Controller, energy management system, apparatus control method, and program

Abstract

To enable control of an apparatus in consideration of economic benefit by power selling more than before.SOLUTION: A controller 2 controls an apparatus 6 of a demand place which comprises a power generation facility. The controller 2 comprises: a power selling fee unit price acquisition unit 202 which acquires a power selling fee unit price when selling surplus power generated when a power generation amount of the power generation facility exceeds a power consumption amount of the demand place; a state determination unit 203 which determines whether the apparatus 6 is in a state that specific processing for maintaining original performance is required, by analyzing operating data of the apparatus 6; and an apparatus control unit 205 which controls the apparatus 6 so as to execute the specific processing, when the surplus power occurs, and it is determined by the state determination unit 203 that the apparatus 6 is in the state that the specific processing is required, on condition that the power selling fee unit price acquired by the power selling fee unit price acquisition unit 202 is equal to or less than a threshold value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device, an energy management system, an appliance control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In demand areas equipped with power generation facilities that utilize natural energy, such as photovoltaic power generation systems and wind power generation systems, it is common to reverse-flow the generated surplus electricity back into the power grid to sell it or to charge a storage battery. In addition, various techniques are known that enable the efficient consumption of surplus electricity from power generation facilities.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a power control system that, based on surplus power information and information on the power consumption of preselected devices, causes the devices to perform a predetermined operation when the amount of surplus power exceeds the amount of power consumption. In the power control system described in Patent Document 1, the preselected devices are caused to perform a predetermined operation to consume surplus power, making it possible to efficiently consume the surplus power that is generated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-061992 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, there are many cases where a consumer and a power company have a contract in which the selling price per unit of power varies depending on the time of day. In Patent Document 1, such fluctuations in the selling price are not taken into consideration, and a predetermined operation is uniformly performed when the amount of surplus power exceeds the amount of power consumed by the device. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, it is possible that the device is made to perform a predetermined operation during a time period when the selling price is high, and it cannot be said that the economic benefit of selling surplus power is fully enjoyed.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has an object to provide a control device etc. that is capable of controlling equipment while taking into consideration the economic benefits of selling electricity more than ever before. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the control device according to the present disclosure includes: A control device for controlling equipment in a demand area having a power generation facility, a power selling rate acquisition means for acquiring a power selling rate when selling surplus power generated when the amount of power generated by the power generation facility exceeds the amount of power consumed in the demand area; a state determination means for determining whether the device is in a state requiring a specific process for maintaining its original performance by analyzing operation data of the device; The system further comprises an equipment control means for controlling the equipment to execute the specific processing when the surplus electricity is generated and the state determination means determines that the equipment is in a state requiring the specific processing, on condition that the electricity sale price unit price acquired by the electricity sale price acquisition means is equal to or lower than a threshold value. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to control devices while taking into consideration the economic benefits of selling electricity more than ever before. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an energy management system 1 according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] Configuration diagram of a control device according to the first embodiment [Diagram 3] Functional configuration diagram of a control device according to the first embodiment [Figure 4] Flowchart of device control processing according to the first embodiment [Diagram 5] Example of operation data (part 1) [Figure 6] Example of operation data (part 2) [Figure 7] Flowchart of device control processing according to the second embodiment [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an energy management system according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) First, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an energy management system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The energy management system 1 is, for example, a system called a HEMS (Home Energy Management System) that manages the power used in a general household. The energy management system 1 includes a control device 2, an operation terminal 3, a power measuring device 4, and a solar power generation facility 5.

[0012] The control device 2 is installed at an appropriate location in a house H, which is a demand area, and monitors the power consumed in the house H, and displays the power consumption status, power selling status, etc. via an operation terminal 3. The control device 2 also controls the operation of a plurality of devices 6 (devices 6-1, 6-2, ...) and monitors their operating states. The control device 2 will be described in detail later.

[0013] The operation terminal 3 is a portable device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, which includes an input device such as a push button, a touch panel, or a touch pad, a display device such as an organic electroluminescence display or a liquid crystal display, and a communication interface. The operation terminal 3 communicates with the control device 2 in accordance with a well-known communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or wired LAN. The operation terminal 3 accepts an operation from a user and transmits information indicating the content of the accepted operation to the control device 2. The operation terminal 3 also receives information to be presented to the user, which is transmitted from the control device 2, and displays the received information. In this way, the operation terminal 3 serves as an interface with the user (user interface).

