Gao Feng: Energy Internet is the fulcrum for the energy revolution

China Energy Storage Network News: —— Interview with Executive Vice President of Tsinghua University Energy Internet Innovation Institute

Reporter: In your opinion, what will the energy system of the future look like? What characteristics will it have?

Gao Feng: The energy system of the future is no longer limited to energy suppliers and consumers, but an ecological energy system with public participation and multi-party interaction. Why is it ecological? Because the energy system is no longer a one-way system where suppliers provide energy to consumers, but a smart energy system that realizes multi-party interaction at various levels such as energy flow, information flow, business flow, and value flow. This smart energy system can not only provide a variety of energy services, but also provide comprehensive energy services, and can provide services for energy producers, energy suppliers, energy service providers, and energy regulators. I think such an energy system should have a three-layer architecture: the first layer is the physical foundation layer, that is, building a multi-energy coordinated energy network; the second layer is the technology implementation layer, that is, the information-physical energy system; the third layer is the value growth layer, emphasizing the innovation of business models.

Reporter: How do you understand the concept of global energy internet?

Gao Feng: Energy Internet is the fulcrum for the energy revolution. General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the energy development strategy of "four revolutions and one cooperation". Among them, strengthening international cooperation is an important link in energy transformation and promoting energy interconnection, and this is also the most difficult to achieve. Global energy interconnection can effectively promote the "Chinese model" of energy development to go global and provide useful experience for other countries to achieve clean, intelligent and sustainable energy development. At the same time, through the construction of the global energy Internet, China can also learn from the useful experience of energy development in other countries. Of course, this process of reference is not a process of mechanically copying, but a process of localizing these experiences.

Reporter: You mentioned earlier that energy interconnection between countries is the most difficult. Where do you think the main difficulty lies? How to solve it?

Gao Feng: In the specific practice of energy interconnection projects, mechanism, system, security and economy will become important considerations. Interconnection must first solve the problem of economy, and must take into account carbon emissions and environmental costs. In addition, security also needs to be considered. This requires the establishment of a third-party organization to ensure the safe operation of energy interconnection between countries and reduce the political risks of infrastructure interconnection between countries. In addition, to achieve energy interconnection, a primary problem must be solved - the traditional model of developing countries sacrificing the environment in exchange for economic development must be changed. For developing countries and some economically underdeveloped countries participating in energy interconnection, it is necessary to avoid falling into the traditional economic development model supported by high-carbon energy and help them seek a clean and efficient green development model. my country currently has internationally advanced equipment, technology and management experience in some energy fields, which can be exported when carrying out energy interconnection. Whether it is domestic or international interconnection, the matching of the models and technologies of both parties is critical.

Reporter: Under the concept of energy internet, how do you think we can promote the better access and consumption of new energy sources such as wind power and photovoltaics?

Gao Feng: I have mentioned before that one definition of the Energy Internet is that renewable energy is prioritized and electricity is the basis. Therefore, from the perspective of the Energy Internet itself, its construction and development can effectively help the access and consumption of renewable energy such as wind power and solar energy. New energy is volatile and unpredictable. In traditional power grids, renewable energy generation is unpredictable, and the consumer end can also be said to be unpredictable. The cloud platform and big data technology of the Energy Internet can match power generation and electricity consumption, and the utilization rate of renewable energy will be greatly improved. This requires the allocation of resources on a larger scale to better match energy production and consumption. The Global Energy Internet is the allocation of resources on a global scale, which will be able to solve the problem of renewable energy access and consumption in the future. (Interview with Gao Feng, Executive Vice President of the Energy Internet Innovation Institute of Tsinghua University)