Power control device and power control method

Abstract

To previously determine whether or not an economical gain can be obtained by responding a request even if a prediction power purchase amount in an objective period of a rising DR is larger than zero, and determine whether or not a participation in the rising DR is performed or not.SOLUTION: A power control device comprises: a DR processing part that previously determines whether or not a power storage battery is charged in a predetermined period containing a target period in accordance with a request of a rising DR; and a charging control part that controls a charging to the power storage battery. The DR processing part contains: a prediction residual power amount calculation part that calculates a prediction residual power amount in a predetermined period; a prediction charging power amount acquisition part that calculates a prediction charging power amount; a prediction power purchase amount determination part that determines a magnitude of a prediction power purchase amount in a predetermined period on the basis of the prediction charging power amount and the prediction residual power amount; and an incentive determination part that determines whether or not an economical gain can be obtained in accordance with the request. In the case where the economical gain is obtained, it is determined that the power storage battery is charged in the predetermined period even if the prediction power purchase amount is larger than zero.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power control device and a power control method for controlling a power system that includes a solar power generation device and a storage battery and is connected to a power grid. [Background technology]

[0002] A technology is known in which a consumer having a residential power system equipped with a photovoltaic power generation device and a storage battery responds to a demand response request as follows. The technology relates to an energy management device that is provided in the consumer and can control the consumer's electrical appliances by communicating with a server that requests a demand response. The energy management device includes a receiving unit that receives a demand response request from the server, a transmitting unit that transmits a response of participation or non-participation to the request, an electrical appliance control unit that controls the electrical appliances, and an information acquiring unit that acquires information on the electrical appliances. After transmitting a response of participation to the request, if it is determined that the demand response request cannot be fulfilled, the energy management device transmits a response of non-participation. The power storage device transmits information indicating its own power storage state and provides it to the energy management device. Even if the energy management device once transmits a response of participation to the demand response request, if the energy management device subsequently becomes unable to fulfill the demand response request due to a change in the power storage state, the energy management device transmits a response of non-participation and cancels the demand response (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Regarding the response to the demand response request for increased DR, that is, not for power saving but for consumption (power storage), Patent Document 1 describes the following. When a request is received, the HEMS controller determines that the power storage device can participate in the demand response (can be charged) based on the results of monitoring the remaining charge of the power storage device, responds that the device can participate, and controls the power storage device to a "charging" state when the demand response starts. If the remaining charge of the power storage device reaches an upper limit set by the user during the demand response period, the power storage device automatically stops charging. The HEMS controller, upon learning that charging has been stopped, determines that the request cannot be fulfilled, responds that the device will not participate, and cancels the demand response. It is noted that the storage battery may be a stationary power storage device, as well as an electric vehicle (EV) or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 082426 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the case of receiving a request for upward DR, the system of Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the economics of the consumer. Therefore, although the upward DR request can be fulfilled, charging by purchasing electricity occurs, and therefore the consumer who participates in the request may suffer an economic disadvantage compared to the case where the consumer does not participate. This invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and makes it possible to determine in advance whether or not economic benefit will be obtained by responding to a request even if the predicted amount of electricity purchases during the period covered by the up-regulation DR is greater than zero, and to decide whether or not to participate in the up-regulation DR based on that determination. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a power control device that controls a power system that includes a solar power generation device and a storage battery and is connected to a power grid, and is equipped with a DR processing unit that determines in advance whether or not to charge the storage battery during a specified period including a target period related to a request for upward DR when a request for upward DR is predicted or scheduled, and a charging control unit that controls charging to the storage battery, wherein the DR processing unit includes a predicted surplus energy calculation unit that calculates a predicted amount of surplus energy for the specified period, a predicted charging energy acquisition unit that calculates a predicted amount of charging energy required when charging the storage battery during the specified period, a predicted energy purchase amount determination unit that determines the magnitude of a predicted amount of energy purchased for the specified period based on the predicted charging energy and the predicted surplus energy, and an incentive determination unit that determines whether or not economic benefit will be obtained by complying with the request, and if it is determined that economic benefit will be obtained, decides to charge the storage battery during the specified period even if the predicted energy purchase amount is greater than zero, and the charging control unit controls the charging of the storage battery based on the determination of the DR processing unit.

[0007] From a different perspective, the present invention provides a power control method in which steps executed by a processor that controls a power system including a solar power generation device and a storage battery and connected to a power grid include a step of declaring in advance whether or not to charge the storage battery during a predetermined period including a target period for which a request for up-regulation DR is predicted or scheduled, and a charge control step of controlling charging to the storage battery, the step of declaring in advance includes a step of calculating a predicted amount of surplus power for the predetermined period, a step of calculating a predicted amount of charging power required when charging the storage battery during the predetermined period, a step of determining the magnitude of a predicted amount of power purchased for the predetermined period based on the predicted amount of charging power and the predicted amount of surplus power, a step of determining whether or not economic benefit will be obtained by complying with the request, and a step of deciding to charge the storage battery during the predetermined period even if the predicted amount of power purchased is greater than zero if it is determined that economic benefit will be obtained, and the charge control step controls charging of the storage battery based on the determination made in the step of declaring in advance. Effect of the Invention

