Virtual Energy Storage Segmentation for Demand Response
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The high initial investment and maintenance costs, as well as inefficient usage of distributed energy resources in homes and buildings, due to their large capacity and seasonal demand characteristics, hinder effective energy storage management and participation in demand response markets.
Innovation Solution
Dividing large-capacity energy storage into virtual energy storages allocated based on user requirements, allowing for integral management and control of these virtual storages to optimize usage and reduce costs, enabling participation in demand response markets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If distributed energy resources are installed to meet seasonal and periodic demand, then energy supply reliability is improved, but initial investment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large-capacity energy storage system into multiple virtual energy storage units, each corresponding to different users or time periods. This allows the total capacity to be divided and allocated based on actual demand patterns, reducing the need for each user to invest in full-capacity storage while maintaining supply reliability through coordinated management of virtual units.
2Stability of the object's composition
If large-capacity energy storage is installed to ensure continuous supply, then energy supply stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of energy storage units that represent different users or time periods. These virtual energy storage units are software-based abstractions that simplify management by allowing independent control and allocation without physically managing multiple complex storage systems. The virtual modeling reduces operational complexity while maintaining supply stability through coordinated charge-discharge scheduling.
3Power
If distributed energy resources are deployed to meet peak demand, then power supply adequacy is improved, but loss of energy increases due to discharge loss rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary charging of virtual energy storage units during off-peak periods when electricity rates are lower and demand is reduced. By pre-charging during these optimal times and discharging during peak demand periods, the system minimizes energy losses associated with frequent charge-discharge cycles and takes advantage of more efficient operating conditions, thereby reducing overall discharge loss while maintaining power supply adequacy.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of controlling an energy storage and an energy storage controlling apparatus are disclosed. The method may include dividing an energy storage of large capacity into virtual energy storages corresponding to respective users based on a required energy amount and a period of use of an energy storage of each of the users, and integrally controlling, for each time, the virtual energy storages corresponding to the respective users based on a management schedule of the energy storage of each of the users.