The reform of heat metering is gaining momentum, and the market for metering instruments is promising.
Introduction: Nowadays, major provinces and cities in the north are stepping up the reform of heat metering, which not only promotes energy conservation and emission reduction but also brings huge development space for metering instruments.
Heat metering and temperature control make buildings energy-efficient
Our country has a vast territory, a large population, and an enormous scale of building construction, among which residential construction accounts for about 92% of living buildings. Residential construction is large-scale and extensive, and it still shows an upward trend to this day. However, we must clearly see that the rapid growth of such a huge amount of building construction and residential areas is achieved at the cost of high consumption of resources and energy. Besides using the most direct resource - land, the increase in residential energy consumption is a significant limiting factor in the development of residential construction. Currently, due to the poor thermal insulation and air-tightness performance of our buildings and the low thermal efficiency of heating systems, the heating energy consumption per unit of residential building area is three times that of developed countries under the same climatic conditions. This indicates that only by firmly taking measures to save energy can we maintain the sustainable development of construction.
Foreign experience in heat metering shows that the system of charging according to heat consumption is the most effective way to encourage users to conserve energy voluntarily. According to statistics, replacing the "free-for-all" heating fee system with a user charge based on actual heat usage can save 20% to 30% of energy. In our country, the welfare-based heating system has been implemented for a long time, where energy consumption has no relation to the interests of users. This is one of the major drawbacks left over from the free-for-all system and the biggest obstacle to energy-saving work in the heating system. According to the requirements of the national energy conservation law, domestic energy use must be measured and charged to users. This is a major reform required by the socialist market economy, an important measure for heating enterprises to change their operating mechanisms, and a fundamental measure to promote building energy conservation. We can only follow the laws of the market economy, treat heat as a commodity, allow users to regulate and control its use on their own, and charge reasonably according to practical heat consumption to stimulate the enthusiasm of both heat suppliers and users, thereby promoting energy saving.
The ultimate goal of implementing heat metering and charging in the heating system is building energy conservation. To achieve this, apart from strengthening building insulation and reducing design energy consumption, indoor heating systems must have temperature control devices. Temperature control is one of the prerequisites for heat metering. Without temperature control means in the indoor system, merely having metering and charging devices cannot actually achieve energy saving but is merely for charging fees, which deviates from the fundamental purpose of building energy conservation. Therefore, heat metering and temperature control are often inseparable. Although large-scale promotion of heat metering must be carried out under the premise of temperature control, another role of temperature control besides energy saving and capital saving is to improve indoor comfort and enhance the quality of heat network heating supply. Therefore, heat metering must be used in conjunction with temperature control to complement each other and achieve the best results.
Abroad, especially in Nordic countries, since the energy crisis of the 1970s, great attention has been paid to building energy conservation, and relevant policies, regulations, and technical measures have been formulated. The centralized heating systems in foreign developed countries are all dynamic variable flow systems, with advanced regulation and control technologies, complete control methods, and high-quality equipment. Usually, the heat provided by the primary pipeline is exchanged into secondary heating hot water and domestic hot water at the heat station. In the secondary water system of the heat station, there are installed frequency conversion speed-regulated pumps, differential pressure controllers, electric regulating valves, temperature compensators, and return water temperature limiters and other equipment. A mature set of heating system operation modes has been formed. Centralized heating according to heat measurement is the trend of development worldwide and a basic measure for environmental protection and energy conservation in various countries. Currently, apart from Western developed countries that have already adopted this measure, Eastern European countries and former Soviet Union region countries are gradually promoting it. Meanwhile, the corresponding technology for centralized heating according to heat measurement continues to develop, making the dynamic regulation of heating systems more advanced and the billing technology more reliable and accurate. The entire centralized heating heat measurement billing device is developing towards miniaturization and computerization.
Heat metering instruments and temperature control enterprises are at the initial stage
In our country, the current heating charge system is based on area charges, which suppresses the realization of heating energy conservation and causes problems such as difficulties in collecting heating fees. Currently, with the deepening research on heating energy conservation, heat metering and temperature control have become the focus of attention and research in China's HVAC industry. Since the research on heat metering and temperature control in our country is at the initial stage, there is a certain degree of blindness and trial-and-error. Some issues and controversies have arisen in the research, such as whether foreign heat metering methods and promotion experiences are suitable for China's national conditions? Can foreign temperature control and heat metering products be fully applicable in China? What kind of system can apply metering and temperature control? Facing such a large domestic market demand, what products should be developed, and what system methods should be adopted to be economical, simple, reliable, while achieving energy-saving purposes and meeting comfort needs? etc., all these require us to conduct further research and discussion. Some demonstration projects have been carried out in establishing suitable heat metering heating systems and heat metering methods in residential buildings, beneficial explorations have been made, and certain achievements have been obtained. The R&D work of temperature control and heat metering products has developed rapidly.
Intelligentization is the future development direction
Metering instrument products are rapidly advancing towards intelligentization, miniaturization, networking, and virtualization. Just from the aspect of civilian intelligent metering instruments and control equipment, intelligent metering instruments and control equipment products can be seen everywhere in large residential areas, schools, enterprises, and other concentrated living areas nationwide.
Smart metering instruments apply advanced microcomputer control technology, RF base station communication technology, remote wired (wireless) communication technology, and other advanced technologies in residents' daily lives, effectively enhancing residents' energy-saving awareness, greatly facilitating their lives, and improving the efficiency of centralized management. Due to the many advantages that smart metering instruments have over traditional mechanical meters, smart metering instruments will continue to grow rapidly. The intelligentization industry covers various fields such as smart instruments, sensors, intelligent software, system integration, almost covering all industries and aspects of life. The intelligentization industry is both a low-carbon economy and advanced technology, consistent with the overall economic development direction. The development of many emerging industries must rely on intelligent means to reduce and control the costs of traditional facilities and equipment. The intelligentization industry has good market development space.
The reform of heat metering is gaining momentum, and the market for metering instruments is promising. www.chuanghen.com Related thematic articles: CH Tensile Testing Machine, Chuangheng Tensile Testing Machine.