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Ready for the energy supply of tomorrow

SG Ready

SG Ready

Since September 2016, Ecodan systems have featured control technology that enables the individual heat pumps to be integrated into a smart grid. This means that they meet the requirements for the SG Ready (Smart Grid Ready) label.

FIRST THINGS FIRST:

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The electricity required to drive a heat pump is increasingly being drawn from renewable sources. However, the generation of electricity from wind and solar energy is dependent on the weather – and cannot be controlled in a demand-oriented manner at specific times. Favourable conditions are therefore leading to ever-larger electricity surpluses, and there are also periods during which little electricity can be produced. In the fields of politics and economics, the search is on for solutions that can help make ‘green’ electricity more predictable. These solutions need to be able to respond in a flexible manner to electricity generation that is closely linked to nature. The heat pump plays a key role in these concepts.

CLOSELY LINKED TO THE

ENERGY SUPPLY

Energy providers are already taking the opportunity to switch off heat pumps for a limited period in the event of supply-related shortfalls. In the future, the aim is to enhance this load management so that heat pumps will also be able to store additional energy during phases of oversupply.

ENTERING THE

WORLD OF TOMORROW

Although a number of issues require clarification in political terms and in consultation with the energy providers before the full potential of smart grid technology can be unlocked, Mitsubishi Electric is already working on possible solutions to meet this challenge. Since September 2016, Ecodan systems have featured control technology that enables integration into a smart grid. As a result, they already fulfil the requirements for the SG Ready label.

CASH BONUS THANKS TO

ADDITIONAL FUNDING

Heat pumps awarded the Smart Grid Ready label are eligible to qualify for additional funding. The 500 euro load management bonus may be awarded by the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) if the heat pump system features both the label and a buffer storage tank with a volume of at least 30 litres per kW of system output.

REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE LABEL

In order for the Smart Grid Ready label to be awarded, the functionality of the heat pump system must enable the following four operating statuses.

1 switch status, terminal connection 1:0:

 

This operating status is downward compatible with the energy provider block that is frequently activated at specific times and consists of a maximum ‘hard’ blocking period of 2 hours.

1 switch status, terminal connection 0:0:

 

In this switching operation, the heat pump runs in energy-efficient standard operation with proportional filling of the heat storage tank for the  maximum energy provider blocking period of two hours.

1 switch status, terminal connection 0:1:

 

In this operating status, the heat pump runs within the controller in boost mode for space heating and hot water production. This does not involve a definitive start-up command, but a switch-on recommendation corresponding to the increase on the day in question.

1 switch status, terminal connection 1:1:

 

This involves a definitive start-up command, provided that this is possible within the scope of the control settings.

For this operating status, it must be possible to configure various control models on the controller with respect to different tariff and usage models:

Variant 1: The heat pump (compressor) is actively switched on.

Variant 2: The heat pump (compressor and electrical additional heaters) is actively switched on; optional: higher temperature in the heat storage tanks.

The room temperature can optionally be applied as a reference variable for controlling the system temperatures (flow and return temperature). It is not sufficient for the heat pump to be blocked by a room thermostat depending on the room temperature.