General architecture of distributed energy network system

The exponential growth of urban populations often causes conflict between diminishing energy resources and environmental pollution, hence restricting economic development. As individuals, government agencies and businesses voice their concerns, distributed energy networks promise to provide an essential means to resolve these issues. Within China, the demand for modern distributed energy networks is gaining political and scientific support; however, due to variable end user demands and operating conditions, such energy management systems demand extensive maintenance, require extensive economic investment cost coupled with operational inefficiency. Advanced distributed energy networks are intelligence-based systems developed to integrate multiple power grids and information networks, overcoming current barriers to improve the overall efficiency and economic viability of regional energy infrastructures. Complex distributed energy networks combine advanced energy technologies with micro grids, the internet of things, cloud computing and big data analysis. Fundamentally, the publication describes distributed energy systems from its technical architecture to its primary characteristics while expanding upon its critical components: the four stage design method for energy loops, distributed network nodes, a summary of cooperative control methods and our "system efficiency theory" for distributed energy networks and its challenges. The first issue involves system infrastructure organization, impacting overall energy efficiency, focusing upon topology influence and stability integration with renewable energy and natural gas units. The second challenge involves quality increments and circulation principles among distributed energy networks, focusing upon active regulation and supply-demand interaction. The final problem is cooperative control principles based upon information and energy integration. The issues involving the four stages energy loop for distributed network nodes was resolved in Hebei Province eco-city and the Sino German Eco-Park in Shandong province. In these domestic level projects, distributed energy networks demonstrated full renewable energy and natural gas optimization, overcoming the conflict between peak energy demand and environmental protection. This demonstration project illustrated the feasibility of advanced distributed energy in China, coupling information and the potential of distributed energy networks as a foundation for energy internet development. © 2017, Science Press. All right reserved.