Development of the Data Collection System on Residential Energy Consumption and Performance of Residential Gas Appliances

DEVELOPMENT OF THE DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM ON RESIDENTIAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND PERFORMANCE OF RESIDENTIAL GAS APPLIANCES

Noboru Miyamoto 1, Junji Hoshino 1, Tetsu Morita 1, Noriko Endo 1

1. Tokyo Gas CO., Ltd.

Keywords: 1. Reduction of CO2 emission; 2. Network system; 3. Residential energy; 4. Gas appliance; 5. Visualizing data.

1 Background In recent years, rapid spread of the Internet and cell phones has improved residential networking infrastructure. The gas appliances have also made progress in connecting this network and provide more safety and convenience with remote control and monitoring services. Though the reduction of CO2 emission is required for preventing global warming, CO2 emissions in the household sector have increased. For the substantial reduction by 2050, HEMS(Home Energy Management System) is selected as identified innovative energy technologies in the residential category similarly Fuel Cell in Japan[1]. Figure 1 shows the image of the HEMS. The demonstration project about HEMS conducted in Japan[2] indicated that the visualizing of energy consumption encouraged people to reduce residential energy consumption (Fig. 2). This means that visualizing of energy consumption is the effective method of energy reduction. In this way, energy consumption data are required to be collected and to be visualized efficiently.

Customer

Data Center

Air-Con electric power Distribution Lighting Host Computer Energy Data Visualization InHomeDisplay Energy-data FB Bath Fridge Internet PC Web Server Energy-data value Energy-data and Heat Source NCU Meter-reading value Net Adapter Meter-reading Equipment CIS DB Gas Meter Communication TV Telephone line server RF

Floor Heating

Fig. 1 System image of HEMS

Table 1 Examples of experimental results of HEMS

Consumer Consumer Housing Saving rate(%) Electronics Power Company Electronics Suppliers Manufacturers,A Manufacturers,B

Total 5.8 2.3 17.9 8.7 Control 0.6 3.3 HEMS Display 5.2 14.6 HEMS

2 Objectives of the paper For the sustainable society, three elements are important (Fig. 2).

・ Laws / Regulations : Measures for preventing Global Warming ・ Technical Development : Development of high efficiency appliances ・ Changing Mind : Action to save energy thru visualizing energy consumption

Fig. 2 Elements for sustainable society

Recently, many energy visualization tools are spread in the world. An example is the combination of Smart-Meter and In-Home Display. For taking action to save energy, we think not only visualizing energy data but also providing user’s awareness and information of energy saving advices which is necessary to achieve the element of Changing Mind are very important. For generating energy saving advices, detail energy data are required such as heating, hot water, lighting and so on. So in this paper, we explain the data collection system which we have developed on residential energy consumption data and performance data of gas appliances.

3 Development/Methods a. Existing Technology We (Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.) provide the following services. (1) Automatic Meter Reading (Fig.1, Meter reading flow) We currently achieve automatic gas-meter-reading for about over 500,000 customers. It is usually realized by customer’s telecommunication line so far, but sometimes it achieved over the internet these days. With this system, we also provide other services to monitor abnormal usage of gas, to give gas-leakage notice and to remote shutoff of gas meter.

(2) Gateway Connecting Gas Appliances to Network We developed Gateway (Fig.1, Net Adaptor) that connect gas heat source equipment and external networks in 2004.This gateway has realized remote control of gas boiler and other gas equipments such as floor heating and bathroom heating. Via this gateway we are also able to collect the error information of gas appliances. Through this gateway not only gas appliances but also electronics with HA such as air conditioning, are able to be remotely controlled using cell phones.

(3) In Home Display visualizing energy consumption We has developed and distributed the remote controller of gas heat source equipment that can display the consumption of gas and water used by gas heat source equipment system (we call “EneLook Remote-Controller”) in 2006 (Fig.1, In Home Display). It also enables you to display electric consumption for your entire home by adding the electric measuring unit. The EneLook Remote-Controller is a simple visualizing tool of energy consumption (Fig.3).

