
Energy-Hub for residential and commercial districts and transport
Solutions developed
The E-hub exchanges energy via the energy grids between the different actors (e.g. households, renewable energy plants, offices), who may be a consumer at one time, and a supplier at another time. The consumers and suppliers exchange information on their energy needs and energy production with the energy hub, the hub then distributes the energy available in the most efficient way. For proper matching of supply and demand, the E-hub uses conversion and storage of energy, as well as load shifting. The consumers and suppliers should be connected to this E-hub by means of bi-directional energy grids (low and/or high temperature heat grid, cold grid for cooling, electrical grid (AC and/or DC), gas grid (H2, biogas, syngas).Main results
The Multi Commodity Matcher (MCM) control algorithm developed in the E-hub project is able to match the supply and demand of electricity and heat simultaneously. The MCM control algorithm was used in three types of applications:1. A simulation tool was developed in the project to carry out simulations of a virtual application of an advanced Energy Management System in five case studies: the districts of Amsterdam (NL), Freiburg (D), Bergamo (It), Leuven (B) and Dalian (China).
2. The MCM was used to control the operation of several cogeneration units in a real lab environment, under conflicting demand profiles of heat and electricity.
3. An ‘electricity only’ version of the MCM was applied in a full scale demonstration in the district of Tweewaters in Leuven, Belgium.