consumption, operating consumption, and holiday consumption to understand equipment standby energy usage.

9. Year-over-year and period-over-period comparisons across dimensions

Summarizes and analyzes energy consumption from different perspectives through year-over-year and period-over-period comparisons across buildings, users, and equipment.

3.2 Billing Management

The billing management module includes metering management for water charges, electricity charges, gas charges, cooling charges, steam charges, and other billing items. Metering and management can be carried out through wireless meter reading (for water, electricity, gas, steam, and other meters) or through prepaid user payment methods.

4. Energy Station-Side Supervision

4.1 Energy Station Monitoring

1. Real-time monitoring

Monitors real-time energy flow simulation screens and data for distributed energy stations, including photovoltaic systems, combined cooling, heating, and power systems, ground-source heat pumps, conventional cooling systems, gas-based cooling and heating systems, mid-to-deep geothermal water thermal energy systems, and distributed photovoltaic systems. It also monitors equipment operating status and operation curves and displays information across multiple dimensions.

2. Intelligent alarms

The system monitors network status, operating status, real-time energy efficiency, real-time power generation, major events, and real-time equipment conditions for each distributed energy station. If abnormalities occur, such as network exceptions, operating anomalies, real-time energy efficiency exceeding thresholds, real-time power values exceeding thresholds, major events, or abnormal equipment status, the system issues sound, image, and text alarms. Alarm methods include red fault markers by category, quantity displays on the interface, flashing icons, and audible reminders.

3. Real-time operating curves

Displays real-time operating curves and allows users to select dates to view historical curves of key data.

4. Comprehensive analysis

According to different types of distributed energy station systems, the platform provides integrated analysis and display of heat output, cooling output, natural gas flow, power generation and power supply curves, fault alarm statistics, total power statistics, plan completion status, previous day segmented energy efficiency, and energy saving and emission reduction. It also separately analyzes key parameters for combined cooling, heating, and power systems, ground-source heat pumps, conventional cooling, gas-based cooling and heating, mid-to-deep geothermal water thermal energy, and distributed photovoltaic systems. For example, combined cooling, heating, and power systems and distributed photovoltaic systems focus on power generation and supply curves, displaying daily power curves for the current month in bar charts, total electricity statistics, and power generation and supply for the current day, current year, and cumulative periods, with area used to represent proportions.

5. Efficiency analysis

For distributed photovoltaic systems, the analysis mainly covers comprehensive efficiency based on comparisons between actual and theoretical power generation calculated from daily solar radiation, string inverter efficiency, and module efficiency. For combined cooling, heating, and power systems, monthly and yearly analysis includes power generation and supply curves for the power generation platform, boiler flow, steam turbine flow, photovoltaic module efficiency, theoretical and actual power generation curves, heating efficiency, inlet flue gas temperature curves, power consumption analysis for the generation platform, platform energy efficiency, boiler efficiency, steam turbine efficiency, platform thermal-electric efficiency, and power generation per unit of raw material (tons or cubic meters). Ground-source heat pumps and mid-to-deep geothermal water thermal energy systems mainly analyze heat source and conversion efficiency, while gas-based cooling and conventional cooling analyze process conversion data.

6. Energy efficiency analysis

Analyzes performance indicators for various types of equipment such as steam turbines and condensers. Specific indicators include:

a. Computation and analysis of comprehensive performance indicators

Including global indicators such as generated and supplied electricity, plant electricity consumption, plant power consumption rate, makeup water volume and makeup water rate for power generation, and steam consumption rate.

b. Computation and analysis of unit-level performance indicators

Including unit-level generated and supplied electricity, unit self-consumption and self-consumption rate, makeup water volume and makeup water rate for power generation, heat consumption, heat consumption rate, steam consumption rate, and unit thermal efficiency. Instantaneous calculated values include cylinder efficiency, condenser heat load, condenser terminal temperature difference, and condensate subcooling degree.

7. Operations and maintenance analysis

Provides overall statistics on plant and station equipment operating conditions from the perspectives of equipment faults, network communications, and alarms.

8. Operational analysis

Distributed energy station operational analysis displays the following information by month and by year (selecting a month displays each day of that month; selecting a year displays each month of that year): heat, radiation, power generation and power supply curves, full-load generation curves, energy consumption, plant power consumption curves, plant power consumption rate curves, plan completion status, and more.

4.2 Energy Storage and Power Grid

1. Substation monitoring

Monitors core parameters of substations.

2. Distribution grid and lines

Monitors the full process of the distribution grid and transmission lines.

