Over 60 Enterprises in Nantong, Jiangsu, Engage in Microgrid Development

During the early summer, the sun shines brightly. At Zhongtian Energy Technology Co., Ltd., located in the Nantong Economic and Technological Development Zone in Jiangsu, the rooftop solar panels glisten under the warm sunlight, converting solar energy into green electricity. Inside the facility, the microgrid management platform adjusts the output of this green electricity in real time, efficiently supplying power to every piece of equipment. “Our rooftop solar not only meets our self-consumption needs, but any excess green electricity can also be sold to the grid for revenue,” said Tan Qingwu, Chief Engineer of Zhongtian Energy Technology Co., Ltd.

The development of microgrids is a crucial pathway to promote energy conservation, efficiency, and green, low-carbon development in industrial parks. In April of this year, Jiangsu Province introduced policies to further optimize the time-of-use electricity pricing structure for commercial and industrial users. These policies encourage users to reduce electricity costs by utilizing energy storage devices and implementing comprehensive energy management.

Nantong City also launched a near-zero carbon pilot construction plan in 2024, initiating microgrid pilot projects in manufacturing enterprises. Companies that pass the evaluation will receive financial subsidies. Encouraged by these favorable policies, many high-energy-consuming and high-carbon-emitting enterprises actively applied to participate in microgrid construction.

Last year, Nantong Chongtian Spinning Co., Ltd. invested over 20 million yuan to establish a solar power generation and energy storage project that integrates solar generation, storage, charging, and adjustable load. The company representative explained that by charging during off-peak hours and discharging during peak hours, the operation of “two charges and two discharges” within a day significantly reduces electricity costs. Furthermore, the optimization of electricity supply has led to increased production efficiency, with Chongtian Spinning’s daily cotton yarn output rising from 80 tons to 110 tons.

Effective management of the microgrid is key to maximizing the use of green electricity. “Some enterprises have high electricity loads but insufficient solar capacity; others have ample solar capacity but low electricity loads, leading to imbalances in distribution,” explained Zhang Pengcheng, Deputy Director of the Energy Department of the Nantong Development and Reform Commission. To address this challenge, the commission collaborated with local power supply departments to build a microgrid management platform that achieves rolling forecasting of factory loads and energy storage adjustments.

Upon accessing the microgrid management platform, users can see real-time data on the photovoltaic generation and current electricity load of each connected enterprise. Yuan Yi, head of the marketing department of the State Grid Nantong Power Supply Company, noted that the management platform has six preset operational strategies to help enterprises flexibly adjust their energy consumption based on energy storage and time-of-use pricing.

“It’s like installing a ‘smart home’ system for industrial electricity use, allowing enterprises to precisely control energy consumption while quickly responding to grid demands, thus optimizing electricity costs and maximizing revenue from excess electricity sold back to the grid.”

Over the past year, Nantong’s microgrid development has achieved a wins-win situation for all parties involved: for enterprises, microgrids enhance green electricity consumption and reduce energy costs, aiding their transition to greener operations. The increasing number of enterprises connecting to microgrids also enhances the resilience and emergency response capabilities of the power grid, leading to a more stable electricity load curve.

Currently, more than 60 enterprises in Nantong have engaged in microgrid construction. Looking ahead, microgrids are expected to leverage the region’s coastal location and abundant renewable energy resources to promote green, low-carbon, high-quality development.