[0014] The power measuring device 4 includes CTs (Current Transformers) 1 to 3. The CTs 1 to 3 are clamp-type sensors that measure AC current. The CT 1 is arranged in the distribution board 8 so as to sandwich the main power line D1 connected to the commercial power source 7. The CT 2 is arranged in the distribution board 8 so as to sandwich the power line D2 that branches off from the main power line D1 and is connected to the photovoltaic power generation facility 5. The CT 3 is arranged in the distribution board 8 so as to sandwich the power line D3 that branches off from the main power line D1 and is connected to each of the devices 6-1, 6-2, . . . Although not shown in FIG. 1, the power line D3 is connected to all devices that consume power in the house H, not limited to the device 6. Although the CTs 1 to 3 are arranged inside the distribution board 8 in FIG. 1, they may be arranged outside the distribution board 8.

[0015] Based on the measurement results of CT1, the power measuring device 4 measures the power value on the main power line D1 connected to the commercial power source 7, in other words, the power supplied from the commercial power source 7 to the house H by forward power flow, or the power sold to the commercial power source 7 by reverse power flow. Similarly, based on the measurement results of CT2, the power measuring device 4 measures the power value on the power line D2, in other words, the power generated by the solar power generation equipment 5. Similarly, based on the measurement results of CT3, the power measuring device 4 measures the power value on the power line D3, in other words, the total power consumption in the house H.

[0016] The power measuring device 4 also includes a communication interface and is communicatively connected to the control device 2 via a network 9 established within the house H. This network 9 is, for example, a network conforming to ECHONETLite (registered trademark). The power measuring device 4 transmits measurement data to the control device 2 at predetermined time intervals, the measurement data including the value of the power supplied from the commercial power source 7 or the power sold to the commercial power source 7 measured from the measurement result of CT1, the value of the generated power measured from the measurement result of CT2, the value of the total power consumption measured from the measurement result of CT3, and information on the date and time when these were measured. The power measuring device 4 may be designed to be connected to the network 9 via an external communication adapter (not shown).

[0017] The solar power generation facility 5 is a solar power generation facility equipped with a PV (photovoltaic panel) panel, a power conditioner, etc. The solar power generation facility 5 converts electricity generated by the PV panel from DC power to AC power using the power conditioner, and supplies the electricity to the distribution board 8 via the power line D2.

[0018] The power generated by the photovoltaic power generation facility 5 is consumed within the house H, including the equipment 6. When the total power consumption within the house H is greater than the power generated by the photovoltaic power generation facility 5, the shortfall in power is supplied from the commercial power source 7. When the power generated by the photovoltaic power generation facility 5 is greater than the total power consumption within the house H, the surplus power that cannot be consumed is supplied to the commercial power source 7 by reverse power flow and sold. This allows the consumer to obtain economic benefits.

[0019] The devices 6 (devices 6-1, 6-2, ...) are electrical devices such as an air conditioner and a refrigerator installed in a house H. The devices 6-1, 6-2, ... are installed in the house H (including the premises) which is a demand area, and are connected to a power line D3 branched by a distribution board 8. Each device 6 has a communication interface and is communicatively connected to the control device 2 via a network 9. Each device 6 may be designed to be connected to the network 9 via an external communication adapter (not shown).

[0020] In the present disclosure, the device 6 can execute a maintenance operation as an example of a specific process for maintaining the original performance of the device 6. The maintenance operation is an operation necessary for maintaining the performance of the device 6, and is desirably executed periodically. Furthermore, when the device 6 executes a maintenance operation, a relatively large amount of power is consumed. For example, if the device 6 is an air conditioner, an automatic filter cleaning operation corresponds to the maintenance operation. If the device 6 is a refrigerator, a defrosting operation corresponds to the maintenance operation.

[0021] Next, the control device 2 will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 2, the control device 2 includes a CPU 20, a communication interface 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, and a secondary storage device 24. These components are connected to each other via a bus 25. The CPU 20 comprehensively controls the control device 2. The functions realized by the CPU 20 will be described in detail later.

[0022] The communication interface 21 includes a NIC (Network Interface Card controller) for communicating with the power measuring device 4 and each device 6 via a network, and a NIC for wireless or wired communication with the operation terminal 3.

