In the Kanto-Koushin’etsu region, the rainy season has ended on June 29th and the Japanese archipelago is attacked by the heat wave in July. As a result, the demand for air conditioners has increased the maximum power demand in electric power companies.
On July 18th at Kansai Electric Power, we recorded a maximum power demand of 28.56 million kW from 14 to 15 o’clock. In order to improve the tight supply and demand situation, the company asked the Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators to accept electricity supply, and five companies with 1 million kW at 16 ~ 17 o’clock (Tokyo Electric Power Grid, Chubu Electric Power Company, Hokuriku Electric Power Company ,Chugoku Electric Power Company ,Shikoku Electric Power Company ), It has surpassed the strict supply and demand by securing the supply of 30.15 million kW.
Due to the extreme heat, attention generally tends to be attracted electricity demand from 14 to 15 o’clock when the demand for cooling increases, but Kansai Electric requested receipt from 16 to 17 o’clock. This is due to the fact that the peak demand in the hottest time zone was covered considerably by the increased output of solar power generation. In reality, the time that power companies suffer from supply shortage is shifting in the evening as the output of solar power generation declines. It is a trend of the system price of Japan Electric Power Exchange clearly expressing this thing.
Let’s look back on the system price on July 18th. About 10 o’clock in the morning, it was settled at 12 to 13 yen, but it rose to 18 yen at 11 o’clock, and from 13 o’clock to 15 o’clock in the lunch break lasted up to 25 yen. After this, it will soar to 29 yen at 16:00 and 16:30. After that, it fell to the 25 yen level at 17 – 19 o’clock.
From these price trends, we can see that the time when the electric power company was in the dream of supply and demand was the most troublesome was around 16:00. Due to the increase in photovoltaic power generation, the time zone in which summer electricity supply and demand is tight is shifting to evening. At Kyushu Electric Power, the day the power usage rate of 18 o’clock – 19 o’clock already exceeds 90% continues. The supply and demand situation of Kyushu where the spread of solar light is advanced implies the future supply and demand of electric power.
The time will come when the supply and demand tight in the summer will occur after sunset. We need to prepare for such a future. Let’s give an example. On July 18, Kansai Electric has reported that it requested 300,000 kW demand suppression from 15 o’clock to 18 o’clock. Based on the demand response agreement, such demand suppression will shift to 18 to 20 o’clock.
In general terms, the era in which demand response for residential and transport is needed rather than industry is coming right there.