Electric power system

Abstract

To provide a power system that allows a power supply business operator to enjoy a financial benefit.SOLUTION: An electric power system 1 includes a distribution board 10, a load device 12, a storage battery 14, and a control device 30 that is managed by a power supply business operator 50 which supplies electric power to the distribution board 10 through an electric system 42 and can remotely control charging and discharging of the storage battery 14. The control device 30 stores, in the storage battery 14, power supplied from the electric system 42 through the distribution board 10 during a time period when a power market price is relatively low, and supplies power of the storage battery 14 to the load device 12 during a time period when the power market price is relatively high, thereby controlling an amount of power supplied from the electric system 42 to the distribution board 10. A power charge determination process is performed to determine an electric charge to be billed to a customer 40 according to an amount of power received by the distribution board 10 from the electric system 42, regardless of a time period during which the distribution board 10 receives the power from the electric system 42.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power system having a storage battery. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for controlling the charging and discharging of a storage battery in a power system that has a storage battery. In Patent Document 1, the unit price of electricity paid by consumers varies depending on the time of day, and the charging and discharging of the storage battery is controlled so that the storage battery is charged in a first time period and discharged in a second time period when the electricity rate is higher than the first time period. Patent Document 1 enables consumers who have storage batteries installed to obtain financial benefits by controlling the charging and discharging of the storage battery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6568413 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, it is desirable for each consumer to install a storage battery in order to expand renewable energy and stabilize power supply. In order to popularize the introduction of storage batteries, it is desirable for, for example, power supply companies that supply power to consumers through the power grid to encourage consumers to install storage batteries. To this end, it is desirable for power supply companies to be able to enjoy financial benefits related to consumers installing storage batteries, in order to motivate power supply companies to encourage the introduction of storage batteries.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a power system that allows power suppliers to enjoy financial benefits. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the power system of the present invention comprises a distribution board electrically connected to the power grid on the consumer's premises and capable of receiving power supplied from the power grid; load devices electrically connected to the distribution board and consuming the power supplied through the distribution board; a storage battery electrically connected to the distribution board on the consumer's premises and capable of charging and discharging; and a control device managed by an electric power supply company that supplies power to the distribution board through the power grid and capable of remotely controlling the charging and discharging of the storage battery, wherein the control device stores the power supplied from the power grid through the distribution board in the storage battery during times when the electricity market price is relatively cheap, and supplies the power of the storage battery to the load devices during times when the electricity market price is relatively expensive, thereby controlling the amount of power from the power grid to the distribution board, and performs a fee determination process to determine the electricity rate to be charged to the consumer based on the amount of power received by the distribution board from the power grid, regardless of the time period during which the distribution board received power from the power grid.

[0007] In addition, the control device may perform reverse flow control to flow the power from the storage battery back into the power grid through the distribution board for a specified period determined by the capacity market, in exchange for the power supply company receiving the monetary compensation determined by the capacity market rather than the consumer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, power suppliers can enjoy financial benefits. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows an example of a method for introducing a storage battery in a comparative example. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows an example of a method for introducing a storage battery in this embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of charge / discharge control of the storage battery by the control device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining interactions between power suppliers and consumers, and interactions between power suppliers and the electricity market. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of capacity trading. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dimensions, materials, and other specific values ​​shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanation, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0011] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power system 1 according to this embodiment. The power system 1 includes a distribution board 10, a load device 12, a storage battery 14, a first power conversion device 16, a solar cell 18, a second power conversion device 20, and a control device 30. The distribution board 10, the load device 12, the storage battery 14, the first power conversion device 16, the solar cell 18, and the second power conversion device 20 are installed on the premises of a consumer 40.

[0012] The distribution board 10 is electrically connected to the power grid 42 and is configured to be able to receive power supplied from the power grid 42. The load device 12 is any electrical device that is electrically connected to the distribution board 10 and consumes power supplied through the distribution board 10.

[0013] The storage battery 14 is electrically connected to the distribution board 10 via the first power conversion device 16. The storage battery 14 is a secondary battery that can be charged and discharged.