[0023] The ROM 22 stores a plurality of pieces of firmware and data used when these pieces of firmware are executed, etc. The RAM 23 is used as a working area for the CPU 20.

[0024] The secondary storage device 24 is configured with a readable / writable non-volatile semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) or a flash memory, a hard disk drive, etc. The secondary storage device 24 stores a power DB 241, a device DB 242, and an electricity rate table 243.

[0025] The power DB 241 (power database) is a database that stores the history of the total power consumption and power sales in the house H. The CPU 20 updates the power DB 241 based on the measurement data obtained from the power measurement device 4 at regular intervals.

[0026] The device DB 242 is a database in which the operation data of each device 6 is stored in chronological order. The information contained in the operation data differs depending on the type of device 6. For example, if the device 6 is an air conditioner, the operation data includes information indicating the operating state of the air conditioner, the set temperature, the room temperature, the compressor on / off state, the contents of warnings, and the like. Furthermore, regardless of the type of device 6, all operation data includes information on the date and time when the operation data was acquired.

[0027] The electricity rate table 243 is a table in which the contents of the electricity rate plan that the consumer of the house H has contracted with the electric power company are specified. For example, the electricity rate table 243 sets the power purchase rate per unit amount of power (hereinafter, power purchase rate unit price) and the power selling rate per unit amount of power (hereinafter, power selling rate unit price) for each time period of a day. The control device 2 downloads the electricity rate table 243 from a server of the electric power company (not shown) and stores it in the secondary storage device 24. When the electricity rate plan is changed, the control device 2 downloads the latest electricity rate table 243 from the server of the electric power company and updates the electricity rate table 243 stored in the secondary storage device 24. Note that the old electricity rate table 243 may not be deleted but may be stored in the secondary storage device 24 as an archive.

[0028] Next, functions of the control device 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The control device 2 includes, as functional configurations according to the present disclosure, an operation data acquisition unit 201, an electricity selling price unit acquisition unit 202, a state determination unit 203, and an equipment control unit 205. Each of these functional units is realized by the CPU 20 executing one or more programs stored in the secondary storage device 24.

[0029] The operating data acquisition unit 201 periodically acquires operating data from the device 6, for example, every two minutes, and stores the data in the device DB 242.

[0030] The power selling price unit price acquisition unit 202 refers to the electricity price table 243 to acquire the power selling price for the current time period.

[0031] The state determination unit 203 analyzes the operation data of the device 6 stored in the device DB 242 and determines whether the device 6 is in a state requiring maintenance operation. Specifically, the state determination unit 203 determines whether the device 6 is in a state where a warning such as a fault notification or a request for maintenance operation is being issued, a state where the original performance is degraded, or a predetermined period has passed since the previous maintenance operation. Details of the process performed by the state determination unit 203 will be described later.

[0032] The power data acquiring unit 204 acquires the latest measurement data from the power metering device 4. As described above, this measurement data includes the value of the power supplied from the commercial power source 7 or the power sold to the commercial power source 7, the value of the power generated in the house H, and the value of the total power consumption. Furthermore, the power data acquiring unit 204 determines whether or not surplus power is currently being generated in the house H based on the acquired measurement data.

[0033] When surplus power is generated, the appliance control unit 205 controls the appliance 6 based on the determination result of the state determination unit 203 and the power sale price unit price acquired by the power sale price unit price acquisition unit 202. Specifically, when the appliance control unit 205 determines that the appliance 6 is in a state where it is issuing a warning such as a fault notification or a request for maintenance operation, or is in a state where its performance is degraded, the appliance control unit 205 controls the appliance 6 to immediately perform a maintenance operation regardless of the value of the power sale price unit price. In addition, when a predetermined period has elapsed since the last maintenance operation of the appliance 6 and the power sale price unit price is equal to or less than a threshold value, the appliance control unit 205 controls the appliance 6 to immediately perform a maintenance operation. Details of the process performed by the appliance control unit 205 will be described later.

[0034] Next, a description will be given of the operation of the control device 2. The control device 2 repeatedly executes the device control process shown in Fig. 4 at predetermined time intervals, for example, every 30 minutes.

