needed to optimise supply and demand.
According to China’s Strategic Action Plan for
Energy Development (2014–20), 14 large 100
Mt coal bases and nine large 10 GW coal power
bases will be formed, mainly in the north,
north-west and south-west of the country; and
nine large wind power bases will be created,
mainly in the north, north-east and north-west.
The installed capacity of solar power in the north,
north-east and north-west will reach 37 GW,
37% of China’s total installed capacity in solar.
Given the distance between energy production in
the north and west and load centres in the east
and south, China’s priorities include the continued development of long-distance high-capacity
power transmission, expansion of the
West-to-East power transmission project, and
implementation of the North-to-South power
transmission project.
Secure, clean and efficient distributed energy is
an important part of China’s future energy system.
Distributed energy is a network that connects
low-carbon energy producers with consumers. It
is capable of effectively integrating different types
of energy and making energy use more efficient.
As such, it is an important tool to counter energy
shortage and environmental pollution. A distributed energy network can comprise multiple
renewables like building-integrated photovoltaics, rooftop solar, waste-to-energy, biogas,
geothermal, energy storage, and small wind farms.
Each network can operate as an independent
microgrid serving a village, organisation or community, or be connected to the centralised grid for
regional integration, leveraging technologies such
as artificial intelligence and big data.
Distributed energy offers efficient and flexible
grid connection. This enables the grid to operate
optimally by combining centralised and distributed energy resources. Generally, distributed
energy networks need to be connected to the grid
to import or export power during periods of
surplus production or deficiency or network
outages. During normal operation, the grid can
provide distributed energy networks with services like voltage and frequency support and
system backup. These can help optimise power
distribution and safeguard grid operation.
Distributed energy will be mainly connected to
power distribution systems and microgrid/micro
energy networks, resulting in multi-directional
energy flows. This is detrimental to network
protection and control. To offset such negative
effects, active power distribution and smart
microgrid/energy network technologies can be
developed to ensure grid connection of all distributed energy and safe and stable grid
operation.
(2) A digital platform for smart energy
services
Digitalisation, the Internet and advanced information software are changing the way energy is
produced, distributed and used. Together, they
are refashioning the energy landscape, creating
new business models and driving economic and
social development.
Smart, digitalised energy infrastructure creates
a platform for sharing energy and information.
Whereas the traditional grid is a pure power
transmission and distribution system, the smart
grid is an integrated energy and information
carrier. This enables the grid to function as a
central platform for wide-area optimisation and
to coordinate distributed energy infrastructure. In
time the strength of the grid’s information and
communication resources can help build a public
data-sharing platform that can improve energy
production and consumption, and better serve
people’s needs.
The integration of energy networks with the
Internet triggers the emergence of new business
models and energy service players. It connects
decentralised users, diversified energy carriers
and different service providers in the energy
system, expanding the scope and frequency of
market interaction and lowering transaction
costs. Business model innovations will initially
target power trading and new energy vehicles,
and then extend to other parts of the energy
system like energy demand consulting, energy
efficiency products and online-to-offline services.
Many innovative energy service companies will
also start up, driving the development of the
energy Internet industry into value-added
services.
160
W. Xiaoming et al.
According to China’s Strategic Action Plan for
Energy Development (2014–20), 14 large 100
Mt coal bases and nine large 10 GW coal power
bases will be formed, mainly in the north,
north-west and south-west of the country; and
nine large wind power bases will be created,
mainly in the north, north-east and north-west.
The installed capacity of solar power in the north,
north-east and north-west will reach 37 GW,
37% of China’s total installed capacity in solar.
Given the distance between energy production in
the north and west and load centres in the east
and south, China’s priorities include the continued development of long-distance high-capacity
power transmission, expansion of the
West-to-East power transmission project, and
implementation of the North-to-South power
transmission project.
Secure, clean and efficient distributed energy is
an important part of China’s future energy system.
Distributed energy is a network that connects
low-carbon energy producers with consumers. It
is capable of effectively integrating different types
of energy and making energy use more efficient.
As such, it is an important tool to counter energy
shortage and environmental pollution. A distributed energy network can comprise multiple
renewables like building-integrated photovoltaics, rooftop solar, waste-to-energy, biogas,
geothermal, energy storage, and small wind farms.
Each network can operate as an independent
microgrid serving a village, organisation or community, or be connected to the centralised grid for
regional integration, leveraging technologies such
as artificial intelligence and big data.
Distributed energy offers efficient and flexible
grid connection. This enables the grid to operate
optimally by combining centralised and distributed energy resources. Generally, distributed
energy networks need to be connected to the grid
to import or export power during periods of
surplus production or deficiency or network
outages. During normal operation, the grid can
provide distributed energy networks with services like voltage and frequency support and
system backup. These can help optimise power
distribution and safeguard grid operation.
Distributed energy will be mainly connected to
power distribution systems and microgrid/micro
energy networks, resulting in multi-directional
energy flows. This is detrimental to network
protection and control. To offset such negative
effects, active power distribution and smart
microgrid/energy network technologies can be
developed to ensure grid connection of all distributed energy and safe and stable grid
operation.
(2) A digital platform for smart energy
services
Digitalisation, the Internet and advanced information software are changing the way energy is
produced, distributed and used. Together, they
are refashioning the energy landscape, creating
new business models and driving economic and
social development.
Smart, digitalised energy infrastructure creates
a platform for sharing energy and information.
Whereas the traditional grid is a pure power
transmission and distribution system, the smart
grid is an integrated energy and information
carrier. This enables the grid to function as a
central platform for wide-area optimisation and
to coordinate distributed energy infrastructure. In
time the strength of the grid’s information and
communication resources can help build a public
data-sharing platform that can improve energy
production and consumption, and better serve
people’s needs.
The integration of energy networks with the
Internet triggers the emergence of new business
models and energy service players. It connects
decentralised users, diversified energy carriers
and different service providers in the energy
system, expanding the scope and frequency of
market interaction and lowering transaction
costs. Business model innovations will initially
target power trading and new energy vehicles,
and then extend to other parts of the energy
system like energy demand consulting, energy
efficiency products and online-to-offline services.
Many innovative energy service companies will
also start up, driving the development of the
energy Internet industry into value-added
services.
160
W. Xiaoming et al.