OREANDA-NEWS. May 24, 2012. Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., DENSO Corporation, Toyota Tsusho Corporation, FamilyMart Co., Ltd., Takamiya Corporation, and Yamato Transport Co., Ltd. will jointly conduct a demonstration test in Kita Kyushu City, Fukuoka, Japan, for the development of a Building Energy Management System (BEMS), which will help realize "smart stores" that will contribute to leveling regional electric load, creating a low-carbon society, and using energy more effectively. The demonstration test will run from June 2012 to December 2014.


The companies will use the test data to develop a highly-efficient energy management system that helps to level the regional energy load and create a low-carbon society. The demonstration test will focus on four key areas:
Optimal control of regional energy use
Optimal control of store energy use
Storage and efficient use of energy
Smaller independent battery for lower cost and increased vehicle fuel efficiency

 
Demonstration Location:

In Japan, Kita Kyushu City is designated as an experimental city for next-generation energy sources and social systems, a program which has been promoted by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry since April 2010. The BEMS test will be held as part of Kita Kyushu City’s Project for Building a Smart Community.


Demonstration Test Details:


1. Optimal control of regional energy use

The test is designed to help create an energy management system not only for stores, but also a region-wide energy management system – Cluster Energy Management System (CEMS).

 
The test will evaluate a BEMS system including a store energy controller, store devices including a climate control system which can be operated in an energy-efficient manner, a BEMS controller to store and distribute energy for use in the store, a battery unit, various power conditioners for DC-AC and voltage conversion, and other devices.

 Combined with the CEMS, the BEMS will respond to adjustments in the supply and demand for power as well as Dynamic Pricing of electricity, a system for changing electricity prices with the season or time of day. Also, working with programs for Demand Response, a system that adjusts electricity consumers’ use of electricity in response to changes in demand in the power grid, the BEMS will control electricity consumption during peak hours to help optimize energy use across the region.


2. Optimal control of store energy use

Energy use will be optimally controlled, based on the following data predicted by the store energy controller:
Estimation of the amount of energy to be used by store devices including a climate control system, lighting devices, and showcases based on data such as past electricity use and the latest weather forecast
Estimation of the amount of electricity to be generated by the photovoltaic unit installed at a store based on data such as temperature and amount of sunlight
Plan developed for battery charging and discharging to minimize electricity costs


3. Storage and efficient use of energy

Combined with the BEMS controller, battery unit, power conditioners, and photovoltaic generation unit, the BEMS controls the storage and distribution of electricity according to a battery charging and discharging plan developed by the store energy controller, to provide electricity to devices (DC-powered showcases and charging poles) that operate on direct current and those (devices installed in stores) that run on alternating current.
 

While power companies supply electricity as alternating current, photovoltaic units generate direct current electricity, which is normally converted into alternating current for electric devices, incurring conversion losses. In the demonstration test, DC-powered showcases will run on direct current stored in the battery unit without DC-AC conversion, thus eliminating conversion losses and using electricity more efficiently.
 

The area in Kita Kyushu City where the demonstration tests will be conducted is designated by the Japanese government as a special zone for the supply and use of electricity. To exploit this advantage, the BEMS used in the test will also have a function to send surplus electricity from its battery unit to the regional power company. The effectiveness of this function when electricity balance is tight will be evaluated.


4. Smaller independent battery for lower cost and increased vehicle fuel efficiency

Refrigerated delivery vehicles that regularly transport goods to commercial facilities will be equipped with a battery storage system. This will allow the vehicles to control the temperature of the refrigerator and/or freezer when the engine is stopped or at an idle.


The battery storage systems can be fully charged at distribution centers and can be partially charged at the commercial facilities in which the vehicle visits. This allows the total capacity of battery storage system to be reduced, allowing for a smaller battery pack.