[0014] The first power conversion device 16 is configured to convert the power supplied from the distribution board 10 and supply the converted power to the storage battery 14, thereby charging the storage battery 14. The first power conversion device 16 is also configured to convert the power of the storage battery 14 and supply the converted power to the distribution board 10, thereby supplying the power of the storage battery 14 to the load device 12 through the distribution board 10. The first power conversion device 16 is also configured to convert the power of the storage battery 14 and supply the converted power to the distribution board 10 under the control of a control device 30, which will be described later, thereby allowing the power of the storage battery 14 to flow backward to the power grid 42 through the distribution board 10.

[0015] The power conversion function of the first power converter 16 may be provided in the storage battery 14 itself.

[0016] The solar cell 18 is electrically connected to the distribution board 10 via a second power conversion device 20. The solar cell 18 generates power by converting solar energy into electrical energy. The second power conversion device 20 is configured to convert the power generated by the solar cell 18 and supply it to the distribution board 10.

[0017] The control device 30 is managed by a power supply company 50 that supplies power to the consumer 40 through the power system 42. Therefore, the control device 30 is installed on the power supply company 50 side, not on the consumer 40 side. The power supply company 50 is a company, organization, or the like that has concluded a contract with the consumer 40 to supply power to the distribution board 10 of the consumer 40 through the power system 42.

[0018] The control device 30 is connected to the first power conversion device 16 of the consumer 40 through any communication network 52, such as the Internet, a telephone line network, or a dedicated communication network. In an embodiment in which the power conversion function of the first power conversion device 16 is provided in the storage battery 14 itself, the control device 30 may be connected to the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40 through the communication network 52.

[0019] The control device 30 is also connectable to an electricity market 60 via a communication network 52. The electricity market 60 includes a wholesale electricity trading market in which actual electricity amounts are traded, and a capacity market in which capacity indicating future electricity supply capacity is traded. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, the price of electricity traded in the wholesale electricity trading market may be referred to as the electricity market price. The electricity market price fluctuates depending on the supply and demand situation of electricity at predetermined unit intervals, such as every 30 minutes.

[0020] The control device 30 includes a processor and a memory that stores a program. The processor executes the program, allowing the control device 30 to control the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40, as will be described later.

[0021] The control device 30 is configured to remotely control the first power conversion device 16 via the communication network 52, thereby being able to remotely control the charging and discharging of the storage battery 14. Note that in an embodiment in which the power conversion function of the first power conversion device 16 is provided in the storage battery 14 itself, the control device 30 may be configured to directly control the storage battery 14 itself from a remote location.

[0022] More specifically, the control device 30 functions as a control command generator 70, a control execution unit 72, a fee determination unit 74, and a reverse power flow control unit 76.

[0023] The control command generator 70 generates a control command indicating the control content of the storage battery 14. For example, the control command generator 70 generates either a charge command to charge the storage battery 14 or a discharge command to discharge the storage battery 14.

[0024] The control execution unit 72 performs processing to actually control the storage battery 14 based on the control command generated by the control command generation unit 70. That is, when a charge command is generated, the control execution unit 72 controls the first power conversion device 16 to convert AC power supplied from the distribution board 10 to the first power conversion device 16 into DC power, and the converted power is supplied to the storage battery 14. In this way, charging of the storage battery 14 is performed. On the other hand, when a discharge command is generated, the control execution unit 72 controls the first power conversion device 16 to convert DC power of the storage battery 14 into AC power, and the converted power is supplied to the distribution board 10. In this way, discharging of the storage battery 14 is performed.

[0025] Here, the configuration has been described in which the control command generation unit 70 and the control execution unit 72 are realized by a common control device 30. However, the control command generation unit 70 and the control execution unit 72 may be realized by separate devices. In this case, the device having the function of the control command generation unit 70 may be managed by the power supply company 50, and the device having the function of the control execution unit 72 may be managed by a specific third party (for example, a specific contract company) that performs the control work of the storage battery 14 on behalf of the power supply company 50.

[0026] Fig. 2 shows an example of a method for introducing storage battery 14 in a comparative example. As shown in Fig. 2, in the comparative example, when consumer 40 introduces storage battery 14, consumer 40 needs to spend, for example, about 2 million yen as the introduction cost of storage battery 14.

