Energy island for the enterprise: from the illusion of autonomy to real energy independence
How to make a business not dependent on blackouts - what to do right now so that in six months you don't have to worry about the situation in the power system
Why distributed stand-alone power for business does not work
The difficult situation in the energy system caused by enemy shelling prompts both domestic and industrial consumers to look for alternative power options. Ukrainians massively install inverters with batteries in apartments, generators in private farms, and solar panels wherever possible. And indeed, this is enough to satisfy most basic household needs at the level of a separate apartment. Difficulties begin when similar problems are tried to be solved at the enterprise level.
And such a picture is observed everywhere today. Many companies, in order to protect themselves from power outages, seek to build an autonomous energy supply for the enterprise, therefore they bought and installed the appropriate equipment - solar power plants (SPP), generators, cogeneration plants, batteries. Which in fact work separately, which not only reduces their effectiveness, but in critical cases can nullify it.
For example, when the external network is turned off, the ordinary network SES also stops working, because technically it cannot work in such conditions. Its inverter is turned off for safety reasons and due to the lack of a voltage and frequency reference signal. The compatibility of the solar panel and the inverter plays a very important role in the chain of solving the problem of autonomy.
So how do businesses avoid power outages? The first thing that is important for everyone who cares about the uninterrupted power supply of their business to realize at the moment: autonomy is not the presence of a SPP, an energy storage unit (BESS), a generator or other elements in themselves. True autonomy is the system's ability to balance production and consumption within the facility without government assistance.
In today's realities, this question is more relevant than ever. We at IKNET do not simply understand this - we have thorough expertise and extensive experience in the design and implementation of such energy islands. And we are ready to help with this.
What is Energy Island and Energy Management System (EMS)
Creating an energy island at an enterprise means setting up its own closed and - if necessary - completely autonomous energy system. Which stands on three "whales".
The first is own generation, which includes solar power plants, gas piston installations, diesel generators, etc.
The second is UZE, energy conservation installations, without which own generation cannot provide sufficient flexibility and mobility of the system.
The third is control, and this mandatory element of the autonomous system is still the most underestimated, so it is worth dwelling on it in more detail.
We are talking about an intelligent control system that balances in real time between the consumer on the one hand, and the tools on the other: solar generation, batteries, gas piston and external network. With proper design, such a system automatically selects the most profitable energy source at the moment and guarantees that the object will remain in operation without pauses when the external power supply disappears.
This is not just software, but a complex of professional automation: SCADA/EMS (energy management systems), ACS TP (automated process control system) and relay protection. That allows both automatic control of such systems and remote control of them.
The main task of such a system: the transition to "island mode" should occur automatically and imperceptibly for technical processes. In manual mode, such switching can take up to an hour in offline mode and the same time - back to the network. Even one such switching in both directions per day is already a significant downtime of the enterprise and significant financial losses. Our task is to help avoid these losses.
Checklist for business: what needs to be done now and how IKNET will help here
So, we are convinced: autonomous power supply is necessary for the enterprise, and it is worth doing. But where to start to make energy independence of business a reality? The first step should be a comprehensive energy audit that examines the load profile: you can't build an island without knowing exactly how many kilowatts your power is consuming every minute under various scenarios. Our company is connected already at this stage: we analyze what equipment can be turned off in the event of a central power failure, and what should work 24/7.
In the second step, based on the defined load profile, the actual concept of creating an energy island is developed, within which the following parameters are selected: voltage class, necessary and sufficient power and capacity of the system, specific technologies, and finally - the integration of these technologies.
Also, within the framework of the development of the concept, gloomy work scenarios are worked out: experts prescribe algorithms for automatic operation of the system for all cases - from normal mode to emergency shutdown, determining priorities (what should be powered first, and what can be unlocked).
The next step to creating a full-fledged energy island is designing. Combining different sources into one network requires complex stability calculations - for example, so that the system does not go into overload protection when a powerful engine is started.
The last step is legalization and power output schemes. After all, even a potentially autonomous system must be properly integrated into external networks. This includes obtaining technical conditions, licensing, development of technical solutions for integration into the network.
IKNET leads the enterprise at all the listed stages, guaranteeing that the energy island will work in full accordance with the needs of the customer and the current legislation.
