Energy saving analysis simulator for utility systems

For large industrial and commercial users of energy, energy saving is an essential issue not only for reducing energy costs but also for taking social responsibility for environmental problem. We have developed an energy analysis simulator for multi-utility systems in factories and buildings as a design support tool for energy saving. It simulates primary energy consumption at each time cross section for annual and seasonal hourly load profile data and aggregates them in proportion to the number of days in each season to calculate the total annual consumption. It compares the total consumptions by two system configurations before and after improvement for the same load profile and then evaluates the amount of energy saved. Because utility system configurations differ from site to site, it is important for users to be able to flexibly configure the simulation model and execute the energy calculation in a versatile manner for any configuration of utility system. To meet these requirements, we developed a new architecture consisting of an energy flow structure data model and an energy state calculation model that can describe the utility system clearly separating the internal state of equipment and the connecting structure between pieces of equipment. For the architecture, we developed a GUI that users can easily customize to any system configuration by a building block method. Moreover, the simulator has an equipment database and energy saving design guidance function that enables users to share tacit knowledge and know-how and to improve analysis efficiency for energy saving design. This paper presents the distinctive functions of the simulator, its realization method, and an example of model expression and analysis for a chilled water supply system.