[0027] On the other hand, if the storage battery 14 is installed, the consumer 40 can use the power generated by the solar cell 18 by charging it, thereby obtaining a utility cost benefit of, for example, approximately 390,000 yen. Furthermore, the consumer 40 can obtain a subsidy of, for example, approximately 1.2 million yen from a local government (for example, Tokyo Metropolitan Government) when installing the storage battery 14. In other words, by installing the storage battery 14, the consumer 40 can obtain an income (for example, approximately 1.59 million yen) that is the sum of the utility cost benefit and the local government subsidy.

[0028] However, in this comparative example, as indicated by the double-headed arrow in Fig. 2, expenses resulting from the introduction of the storage battery 14 may be greater than income, which may cause the consumer 40 to hesitate to introduce the storage battery 14. In light of this, in this embodiment, the introduction method illustrated in Fig. 3 below is considered.

[0029] Fig. 3 shows an example of a method for introducing the storage battery 14 in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, in this embodiment, when the consumer 40 introduces the storage battery 14, the power supply company 50 may sell the storage battery 14 to the consumer 40 at a discount. As a result, when the consumer 40 introduces the storage battery 14, the consumer 40 can reduce its expenditure, for example, from approximately 2 million yen to approximately 1.7 million yen.

[0030] When the selling price of the storage battery 14 falls below a predetermined selling price, the consumer 40 can receive a national subsidy of, for example, approximately 300,000 yen in addition to the local government subsidy, as shown in FIG. 3. In other words, the consumer 40 can obtain an income (for example, approximately 1,890,000 yen) that is the sum of the utility bill benefit, the local government subsidy, and the national subsidy. As a result, the consumer 40 can obtain an income that exceeds the expenses when introducing the storage battery 14, as shown by the double-headed arrow in FIG. 3. As a result, the consumer 40 can obtain a large financial benefit from introducing the storage battery 14, making it easier for the consumer 40 to introduce the storage battery 14.

[0031] However, if the power supply company 50 simply sells the storage battery 14 at a discount, the burden on the power supply company 50 will increase, and it will be difficult for the power supply company 50 to motivate the consumers 40 to introduce the storage battery 14.

[0032] Therefore, in this embodiment, the control device 30 of the power supply company 50 remotely controls the charging and discharging of the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40, so that the power supply company 50 controls the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40. This allows the power supply company 50 to generate profits. That is, as shown in FIG. 3 , the power supply company 50 can obtain control benefits by controlling the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40, in addition to the electricity charges received from the consumer 40.

[0033] The sale of the storage battery 14 is not limited to being conducted by the power supply business operator 50 itself, but may also be conducted by, for example, a specific retailer that has a relationship with the power supply business operator 50. In this case, the power supply business operator 50 may pay a portion of the profits it has gained from remotely controlling the storage battery 14 to the retailer as a commission. In this way, the retailer can compensate for the loss in profits due to the discounted sale of the storage battery 14 with the commission from the power supply business operator 50. In other words, the retailer can sell the storage battery 14 to the consumer 40 at a relatively low price while earning a certain amount of profit from the commission.

[0034] As described above, in the power system 1 of this embodiment, the control device 30 of the power supply company 50 controls the charging and discharging of the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40. Specifically, the control device 30 remotely controls the first power conversion device 16 (or the storage battery 14 itself) so that the storage battery 14 stores the power supplied from the power grid 42 through the distribution board 10 of the consumer 40 during a time period when the market price of electricity is relatively low. The control device 30 remotely controls the first power conversion device 16 (or the storage battery 14 itself) so that the storage battery 14 supplies the power from the storage battery 14 to the load device 12 during a time period when the market price of electricity is relatively high. When the power from the storage battery 14 is supplied to the load device 12, the amount of power supplied from the power grid 42 to the load device 12 through the distribution board 10 is reduced as a result, and the supply of power from the power grid 42 to the distribution board 10 can be substantially suppressed (limited).

[0035] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of charge / discharge control of the storage battery 14 by the control device 30. The control device 30 periodically repeats the series of processes shown in FIG.

[0036] First, the control command generator 70 of the control device 30 communicates with the electricity market 60 and acquires the current electricity market price (S10). Next, the control command generator 70 determines whether the acquired current electricity market price is equal to or lower than a predetermined value (S11). The predetermined value may be set as a fixed value, or may be set as a variable value that takes into account, for example, past trends in electricity market prices, seasonality, etc.