[0008] In the power control device of this invention, the DR processing unit includes a predicted power purchase amount determination unit that determines the magnitude of the predicted power purchase amount for a specified period, and an incentive determination unit that determines whether or not economic benefit will be obtained by responding to the request. Therefore, even if the predicted power purchase amount for a specified period of the upward DR is greater than zero, it is possible to determine in advance whether or not economic benefit will be obtained by responding to the request, and to decide whether or not to participate in the upward DR. The power control method according to the present invention also provides the same advantageous effects. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a power system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power system different from that shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power system different from those in FIGS. 1 and 2. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which an EV's on-board storage battery participates in DR and is charged during a target period on the same day in an embodiment. [Figure 4B] 4B is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a case where charging is performed during the night before the target period without responding to a request for an upward DR, unlike FIG. 4A. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a pre-notification process executed by a DR processing unit in the embodiment (first embodiment). [Figure 6] 13 is a first flowchart showing an example of a pre-notification process executed by a DR processing unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] 13 is a second flowchart showing an example of the advance notification process executed by the DR processing unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 8] 13 is a first flowchart showing an example of a pre-notification process executed by a DR processing unit in the third embodiment. [Figure 9] 13 is a second flowchart showing an example of the advance notification process executed by the DR processing unit in the third embodiment. [Figure 10] 13 is a first flowchart showing an example of a pre-notification process executed by a DR processing unit in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] 23 is a second flowchart showing an example of the advance notification process executed by the DR processing unit in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 12A] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an EV's on-board storage battery participating in DR and charging during a target period on the same day in a modified example. [Figure 12B] 12B is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a case where charging is performed during the night before the target period without responding to a request for an upward DR, unlike FIG. 12A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. <Example of power system configuration> First, a configuration example of a power system according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a power system according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a power system 11 according to this embodiment includes a photovoltaic power generation device 13, a storage battery 14, a plurality of household appliances 17A, 17B, etc., a power conditioner 19 (also called PCS, which is an acronym for Power Conditioning System), and a control unit 21, and is connected to an external power system 23. The household appliances 17A, 17B, etc. are power loads such as air conditioners and lighting appliances. The control unit 21 can communicate with an external HEMS server 97 via a network 98. The HEMS server 97 acquires meteorological information from the Japan Meteorological Agency and a service provider, and provides the information to the control unit 21. The control unit 21 can also communicate with an external aggregation server 99 via the network 98. The aggregation server 99 is a server that issues individual requests (demands) related to reductions in power demand and increases in power demand to the power system, which is based on a home or business, and manages the system. That is, the power system 11 receives a request for a downward DR or an upward DR from the power grid side from the aggregation server 99. Also, the power system 11 transmits a response to the request, such as a prior notification, to the aggregation server 99.

[0011] In FIG. 1, the power generated by the solar power generation device 13 is P PV , the power consumed by the home appliance 17A is P LA , the power consumed by the home appliance 17B is P LB , .... Furthermore, the input / output power to the home appliances 17A, 17B ... and the power grid 23 of the power conditioner is P PCS , the power transmitted and received from the power grid is P s The charging power to the storage battery 14 is represented by P CHRG As will be described later, when the power system 11 includes the storage battery 15, this is the total charging power of the storage batteries 14 and 15. In this embodiment, when the storage battery 14 (including the storage battery 15 when it is included) discharges to the power system 11, P CHRGis set to a negative value. Photovoltaic power generation device 13 includes a solar cell module, and supplies DC power generated by the solar cell module to power conditioner 19. Power conditioner 19 converts the DC power supplied from photovoltaic power generation device 13 to a predetermined DC voltage using DC / DC converter 19A, converts the DC voltage to AC via bidirectional inverter 19C, and outputs it to household appliances 17A, 17B... and power grid 23. In addition, the DC voltage is sent to storage battery 14 via DC / DC converter 19B to charge storage battery 14.

[0012] The storage battery 14 shown in FIG. 1 is an in-vehicle storage battery that is detachably connected via an EV connector 16 as an in-vehicle battery connection section. However, the storage battery of the power system 11 is not limited to an in-vehicle storage battery, and may be a stationary storage battery. The storage battery 15 shown by a chain line in FIG. 1 is a stationary storage battery. The storage battery 15, which is a stationary storage battery, is connected without the EV connector 16. The chain line is used to indicate that it is not a required configuration. In other words, in this embodiment, it is not a required configuration for the power system 11 to have both an in-vehicle storage battery and a stationary storage battery, and it is sufficient to have only one of them. In FIG. 1, the in-vehicle storage battery is shown as a required configuration, but conversely, the power system 11 may be configured to have only a stationary storage battery without having an in-vehicle storage battery. The power system 11 may only charge the storage battery 14, which is an in-vehicle storage battery. Alternatively, the storage battery 14 may not only be charged but also supply power to household appliances 17A, 17B, etc. like a stationary storage battery. In this case, the DC / DC converter is a bidirectional converter. Note that the control unit 21 and the power conditioner 19 may be integrated together.

[0013] The control unit 21 is configured to include a processor as a hardware resource, a memory, an input / output circuit, a communication circuit, and the like. From a functional aspect, the control unit 21 also includes a charging control unit 22 and a DR processing unit 25. The DR processing unit 25 includes a predicted surplus power amount calculation unit 25A, a predicted charging power amount acquisition unit 25B, a predicted power purchase amount determination unit 25C, and an incentive determination unit 25D. The DR processing unit 25 also includes an arbitrary prediction error calculation unit 25E. The control unit 21 controls the power conditioner 19 to control the power of the power system 11. That is, the power generated by the photovoltaic power generation device 13 is supplied to the household appliances 17A, 17B, and the power system 23. The control unit 21 also controls the power (power amount) of the charging and discharging of the storage battery 14 (including the storage battery 15 if the storage battery 15 is provided). In particular, the charging of the storage battery 14 (and 15) is controlled as the charging control unit 22. In addition, the DR processing unit 25 exchanges information related to demand response (DR) with the aggregation server 99. Furthermore, upon receiving a request from the aggregation server 99, the DR processing unit 25 performs power control in accordance with the received request.

[0014] Unlike the configuration in which the control unit 21 includes the DR processing unit 25 as shown in Fig. 1, the HEMS server 97 may include at least a part of the DR processing unit 25. In this case, the HEMS server 97 may communicate with the aggregation server 99, and the DR processing unit 25 of the HEMS server 97 and the control unit 21 may cooperate to control power according to instructions from the HEMS server 97. Various modes of sharing of processing between the control unit 21 and the HEMS server 97, which are physically located at different positions, are possible. To include all of these, a power control device 30 including the control unit 21 and the HEMS server 97 is shown in a dashed line frame in Fig. 1.