3. Thermal water storage and cooling storage analysis

Provides comprehensive monitoring, analysis, and calculation for all thermal water storage and cooling storage equipment.

5. Waste and Sewage Supervision

The system provides comprehensive supervision of sewage treatment processes at sewage treatment plants and wastewater balancing tanks, waste utilization processes, and dormitory bathing wastewater reuse. It monitors wastewater heat value, discharge volume, sewage flow, depth, water quality, water level, and key points in sewage pipelines. Through data analysis across real-time, daily, monthly, and yearly dimensions, and by setting threshold values for various indicators, the system can automatically supervise related parameters and issue alarms automatically when abnormalities occur.

6. Diagnostic Early Warning

The system performs automated data analysis for diagnostic early warning of key equipment and operating conditions related to combined cooling, heating, and power systems, ground-source heat pump systems, gas boiler cooling and heating systems, mid-to-deep geothermal water thermal energy systems, conventional cooling systems, production operations, sewage systems, distributed photovoltaic equipment and operations, EV charging pile trial use and operation, substation operations, abnormal regional and building energy consumption, waste and sewage monitoring anomalies, and production operation anomalies. It provides real-time, comprehensive reminders, alarms, and warnings.

7. Assisted Dispatching

Based on energy consumption analysis and regional energy consumption forecasts, and in combination with the characteristics of four energy stations and distributed photovoltaic power stations as well as economic factors, the system dynamically generates reasonable load-setting plans in real time for operators’ reference.

8. Production Management

Production management includes core functions such as inspection management, maintenance management, defect management, safety management, operation records, equipment management, inventory management, personnel and department management, and shift management. It enables easy, standardized, and detailed integrated management of production and inventory operations, improves management efficiency, provides timely, accurate, and comprehensive visibility into production dynamics, and effectively controls production processes. It is suitable for all enterprises engaged in product manufacturing and inventory management.

9. User Services

User services include user information reminders, consultation, complaints, energy use analysis, and convenient payment functions.

1. Information reminders

Regularly reminds users of their energy consumption and cost information.

2. Consultation services

Provides online consultation services for users, such as through WeChat and mobile apps.

3. Complaints and suggestions

Provides online channels for user complaints and suggestions.

4. Energy use analysis

Provides analysis of users’ energy usage, allowing users to check their own consumption.

5. Convenient payment

Provides convenient payment functions so users can pay through apps, WeChat, and other channels.

10. Forecasting and Analysis

1. Comprehensive energy use forecasting

Forecasts and analyzes overall electricity load, domestic water use, cooling, heating, gas, and steam over long-, medium-, and short-term time horizons.

2. Regional energy consumption forecasting

Forecasts and analyzes regional electricity load, domestic water use, cooling, heating, gas, and steam to support dispatching decisions.

3. Building energy consumption forecasting

Forecasts and analyzes building electricity load, domestic water use, cooling, heating, gas, and steam to support dispatching decisions.

4. User energy consumption forecasting

Forecasts and analyzes user electricity load, domestic water use, cooling, heating, gas, and steam to support dispatching decisions.

5. Energy station load forecasting

Forecasts and analyzes the load of each energy station.

6. EV charging pile energy use forecasting

Forecasts peak and off-peak energy consumption for EV charging piles.

11. Data Mining

The system performs atypical data mining and analysis on user behavior, the characteristics of different types of distributed energy stations, and energy usage patterns. It deeply mines data from the supply side, consumption side, and user side to provide a data-driven basis for improving production efficiency and service quality.

12. Economic Analysis

Analyzes the operating costs and payback periods of energy stations, converts and analyzes energy loss across various stages, and performs economic analysis on equipment depreciation and wear.

13. Report Statistics

Provides multidimensional statistics across modules such as energy station supply, energy consumption side, waste and sewage supervision, user services, production management, and predictive analysis, with support for one-click export.

14. Mobile Client

Displays different functions for different roles and users.

15. WeChat Information Center

For end users, the WeChat Information Center includes “Customer Service,” “Feedback,” “Message Assistant,” “Energy Usage Reports,” and “Self-Service Payment.”

• Customer Service: allows users to submit suggestions and make inquiries in real time.
• Feedback: after users submit suggestions, they can be viewed on the management side.
• Message Assistant: used to push key data from distributed energy stations on a scheduled basis, such as key equipment parameters, energy efficiency parameters, and user notifications.
• Energy Usage Reports: pushes energy usage reports on a scheduled basis.
• Self-Service Payment: allows users to pay water, electricity, gas, steam, and other fees through WeChat.