WO1997037420A1

WO1997037420A1 - Public energy-distribution system, method of providing energy supplies and system components for this system

Info

Publication number: WO1997037420A1
Application number: PCT/EP1997/001876
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wolfgang Beier
Original assignee: Alcatel Alsthom Compagnie Generale D'electricite
Priority date: 1996-03-29
Filing date: 1997-03-27
Publication date: 1997-10-09
Also published as: DE19612776A1; AU2697597A

Abstract

The invention concerns a method of providing energy supplies via a combined network (E) to which a plurality of suppliers (P1, P2, ..., PN) and consumers (C1, C2, ..., CM) are connected, with freely selectable relations between suppliers and consumers. According to the invention, the supply and reception of given amounts of energy are agreed on between the suppliers and the consumers by data exchange (D) at short intervals. Each supplier supplies the agreed amounts of energy to the combined network and each consumer receives the agreed amount of energy. The invention further concerns a public energy distribution system for providing energy supplies, and system components for this system.

Description

Open energy distribution system,

Procedure for performing energy deliveries, as well as system components for this system

The invention relates to a method for carrying out energy deliveries according to the preamble of claim 1, an open energy distribution system according to the preamble of claim 2, and system components for customers and suppliers in this system according to the preamble of claim 3 and claim 4.

Currently, apart from the distribution of energy sources such as coal or heating oil, the energy distribution to the end consumer is carried out almost exclusively by monopolized energy supply companies. In an area agreed between them and the authorities, they are solely entitled and obliged to supply electrical energy, heating gas, water and in some cases district heating. Although water has nothing to do with energy, it is classified here according to common usage, as is heating gas, which is not an energy but an energy source. In any case, there are no fundamental differences in the type of distribution and billing. The energy supply companies are currently also often responsible for the disposal of waste water. This is where the situation lies fundamentally different than there are no national networks for remote disposal. Otherwise, the present invention would be applicable accordingly.

Within the area of an energy supply company, this is connected to the customers by a network of supply lines. At least as far as electrical energy is concerned, the energy supply companies are interconnected by a network. In addition to adhering to a very precise frequency, which can also serve as a time standard, this network serves to distribute the energy over a large area. No energy supply company needs to feed in exactly as much energy at any moment as the connected consumers are currently consuming. Even on average over time, there is no need to compensate for the individual energy supply company. Individual energy supply companies only distribute energy that is obtained via the network, while others have no buyers of their own and only feed energy into the network.

In addition to the provision of the required quantity, the guarantee of a certain quality is the task of the individual energy supply companies. Apart from the frequency already mentioned for electrical energy and the composition of the contents for water or heating gas, the voltage or pressure, and also the temperature for district heating, should be mentioned here. In the long term, the means to achieve this are the correct network design, including the transformers, pumps and intermediate storage, the short-term opening and closing of switches, valves or sliders, as well as the adaptation of the transmission ratios or pump outputs to current requirements.

Another important task is billing. For this purpose, integrating counters are currently available on all interfaces. Interfaces are the house or apartment connection (or a corresponding interface in the commercial area) and the transfer point to the next one

Energy supply company. In the field of electrical power distribution, it is not uncommon to switch between different tariffs based on time or events. It then switches between different counters. At the same time, certain consumers are often switched on or off. In the case of remote control, the control signals are usually supplied via the power distribution network itself. The energy supply companies are already connected to each other by a data network.

There are now political endeavors to abolish the monopolies of the energy supply companies, as was the case with the post office and railways, and to create a free market in which every end consumer can choose from any provider. The object of the present invention is to create technical prerequisites that this is possible at all.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a method according to the teaching of claim 1, an energy distribution system according to the teaching of claim 2 and system components for customers and suppliers according to the teaching of claim 3 and 4.

According to the invention, a common energy distribution network is to be created, to which all participating suppliers and customers are connected and to which a data network is superimposed, over which, in a continuous manner, so to speak, delivery and acceptance of certain amounts of energy between a customer and a provider selected by the latter agreed and carried out.

In the following the invention is further explained with the aid of the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows schematically an inventive

Energy distribution system for performing the method according to the invention.

2 shows a system component according to the invention for a customer.

