China will implement a plan to improve the energy efficiency of distribution transformers

Guo Zhenyan, vice president of the China Electrical Appliances Industry Association and director of the Beijing Electrotechnical and Economic Research Institute of the Machinery Industry, clearly stated the importance of improving the energy efficiency of distribution transformers as a key technological means to achieve national energy conservation and emission reduction.

Guo Zhenyan provided a detailed explanation of the attributes and scale of distribution transformers. Distribution transformers generally refer to power transformers with operating voltage levels of 10kV～35kV and capacities of 6300kVA or less that directly supply power to end users. By the end of 2013, China had approximately 15.3 million distribution transformers in operation, with a total capacity of approximately 4.06 billion kVA (calculated based on an average capacity of 315kVA). Among these, 8.578 million distribution transformers belonged to grid companies, while 6.722 million belonged to other enterprises.

According to Guo Zhenyan, China's distribution transformers are high-efficiency equipment (efficiency reaching 95%~99%). However, due to their large quantity, wide distribution, long operating time, and inherent no-load losses, even minor improvements in the energy efficiency of distribution transformers can result in significant energy savings and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

It is understood that the former State Economic and Trade Commission and the State Development Planning Commission, in 2000, issued the "Regulations on Energy Conservation Management," which clearly proposed accelerating the updating and transformation of transformers and promoting the use of energy-efficient transformers. In August 2012, the State Council issued the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan for Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction," which clearly required reducing power transformer losses during the Twelfth Five-Year Plan period, including a 10%～13% reduction in no-load losses and a 17%～19% reduction in load losses.

The Plan points out that with the release and implementation of the mandatory standard GB20052-2013 "Energy Efficiency Limits and Energy Efficiency Grades for Three-Phase Distribution Transformers," specific requirements for the energy efficiency values of distribution transformers have been put forward. According to the new standard, the vast majority of distribution transformers currently produced in China are not highly efficient (high-efficiency distribution transformers are those that meet or exceed the energy efficiency level 2 in the GB20052-2013 standard). Currently, high-efficiency distribution transformers of S13 and above models in operation in China only account for 9.5% of all distribution transformers in use.

Establishing Guiding Ideology and Basic Principles

It is understood that in order to promote the implementation of the Plan, guiding ideology and basic principles have been established. The guiding ideology is: Guided by the Scientific Outlook on Development, implementing relevant policies such as the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan for Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction" and the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan for Industrial Energy Conservation," promoting the widespread application of high-efficiency distribution transformers from multiple aspects including R&D, production, use, and related supporting measures; using a dual mechanism of policy guidance and market competition to accelerate the elimination of high-energy-consuming distribution transformers and expand the market share of high-efficiency distribution transformers; improving supporting standards systems for technology, certification, inspection and testing, and quality supervision, gradually establishing an implementation mechanism of policy incentives and market guidance, comprehensively improving the energy efficiency level of distribution transformers, promoting the industrial transformation and upgrading of the distribution transformer industry, and promoting the smooth completion of the energy conservation and emission reduction targets of the Twelfth Five-Year Plan.

Guo Zhenyan specifically introduced the promotion of the Plan

Five basic principles to be followed in implementation: First, combining overall planning with phased implementation. Combining comprehensive energy consumption reduction management targets for grid enterprises and industrial users with phased elimination of high-energy-consuming distribution transformers, and using a combination of rewards and penalties to achieve improved energy efficiency of distribution transformers.

Second, combining the optimization of existing stock with the improvement of incremental stock. On the user side, accelerating the upgrading and transformation of high-energy-consuming distribution transformers and encouraging the use of high-efficiency distribution transformers for new needs; on the production side, strictly enforcing existing energy efficiency standards, eliminating production capacity of high-energy-consuming distribution transformers, and gradually improving the supply capacity of high-efficiency distribution transformers.

Third, combining policy guidance with system improvement. Strengthening macro-guidance, using various policy tools such as finance and taxation to promote structural adjustment and transformation and upgrading of the distribution transformer industry, and improving product energy efficiency; improving supporting standards systems for technology, certification, inspection and testing, and supervision of distribution transformers, improving the market access mechanism for distribution transformer production and strengthening subsequent supervision mechanisms.

Fourth, combining key breakthroughs with comprehensive promotion. Guiding the elimination and promotion of distribution transformers under the jurisdiction of grid companies, focusing on the transformation and upgrading of high-energy-consuming distribution transformers and the promotion of high-efficiency distribution transformers in seven high-energy-consuming industries, using a combination of government guidance, energy efficiency supervision, quality supervision, and energy-saving rewards to achieve comprehensive promotion of the application of high-efficiency distribution transformers.

Fifth, combining process energy saving with product energy saving. Strengthening the use of new technologies, new processes, and new equipment in the production process of high-efficiency distribution transformers; strengthening ecological design and implementing green manufacturing to achieve energy saving in the production process of high-efficiency distribution transformers; improving the energy efficiency level of distribution transformers from multiple aspects such as innovative design, reasonable material selection, and process optimization.

Experts predict that by the end of 2016, a cumulative 300 million kVA of new high-efficiency distribution transformers will be promoted, ensuring that newly added energy efficiency level 2 and above distribution transformers account for more than 80% of all newly added distribution transformers, eliminating 280 million kVA of high-energy-consuming distribution transformers, basically eliminating high-energy-consuming distribution transformers of S9 type and below that have been in operation for more than 15 years, achieving a 0.5%~1.0% reduction in distribution network losses for grid enterprises based on the existing level, and a 10%~30% reduction in unit electricity consumption (electricity consumption/ton of finished product) for industrial enterprises based on the existing level; promoting the industrial transformation of distribution transformers and improving the industrialization capacity of high-efficiency distribution transformers; improving energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers, establishing a sound inspection, testing, evaluation, and certification system for distribution transformers, and promoting the standardization of the distribution transformer market.