Specialized load management for atypical grid usage
New challenges for local electricity grids
The dynamics of the electricity grid have changed considerably in recent years. The increasing use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy and the simultaneous growing variability in the energy consumption of end consumers are presenting grids with new challenges. Peak load times, when local electricity grids are particularly heavily utilized, are occurring more frequently. As a result, electricity grids briefly reach their capacity limits and grid operators are forced to take measures to ensure grid stability. Grid operators therefore determine the typical daily peak load times in the local electricity grid each year in relation to the different seasons. High-load times often only occur in the winter months, for example.
New opportunities for industrial companies with peak load management
Large end users in particular, such as industrial companies, are motivated by financial incentives to reduce their power consumption during such peak load times.
Thanks to their forward-looking load adjustment, these companies benefit from significantly reduced grid charges, which are only calculated on the reduced peak load during peak load windows. Specifically, industrial companies with electricity consumption at medium-voltage level must reduce their annual load peak by at least 20% during peak load times in order to comply with atypical grid usage, thereby saving at least one fifth of their grid charges. The greater the load adjustment, the higher the resulting cost savings.
In addition, some grid operators offer the option to save further costs by choosing the lower grid fee tariff for companies with more than 2,500 annual usage hours. By using the grid atypically, businesses can therefore not only reduce their costs for the power they use, but also make considerable savings on the energy they use.
Which companies are interested in atypical grid usage?
The following characteristics show potential for participation in atypical grid usage:
- High peak loads, particularly in the summer months, e.g. due to cooling processes
- Reduction of the annual peak load by at least 100 kW is realistic
- Buffer storage for thermal energy available
- Flexible consumers with high load draws in the summer months available
Based on this, the automated peak load management system ENIT act offers the functionality to regulate loads specifically during the defined peak load times so that atypical grid usage is guaranteed.
Further information on specific load management applications and the identification of flexible consumers can be found in our latest webinar recording on peak load management:
Practical use case: Realizing atypical grid usage by curtailing refrigeration compressors
A real-life case study is used to describe the potential and approach of a customer who uses participation in atypical grid usage to reduce costs.
Potential of the industrial company
The industrial company has been using ENIT agent energy monitoring for several years.Thanks to the software features for analyzing peak loads and the findings on the operational load characteristics, whichcan be determined using the annual duration curve, the company quickly gained transparency about the seasonal load peaks.Particularly in the summer months, when the cooling systems are operated more intensively due to the high outside temperatures, the company regularly experiences high load peaks.
Every year, the customer is confronted with considerable energy costs, of which the grid charges with a peak load of over 2,000 kW account for a significant proportion, as can be seen from the monthly electricity bill .
In addition, the company is close to the limit of 2,500 annual usage hours, which determines the tariff for grid charges. Below this limit, the energy is priced more heavily, above it the peak load is more significant.
As the peak load times in the industrial company's grid area have so far been exclusively in the autumn and winter months, the customer quickly recognizes the potential to meet the criteria for atypical grid usage by making slight load adjustments at the relevant times, thereby achieving considerable financial relief.
For the coming year, the business registers for atypical grid usage and also agrees an option with the grid operator. This enables the company to always receive the tariff for more than 2,500 annual usage hours and thus also benefit from very favorable grid charges for the energy purchased.
In future, the business will only be charged for the reduced peak load from the peak load times and the tariff for more than 2,500 annual usage hours will simultaneously charge the annual energy consumption at the significantly lower price. This saves the customer a total of around 70,000 euros per year across both price components.
The steps taken by the customer to implement atypical grid usage using an automated load management system
To successfully reduce peak loads during peak load windows, the customer needs an automated system that ensures compliance with the maximum permissible peak load smoothly and does not jeopardize or hinder the production process.
The first step is to identify flexible consumers in the plant. In a joint workshop at the customer's premises, it was possible to gain a precise understanding of the company's energy system with its generators and consumers. A number of powerful consumers in the area of refrigeration were quickly identified using electric compressors, which, thanks to existing buffer storage, can be switched off for short periods without causing an interruption in operating conditions. The targeted peak load limit values for compliance with atypical grid usage are derived from the energy monitoring and defined .
In the next step, the consumer-specific parameters such as maximum switch-off times and maximum permissible curtailment levels as well as the technical control options are defined using various communication protocols .
Finally, the ENIT act load management system is adjusted specifically to the seasonally changing peak load time windows in the grid area and the customer's defined peak load limit values. The control and parameters for the individual consumers are implemented. The parameterization can be easily adapted in the future if, for example, the load situation in the company or the legal requirements from atypical grid usage change. In this way, the load management system always grows with the company .
As soon as the ENIT act is installed on site, the systems are automatically controlled as required during peak load times. The load at the company's grid connection point is continuously monitored. The system only intervenes at times when the average load for a quarter of an hour would exceed the limit set by the company, so that the flexibility of the consumers is only used in the quarter hours that are really necessary.
The figure below shows an example load profile for a day with a peak load time window. During the peak load period, the company's load consumption is reduced by at least 20% compared to the annual peak load. Load management ensures this behavior by briefly shutting down the defined systems within the permitted framework conditions at critical moments .
The customer can view the load management switching processes in real time in his energy monitoring system and thus retains control and transparency over the regulated peak load situation. Last but not least, this provides evidence of the successfully implemented atypical grid usage to the grid operator .
Result: Continuous savings and long-term benefits for the industrial company
By using the load management system, the customer benefits from long-term advantages .
- Annual recurring savings on grid charges: The customer achieves annual savings on grid charges of around 70,000 euros. This provides the customer with significant financial relief year after year.
- Intelligent use of operational resources - a contribution to grid stability: Thanks to a clear understanding of the operational energy system, generation plants such as CHP units were optimally programmed in order to optimize energy-efficient operation and reduce peak loads at times of high demand. In addition to the intelligent use of operational resources, the customer, as an energy-intensive end user, makes a significant contribution to the grid stability of the local power grid by reducing the grid load at critical times .
- Ready for future challenges: The implemented load management system provides the customer with a deep understanding of the flexibility in operation and an active technical system for controlling systems. This optimally positions the customer for the use of further load management applications in order to implement additional energy and cost efficiency measures and to benefit from future regulatory incentives and financial advantages.
The implementation of the load management system and the resulting cost savings demonstrate how operational flexibility can be used to optimize energy costs. This strategy not only offers financial benefits, but also significantly increases the flexibility and future-proofing of operations.