3 shows a system component according to the invention for a provider.

1 shows a number of providers, Pl, P2, .... PN, a number of customers, Cl, C2, ..., CM, an energy distribution network E and a data network D.

The energy distribution network E connects all providers and all customers to one another. With suppliers, the flow of energy is only away from them, and towards buyers only. Converters (transformers, pumps), storage (pumped storage power plants, gas boilers, water towers), switches and counters are not shown here. The energy distribution rail drawn horizontally between the providers and customers would have to be shown above the providers in conventional networks. In principle, there is no difference between these representations. This is precisely where the invention comes into play. The existing network can be kept unchanged; new power supplies do not need to be designed differently than before.

Only the billing process, which the at least partially new data network D serves, is different. The data network D is shown here in a very simplified manner. It is important that every customer can send messages to every provider. The providers must be able to exchange information with each other. If, as shown here, the providers can also send messages to the customers, the degrees of freedom and thus the possibilities of the network increase. With reference to FIG. 2, it is now described how the method works for one of the customers, here Ci. For this purpose, the customer Ci uses a system component SC which has a measuring device M and a communication and control unit CC.

As in conventional systems, the measuring device M measures the amount of energy actually taken from the network E at the moment by the customer Ci and reports this, according to the invention, to the communication and control unit CC. The measured value is integrated, regardless of where in this system component, over a certain period of time or up to a certain amount of energy. Once this predetermined value has been reached, the communication and control unit CC sends a message to the selected provider B via the data network D and sets the integrated value back to zero.

First of all, the simplest case of a small consumer should be viewed as buyer Ci. As is usual now, the latter will have a fixed contract with a specific provider Pj. He will pay a consumption-independent monthly base amount and will always pay the same amount according to an undivided tariff regardless of the time per energy unit. His system component SC will be left to him, as he is today, by the provider Pj. The address to which the messages are to be sent via the data network is permanently programmed. It is also firmly programmed which amount of energy is to be reported in each case or for which period of time the amount of energy to be reported must be reported. The provider Pj sums up the energy quantities reported by the customer Ci and bills them as usual, monthly or annually, together with the base amount.

Small consumers, in particular, often work with hot water storage and the storage medium for water heating, occasionally also for space heating (in the case of hot water preparation, the water itself) heated in low load times from the electrical network. A particularly favorable tariff is then offered, but this is only valid at certain times. At these times, which can be permanently programmed, a switching signal RQ is emitted, by means of which these consumers can be switched on. This tariff is taken into account when submitting the messages from the customer Ci to the provider Rj.

Even if such times are fixed and taken into account by a time switch in the system component SC, a synchronization of this clock via the data network D is indicated, for which the system component SC must then also be able not only to send messages but also to receive them . However, if these technical options are available, they can also be used for other purposes, for example to switch over whenever the load is to be increased.

A larger consumer can now have contracts with two or more providers as a customer, which allows him to choose between the providers at any time or at certain times, depending on the agreement. The agreements made are then entered, for example, by means of a chip card from the respective provider or also from the provider via the data network D into the system component SC of the customer. It makes sense here if the providers are currently distributing their respective tariffs to their customers. It can then also make sense to make special offers via the data network D in order to induce individual customers to accept and switch on certain devices via a switching signal RQ. Conversely, an inquiry RQ can be started, for example, from a washing machine via the data network D to the provider who offers the required amount of energy at the cheapest price. The provider can then also make offers for a somewhat later period and be accepted and confirmed by the customer. The data exchange via the data network D must necessarily be standardized to a certain extent. However, if there is such standardization, it is no longer imperative that a customer can only agree to acceptances via the data network with providers with whom he has previously concluded a contract.

At the latest here, the question of the design of the data network D and the data format to be used clearly arises. At least the development, not necessarily the application, of the techniques required here is already very advanced and is currently being pushed forward. As an example, reference is made here to multimedia applications or to automated recording and billing of toll road use, for example according to DE 44 25 271 AI, where the question of secure identification, counterfeit security and discontinuous data exchange plays an important role everywhere. Furthermore, reference is made to the fact that the energy distribution network E is already used up to the end customer for more or less extensive data transmission. Not least because of these already existing technical possibilities, the energy supply companies are currently pushing very strongly onto the market of future competitors to the previously state-owned telephone companies. For the rest, the question of the ownership of the data network D does not play a technical role. It is also easily possible to use the conventional telecommunications network.

