Envision Energy CEO Zhang Lei: Energy Internet creates a new model

China Energy Storage Network: Compared with fossil energy, the cost of renewable energy will continue to decline in the future, forming an economic progressive advantage and bringing about the reconstruction of the global energy system - a transformation and revolution from fossil energy to renewable clean energy.

Envision Energy is building an energy internet ecosystem by creating the "Energy Uber Model" with the energy internet operating system as the core. In the next three years, Envision will build the world's number one energy internet platform.

Humanity is about to enter the era of renewable energy.

In 2015, 60% of global energy investment chose renewable energy, and the newly installed capacity of renewable energy has exceeded that of fossil energy. Recently, in the bidding for the Argentine national wind power project in which Envision Energy participated, the bidding price of wind power dropped to 5 cents per kilowatt-hour. In the middle of the year, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released a report stating that by 2025, the average cost of solar and wind power generation is expected to drop by 26% to 59% respectively compared to the current level. Compared with fossil energy, the cost of renewable energy will continue to decline in the future, forming an economic progressive advantage and bringing about the reconstruction of the global energy system - a transformation and revolution from fossil energy to renewable clean energy.

能源互联网发展前景怎样？日前，本报记者採访了远景能源首席执行官张雷。

The era of renewable energy is coming

Reporter: What changes will renewable energy, which is characterized by distributed distribution, bring to the traditional fossil energy supply and demand patterns?

Zhang Lei: The era of renewable energy will completely change the current energy supply and demand model - traditional centralized power generation models such as thermal power will be replaced by distributed power generation models close to the user side. The future supply of renewable energy will come from power generation ends in various communities, fields, and rooftops, replacing centralized large power stations. Everyone can be both an energy consumer and an energy producer. Individuals will have greater autonomy over the production and consumption of energy. Energy transactions will be truly market-oriented, and the energy market will no longer be controlled by a single seller or buyer.

当未来能源系统由数以亿计的可再生能源设备和智能用电终端构成时，可再生能源成本、系统协同成本便是亟待解决的两项挑战，这需要能源互联网来解决。在能源互联网的世界裡，智能硬件、传感器、大数据、云计算、人工智能等技术能帮助我们用数字定义能源设备和系统，柔性地分配电力，来降低度电成本和协同成本。打个比方，能源互联网能够像交响乐团指挥家一样，将数以十亿计的发电设备、充电网络、储能电池及智能控制器等一系列设备进行智慧的调配和管理。利用这样的“超级大脑”运行未来的能源分配，正是我们展望的远景。

Building an energy internet system

记者：能源互联网听起来很让人憧景，远景公司目前做得怎麽样？

张雷：远景公司正在能源互联网生态系统的构建上不懈努力。远景能源近年来依托数字化平台和物联网等技术，已经在智慧风电、智慧光伏等领域进行了一系列积极实践，并积累了大量成功案例。作为目前全球最大的智慧能源管理企业，远景能源目前已帮助北美最大独立新能源运营商Pattern能源等企业管理著超过5000万千瓦的全球新能源资产。

At the recent Hamburg International Wind Energy Exhibition in Germany, Envision launched the industry's first energy Internet operating system, EnOS. In the future, EnOS will connect and manage various types of power generation, power consumption, energy storage, charging and other equipment, allowing various energy devices in every household, community and even every city to operate in coordination, achieving dynamic response to downstream demand and seamless connection with upstream renewable energy supply, and meeting the needs of third-party software companies to customize and develop application software suitable for various future energy Internet scenarios on the EnOS platform.

Through the operating system EnOS, Envision is gradually building an energy Internet ecosystem, such as strategic investments in ChargePoint, the world's largest electric vehicle charging network company, AutoGrid, the world's leading smart grid big data technology company, Sonnen, Europe's largest energy storage company, and BazeField, Europe's leading renewable energy management software company. In the future, Envision will cooperate with more outstanding companies in the industry to jointly improve the energy Internet.

Management is more important than ownership

Reporter: Envision is an energy management company, but it feels more like an Internet company and is full of Internet thinking.

Zhang Lei: Indeed, we need to think about problems with an Internet mindset. First, we need to integrate resources through information technology, and second, we need to share and win together. In the Internet era, management rights will be more important than ownership. Envision Energy is also creating an "Energy Uber (UBER) model" with the energy Internet operating system as the core, integrating the world's top vertical partners, and building an energy Internet ecosystem. In the next three years, the capacity of smart energy assets managed by Envision will reach 200 million kilowatts, becoming the world's number one energy Internet platform.

Reporter: What will the future of energy Internet be like?

Zhang Lei: Energy is beautiful. Renewable energy such as wind and solar energy is green, free, abundant and ubiquitous. All this depends on our technological progress. We call the vision of a beautiful energy world Entopia (a combination of the English words "Energy" and "topia" - Editor's note). Envision Energy is committed to using smart technology and the EnOS operating system to coordinate the various elements of the energy system and make Entopia a reality.