[0015] The DR processing unit 25 receives the power generated by the photovoltaic power generation device 13 from the power conditioner 19 for a predetermined period (for example, every 30 minutes). PV In addition, the power consumption P of each of the household appliances 17A, 17B, etc. for each predetermined period is obtained. LA ,P LB ... is sequentially acquired. In the case where a stationary storage battery 15 is provided, the charging power PCHRG The obtained generated power P PV , the total power consumption of each household appliance and the charging power of the storage battery P CHRG The power generation and power consumption are stored as history data in the memory and provided to the DR processing unit 25. The history data is time-series data of the power generation and power consumption for each predetermined period. Furthermore, although not shown in FIG. 1, the power transmission and reception data P s The DR processing unit 25 obtains the generated power P PV Based on the information on the total power consumption, the power generation P of the solar power generation device 13 is calculated. PV From Home Appliances P LA ,P LB The surplus power can be calculated by subtracting the total power consumption of ...

[0016] The control unit 21 may notify the user of the state of the power system 11 via communication to an information terminal 24 of the user. Furthermore, settings related to the control of the power system 11 by the user may be accepted by the information terminal 24. Here, an example of the information terminal 24 is a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal owned by the user, or a stationary or portable personal computer. Another example is a monitor (whether dedicated or not) installed in the home.

[0017] <Predicted charging power amount for on-board battery> In the case of a stationary storage battery, i.e., in the case of the storage battery 15, as described above, the charging power P CHRG However, in the case of an on-board storage battery, i.e., the storage battery 14, the power stored in the storage battery 14 is consumed when the vehicle is disconnected from the EV connector 16 and driven. Even if the travel distance and the corresponding power consumption are acquired and managed in the vehicle, there is no guarantee that the power system 11 can acquire the information. Therefore, the charging power P CHRGIt is not always possible to accurately obtain the predicted amount of charging power for the target period of DR based on the history of the vehicle. As a means for dealing with this, a mode in which the user inputs the planned mileage of the vehicle using the information terminal 24 or the user's own smartphone, etc., and the control unit 21 acquires the data can be considered. The average mileage per unit amount of power of the vehicle equipped with the storage battery 14 may be registered in advance in the control unit 21. In this way, the control unit 21 can calculate the predicted amount of charging power appropriate to the planned mileage using the data of the average mileage per unit amount of power registered in advance. Alternatively, information on the vehicle model may be registered. In this way, the control unit 21 can calculate the predicted amount of charging power appropriate to the planned mileage using the data of the average mileage per unit amount of power published for that vehicle model. Here, the planned mileage includes not only the mileage but also information on the time when the mileage starts and ends. The function of acquiring information related to the vehicle-mounted storage battery, such as the planned mileage of the vehicle, the average mileage per unit amount of power, and the vehicle model, from the information terminal 24 or the user's smartphone can be said to be an aspect in which the control unit 21 is provided with an in-vehicle storage battery information acquisition unit.

[0018] <Other examples of power system configurations> A configuration example different from that of the power system 11 shown in Fig. 1 will be described. Figs. 2 and 3 are block diagrams showing a configuration example of a power system different from that of Fig. 1. In the configuration example shown in Fig. 1, the power conditioner 19 includes a DC / DC converter 19B for charging the storage battery 14 (and the storage battery 15). In contrast, in Fig. 2, the DC / DC converter 19B for the storage battery 14 (and the storage battery 15) is configured as a unit separate from the power conditioner 19. The DC / DC converter 19B is connected to a direct current voltage section between the DC / DC converter 19A of the power conditioner 19 and the bidirectional inverter 19C.

[0019] In the configuration example shown in Fig. 1, the power conditioner 19 includes a DC / DC converter 19B for charging the storage battery 14 (and the storage battery 15). In contrast to this, in Fig. 3, the power conditioner 20 for the storage battery 14 (and the storage battery 15) is configured as a unit separate from the power conditioner 19. The power conditioner 20 includes a DC / DC converter 20B and an inverter 20D, and is connected to an AC voltage section of the power conditioner 19. Note that the inverter 19D in Fig. 3 is not bidirectional. The inverter 20D is not bidirectional when only charging the storage battery 14, but is a bidirectional inverter when the storage battery 14 charges and discharges or when a stationary storage battery 15 is included.