[0037] If it is determined that the electricity market price is equal to or lower than the predetermined value (YES in S11), the control command generator 70 generates a charge command that is a command to operate the storage battery 14 so as to charge it (S12).

[0038] Then, the control execution unit 72 executes charging of the storage battery 14 in accordance with the charging command generated by the control command generation unit 70 (S13), and ends the series of processes. More specifically, the control execution unit 72 remotely controls the first power conversion device 16 so as to store in the storage battery 14 the power supplied from the power grid 42 through the distribution board 10 of the consumer 40.

[0039] On the other hand, if it is determined that the electricity market price is higher than the predetermined value (NO in S11), the control command generator 70 generates a discharge command that is a command to operate the storage battery 14 so as to discharge (S14).

[0040] Then, the control execution unit 72 executes discharge of the storage battery 14 in accordance with the discharge command generated by the control command generation unit 70 (S15), and ends the series of processes. More specifically, the control execution unit 72 remotely controls the first power conversion device 16 so as to limit the supply of power from the power system 42 to the distribution board 10 by supplying power from the storage battery 14 to the load device 12.

[0041] In this way, the battery is charged during times when the electricity market price is relatively low, and the battery is discharged during times when the electricity market price is relatively high.

[0042] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the exchange between the power supply business operator 50 and the consumer 40, and the exchange between the power supply business operator 50 and the electricity market 60. As shown in FIG.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 5, power supply companies 50 trade wholesale electricity in an electricity market 60, (1) pay a procurement cost to the electricity market 60 according to the electricity market price, and (2) procure electricity from the electricity market. In addition, power supply companies 50 (3) receive electricity charges from consumers 40 as compensation for supplying the electricity procured from the electricity market 60 to consumers 40.

[0044] In this embodiment, it is assumed that an electricity rate for a predetermined power plan has been agreed upon between the power supply company 50 and the consumer 40. The predetermined power plan determines the electricity rate according to the amount of power that the distribution board 10 of the consumer 40 receives from the power grid 42, regardless of the time period during which the distribution board 10 receives power from the power grid 42.

[0045] In other words, if we focus only on the time period during which the electricity is received, the electricity rate that the consumer 40 pays to the power supply company 50 remains the same regardless of the time period during which the electricity is received. For example, from the perspective of the consumer 40, even if a certain amount of electricity is received during a time period when electricity demand is high, the rate will not be higher than if the certain amount of electricity was received during a time period when electricity demand is not high. However, the more electricity the consumer receives, the higher the electricity rate will be.

[0046] 1, the control device 30 also functions as a fee determination unit 74. The fee determination unit 74 performs a fee determination process to determine the electricity fee to be charged to the consumer 40 according to the amount of power that the distribution board 10 received from the power grid 42, regardless of the time period during which the distribution board 10 received power from the power grid 42. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the amount of power that the distribution board 10 of the consumer 40 received from the power grid 42, that is, the amount of power that the power supply company 50 supplied to the consumer 40, may be referred to as the amount of supplied power.

[0047] The fee determination unit 74 performs fee determination processing for each unit period (for example, one month). For example, the fee determination unit 74 refers to the power plan subscribed to by the consumer 40, and determines the electricity fee by multiplying the unit price in the power plan by the amount of power supplied during the unit period.

[0048] This allows the power supply company 50 to receive an electricity fee from the consumer 40 in accordance with the amount of electricity supplied, regardless of the time period during which electricity is supplied to the consumer 40, in other words, regardless of the electricity market price.

[0049] 5, the control device 30 of the power supply company 50 performs control to charge the storage battery 14 (5) during a time period when the electricity market price is relatively low. In other words, the power supply company 50 supplies a relatively large amount of power to the distribution board 10 of the consumer 40 during a time period when the electricity market price is relatively low.

[0050] This allows the power supply company 50 to receive an electricity rate based on the amount of electricity supplied regardless of the electricity market price, and by procuring electricity from the electricity market 60 and supplying it to the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40 during times when the electricity market price is cheap, the power supply company 50 can reduce the procurement cost relative to the electricity rate it receives.