[0035] When the device control process is started, first, the power data acquiring unit 204 acquires the latest measurement data from the power metering device 4 and determines whether surplus power is being generated (step S101). For example, the power data acquiring unit 204 may determine that surplus power is being generated when it can be determined from the acquired measurement data that power is being sold to the commercial power source 7, or when it can be determined that the amount of power generated by the photovoltaic power generation facility 5 exceeds the total power consumption of the house H.

[0036] If surplus power is not occurring (step S101; No), the device control process ends. On the other hand, if surplus power is occurring (step S101; Yes), the state determination unit 203 analyzes the operation data stored in the device DB 242 to determine whether the device 6 is in a state where a warning is being issued (step S102). For example, if the device 6 is an air conditioner, the state determination unit 203 may obtain the latest operation data from the device DB 242 and determine whether the operation data includes a warning message requesting an automatic filter cleaning operation, an error code, or the like.

[0037] If such a warning has been issued (step S102; Yes), the device control unit 205 controls the device 6 to perform a maintenance operation by transmitting a control signal to the device 6 via the network 9 (step S107). This allows the device 6 that issued the warning to immediately perform a maintenance operation. Then, the device control process ends.

[0038] On the other hand, if such a warning has not been issued (step S102; No), the status determination unit 203 analyzes the operation data for the most recent predetermined period stored in the equipment DB 242 to determine whether or not the original performance of the equipment 6 has deteriorated due to the lack of maintenance operation (step S103).

[0039] Here, the process of step S103 will be described with an example. For example, assume that the device 6 is an air conditioner, and the operation data acquired in the last 30 minutes is as shown in FIG. 5. In this example, the operation data of the device 6 is acquired every two minutes. In addition, this operation data includes information indicating the operation state, set temperature, room temperature, and compressor on / off state of the air conditioner. From this operation data, it can be seen that the cooling operation was started at "2023 / 6 / 16 12:04", and 14 minutes later, at "2023 / 6 / 16 12:18", the room temperature reached the set temperature of "25°C", and the cooling operation has been continuously performed until now, and the room temperature has also been maintained at the set temperature of "25°C". Therefore, the state determination unit 203 determines from this operation data that the performance of the device 6 is not degraded.

[0040] On the other hand, suppose that the operation data of device 6 acquired in the last 30 minutes is as shown in FIG. 6. From this operation data, it can be seen that, as in FIG. 5 described above, cooling operation started at "2023 / 6 / 16 12:04", but even after more than 20 minutes had passed, the room temperature had not reached the set temperature of "25°C". In addition, the compressor status during that time was normal. Therefore, from this operation data, the status determination unit 203 determines that the performance of device 6 is degraded because maintenance operation (in this case, automatic filter cleaning operation) has not been performed.

[0041] Returning to the flowchart of Fig. 4, if it is determined that the performance of the device 6 has deteriorated (step S103; Yes), the device control unit 205 controls the device 6 to perform a maintenance operation (step S107). This allows the device 6 with deteriorated performance to immediately undergo a maintenance operation, and performance recovery can be expected. Then, the device control process ends.

[0042] On the other hand, if it is determined that the performance of the device 6 has not deteriorated (step S103; No), the state determination unit 203 refers to the operation data stored in the device DB 242 and determines whether a predetermined period has passed since the previous maintenance operation was performed (step S104). Note that the predetermined period is desirably set according to the frequency of performing the maintenance operation recommended by the manufacturer of the device 6.

[0043] If a predetermined period of time has not passed since the previous maintenance operation was performed (step S104; No), there is no need to perform a maintenance operation on the device 6, and the device control process ends. On the other hand, if a predetermined period of time has passed since the previous maintenance operation was performed (step S104; Yes), the power sale price acquisition unit 202 acquires the current power sale price from the electricity rate table 243 and compares it with a threshold value to determine whether or not the current time period is a high time period in which the power sale price is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value (step S105).

[0044] If it is a time period when the unit price of the power selling price is high (step S105; Yes), a sufficient period of time has passed since the last maintenance operation, and the device 6 is in a state where a maintenance operation needs to be performed. However, if the maintenance operation is performed immediately, the generated power of the power generation facility will be consumed accordingly, and the surplus power will decrease in the time period when the unit price of the power selling price is high. Therefore, the device control unit 205 refers to the electricity rate table 243, identifies the earliest time period when the unit price of the power selling price will be low (below the threshold), and sets a timer to reserve the maintenance operation for that time period (step S106). After that, when the reserved time has passed, the device control unit 205 controls the device 6 to perform the maintenance operation. Note that the process of step S105 does not necessarily need to be performed, and the device control process may be ended by skipping step S105.

