Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed a new energy management system called “sEMSA” that is useful for business establishments/plants to optimally manage their distributed power sources consisting of various energies including renewable energies.

With the recent increasing social demand for energy saving, many plants, companies and other large power users are expanding their use of distributed power systems that depend on renewable and other natural energies. An energy management system plays an important role in such large power systems for which higher energy utilization efficiency is required.

The sEMSA*1 newly developed by Sumitomo Electric enhances energy utilization efficiency (Figure 1), thereby reducing environmental loads and minimizing energy costs. The sEMSA provides the following benefits:

1．An original, new system developed to meet a wide variety of customer needs

The company stratified the functions required for energy management, and developed the architecture shown in Figure 2. Each function in the strata has been modularized*2 so that the new energy management system can be built using only the functional modules necessary for a specific application. This development concept helps realize a flexible and expandable development environment that can expeditiously and inexpensively meet the various needs of utility companies, homes, and various other customers for distributed power sources.

2．Quick demand response (DR)

Mathematical programming*3 is a commonly-used technique for optimally managing two or more distributed power sources. Using this technique, we developed a new fast computational algorithm that can establish a plan for optimally managing a power system in a short cycle time and performing feedback control of the system. Compared with conventional power management algorithms, the new algorithm realizes smaller power cost prediction error and manages the power system on a real-time basis. Concerning the growing customer interest in DR, the sEMSA can also respond momentarily to DR commands as measures for power utilities to secure reserve capacity and level off peak load.

3．Balanced, optimal power management with reduction of and compliance with contract power

The sEMSA recalculates an optimal power management plan in a short cycle time and performs feedback control to regulate the power received from the electric power company according to the recalculated optimal plan. Therefore, the new product achieves an ideal balance between optimal power management and compliance with contract power.

4．Built-in investment recovery conditions and various other simulation functions

For business establishments considering installing a distributed power source, the sEMSA simulates the specifications of distributed power supply facilities under best investment recovery conditions. After distributed power supply facilities are installed, the sEMSA manages the power under the above best recovery conditions.

A demonstration model of the sEMSA has currently been operated at Sumitomo Electric Yokohama Works using three redox flow batteries (total 1 MW), six gas power generators (total 3.6 MW), concentrated photovoltaic units (total 100 kW), and Yokohama Works’ actual electric load. Concerning DR, the company has been proceeding with a joint test with Yokohama City in line with in the Next-Generation Energy and Social Systems Demonstration Project, a national project led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

The company is planning to commercialize the sEMSA for the following applications and sell it to large business establishments and plants.

• High-efficiency energy management to reduce environmental loads and minimize energy costs
• Response to DR by electric power company/aggregator*4
• Power wheeling*5 between two or more business establishments and plants by 30-minute power balancing rule

• sEMSA is a trademark or registered trademark of Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.