[0051] Furthermore, the control device 30 of the power supply company 50 performs control (5) to discharge the storage battery 14 during a time period when the market price of electricity is relatively high. The power discharged from the storage battery 14 is consumed by the load device 12, thereby reducing the power supplied from the power grid 42 to the load device 12. In other words, the power supply company 50 reduces the amount of power supplied to the distribution board 10 of the consumer 40 during a time period when the market price of electricity is relatively high.

[0052] This allows the power supply company 50 to receive an electricity rate based on the amount of electricity supplied regardless of the electricity market price, and by limiting the supply of electricity from the power grid 42 to the distribution board 10 during times when the electricity market price is high, the procurement of expensive electricity from the electricity market 60 is suppressed, thereby reducing the procurement cost relative to the electricity rate received.

[0053] In this way, in the power system 1 of this embodiment, the control device 30 of the power supply company 50 controls the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40, which can substantially reduce the cost of power procurement by the power supply company 50 from the power market 60. As a result, in the power system 1 of this embodiment, the power supply company 50 can obtain a financial benefit.

[0054] In other words, in the power system 1 of this embodiment, even if the power supply company 50 sells the storage battery 14 to the consumer 40 at a discount, the power supply company 50 can offset the financial disadvantage of selling the storage battery 14 at a discount with the financial benefit that can be created by controlling the storage battery 14.

[0055] Furthermore, the power supply business operator 50 of this embodiment may trade the capacity of the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40 to which the power supply business operator 50 supplies power in the capacity market of the electricity market 60. When a transaction is concluded in the capacity market, the power supply business operator 50 is obligated to supply power of an agreed capacity to the power grid 42 for a predetermined agreed period of time. Then, when the supply of power of that capacity is executed, monetary compensation is paid from the capacity market. Hereinafter, the supply of power from the consumer 40 to the power grid 42 may be referred to as reverse power flow.

[0056] 1, the control device 30 also functions as a reverse power flow control unit 76. In exchange for the power supply company 50, not the consumer 40, receiving the monetary compensation determined by the capacity market, the reverse power flow control unit 76 performs reverse power flow control to cause the power stored in the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40 to flow reversely to the power grid 42 through the distribution board 10 during a predetermined period determined by the capacity market.

[0057] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of capacity trading.

[0058] The power supply company 50 submits a bid in the capacity market auction for the capacity of the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40 (S20). For example, the power supply company 50 may collectively bid on the storage batteries 14 of multiple consumers 40, and bid on the capacity market auction for the multiple storage batteries 14 as a so-called activation command power source.

[0059] If the transaction regarding the capacity of the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40 is not concluded (NO in S21), the transaction regarding the capacity this time is terminated.

[0060] When a transaction regarding the capacity of the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40 is concluded (contracted) (YES in S21), the reverse flow control unit 76 does not control reverse flow based on the capacity market until a predetermined period determined by the capacity market has arrived. Then, when the predetermined period determined by the capacity market arrives and supply and demand in the power grid 42 becomes tight, the general electricity transmission and distribution utility that manages the power transmission and distribution network transmits an activation command to the utility with which the transaction in the capacity market has been concluded, instructing it to conduct reverse flow during the specified period. Then, the reverse flow control unit 76 acquires the activation command from the general electricity transmission and distribution utility (S22).

[0061] The reverse flow control unit 76 generates a reverse flow schedule indicating a plan for reverse power flow agreed upon in the capacity market during a specific period specified by the activation command (S23).

[0062] The reverse flow control unit 76 executes reverse flow when the specific period specified by the activation command arrives (S24). For example, the reverse flow control unit 76 refers to the reverse flow schedule and remotely controls the first power conversion device 16 (or the storage battery 14 itself) to supply power from the storage battery 14 to the power grid 42.

[0063] When the execution of the reverse power flow is completed, the power supply company 50 receives monetary compensation from the capacity market (S25). At this time, the power supply company 50, which is the company with which the transaction in the capacity market is concluded, becomes the recipient of monetary compensation for executing the reverse power flow through the transaction in the capacity market.

[0064] In this way, by flowing the power of the storage battery 14 back into the power grid 42, the power supplier 50 can obtain monetary compensation based on the capacity of the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40 through the capacity market.

[0065] Therefore, in the power system 1 of the present embodiment, the capacity of the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40 is traded in the capacity market, which allows the power supplier 50 to obtain a financial benefit.