[0020] <Example of response to a request for increased DR in the case of an on-board battery> Next, a specific example of participation in the upward DR using the storage battery 14, which is an on-board storage battery, will be described with reference to Figs. 4A and 4B. Fig. 4A is an explanatory diagram showing an example in this embodiment in which the period during which the storage battery 14, which is an on-board storage battery of an EV, is charged is shifted to the target period of the DR by participating in the upward DR. Fig. 4B is an explanatory diagram corresponding to Fig. 4A, showing an example in which the period during which the storage battery 14 is charged is not shifted to the target period without participating in the upward DR. In Figs. 4A and 4B, the horizontal axis indicates the passage of time, and the vertical axis indicates power. The "EV target charge amount" shown in Fig. 4A is, for example, the charge amount of the storage battery 14 required to use the EV from the evening on the day of the upward DR. When there is no upward DR or when the EV does not participate in the upward DR, the "EV target charge amount" is charged during the night before the upward DR time period. The night is a time period when the unit price of electricity in the power grid 23 is cheaper than during the daytime, for example, from late at night on the previous day to early in the morning on the same day. In FIG. 4A, the time period of the up-DR is 12:00 to 16:00. In FIG. 4A, when the "EV target charge amount" is charged during the up-DR time period, the surplus power is used to charge the storage battery 14, which is an on-board storage battery of the EV, during 12:00-15:00 when the surplus power is large, and in addition to the surplus power, power is purchased from the power grid 23 to charge the storage battery 14 during 15:00-16:00. In this invention, the predetermined period including the target period related to the request includes the case where the target period and the predetermined period are the same. In the example shown in FIG. 4A, the target period of the up-DR and the predetermined period including it are both the time period of 12:00 to 16:00. During the period of 12:00 to 15:00, the surplus power (forecast) line and the EV charging power (forecast) line overlap. In this case, the amount of power purchased is the difference between the "EV target charge amount" and the amount of surplus power during the up-DR time period. In FIG. 4A, the predicted surplus energy amount in the time period of the upward DR is smaller than the predicted charging energy amount, and power purchase occurs, but the incentive obtained in response to the DR request exceeds the power fee necessary for the power purchase. On the other hand, in Fig. 4B, if the "EV target charging amount" is charged during the time period of the higher DR, in addition to the surplus power, power is purchased from the power grid 23 to charge the storage battery 14 during the entire time period of the higher DR. In this case, the amount of power purchased is the difference between the "EV target charging amount" and the amount of surplus power during the time period of the higher DR. In FIG. 4B, the predicted surplus energy amount during the time period of the upward DR is smaller than the predicted charging energy amount, so that electricity purchase occurs, and the electricity fee required for electricity purchase exceeds the incentive obtained in response to the DR request.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 4B, when there is no upward DR or when the upward DR is not participated in, the battery 14 required for using the EV after the evening of the day is charged at night, when the unit price of electricity in the power grid 23 is cheaper than during the day. When the DR is not participated in, the predicted surplus energy amount is smaller than the predicted charging energy amount, and electricity purchase occurs, and the electricity fee required for purchasing the electricity exceeds the incentive obtained in response to the DR request. The reason why the upward DR is targeted at the use of the EV after the evening is that the upward DR is usually implemented during the day when the power generated by solar power generation is large. The power used by the EV before the target period of the daytime upward DR needs to be charged at night before the target period. The night time is, for example, the time period from late night on the previous day to early morning on the same day.

[0022] The following are some examples of the scenarios in which the EV's storage battery 14 is charged during the daytime high DR and the EV is used in the evening and later. For example, in a household where both spouses work, neither spouse is at home during the daytime, and the EV is in the garage and connected to the home's power system 11 during the period covered by the daytime high DR. The EV is used after the couple returns home in the evening. This scenario is not limited to dual-income couples, and may involve, for example, charging the storage battery 14 in the home's power system 11 during the period covered by the daytime high DR, and using the EV for shopping or picking up and dropping off children in the evening. Alternatively, for example, a workplace or a parking lot used when going to work may be equipped with a solar power generation EV charging facility. In this case, the solar power generation EV charging facility corresponds to the power system 11 shown in Figs. 1 to 3, and the household appliances 17A, 17B, etc. are replaced with the power load of the facility. A person who goes to work in the morning with an EV charges the on-board storage battery in the EV charging facility described above during the period covered by the daytime high DR when the EV is parked. Then, the person returns home in the evening with the EV. In addition, a stationary storage battery may be used instead of an EV. Even if the battery is a stationary storage battery, a scenario is conceivable in which the storage battery 15 is charged by the home power system 11 during the daytime period subject to the upward DR and the charged power is used in the evening.

[0023] (Embodiment 1) <Example of judgment of change in charging start time in DR advance notification> Next, an example will be described in which the DR processing unit 25 determines whether or not to change the scheduled time to start charging the storage battery 14 (or the storage battery 15) at the stage of advance notification related to demand response. Note that a case in which the power system 11 includes both the storage battery 14 and the storage battery 15 will be described later. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of advance notification processing executed by the DR processing unit 25 in this embodiment. The flowchart shown in FIG. 5 shows an example of a determination when making an advance notification before the nighttime hours of the previous day in a situation in which the DR processing unit 25 determines that a request for upward DR is expected in the daytime of the next day based on past performance. Note that, here, a request for upward DR is predicted and determined, but the target period of the DR is notified by the aggregation server 99 by the evening or nighttime of the previous day at the latest even if it is after the advance notification. If an upward DR is planned at the time of advance notification, the determination may be made based on the schedule of the upward DR. The DR processing unit 25 determines whether or not to change (shift) all or a part of the charging energy amount that the storage battery 14 plans to charge in the nighttime hours to the target period of the DR day in order to meet the predicted or planned request as follows. Here, the target period for which the upward DR is predicted or scheduled is the daytime period.

[0024] The DR processing unit 25 calculates the generated power P PV The predicted amount of generated power in the target period on the DR day is calculated by referring to the history of the power consumption of each household appliance and meteorological information provided by the HEMS server 97 (step S11). LA ,P LB.... and meteorological information, etc., are referred to calculate the predicted power consumption amount for the target period of the day (step S13). Then, the predicted power consumption amount is subtracted from the predicted power generation amount to calculate the predicted surplus power amount for the next day as processing of the predicted surplus power amount calculation unit 25A (step S15). Furthermore, if all or part of the charging scheduled for the night before the target period is shifted to the daytime of the next day, the amount of power (predicted charging power amount) required for charging the shifted amount is acquired as processing of the predicted charging power amount acquisition unit 25B (step S29). Then, the predicted power purchase amount is calculated by subtracting the predicted surplus power amount from the predicted charging power amount, and it is determined whether the calculated predicted power purchase amount is greater than zero as processing of the predicted power purchase amount determination unit 25C (step S31). That is, the magnitude of the predicted power purchase amount is determined based on the predicted charging power amount and the predicted surplus power amount. If the predicted power purchase amount is greater than zero, it is determined that power purchase will occur. In other words, it is determined whether or not power purchase will occur by shifting charging to the target period of the day, and calculates the amount of power to be purchased (predicted amount of power purchase) if power purchase will occur. If the amount of power required for charging is covered by the surplus power even if charging is shifted to the target period of the day, and power purchase will not occur (No in step S31), the DR processing unit 25 proceeds to step S39 described later and decides to participate in the upward DR.

