'Energy Efficiency Calculator' helps enterprises keep finances under control

On April 8, Liu Zhang, a member of the energy efficiency service team of the State Grid Lishui Power Supply Company, and his colleagues went to Hangxiao Steel Structure (Lishui) Co Ltd to help check the operation status of the enterprise's energy storage power station equipment, and put forward suggestions for optimizing energy consumption in accordance with the company's annual electricity consumption analysis report.

Hangxiao Steel Structure (Lishui) Co Ltd produces high-end green prefabricated structural materials. In July 2024, the enterprise put into operation an energy storage power station with a total scale of 240 kilowatts/440 kilowatt-hours. By charging during the off-peak electricity period and discharging during the peak electricity period, this power station can save the enterprise's energy consumption costs by more than 200,000 yuan ($27,400) per year.

"Before the construction of the energy storage power station, the employees of the power supply company used the 'energy efficiency calculator' to help us calculate the construction scale, annual revenue, etc," said Chen Yonggan, general manager of Hangxiao Steel Structure (Lishui) Co Ltd. "Now, all six production lines of our company are operating at full capacity to rush through orders. With the help of the energy storage power station in reducing energy consumption costs, I'm confident about the company's development this year."

Zhejiang Duole Sewing Machine Co Ltd is also ramping up production at full capacity. "This year's order production has been scheduled until the end of April, which has increased by nearly 20 percent compared to the same period last year," said Lei Chenjun, the office director of Duole Sewing Machine Company.

Duole Sewing Machine Company in Zhejiang is a national-level high-tech enterprise and a provincial-level "specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative" small and medium-sized enterprise. It has multiple intelligent production lines and has an annual output of 300,000 industrial sewing machines.

In order to help enterprises save energy and increase efficiency, in February this year, when visiting enterprises, the employees of the power supply company used the "Energy Efficiency Calculator" to customize an energy-saving plan for the enterprises, which includes optimizing the production schedule and installing integrated photovoltaic and energy storage equipment. It is expected that this plan can reduce the energy consumption cost of the enterprises by 15 percent every year. "This energy-saving plan is quite good. We plan to install new equipment according to it," said Lei Chenjun.

In recent years, many enterprises in Lishui city have chosen to build photovoltaic power stations, energy storage power stations or install charging piles to achieve green transformation and reduce energy consumption. In line with the relevant work requirements of the Lishui Municipal Government, the State Grid Lishui Power Supply Company has launched the "Energy Efficiency Calculator" module on the comprehensive enterprise service platform of Lishui city.

The calculator has functions such as photovoltaic construction, energy storage investment, and energy efficiency diagnosis. Enterprises can input relevant demand information, and with just one click, it can generate data such as the project investment scale, annual revenue, and payback period. It can also generate personalized electricity consumption optimization suggestions to help enterprises reduce their energy consumption costs.

Since the "Energy Efficiency Calculator" was launched in March 2024, the State Grid Lishui Power Supply Company has used this module to provide comprehensive energy-saving solutions, including the construction of photovoltaic power generation projects and energy storage power stations, for 258 enterprises. This has helped these enterprises reduce their energy consumption costs by more than 20 million yuan.