[0045] On the other hand, if it is a time period when the unit price of the electricity selling price is not high (step S105; No), the equipment control unit 205 controls the equipment 6 to perform a maintenance operation (step S107). As a result, the equipment 6 for which a sufficient period of time has passed since the previous maintenance operation can have the maintenance operation performed in a time period when the unit price of the electricity selling price is not high. Then, the equipment control process ends.

[0046] In this way, according to this embodiment, when surplus power is generated, it is determined whether the device 6 is in a state requiring maintenance operation, and the device 6 is controlled based on the determination result and the power selling price unit price. As a result, even if a long period of time has passed since the last maintenance operation and the device 6 is in a state requiring maintenance operation, the maintenance operation is performed on the device 6 only when the power selling price unit price is equal to or lower than the threshold value. As a result, in this embodiment, even if surplus power is generated, if the power selling price unit price is high, the maintenance operation of the device 6 can be restricted to suppress a decrease in the surplus power to be sold, making it possible to control the device 6 taking into consideration the economic benefits of power selling more than ever before.

[0047] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the device 6 is issuing a warning or its original performance is degraded, the device 6 is immediately made to perform a maintenance operation regardless of the value of the electricity selling price. This is expected to have the effect of reliably making the device 6 perform a maintenance operation and maintaining or recovering its original performance.

[0048] (Embodiment 2) Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the second embodiment, the configurations of the energy management system 1, the control device 2, and the like are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore drawings and descriptions are omitted. In the second embodiment, the device 6 includes a rechargeable battery, and is, for example, a rechargeable cleaning robot, an electric sewing machine, an electric shaver, and the like. The operation data of the device 6 includes information indicating the remaining battery level. In the second embodiment, the device control process is characterized in that the device 6 is made to execute a process of charging the battery instead of executing a maintenance operation. Hereinafter, the device control process according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 7.

[0049] When the device control process is started, first, the power data acquisition unit 204 acquires the latest measurement data from the power measurement device 4 and determines whether or not surplus power is occurring (step S201).

[0050] If surplus power is not generated (step S201; No), the device control process ends. On the other hand, if surplus power is generated (step S201; Yes), the state determination unit 203 acquires the latest operation data of the device 6 from the device DB 242 and determines whether the remaining battery power of the device 6 is equal to or less than the first remaining power threshold, for example, 10% or less (step S202).

[0051] If the remaining battery charge is equal to or less than the first remaining charge threshold (step S202; Yes), the device control unit 205 controls the device 6 to charge the battery by sending a control signal to the device 6 via the network 9 (step S206). This allows the device with a very low remaining battery charge to be immediately charged regardless of the unit price of electric power sold, thereby preventing the battery from running out. Then, the device control process ends.

[0052] On the other hand, if the remaining battery power is greater than the first remaining power threshold (step S202; No), the status determination unit 203 determines whether the remaining battery power of the device 6 is less than a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value, for example, less than 50 percent (step S203).

[0053] If the remaining battery power is greater than the second remaining power threshold (step S203; No), there is no need to charge the battery, and the device control process ends.

[0054] On the other hand, if the remaining battery charge is equal to or less than the second remaining charge threshold (step S203; Yes), the power selling price acquisition unit 202 acquires the current power selling price from the electricity rate table 243 and compares it with the threshold to determine whether or not it is a time period when the power selling price is high (step S204).

[0055] If it is a time period where the unit price of the power selling price is high (step S204; Yes), the device 6 needs to charge the battery. However, if charging is performed immediately, the generated power of the power generation facility will be consumed accordingly, and the surplus power will decrease during the time period where the unit price of the power selling price is high. In addition, since the remaining battery charge of the device 6 is at least equal to or greater than the first remaining charge threshold, the device 6 does not need to be charged immediately. Therefore, the device control unit 205 refers to the electricity rate table 243 to identify the earliest time period during which the unit price of the power selling price will be low (below the threshold), and sets a timer to reserve charging of the battery during that time period (step S205). After that, when the reserved time has passed, the device control unit 205 controls the device 6 to charge the battery. Note that the process of step S204 does not necessarily need to be performed, and step S204 may be skipped to end the device control process.