[0025] On the other hand, if shifting charging to the target period of the day will result in power purchase (Yes in step S31), the DR processing unit 25 executes the following series of processes as the incentive determination unit 25D. First, a predicted payment amount corresponding to the predicted amount of power purchased is calculated (step S33). Furthermore, the amount of a predicted incentive predicted to be obtained by shifting charging to the target period of the day in response to the request is calculated (step S35). The incentive for responding to the DR is not limited to being provided as money, but may also be provided as free or low-cost power, for example. Whatever form the incentive is given, the DR processing unit 25 calculates the value of the incentive. Then, it is determined whether the value of the predicted incentive exceeds the predicted payment amount (step S37).

[0026] If the value of the predicted incentive exceeds the predicted payment amount (Yes in step S37), the DR processing unit 25 as the incentive determination unit 25D determines that an economic benefit can be obtained by shifting charging to the target period of the day. Based on the determination, the DR processing unit 25 makes a pre-notification on the premise that the charging start time is shifted to the target period of the day to respond to the request for the up-regulation DR (step S39), and ends the process. According to this embodiment, even if the predicted power purchase amount is greater than zero, if the incentive determination unit 25D determines that the value of the incentive obtained in response to the request is greater than the predicted payment amount corresponding to the predicted power purchase amount, it decides to charge the storage battery in the target period of the predicted or scheduled DR to obtain an incentive. On the other hand, if the value of the predicted incentive is less than the predicted payment amount or both are equal (No in step S37), it determines that an economic benefit cannot be obtained by shifting charging to the target period of the day, and decides not to participate in the up-regulation DR. Then, it declares that it does not make a pre-notification or does not participate in the DR, and ends the process. Note that, if it is No in step S37, the storage battery 14 or the storage battery 15 is charged at night before the target period in order not to participate in the up-regulation DR. According to this embodiment, if the incentive determination unit 25D cannot determine that economic benefits can be obtained, it does not decide to charge the storage battery during the predicted or scheduled target period of DR. Then, all or part of the charging energy amount scheduled to be charged in the nighttime hours of the storage battery 14 or the storage battery 15 is not changed (shifted) to the target period on the day of DR. The storage battery 14 or the storage battery 15 is charged during the nighttime hours before the target period as scheduled. The above is an example of the advance notification process executed by the DR processing unit 25 in this embodiment.

[0027] (Embodiment 2) <Processing that takes into account prediction errors based on history> In this embodiment, a mode in which a prediction error based on history is taken into consideration in the advance notification process shown in FIG. 5 will be described. 6 and 7 are flowcharts showing an example of a pre-reporting process executed by the DR processing unit 25 in this embodiment. The same processes as those in FIG. 5 are assigned the same reference numerals. The description of the same processes as those in FIG. 5 will be omitted. What makes FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 different from FIG. 5 is that the process of S17 to S27 in FIG. 6 is executed to calculate a prediction error based on the history, and the predicted charging energy is obtained by applying the corrected surplus energy obtained by correcting the prediction error to the surplus energy similar to that in FIG. 5.

[0028] After calculating the predicted surplus power amount in step S15 shown in FIG. 6, the DR processing unit 25 as the prediction error calculation unit 25E performs the following process. PV , the total power consumption of each household appliance and the charging power of the storage battery P CHRG The history of the predicted value and the actual value of the surplus power amount is referred to, and the actual value of the surplus power amount corresponding to the predicted surplus power amount (actual surplus power amount) is calculated (step S17). Various periods can be considered for the calculation. For example, the calculation may be performed for the upward DR target period of the past one year, three months, or one month. Alternatively, the calculation may be performed for the past one year, three months, or one month, or for the past one week, without being limited to the upward DR. Furthermore, the calculation may be performed for the same days in the past ten or five years, instead of a consecutive period. Alternatively, days with similar weather conditions may be extracted and used for the calculation.

[0029] As a result of the comparison of the histories, if the actual surplus power amount is greater than the predicted surplus power amount (Yes in step S19), a prediction error based on the histories is calculated by subtracting the corresponding predicted surplus power amount from the actual surplus power amount to be compared (step S21). Then, the prediction error calculated in step S21 is added to the predicted surplus power amount calculated in the above-mentioned step S15 to calculate a corrected predicted surplus power amount (step S23). On the other hand, if the determination in the above-mentioned step S19 shows that the actual surplus power amount is equal to or less than the predicted surplus power amount (No in step S19), a prediction error based on the histories is calculated by subtracting the corresponding actual surplus power amount from the predicted surplus power amount to be compared (step S25). Then, the prediction error calculated in step S25 is subtracted from the predicted surplus power amount calculated in the above-mentioned step S15 to calculate a corrected predicted surplus power amount (step S27).

[0030] Then, as in FIG. 5, the predicted charging energy acquisition unit 25B acquires the amount of energy (predicted charging energy) required for the shifted charging when the charging scheduled for the night before the target period is shifted to the target period on the day of DR (step S29). Next, as the process of the predicted purchasing amount determination unit 25C, the predicted purchasing amount is calculated by subtracting the corrected predicted surplus energy from the predicted charging energy, and it is determined whether the calculated predicted purchasing amount is greater than zero (step S30 shown in FIG. 7). That is, the magnitude of the predicted purchasing amount is determined based on the predicted charging energy and the corrected predicted surplus energy. The subsequent process is the same as that of FIG. 5. According to this aspect, the prediction error calculation unit 25E calculates the corrected predicted surplus energy corrected by reflecting the prediction error in the past, so that it is possible to determine whether or not charging is performed in the target period of DR predicted or scheduled after reflecting the tendency of the error between the past predicted surplus energy and the actual surplus energy.