[0066] In other words, in the power system 1 of this embodiment, even if the power supply company 50 sells the storage battery 14 to the consumer 40 at a discount, the power supply company 50 can offset the financial disadvantage of selling the storage battery 14 at a discount with the financial benefit that can be created by trading the capacity of the storage battery 14 in the capacity market.

[0067] It should be noted that trading the capacity of the storage battery 14 in the capacity market may be omitted. In that case, the reverse power flow control unit 76 may be omitted from the control device 30.

[0068] As described above, the power system 1 of this embodiment is managed by the power supply company 50 that supplies power to the distribution board 10 of the consumer 40 through the power grid 42, and includes the control device 30 that can remotely control the charging and discharging of the storage battery 14. The control device 30 stores the power supplied from the power grid 42 through the distribution board 10 in the storage battery 14 during time periods when the electricity market price is relatively low, and supplies the power of the storage battery 14 to the load device 12 during time periods when the electricity market price is relatively high, thereby limiting the supply of power from the power grid 42 to the distribution board. The control device 30 performs a rate determination process that determines the electricity rate to be charged to the consumer 40 according to the amount of power received by the distribution board 10 from the power grid 42, regardless of the time periods when the distribution board 10 received power from the power grid 42.

[0069] As a result, in the power system 1 of this embodiment, the power supply company 50 can receive an electricity fee based on the amount of power supplied regardless of the power market price, and the control device 30 of the power supply company 50 controls the storage battery 14 of the consumer 40, thereby substantially reducing the procurement cost of power that the power supply company 50 procures from the power market 60.

[0070] Therefore, according to the power system 1 of this embodiment, the power supply company 50 can enjoy financial benefits.

[0071] In the power system 1 of the present embodiment, even if the power supply company 50 sells the storage battery 14 to the consumer 40 at a discount, the power supply company 50 can enjoy a financial benefit, and therefore the financial burden on the power supply company 50 can be reduced. As a result, in the power system 1 of the present embodiment, the power supply company 50 is more motivated to encourage the introduction of the storage battery 14, and can actively encourage the consumer 40 to introduce the storage battery 14. Furthermore, in the power system 1 of the present embodiment, the introduction cost of the storage battery 14 is reduced, making it easier for the consumer to introduce the storage battery 14.

[0072] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that such modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0073] For example, in the above embodiment, the solar cell 18 and the second power conversion device 20 are installed on the premises of the customer 40. However, the solar cell 18 and the second power conversion device 20 may be omitted. In this embodiment, the control device 30 of the power supply company 50 still controls the storage battery 14 of the customer 40.

[0074] Also provided are programs that cause a computer to function as a control device, and computer-readable storage media on which the programs are recorded, such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CDs, DVDs, and BDs. Here, a program refers to a data processing means written in any language or description method.

[0075] It should be noted that the processes shown in this specification do not necessarily have to be performed in chronological order according to the order shown in the flowcharts, and may include parallel or subroutine processes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1. Power System 10 Distribution board 12 Load device 14 Storage battery 30 Control device 40 Consumer 42 Power system 50 Electricity supply company

Claims

1. a distribution board electrically connected to the power grid in the customer's premises and capable of receiving power supplied from the power grid; a load device electrically connected to the distribution board and consuming power supplied through the distribution board; a storage battery that is electrically connected to the distribution board within the customer's premises and is capable of being charged and discharged; a control device that is managed by a power supply company that supplies power to the distribution board through the power system and that is capable of remotely controlling charging and discharging of the storage battery; Equipped with The control device During a time period when the electricity market price is relatively low, the power supplied from the power grid through the distribution board is stored in the storage battery, and during a time period when the electricity market price is relatively high, the power of the storage battery is supplied to the load device, thereby controlling the amount of power supplied from the power grid to the distribution board; An electric power system that performs a fee determination process to determine the electricity fee to be charged to the consumer based on the amount of electricity received by the distribution board from the electric power system, regardless of the time period during which the distribution board receives electricity from the electric power system.

2. 2. The power system according to claim 1, wherein the control device performs reverse flow control to cause power from the storage battery to flow reversely to the power grid through the distribution board during a predetermined period determined by the capacity market in exchange for the power supply company receiving monetary compensation determined by the capacity market, rather than the consumer.

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