[0056] On the other hand, if it is a time period in which the unit price of the power selling price is not high (step S204; No), the device control unit 205 controls the device 6 to charge (step S206). This allows the device 6 to charge the battery during a time period in which the unit price of the power selling price is not high. Then, the device control process ends.

[0057] In this way, according to the present embodiment, charging of the device 6 is controlled based on the remaining battery charge of the device 6 and the unit price of electricity selling. It is possible to control the charging operation of the device with more consideration given to the economic benefit of electricity selling than before.

[0058] (Modification) Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, various modifications and applications are possible. It is arbitrary which parts of the configurations, functions, and operations described in the above embodiments are adopted. In addition to the above-mentioned configurations, functions, and operations, further configurations, functions, and operations may be adopted. Furthermore, the configurations, functions, and operations described in the above embodiments can be freely combined.

[0059] In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the energy management system 1 including the solar power generation facility 5 has been described, but the present disclosure can also be applied to power generation facilities other than solar power generation facilities. For example, the present disclosure can also be applied to an energy management system including a wind power generation facility instead of the solar power generation facility 5.

[0060] The length of the predetermined period used in the determination in step S104 of the device control process (FIG. 4) of the first embodiment, the remaining amount threshold value used in the determination in steps S202 and S203 of the device control process (FIG. 7) of the second embodiment, etc. may be appropriately changeable by the user. In this case, the user may operate the operation terminal 3 to set each of these values ​​and transmit them to the control device 2.

[0061] In the above-mentioned embodiment 1, in the device control process, if surplus power is not generated, the process is immediately terminated. However, if the device 6 is in a high-urgency state such as issuing a warning, the device 6 may be controlled to perform a maintenance operation even if surplus power is not generated. Similarly, in embodiment 2, if the remaining battery charge of the device 6 is equal to or less than the first remaining charge threshold, the device 6 may be controlled to charge even if surplus power is not generated.

[0062] In the above first and second embodiments, the case where the control device 2 is installed in the house H has been described. However, a device having the same function as the control device 2 may be installed outside the house H.

[0063] An example of this case is shown in Fig. 8. In this example, a router 10 is installed in the house H instead of the control device 2. Meanwhile, a server 12 is installed outside the house H, which is communicatively connected to the router 10 via the Internet 11. In this case, the router 10 and the server 12 cooperate to fulfill the role of the control device 2.

[0064] In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, each functional unit of the control device 2 (see FIG. 4) is realized by the CPU 20 executing one or more programs stored in the secondary storage device 24. However, all or part of the functional units of the control device 2 may be realized by dedicated hardware. The dedicated hardware is, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these.

[0065] Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to use in houses, but can also be applied to energy management systems installed in office buildings, factories, and the like, for example.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the program executed by the control device 2 can be stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), an MO (Magneto-Optical Disk), a USB memory, a memory card, etc., and distributed. By installing such a program in a specific or general-purpose computer, the computer can be made to function as the control device 2 in the above embodiment.

[0067] The above-mentioned program may be stored in a disk device or the like of a server device on a communication network such as the Internet, and may be downloaded to a computer by, for example, superimposing the program on a carrier wave. The above-mentioned processing may also be achieved by starting and executing the program while transferring it via a communication network. Furthermore, the above-mentioned processing may also be achieved by executing all or a part of the program on a server device, and executing the program while a computer transmits and receives information related to the processing via the communication network.

[0068] In addition, when the above-mentioned functions are shared and realized by the OS (Operating System) or by the OS working together with an application, etc., only the parts other than the OS may be stored on the above-mentioned recording medium and distributed, or may be downloaded to a computer, etc.

