On the rooftop of the Qunguang Power Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. in Wujiang District, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, rows of photovoltaic panels are neatly arranged, converting sunlight into clean electricity.

Liu Yonglin, plant manager, pointed to a screen displaying real-time data from the microgrid management platform saying, "Photovoltaic power generation now accounts for 7% of our total energy consumption. The energy storage system is discharging right now, and this alone has saved us nearly 10,000 yuan in electricity bills today!"

"This platform is like our 'smart butler,'" Liu Yonglin explained. "It precisely allocates power: prioritizing rooftop photovoltaic power, using energy storage when it's insufficient, and finally using power from the main grid. This way, energy costs are kept to a minimum."

The company, which primarily produces power adapters and other equipment, is a large electricity consumer and had already considered numerous approaches to achieve greater energy conservation in the past. When Yang Yibin, director of the marketing department of State Grid Jiangsu Suzhou Wujiang District Power Supply Company, approached them with a proposal for a "photovoltaic + energy storage" smart microgrid, the two parties hit it off. In March of this year, the microgrid, featuring rooftop photovoltaics and 24 megawatt-hours of energy storage, officially became operative. "This is like building a 'power granary'!" Liu Yonglin said excitedly, "We expect to save 5.22 million yuan in electricity bills annually. More importantly, it increases the 'green content' of our products."

Similar stories abound in Suzhou.

Donghua Energy (Zhangjiagang) New Materials Co., Ltd. in Zhangjiagang is a major local energy consumer, consuming an average of 1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Electrical Manager Wang Dehui, pointing to the boilers in the workshop, said, "Previously, the boilers generated a large amount of excess medium-pressure steam, but the utilization rate was only around 10%, which was a huge waste." How did they turn waste into treasure? They introduced cascaded steam waste heat power generation technology, which increased steam utilization to 90%, significantly improving overall energy efficiency.

In Changshu, Jiangsu Jima New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. has also undergone a major electricity reduction. "In May, through some fruitful conversations with our peers, we discovered that our monthly electricity bills were significantly higher than those of similar companies of similar size," said Du Gang, the company's electrical manager. After a visit, the energy efficiency team from State Grid's Changshu Power Supply Company in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, conducted a comprehensive analysis of the company's peak and off-peak load characteristics and electricity rate structure, and provided recommendations. The company adopted these recommendations, avoiding peak usage and adjusting its reactive power compensation system, saving over 60,000 yuan annually.

This year, Suzhou City issued a plan to reduce overall costs for businesses, stepping up measures to help them lower their electricity costs. The local power supply department proactively provided services, continuously encouraging businesses to work toward energy conservation,  and waste reduction. To date, they have visited 315 key energy-consuming enterprises, conducted 107 energy efficiency diagnoses, and held over 50 energy-saving awareness events, reaching over 5,000 businesses and residents.