[0031] <<Control when an in-vehicle storage battery and a stationary storage battery are included>> In the processing shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, it is assumed that either the storage battery 14 which is an in-vehicle storage battery or the storage battery 15 which is a stationary storage battery is connected to the power system 11. In the following embodiment, two aspects of processing by the DR processing unit 25 to respond to the up-down DR when both the storage battery 14 which is an in-vehicle storage battery and the storage battery 15 which is a stationary storage battery are connected to the power system 11 will be described. According to this aspect, the storage battery may be an in-vehicle storage battery mounted on an electric vehicle such as an EV or a PHV, and the in-vehicle storage battery is detachably connected to the power system via an in-vehicle battery connection unit. Furthermore, the storage battery includes a stationary storage battery. In a state where the in-vehicle storage battery is connected via the EV connector 16, the storage battery of the power system 11 includes both the storage battery 14 which is an in-vehicle storage battery and the storage battery 15 which is a stationary storage battery.

[0032] In the first aspect, the DR processing unit 25 receives a user's setting regarding which storage battery is to be prioritized, and judges whether or not an economic benefit is obtained when the storage battery with a higher priority is used to respond to the DR according to the setting. According to this aspect, when the storage battery includes both the vehicle-mounted storage battery and the stationary storage battery, the user can set which charging is to be prioritized by setting a priority. The charging control unit controls the charging of the storage battery according to the priority according to the setting. When the priority is not set, the charging control unit prioritizes the vehicle-mounted storage battery. In the second aspect, the DR processing unit 25 receives a user's setting regarding the priority of the storage battery, and further receives a user's setting regarding the magnitude of the target incentive. The DR processing unit 25 judges whether or not the target incentive is obtained when the charging time of the storage battery is shifted according to the set priority. According to this aspect, the charging control unit does not charge the vehicle-mounted storage battery and the stationary storage battery at the same time, but first charges one of them according to the priority, and when the charging is completed, the other is charged. In addition, according to this embodiment, when the size of the target incentive to be obtained in response to a request is determined, even if one charging is completed before the target is reached, it is possible to switch to the other charging and obtain the target incentive.

[0033] (Embodiment 3) First, the first aspect will be described. Figures 8 and 9 are flowcharts showing an example of a pre-declaration process executed by the DR processing unit 25 in this embodiment. The process shown in Figure 5 is the basis, and the same processes as those in Figure 5 are given the same reference numerals. The description of the same processes as those in Figure 5 will be omitted.

[0034] After calculating the predicted surplus power amount in step S15 shown in FIG. 8, the DR processing unit 25 checks whether the DR processing unit 25 has received a setting (priority setting) for prioritizing charging of either the storage battery 14 or the storage battery 15 using an information processing device capable of communicating with the information terminal 24 or the control unit 21 (step S51). The control unit 21 is assumed to be capable of receiving various settings including the priority setting from the information terminal 24 or an information processing device such as a smartphone used by the user separately from the information terminal 24. The information terminal 24 or the information processing device used by the user for setting is called an operation terminal. If the priority setting has been received (Yes in step S51), the DR processing unit 25 checks which storage battery is to be prioritized (step S53). If the setting is to prioritize the storage battery 15, which is a stationary storage battery (Yes in step S53), the storage battery 15 is to be used when participating in the upward DR (step S55). If the storage battery 14, which is an on-board storage battery, is set to have priority (No in step S53), or if priority is not set (No in step S51), the DR processing unit 25 uses the storage battery 14 when participating in the upward DR (step S57).

[0035] Then, as a process of the predicted charging energy acquisition unit 25B, the amount of energy (predicted charging energy) required for the shifted charging of the prioritized storage battery when the charging scheduled for the night before the target period is shifted to the target period on the DR day is acquired (step S59). The process of the subsequent steps S31 to S33 to S37 shown in FIG. 9 is the same as that of FIG. 5. That is, it is determined whether the magnitude of the incentive expected when the charging is shifted exceeds the payment amount for the power purchase even if the power purchase is predicted, and it is determined whether to participate in the upward DR. Then, if it is determined that there is no power purchase or the magnitude of the incentive exceeds the payment amount for the power purchase even if the power purchase is predicted, a pre-notification is made on the premise that the charging period of the prioritized storage battery is shifted from the night before the target period to the target period on the day (step S61 in FIG. 9). As described above, it is determined whether to participate in the upward DR using either the storage battery 14 or the storage battery 15.

[0036] (Fourth embodiment) Next, the second aspect described above will be described. In this embodiment, as one of the conditions for determining whether or not to participate in the up-DR, a target amount is set by the user, indicating how much incentive the user expects to obtain before participating in the up-DR. Figures 10 and 11 are flowcharts showing an example of a pre-declaration process executed by the DR processing unit 25 in this embodiment. The process shown in Figure 5 is the base, and some of the processes are similar to those in Figures 8 and 9. The same reference numerals are used for the processes similar to those in Figures 5, 8, and 9. The same processes as those in Figures 5, 8, and 9 will not be described.

[0037] The processing of steps S11 to S15 and S51 to S57 in Fig. 10 is the same as that in Fig. 8. The setting of which storage battery is to be prioritized is also the same as in the third embodiment. In this embodiment, the storage battery with the higher priority is charged to a target charge amount (for example, fully charged) before charging the storage battery with the lower priority. As the processing of the predicted charging energy amount acquisition unit 25B, the DR processing unit 25 first acquires the amount of energy (predicted charging energy amount) required for the shifted charging of both the storage batteries 14 and 15 when the charging scheduled for the night before the target period is shifted to the target period on the DR day (step S71).

[0038] The subsequent processing from step S31 to steps S33 to S37 shown in Fig. 11 is the same as that in Fig. 5. That is, it is determined whether the magnitude of the incentive expected when charging is shifted exceeds the amount to be paid for the power purchase even if the power purchase is predicted, and it is determined whether to participate in the upward DR. Then, if it is determined that the magnitude of the incentive exceeds the amount to be paid for the power purchase even if no power purchase or the power purchase is predicted, a prior notification is made on the premise that the charging period of the storage battery is shifted from the nighttime before the target period to the target period on the day in order of priority so that the target incentive can be obtained (step S83 in Fig. 11).