①usage and estimate cost of gas ②real-time electricity usage kW

③graph of time-scale data (hourly, daily) ④Illustration of achievement of goal value

achievement of goal value <-20% -19～10％ -9～1％ 1～10％ 11～20％ 21％< Face type

Fig. 3 Key features of In Home Display (EneLook Remote-Controller) b. Outline of Developments By expanding the system described above, we developed the system to collect residential energy consumption data through network including gas appliances performance data. This system can accept not only gas boiler but also residential fuel cell system and gas engine cogeneration system. With this system, we can collect the operation state data every 10 minute of gas heat source equipment, residential fuel cell system, gas engine cogeneration system, floor heating, and heater for bath room. We can also collect consumption of electricity, gas and water for entire home every hour. This system is composed of the following elements. (1) Enhanced Electric Measurement Unit We added the function that get a pulse signal from the gas meter or water meter to the existing electric measurement unit. This enabled to aggregate consumption of electricity, gas and water for entire home.

(2) HEMS Adapter We developed the adapter (HEMS Adapter), which acquire the energy consumption data in addition to the error information and internal performance data of gas heat source equipment and other gas equipments through a network mounted on Gateway. These data from the adapter can be sent to the data center system by using the Internet or after-mentioned PHS network.

(3) P-NCU We developed the terminal adapter to send the data aggregated in HEMS Adapter to the center system using PHS network. By using the PHS network we can stably collect data with low-cost communications, without using customer’s communication line.

(4) Center System We developed the center system, which realized to acquire data on energy consumption of gas, water, electricity, and detailed performance, in addition to the data from automatic meter reading, the error information of gas appliances.

Enhanced Electric Measurement Unit cogeneration system Water Meter

pulse signal Center System

Gas Meter InHomeDisplay fuel cell system gas engine Heat Source Equipment system HEMS Adapter PHS network

P-NCU

Fig. 4 System image of Developments

4 Recent case using this system (1) Fuel cell system In Japan, the residential fuel cell system is in its introduction phase, and the government has been required to submit performance data of all 400 fuel cell systems installed in 2008 through NEF (New Energy Foundation). We use this system to collect and submit the data. We also analyze the data by this system to evaluate the performance of the fuel cell, and brush up of its system for the next model. In addition, this system enables a rapid response to trouble by getting the error information immediately.

(2)Gas -engine cogeneration system The energy saving efficiency of gas engine cogeneration system is dependent on how customers use energy. Through the use of this system, we are investigating the energy saving efficiency as seller of this equipment, by getting the equipment performance data and energy consumption data. In addition, this data was also used as background data of the next generation gas-engine cogeneration system. Example of numerical results shows in Fig 5. 気気

Heating value [MJ] Heating value [MJ]

Heating value usage Heating value usage

Storage heating value Storage heating value

Time Time

Electricity [kWh] Electricity [kWh]

Generation Generation

Purchase electricity Purchase electricity

Time Time

Fig. 5 Graph of time-scale data (Heating value, Electricity)

5 Vision of the Future We are planning the service to provide energy consumption information to a customer by using this data collection system. With this service, customer can obtain not only their own energy consumption data but also appropriate advice on energy saving. We are considering the development of system to automatically pick out energy saving advice suitable for the customer using both energy consumption data and customer’s questionnaire data. The result of analysis and advices will be provided to customers by mail or on the Internet. Concretely speaking, we are going to offer a trial service to newly built condominium of 84 units in 2010. Through this trial, we will seek for the contents which contribute to energy saving, for example, comparison of graph of energy consumption with other household, suitable information of energy saving advice, energy saving ranking in the condominium. The contents summarized on a paper will be mailed every three months for three years. This trial is a push type of service. These contents are based on energy data of all household in the condominium collected by our system. Depending on the results of the trial service, we will consider developing the contents on web site, so-called pull type service. In addition, by providing the data via HEMS adapter, and by data communication of server, we try to collaborate with player which provides other energy saving services and equipment, such as consumer electronics manufacturers and housing suppliers. We aim to contribute to the expansion of visualizing residential energy information and consequently reduce residential energy consumption. Using this data collection system, to increase spread of services of visualizing energy data, we consider how to encourage more energy conservation at demand side and we would like to contribute to the achievement of low-carbon substantial society to come.

comparison of graph with other household Condominium suitable information of energy saving advice energy saving ranking ・・・ Feed Back on a paper

Center System

Energy-data and Meter-reading value

Fig. 6 Trial service image to condominium

References [1] Cool Earth-Innovative Energy Technology Program, M.E.T.I, Japan (2008). [2] Optimum Demand Side Management Promotion Project, NEDO, JAPN(2006).