The system component shown in FIG. 3 for a provider differs in principle, at least with regard to the present invention, only slightly from that for a customer. The entire energy technology side remains basically unchanged. Ultimately, what changes is billing. Of course can result from the fact that from a commercial point of view the technical parameters are specified differently and the facilities may also be dimensioned differently.

The provider Pj uses a system component SP, which has a measuring device M and a communication and control unit CC.

The measuring device M measures the amount of energy actually fed into the network E by this provider Pj and reports this to the communication and control unit CC.

The communication and control unit CC also continuously collects the messages from those customers who currently want to obtain from this provider. As a rule, the reported amount of energy fed in will not match the desired purchase amount. At least, as before, there is also the possibility of influencing your own energy supply with switching commands RQ. Deviating from the current state, there is also the possibility, however, of changing the tariffs over the data network D at short notice and thus directing some consumers more towards or away from them. By issuing or withdrawing special offers, consumer devices such as heaters or washing machines can be switched on or off or prevented from being switched on.

As before, each supplier can continue to feed in energy for customers of other suppliers or have energy fed in by others for their own customers.

Of course, companies are still conceivable that face the final customers in their own name and on their own account as providers, but towards the energy suppliers as customers. It is particularly clear here that the size of the pro The amount of energy reported via the data network cannot be the same size for all customers. The reports or queries should not be closer than is necessary for stable control behavior.

The example of the latter companies also makes it clear that it is not only the pure energy supplies that have to be paid for. The availability of the network and transmission losses must also be taken into account. However, these are not technical questions. From the technical point of view, all that has to be taken into account is that when selecting the data network, including the data format and the data protocol, such requirements can be met at all and as simply as possible.

The data network and the control program of the communication and control unit must also be able to meet political requirements and personal preferences or aversions which serve to favor or disadvantage certain types of energy, regions or customers. However, all of these are non-technical aspects that have an impact above all on the decision criteria, the application of which by technical means is not a problem.

Claims

claims

1. Procedure for carrying out energy deliveries via a network (E), to which several customers (Cl, C2, ..., CM) and providers (Pl, P2, ..., PN) are connected, with freely selectable relationships between Customers and providers, characterized in that delivery and acceptance of certain amounts of energy are agreed between customers and providers through data exchange (D) at short intervals, that each provider feeds the agreed amounts of energy into the interconnected network and that each buyer accepts the agreed amount of energy.

2. Open energy distribution system with an energy network (E), to which several customers (Cl, C2, ..., CM) and several providers (Pl, P2, ..., PN) are connected, characterized in that a data network (D) is available, via which customers and providers can exchange data with each other and that customers and providers are equipped with system components (SP, SC) that are connected to both the power grid (E) and the data network (D) connected are that the system components (SC) at the customers (Ci) have means (M) to determine the current energy requirement, that they have means (CC) to use the data network (D) with a selected provider (Pj) Agree to accept a certain amount of energy and that they have means (M, CC) to trigger a new agreement when the agreed amount of energy has decreased and that the system components (SP) have means (CC) at the providers (Pj) to to agree on the delivery of certain amounts of energy with customers via the data network (D) and that they have means (CC, M) to trigger the delivery of the agreed amounts of energy.

3. System component (SC) for a customer (Ci) in an open energy distribution system for connection to an energy network (E), characterized in that the system component (SC) has means (CC) for connection to a data network (D) that it has means (M) to determine the current energy demand of the customer (Ci), that it has means (CC) to agree on the data network with a provider (Pj) the purchase of a certain amount of energy and that they have means (CC, M) to trigger a new agreement when the agreed amount of energy has decreased.

4. System component (SP) for a provider (Pj) in an open energy distribution system for connection to an energy network (E), characterized in that the system component (SP) has means (CC) for connection to a data network (D) that it has means (CC) to agree on the delivery of certain amounts of energy to customers via the data network and that it has means (CC, M) to trigger the delivery of the agreed amounts of energy.