Control device for optimizing local energy network

A control device for an electric and thermal energy network connecting a combined heat and power system (CHP), a renewable energy source (RES), an electric storage unit, a thermal accumulation unit, an electric power grid, a thermal energy supply system, an electric load, and a thermal load, said control device comprising:

• input means receiving a forecast energy demand, a unit energy price, and a forecast weather condition for a geographical region covered by the electric and thermal energy network;
• computing means repeatedly generating two or more energy balance candidates for each unit time for an output of the electric power grid and an output of the thermal accumulation unit based on combinations of varied values of an output ratio of the CHP, an output ratio of the RES, an output ratio of the thermal energy supply system, an output ratio of the electric storage unit, a consumption ratio of the electric load, and a consumption ratio of the thermal load, until convergence of evaluation values of the two or more candidates reaches a predetermined convergence criterion;
• and
• output means transmitting, to the CHP, the RES, the thermal energy supply system, the electric storage unit, the electric load, and the thermal load, respective operational instructions for each unit time to instruct the CHP, the RES, the thermal energy supply system, the electric storage unit, the electric load, and the thermal load,
• wherein the computing means implements:
• a first calculation process in which the computing means calculates an output of the CHP from a rated output of the CHP and the output ratio of the CHP, calculates an output of the RES from a maximum output of the RES and the output ratio of the RES, the maximum output being based on a weather condition, calculates an output of the thermal energy supply system from a rated output of the thermal energy supply system and the output ratio of the thermal energy supply system, calculates an output of the electric storage unit from a maximum output of the electric storage unit and the output ratio of the electric storage unit, the maximum output being based on the state of charge, calculates an energy consumption of the electric load from a rated power consumption of the electric load and the consumption ratio of the electric load, and calculates an energy consumption of the thermal load from a rated power consumption of the thermal load and the consumption ratio of the thermal load;
• a second calculation process in which the computing means calculates a d fference between a sum of the output of the CHP, the output of the RES, the output of the thermal energy supply system, and the output of the electric storage unit, and a sum of an uninterruptible energy consumption for energy demand, the energy consumption of the electric load, and the energy consumption of the thermal load as the output of the electric power grid and the output of the thermal accumulation unit;
• an evaluation process in which the computing means plugs in energy supply costs, CO2 emissions, and primary energy consumptions into an evaluation criterion to evaluate the two or more energy balance candidates for each unit time, the energy supply costs being based on the unit energy price;
• and
• a selection process in which the computing means selects, from the two or more energy balance candidates for each unit time, a most positive evaluation candidate that is most positively evaluated when the convergence of the evaluation values of the two or more candidates has reached the convergence criterion, wherein the output means transmits respective operational instructions for each unit time based on the most positive evaluation candidate to the CHP, the RES, the thermal energy supply system, the electric storage unit, the electric load, and the thermal load.