[0039] However, when it is determined that a large amount of power purchase occurs when both the storage batteries 14 and 15 are charged and the predicted payment amount for the power purchase exceeds the incentive (No in step S37 shown in FIG. 11), the DR processing unit 25 performs the following process. First, the magnitude of the target incentive set by the user is acquired (step S73 shown in FIG. 11). Then, the charging energy amount (target charging energy amount) corresponding to the incentive of the target magnitude is calculated (step S75). Then, it is determined whether or not the obtained target charging energy amount is larger than the predicted surplus energy amount calculated in step S15 of FIG. 10 (step S77). If the target charging energy amount is not larger than the predicted surplus energy amount (No in step S77), the target charging energy amount falls within the range of the predicted surplus energy amount and no power purchase occurs, so the process proceeds to the above-mentioned step S83 to participate in the DR.

[0040] On the other hand, if the target charging energy amount is greater than the predicted surplus energy amount (Yes in step S77), the payment amount corresponding to the amount of purchased power required to charge up to the target charging energy amount is calculated (step S79). In step S33, the payment amount was calculated assuming that the storage batteries 14 and 15 are fully charged. In contrast, in this step S79, the payment amount is the amount of purchased power required to charge up to the target charging energy amount for either one or both of the storage batteries 14 and 15. This is set as the corrected predicted payment amount. The DR processing unit 25 judges whether the corrected predicted payment amount is less than the target incentive (step S81). If the corrected predicted payment amount is less than the target incentive (Yes in step S81), the process proceeds to the above-mentioned step S83 to participate in the upward DR. On the other hand, if the corrected predicted payment amount is equal to or greater than the target incentive (No in step S81), the upward DR is not participated in, that is, a pre-declaration is not made, or a declaration is made that the user will not participate in the DR, and the process is terminated. The above is the process of this embodiment.

[0041] (Modification) In the first to fourth embodiments, the predicted amount of power generated by photovoltaic power generation during the daytime target period on the day of the increased DR is calculated, the predicted amount of power consumed during the target period on that day is calculated, and the predicted amount of surplus power (predicted amount of power generated - predicted amount of power consumed) during the target period on that day is calculated. Then, the predicted amount of charging power required for charging the storage battery if it is shifted from the nighttime before the target period to the target period on that day is obtained, and the magnitude of the predicted amount of purchased power is determined based on the predicted amount of charging power and the predicted amount of surplus power. Alternatively, there is also a method of calculating the target period by adding the period from the end time of the target period to the start time of EV use to the period for calculating the predicted amount of surplus power and the period for calculating the predicted amount of charging power required to charge the storage battery.

[0042] In this modified example, the predicted amount of power generated by photovoltaic power generation in a period including a target period during the daytime on the day and a specified period after the target period is calculated, the predicted amount of power consumed in the period is calculated, and the predicted amount of surplus power in the period (predicted amount of power generated - predicted amount of power consumed) is calculated. Then, the predicted amount of charging power required for charging if the charging of the storage battery is shifted from the nighttime before the target period to the target period on the day is obtained, and the magnitude of the predicted amount of power purchase is determined based on the predicted amount of charging power and the predicted amount of surplus power.

[0043] A specific example of participation in the upward DR using the storage battery 14, which is an on-board storage battery, will be described with reference to Figs. 12A and 12B. Fig. 12A is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a modification of this embodiment in which the period during which the storage battery 14, which is an on-board storage battery of an EV, participates in the upward DR and is charged is shifted to a period consisting of a period subject to the DR and a predetermined period after the period subject to the DR. Fig. 12B is an explanatory diagram corresponding to Fig. 12A, showing an example in which the upward DR is not participated in and therefore the period during which the storage battery 14 is charged is not shifted to a period consisting of a period subject to the DR and a predetermined period after the period subject to the DR. In Figs. 12A and 12B, the horizontal axis indicates the passage of time, and the vertical axis indicates power.

[0044] The "EV target charge amount" shown in FIG. 12A is, for example, the charge amount of the storage battery 14 required to use the EV after the evening of the day of the up-DR. When there is no up-DR or when the up-DR is not participated in, the "EV target charge amount" is charged during the night before the up-DR time period. The night is a time period when the unit price of electricity in the power grid 23 is cheaper than during the daytime, for example, from late at night on the previous day to early in the morning on the same day. In FIG. 12A, the period including the up-DR time period and the time period after the up-DR time period is set as the period during which the storage battery 14 is charged. In FIG. 12A, the up-DR time period is set to 12:00 to 15:00, and the time period after the up-DR time period is set to 15:00 to 16:00. In FIG. 12A, when the "EV target charge amount" is charged during the up-DR time period, the storage battery 14, which is an on-board storage battery of the EV, is charged with surplus power, and during the time period after the DR time period, the storage battery 14 is charged with purchased power from the power grid 23 in addition to the surplus power. In this case, the amount of power purchased is the difference between the "EV target charging amount" and the amount of surplus power during the time period of the up-DR. In Fig. 12A, the predicted amount of surplus power during the period including the time period of the up-DR and the time period after the up-DR is smaller than the predicted amount of charging power, so power purchase occurs, but the incentive obtained in response to the DR request exceeds the electricity fee required for power purchase.

[0045] On the other hand, in FIG. 12B, when the "EV target charging amount" is charged during a period including the time period of the up-DR and the time period after the up-DR, in addition to the surplus power, power is purchased from the power grid 23 to charge the storage battery 14 throughout the period. In this case, the amount of power purchased is the difference between the "EV target charging amount" and the amount of surplus power during the time period of the up-DR. In FIG. 12B, the predicted amount of surplus power during the period including the time period of the up-DR and the time period after the up-DR is smaller than the predicted amount of charging power, so power is purchased, and the power fee required for purchasing power exceeds the incentive obtained in response to the DR request.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 12B, when there is no upward DR or when the upward DR is not participated in, the battery 14 required for using the EV after the evening of the day is charged during the night when the unit price of electricity in the power grid 23 is cheaper than during the day. When the DR is not participated in, the predicted surplus energy amount is smaller than the predicted charging energy amount, and electricity purchase occurs, and the electricity fee required for purchasing the electricity exceeds the incentive obtained in response to the DR request. The reason why the upward DR is targeted for the use of the EV after the evening is that the upward DR is usually implemented during the day when the power generated by solar power generation is large. The power used by the EV before the target period of the daytime upward DR needs to be charged during the night before the target period. The time period after the upward DR time period is not particularly limited, but can be determined depending on the time required to charge the "EV target charge amount" and the time period of the upward DR. In addition, since the charging of the battery 14 required for using the EV after the evening of the day needs to be completed before the EV is used, the time period after the upward DR time period can be determined depending on the time when the EV is planned to be used in the evening.