[0069] Various embodiments and modifications of the present invention are possible without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiments are for the purpose of explaining the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. In other words, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the scope of the meaning of the invention equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

[0070] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0071] (Appendix 1) A control device for controlling equipment in a demand area having a power generation facility, a power selling rate acquisition means for acquiring a power selling rate when selling surplus power generated when the amount of power generated by the power generation facility exceeds the amount of power consumed in the demand area; a state determination means for determining whether the device is in a state requiring a specific process for maintaining its original performance by analyzing operation data of the device; a device control means for controlling the device to execute the specific process when the surplus power is generated and the state determination means determines that the device is in a state requiring the specific process, on the condition that the power sale price unit price acquired by the power sale price acquisition means is equal to or less than a threshold value; A control device comprising: (Appendix 2) The specific process is a process in which the device executes a maintenance operation. 2. The control device according to claim 1. (Appendix 3) The state determination means determines whether the device is in a state in which a warning is issued requesting the maintenance operation, When the state determination means determines that the equipment is in a state in which the warning is being issued, the equipment control means causes the equipment to perform the maintenance operation regardless of the value of the electricity selling price unit price. 3. The control device according to claim 2. (Appendix 4) The state determination means determines whether the device is not performing as intended, When the state determination means determines that the equipment is not performing the original performance, the equipment control means causes the equipment to perform the maintenance operation regardless of the value of the electricity selling price. 4. The control device according to claim 2 or 3. (Appendix 5) The state determination means determines whether or not a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the previous maintenance operation of the device, the equipment control means causes the equipment to perform the maintenance operation when the state determination means determines that the predetermined period has elapsed and the electricity selling price unit price is equal to or lower than the threshold value; 5. The control device according to any one of claims 2 to 4. (Appendix 6) the specific process is a process in which the device charges a battery, 2. The control device according to claim 1. (Appendix 7) The state determination means determines whether or not the remaining charge of the battery of the device is equal to or less than a first remaining charge threshold, When the state determination means determines that the remaining charge of the battery is equal to or less than the first remaining charge threshold, the device control means causes the device to charge the battery regardless of the value of the power selling price. 7. The control device according to claim 6. (Appendix 8) the state determination means determines whether a remaining amount of the battery of the device is greater than the first remaining amount threshold and is equal to or less than a second remaining amount threshold that is greater than the first remaining amount threshold; the device control means causes the device to charge the battery when the state determination means determines that the remaining amount of the battery is greater than the first remaining amount threshold and is equal to or less than the second remaining amount threshold, and the electricity selling price is equal to or less than the threshold. 8. The control device according to claim 7. (Appendix 9) An energy management system including a power generation facility and a control device that controls equipment in a demand area including the power generation facility, The control device, a power selling rate acquisition means for acquiring a power selling rate when selling surplus power generated when the amount of power generated by the power generation facility exceeds the amount of power consumed in the demand area; a state determination means for determining whether the device is in a state requiring a specific process for maintaining its original performance by analyzing operation data of the device; and a device control means for controlling the device to execute the specific process when the surplus power is generated and the state determination means determines that the device is in a state requiring the specific process, on condition that the power sale price unit price acquired by the power sale price acquisition means is equal to or lower than a threshold value. Energy management systems. (Appendix 10) An equipment control method for controlling equipment in a demand area having a power generation facility, comprising: Acquire a unit price for selling surplus electricity generated when the amount of electricity generated by the power generation facility exceeds the amount of electricity consumed in the demand area, Analyzing the operational data of the equipment to determine whether the equipment is in a state requiring specific processing to maintain its original performance; controlling the device to execute the specific process when it is determined that the surplus power is generated and the device is in a state requiring the specific process, on the condition that the acquired power selling price unit price is equal to or less than a threshold value; Device control method. (Appendix 11) A computer that controls equipment at a demand site that has a power generation facility, a power selling rate acquisition means for acquiring a power selling rate when selling surplus power generated when the amount of power generated by the power generation facility exceeds the amount of power consumed in the demand area; a state determination means for analyzing operation data of the equipment and determining whether the equipment is in a state requiring specific processing for maintaining its original performance; a device control means for controlling the device to execute the specific process when the surplus power is generated and the state determination means determines that the device is in a state requiring the specific process, on the condition that the power sale price unit price acquired by the power sale price acquisition means is equal to or lower than a threshold value; A program that functions as a [Industrial Applicability]

[0072] The present disclosure can be suitably adopted in systems that manage electricity and equipment used in a building. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1 Energy management system, 2 Control device, 3 Operation terminal, 4 Power measurement device, 5 Photovoltaic power generation equipment, 6 Equipment, 7 Commercial power source, 8 Distribution board, 9 Network, 10 Router, 11 Internet, 12 Server, H House, D1 Main power line, D2, D3 Power lines, 20 CPU, 21 Communication interface, 22 ROM, 23 RAM, 24 Secondary storage device, 241 Power DB, 242 Equipment DB, 243 Electricity rate table, 201 Operation data acquisition unit, 202 Power selling rate unit acquisition unit, 203 Status determination unit, 204 Power data acquisition unit, 205 Equipment control unit