Pretended "autonomy" and real "turnkey" projects
The problem with the market right now is that it is full of hardware vendors, but it has almost no system integrators. It is profitable for sellers that you buy solar panels, inverters, batteries, generators from them, they will sell all this to you as "autonomy". But they are not capable and will not help you in any way to configure the interaction of the panel with the gas turbine equipment, to fully integrate BESS into your system, etc.
IKNET, in turn, is just such a system integrator that helps ensure true autonomy. We take on the function of a full-fledged project curator - from feasibility study and design to commissioning and legalization.
We do not sell "iron" - we build a smart system in which all equipment works harmoniously and which quickly reacts to any changes.
At the same time, we integrate ASKOE systems (automated accounting, protection against unauthorized intervention) into the energy island, which allows the business owner to see and control every penny spent and every kilowatt produced in real time.
Energy Island Economy: It's not just about survival, it's about money
Reduction of payback periods
It is important to understand that a full-fledged energy island allows not only to work during blackouts, but also to optimize costs at a time when the country's energy system works stably. For example, it allows you to buy cheap nighttime energy and store it in the UZE for use during the day, or sell excess solar generation. However, many entrepreneurs are not even aware of the possibility of receiving additional income from energy autonomy.
As well as the fact that today banks are ready to issue loans for such projects in the amount of up to 100% of the cost of the equipment against the collateral of this equipment itself, which makes the installation of an energy island at the enterprise an absolutely "liftable" task from a financial point of view
Moreover, due to available loans and the ability to sell electricity, as well as due to the increase in tariffs for industry, the payback of such projects has significantly decreased in our time.
Possible problems and their solutions
Today, the state allows electricity consumers who also want to sell it to work according to three principles - restrictions. The first is due to the status of "active consumer", according to which the installed power of generating electrical installations at one consumer measurement site must be up to 20 MW. The second - the enterprise cannot release more than the permitted power of connection to the network for consumption. The third is that it is allowed to sell electricity only to its supplier, it is not possible to enter either the day-ahead market or the market of auxiliary services.
And if the technical limitations are logical and follow from the available characteristics, then you can work with the economic ones. In particular, you can change the supplier to the one that will agree to better conditions.
Also, a single tariff is a problem for many today. This is really not the best model and it is worth switching to the "A" class, especially since the state encourages it. Such a transition is quite real and does not require any special conditions. And as a result, the company will buy electricity cheaper.
And here I must emphasize that IKNET acts as a system integrator not only in a technical, but also in an economic sense when implementing an energy island. We know how to work with banks regarding lending, we have investors who are ready to invest in such projects.
What's more, we can offer a model where our equipment is placed on the territory of your enterprise and is rented from it, servicing it exclusively. As a result, you get electricity from us and pay for it up to 10% less than from an external supplier.
I emphasize: we take on and successfully solve all possible business problems on the way to energy independence - a single tariff, lack of funds, lack of technical competence. All you need is your desire - and time.
It is necessary to start now
It is time that is currently becoming the most critical resource for arranging energy islands at Ukrainian enterprises. If we assume the return of protracted blackouts in mid-autumn, as was the case last year, we have six months in reserve. And this is a very real deadline for creating an energy island, if you start designing today.
We at IKNET are ready to quickly get involved and help turn your enterprise into a real energy fortress. It is in your interests, and it is in the interests of the country.
Finally, I emphasize: our solutions are scalable - from an energy island for one plant or logistics center to the creation of autonomous systems at the level of territorial communities. We are open to cooperation with everyone!
In a Nutshell: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can a grid SES work together with a diesel generator?
Yes, but only if a special control system and controllers are installed, which ensure the technical compatibility of the SES and the generator. Without appropriate automation, the grid inverter of the SES will perceive the generator as an unstable network and shut down, or the solar generation will create a reverse current, which will lead to an accident and breakdown of the generator.
What is an EMS (Energy Management System)?
EMS (Energy Management System) is the "brain" of the energy complex, which automatically balances the production and consumption of electricity in real time. The system analyzes the current needs of the enterprise, battery status, solar generation and grid tariffs, instantly switching the load to the most profitable power source.
How to start the implementation of the energy island at the plant?
The first mandatory step is a professional energy audit of the enterprise to determine the exact consumption profile. Only on the basis of hourly consumption data can the required capacity of SES and storage units (BESS) be correctly calculated in order to build a truly reliable and cost-effective system.