[0047] The aspects of the present invention include any combination of the above-mentioned aspects. In addition to the above-mentioned embodiment, various modifications of the present invention are possible. These modifications should not be interpreted as not falling within the scope of the present invention. The present invention should include the equivalent meaning of the claims and all of the modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 11: Power system, 13: Photovoltaic power generation device, 14, 15: Storage battery, 16: EV connector, 17A, 17B: Home appliance, 19, 20: Power conditioner, 19A, 19B, 20B: DC / DC converter, 19C: Bidirectional inverter, 19D, 20D: Inverter, 21: Control unit, 22: Charging control unit, 23: Power system, 24: Information terminal, 25: DR processing unit, 25A: Predicted surplus power amount calculation unit, 25B: Predicted charging power amount acquisition unit, 25C: Predicted power purchase amount determination unit, 25D: Incentive determination unit, 25E: Prediction error calculation unit, 30: Power control device, 97: HEMS server, 98: Network, 99: Aggregation server

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a power system that includes a solar power generation device and a storage battery and is connected to a power grid, a DR processing unit that, when a request for increased DR is predicted or scheduled, determines in advance whether or not to charge the storage battery during a predetermined period including a target period related to the request; A charge control unit that controls charging of the storage battery, The DR processing unit is a predicted surplus power amount calculation unit that calculates a predicted surplus power amount in the predetermined period; a predicted charging energy acquisition unit that calculates a predicted charging energy required when charging the storage battery during the predetermined period; a predicted power purchase amount determination unit that determines the magnitude of a predicted power purchase amount for the predetermined period based on the predicted charging power amount and the predicted surplus power amount; an incentive determination unit that determines whether or not economic benefits can be obtained by responding to the request; When it is determined that an economic benefit can be obtained, it is determined that the storage battery will be charged during the predetermined period even if the predicted amount of purchased electricity is greater than zero; The charging control unit is a power control device that controls charging of the storage battery based on the decision of the DR processing unit.

2. the incentive determination unit determines whether or not a value of an incentive for responding to the request is greater than a predicted payment amount corresponding to the predicted amount of purchased power; The power control device according to claim 1 , wherein it is determined to charge during the period when the value of the incentive is greater than the predicted payment amount.

3. The DR processing unit does not decide to charge during the period if it is not determined that an economic benefit can be obtained, The power control device according to claim 1 , wherein the charge control unit charges the storage battery before the target period.

4. the DR processing unit further includes a prediction error calculation unit that stores a past predicted surplus power amount and a corresponding actual surplus power amount as a history and calculates a prediction error of the past surplus power amount by referring to the history; The power control device according to claim 1 , wherein the predicted surplus power amount calculation unit calculates the predicted surplus power amount corrected in accordance with the prediction error.

5. the power system includes an on-board battery connection unit for detachably connecting a storage battery mounted on an electric vehicle, the charging control unit includes an in-vehicle storage battery information acquisition unit that acquires information related to charging of the in-vehicle storage battery connected via the in-vehicle battery connection unit, The power control device according to claim 1 , wherein the charge control unit controls charging of an on-board storage battery when the on-board storage battery is connected.

6. the charging control unit controls charging of the vehicle-mounted storage battery and a stationary storage battery connected without passing through the vehicle-mounted battery connection unit, The power control device according to claim 5 , wherein, in a state in which the vehicle-mounted storage battery is connected to the vehicle-mounted battery connection section, charging of the vehicle-mounted storage battery is prioritized.

7. Further comprising an operation terminal for accepting an operation by a user, the charging control unit controls charging of the vehicle-mounted storage battery and a stationary storage battery connected without passing through the vehicle-mounted battery connection unit, 6. The power control device according to claim 5, wherein a priority setting for which of the vehicle-mounted storage battery and the stationary storage battery is to be prioritized for charging is received via the operation terminal, and the charging of the vehicle-mounted storage battery and the stationary storage battery is controlled in accordance with the priority setting.

8. 8. The power control device according to claim 7, wherein when the storage battery includes the vehicle-mounted storage battery and the stationary storage battery, the charging control unit charges only one of the storage batteries at a time, and the priority setting is a setting for which of the storage batteries is to be charged first.

9. The power control device according to claim 7, wherein, when the size of the incentive to be obtained is determined, the charging control unit charges the vehicle until a charging energy amount corresponding to a target incentive is reached, and after the prioritized charging is completed, the charging control unit charges the other vehicle until the target is reached.

10. The steps executed by a processor for controlling a power system including a solar power generation device and a storage battery and connected to a power grid include: A step of reporting in advance whether or not the storage battery will be charged during a predetermined period including a target period in which a request for increased DR is predicted or scheduled; A charge control step of controlling charging of the storage battery, The step of reporting in advance includes: calculating a predicted amount of surplus power in the predetermined period; calculating a predicted amount of charging energy required when charging the storage battery during the predetermined period; determining a predicted amount of purchased power for the predetermined period based on the predicted amount of charged power and the predicted amount of surplus power; determining whether or not there is an economic benefit to fulfilling the request; and determining to charge the storage battery during the predetermined period even if the predicted amount of purchased electricity is greater than zero when it is determined that an economic benefit can be obtained; The power control method includes controlling charging of the storage battery based on the decision made in the advance notification step.

Images