Driven by years of international advocacy from environmental groups such as RE100, EV100, and EP100, enterprises around the world are now seeking renewable energy and green transportation solutions in a genuine effort to improve their energy consumption efficiency. This trend has even extended to companies requiring their supply chains to follow suit, making green energy a vital aspect of competition at all market levels. However, the task of introducing and upgrading technologies such as renewable energy and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) is making energy management increasingly more sophisticated. This is especially the case given that sounder management systems and viable integration mechanisms are becoming a necessity for corporations to maximize the benefits of implementing these technologies. DeltaGrid® Energy Management is an Energy IoT solution that can assist small and medium enterprises with renewable energy systems in place by helping them facilitate the control and distribution of energy in both office and manufacturing settings.
Beyond energy saving: Achieving higher operational efficiency and environmental comfort
Traditional energy management systems typically emphasize monitoring, control, and visualization functions based on information that is automatically gathered from different departments and equipment in an office or plant site. Specifically, the visualization of such information enables clearer monitoring and control so that owners can achieve energy saving through efficient energy distribution. One example is load shedding or upward adjustment of air-conditioning temperatures in offices during peak hours, which prevents excessive power consumption, which can result in having to pay penalty rates on electricity. However, this approach can hamper operational efficiency or diminish the level of comfort in the work environment.
The DeltaGrid® Energy Management solution does more than help businesses achieve energy saving. It also entails the idea of energy creation, energy control, and smart load shading. Utilizing a web-based user interface, DeltaGrid® is a powerful energy management platform that integrates renewable energy, EV charging, energy storage, and building automation systems. Through unified control and automatic distribution, this solution helps businesses optimize their energy consumption efficiency.
Regarding the benefits of DeltaGrid®, the concept of “energy creation” refers to the distributed generation of renewable energy from buildings acting as microgrids. This means that they can effectively act as a substitution that reduces power demand on the grid during peak hours. Next, “energy control” is a buffer mechanism in power distribution, which is supported by energy storage systems (ESSs) that enable load shifting between peak and off-peak times; this method of peak shaving reduces a building’s reliance on the power grid and thus also assists in improving grid stability. Finally, the system is bolstered by being able to determine the most efficient mode of power consumption with its “smart load shading” system. Through energy distribution and peak shaving, companies can maintain a balance between electricity costs, operational efficiency, and environmental quality.
The challenge of green energy: Simplifying energy management with DeltaGrid® Energy Management
The fact of the matter is that green energy is here to stay. As power sources, energy consumption modes, and energy management mechanisms become more sophisticated, meeting the following needs will be indispensable for enterprises:
- Keeping track of power generation, storage, and consumption through a user interface that visualizes information on real-time power supply flow, accumulated power generation/consumption, statistical information, and electricity billing.
- Installing an additional power supply to reduce energy consumption during peak hours so that contracted supply quantities are not exceeded.
- Utilizing an ESS during peak hours and the power grid during off-peak hours in order to achieve peak shaving and load shifting.
- Effectively controlling power consumption in the event of unanticipated charging demand after installing EV charging facilities.
- Implementing an automatic or scheduled power distribution system.
IoT management: The solution for energy creation, storage, control, and saving
The DeltaGrid® Energy Management solution serves the abovementioned needs of businesses and helps them to realize a smart energy system that can optimize their energy consumption. The introduction of AI machine learning in particular is key to optimizing automated control. The solution integrates the following components:
- Renewable Energy Generation: Introducing PV energy is highly feasible for plant management and office settings. The DC power generated from PV systems can be converted to AC via an inverter and then coupled with the grid or stored in a battery energy storage system (BESS).
- Energy Storage System: Including a power conditioning system (PCS) and BESS under cabinet design ensures easy installation in outdoor or indoor environments. The Li–battery is small in dimensions and as such occupies less space, while the PCS provides AC/DC conversion and control and performs power conditioning between the grid, storage system, and loading, and this is paired with the BESS and controllers for energy management and distribution.
- DeltaGrid® Energy Management solution: This is a visualization tool with which management can remain informed of the status of power generation, storage, and consumption in real-time, with dynamic updates every second and accumulated data updates every 5 minutes. Regarding the control of power discharge, many commercial buildings and manufacturing plants have already installed an ESS in the past. A key point of DeltaGrid® is that it also has an API that allows it to connect with existing systems without having to replace the whole set. This ensures the optimal outcome with minimal investment.
Success at Delta HQ with multiple supplies: Leveling the loading curve
The corporate HQ of Delta at the Rui–Guang Building in Neihu, Taipei, is also a demonstration site. A 29-kW PV power generation system and 33kWh storage system were incrementally installed in idle space on the rooftop of the building, and EV charging facilities have also been installed in the underground parking lot since March 2019. Through the inception of the DeltaGrid® solution, information on all subsystems has been consolidated into a single platform for connecting to the building’s control system. This has facilitated monitoring and control of essential equipment in the building.
Under the present conditions of DeltaGrid®, the system can store all or surplus energy generated from the rooftop PV system into the ESS. It can also draw on the local power supply to charge the system on holidays and during off-peak hours, thus ensuring it can meet power demand during regular workdays and service hours, while also providing support for R&D and the laboratory when energy demand spikes occur. The system can also reduce a load of power consumption through load shading by helping locate inefficient power consumption in the building, based on information received from the automation system. Multiple sourcing, saving, and smart dissipation together help to narrow the gap between energy consumption during peak hours and off-peak hours in the building and also to level the loading curve, which assists in ensuring that energy consumption is within the contracted quantity and thus reduces the building’s electricity costs.
This solution has been tested and validated since March 2020 and is now in market promotion with an emphasis in the following areas:
- Assisting enterprises to introduce green energy in response to probable requirements of the levy of the carbon tax and future green energy applications in international trade, government policy, and supply chains.
- Providing a unified platform for energy creation, control, and saving. The solution effectively helps reduce dependence on local power grids, prevent penalties from excessive energy consumption, identify the most appropriate contracted energy consumption quantity, and determine the most economical approach to energy spending.
- As a leading firm in smart energy and storage systems, Delta can provide a complete set of software and hardware products to assist companies at all stages of development, from planning and production to installation and localized service. We are a one-stop service solution for customers, ensuring minimal time in project planning and installation and the lowest cost for highly integrated IoT systems.
- In general, the lifespan of the energy systems and equipment is about one or two decades, and these require stable and reliable technical support. As a leading firm for electricity and electronics in Taiwan, Delta carries a complete line of related products. Our local engineering and service team can provide stable and timely support, in the long run, to help businesses troubleshoot any problem that encounters in planning for their energy transformation.
-