Claims

1. A control device for controlling equipment in a demand area having a power generation facility, a power selling rate acquisition means for acquiring a power selling rate when selling surplus power generated when the amount of power generated by the power generation facility exceeds the amount of power consumed in the demand area; a state determination means for determining whether the device is in a state requiring a specific process for maintaining its original performance by analyzing operation data of the device; a device control means for controlling the device to execute the specific process when the surplus power is generated and the state determination means determines that the device is in a state requiring the specific process, on the condition that the power sale price unit price acquired by the power sale price acquisition means is equal to or less than a threshold value; A control device comprising:

2. The specific process is a process in which the device executes a maintenance operation. The control device according to claim 1 .

3. The state determination means determines whether the device is in a state in which a warning is issued requesting the maintenance operation, When the state determination means determines that the equipment is in a state in which the warning is being issued, the equipment control means causes the equipment to perform the maintenance operation regardless of the value of the electricity selling price unit price. The control device according to claim 2.

4. The state determination means determines whether the device is not performing as intended, When the state determination means determines that the equipment is not performing the original performance, the equipment control means causes the equipment to perform the maintenance operation regardless of the value of the electricity selling price. The control device according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The state determination means determines whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the previous maintenance operation of the device, the equipment control means causes the equipment to perform the maintenance operation when the state determination means determines that the predetermined period has elapsed and the electricity selling price unit price is equal to or lower than the threshold value; The control device according to claim 2 or 3.

6. the specific process is a process in which the device charges a battery, The control device according to claim 1 .

7. The state determination means determines whether or not a remaining charge of the battery of the device is equal to or less than a first remaining charge threshold, When the state determination means determines that the remaining charge of the battery is equal to or less than the first remaining charge threshold, the device control means causes the device to charge the battery regardless of the value of the power selling price. The control device according to claim 6.

8. the state determination means determines whether a remaining amount of the battery of the device is greater than the first remaining amount threshold and is equal to or less than a second remaining amount threshold that is greater than the first remaining amount threshold; the device control means causes the device to charge the battery when the state determination means determines that the remaining amount of the battery is greater than the first remaining amount threshold and is equal to or less than the second remaining amount threshold, and the electricity selling price is equal to or less than the threshold. The control device according to claim 7.

9. An energy management system including a power generation facility and a control device that controls equipment in a demand area including the power generation facility, The control device, a power selling rate acquisition means for acquiring a power selling rate when selling surplus power generated when the amount of power generated by the power generation facility exceeds the amount of power consumed in the demand area; a state determination means for determining whether the device is in a state requiring a specific process for maintaining its original performance by analyzing operation data of the device; and a device control means for controlling the device to execute the specific process when the surplus power is generated and the state determination means determines that the device is in a state requiring the specific process, on condition that the power sale price unit price acquired by the power sale price acquisition means is equal to or lower than a threshold value. Energy management systems.

10. An equipment control method for controlling equipment in a demand area having a power generation facility, comprising: Acquire a unit price for selling surplus electricity generated when the amount of electricity generated by the power generation facility exceeds the amount of electricity consumed in the demand area, Analyzing the operational data of the equipment to determine whether the equipment is in a state requiring specific processing to maintain its original performance; controlling the device to execute the specific process when it is determined that the surplus power is generated and the device is in a state requiring the specific process, on the condition that the acquired power selling price unit price is equal to or less than a threshold value; Device control method.

11. A computer that controls equipment at a demand site that has a power generation facility, a power selling rate acquisition means for acquiring a power selling rate when selling surplus power generated when the amount of power generated by the power generation facility exceeds the amount of power consumed in the demand area; a state determination means for analyzing operation data of the equipment and determining whether the equipment is in a state requiring specific processing for maintaining its original performance; a device control means for controlling the device to execute the specific process when the surplus power is generated and the state determination means determines that the device is in a state requiring the specific process, on the condition that the power sale price unit price acquired by the power sale price acquisition means is equal to or lower than a threshold value; A program that functions as a

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