Energy Savings from the Mutual Operation of Two Interconnected Energy Stations, A Case Study

A multi-energy complementary integrated energy system has the potential to improve the energy efficiency of cooling and heating systems through a comprehensive optimization design of multiple energy types, multiple energy users, and various energy conversion and utilization technologies. However, existing district cooling and heating systems are difficult to upgrade to Integrated Community Energy System (ICES) systems through large-scale renovation and equipment replacement. This article takes two adjacent energy stations in the Shanghai World Expo Central Business District as a case study and establishes a comprehensive optimization model of equipment based on the partial load performance characteristics of each piece of energy supply equipment Combined with the district’s hourly energy demand. It compares the energy efficiency of the two modes of energy supply for each station and their interconnected energy supply. The calculation results show that operating the two stations in an interconnected manner increased energy efficiency by 18.6% compared to the operation of each energy station alone. The result indicates that, through interconnection and mutual operation between energy stations, it can not only add more interruptible time for the transformation of energy stations but also help to improve the energy efficiency of energy stations.