The development of smart communities that provide low-carbon, highly convenient urban infrastructures are a global trend enabled by the adoption of smart power grids, efficient energy use, a stable supply of water and the like.
Fuji Electric, which specializes in the core technology of power electronics, is working to broaden the range of available smart community products that relate to social infrastructure. These products have a uniform interface, and all are controlled by an integrated energy management system (EMS) that allows for the simultaneous realization of energy visualization and optimal operation of equipment. The promotion of overseas exports is also under consideration as a way to expand the smart community business further.

In order to realize the“ Fuji Smart Network System” as a next-generation energy and social systems, Fuji Electric aims to realize power stabilization, energy savings and reduced carbon usage in the intended area by employing regional distribution, and to construct a system that does not affect power transmission systems. By addressing energy-related problems such as voltage rises due to the introduction of large amounts of solar power, the use of direct and indirect load control using smart meters to realize energy savings, the mutual interchange of heat and gas, and the like for an entire region, the system aims to solve energy-related problems within that region. Fuji Electric is participating in planning for Kitakyushu and Keihanna Science City in Japan, and having been commissioned by NEDO, is advancing a basic survey for overseas.

There are many inhabited isolated islands throughout the world and most of these operate with independent power systems. Because such power systems located on small isolated islands are small in size and their generators have small inertial energy, they are sensitive to fluctuations in the output of renewable energy. To solve this problem, Fuji Electric has studied the configurations of microgrid systems for isolated islands and has also studied the challenges for isolated systems when introducing a large amount of renewable energy as well as the way to address those challenges. This paper describes the challenges and solutions for applying microgrid systems to small isolated islands and also presents an overview of verification tests being carried out on six islands in Kyushu and three islands in Okinawa.

In China, the economy has continued to grow and the market has continued to expand since the year 2000. To develop and produce products that meet the needs of customers in China, Fuji Electric has established cooperative relationships with several Chinese universities and is engaged in cooperative research in university-industry partnerships. Specifically, Fuji Electric and Zhejiang University have entered into a comprehensive agreement to advance research work for the creation of new products and new business, and also to promote activities that will contribute positively to society and to promote this unique partnership. Building upon the prior development work and field testing of systems that comply with GB standards (Chinese national standards) in terms of the measured power quality of a distribution system, this collaboration will endeavor to expand smart grid related business to the field of power stabilization technology.

When a large amount of solar power is introduced into a system, reverse flow and voltage fluctuations occur. Moreover, this is feared to affect the demand/supply control, since net demand cannot be ascertained. To solve this problem, Fuji Electric optimized the placement and setting values of voltage control equipment, and is developing a centralized control method. Devices models for analysis, a method of predicting solar power output and a demand/supply control function are also being developed.
To replace aging facilities, unit replacing type protection relay that uses a new IED, and IP network devices, middleware for wide-area distributed power, and a disaster prevention and crisis management system are being developed for diversifying the operations of power companies.

A smart grid is a system that reduces the effect of penetration of renewable energy into a power system. Because the generated power output from renewable energy is generally difficult to control, a power supply system capable of implementing high-speed and high-accuracy control is needed for the penetration of renewable energy into the system. Power electronics technology plays an important role in realizing such control.
The main power electronics applied technologies are charging/discharging control technology and demand/supply control technology. Devices applicable in a smart grid include power electronics devices for power distribution, smart PCS and new energy packages, and expansion of these devices to Fuji Electric’s smart network system is targeted.

Recently, smart grids for flexibly connecting renewable energy to power systems have attracted attention on a global scale. Overseas, where the introduction of smart meters, one component of a smart grid, has advanced, bi-directional communication among electric utilities and individual consumers has become possible. In Japan, where reading of the power usage from smart meters and power supply adjustment based on remote operation are the main objective, and the provision of future new services is anticipated. Fuji Electric is developing smart metering that will enable consumers to actively participate in energy savings and peak shift.

Fuji Electric developed an integrated energy management system (EMS) platform that can visualize energy consumption and integrate energy-saving controls for the steel industry, general industry, stores, distribution, water treatment, regional communities, and so on to provide energy management functions expeditiously and at low cost. The platform can treat various energy models such as electric power, gas, water and heat energies and can realize optimal energy-saving control including renewable energies. In the platform, various web screens support local languages, and systems ranging in size from a small single-server system to a system consisting of several tens of servers can be developed easily using the same engineering tools.

As a result of the revision of the Japanese “Law Concerning the Rational Use of Energy” (Energy Saving Act), owners that possess a lot of retail stores are obligated to promote energy visualization and the planned conservation of energy. The tremendous initial cost of introducing an energy management system (EMS) in a retail store was a problem, however. Fuji Electric has developed a Web-type EMS that minimizes costs and does not require a connection to a user’s in-house network. Fuji Electric has also commercialized an energy monitoring unit that is compact in size, allows multipoint measurements, and is equipped with a touch panel monitor.