Joint Development of Energy Management System

Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. (Headquarters: Higashi-ku, Nagoya City; President & Director: Satoru Katsuno, "Chubu Electric Power") and Denso Corporation (Headquarters: Showa-cho, Kariya City; President & CEO: Koji Arima, "Denso") have jointly developed an energy management system ("this system"). Harnessing the Home Energy Management System, or HEMS (note 1), this system automatically controls EcoCute (note 2) and central air-conditioning systems, in turn adjusting household electric power demand based on local communities' balance of power demand and supply.

Both Chubu Electric Power's demand regulation and Denso's HEMS control systems are to coordinate in this system. Without compromising the convenience and comfort of customers, that would accordingly allow for automatically controlling household electric power demand when Chubu Electric Power seeks to hold back power demand (e.g. summertime hours during which large amounts of power is used).

More specifically, Chubu Electric Power will issue a request for electric power demand regulations to Denso's HEMS control system. Then, based on a command from household-installed HEMS, both EcoCute and central air-conditioning systems will be automatically controlled to adjust power demand for homes.

Meanwhile, coinciding with the development of this system, Denso and Chubu Electric Power also co-developed another control system. To prevent water-heating processes stopping from electric power demand adjustments and causing boiling water shortages, this new control system changes the time in which water is heated depending on the amount of remaining hot water and customers' daily use of heated water, while avoiding the timeframe during which power demand is adjusted. This new control system was introduced into a new EcoCute model, which will be released on November 28 from Denso.

Chubu Electric Power has been undertaking verification tests to limit demand, as well as services encouraging customers to leave their houses during hours when large amounts of power are consumed. This system, however, is a first-ever attempt for automatically controlling household-installed equipment.

The development of this system is part of the Virtual Power Plant initiative involving local electric power demand and supply adjustments, for which both Chubu Electric Power and Denso are deliberating to implement in Toyota City. Verification tests to confirm the impact of this system on people's lives and the results of power demand adjustments will start from January 2018 in Toyota City and its neighboring six cities.

Under the concept of "a service that enriches life and enables customers to use energy in a more cost-effective manner by connecting with local communities through IoT," Chubu Electric Power and Denso will continue to develop a new energy service platform that harnesses such energy resources as storage batteries.

[Overview of verification test]

(Note 1) Short for Home Energy Management System: a system for making household energy use visible and controlling household appliances
(Note 2) Electric power utilities and water heater manufacturers use the term EcoCute as a name for natural refrigerant, heat pump hot water systems