Power management apparatus, power management system, power management method, and program

Abstract

To implement demand response that reduces an impact on user comfort.SOLUTION: A power management apparatus (10) is capable of communicating with a control device (30) that controls one or more devices (50) installed in a property so that the power consumption of the property is less than or equal to a target power amount of the property. A control unit (101) included in the power management device determines a target power amount for an area including multiple properties, determines a first target value for each property such that the sum of the target power amount of the properties is less than or equal to the target power amount of the area, transmits a signal to set the first target value as the target power amount of the properties, and, if a first error related to the determination of the first target value or a second error related to communication occurs, transmits a signal to set a predetermined second target value as the target power amount of the properties.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power management device, a power management system, a power management method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to suppress the maximum power demand of facility equipment such as air conditioners, there are systems that control the power consumption of the facility equipment so that it is equal to or less than a target power amount. This type of control is also called demand control, etc. In addition, there are known systems that adjust the power consumption of facility equipment installed in a property such as a building or an area including multiple properties so that the power demand of the property or area does not exceed the power supplied by the power supplier. This type of control is also called demand response, etc.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an operation control system that determines the timing to perform special operation of a refrigerant cycle device installed in one or more properties or one or more areas based on an external request for adjusting power supply and demand for the properties or areas, or on power information including the power market price. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-191076 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] If the setting of the target power amount for the facility equipment that performs demand control fails or if an unexpected failure occurs in predicting the maximum demand power of the facility equipment, an inappropriate target power amount may be set for the facility equipment. If demand control is performed based on an inappropriate target power amount, there is a risk that the comfort of the facility equipment users will be impaired.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a technology for realizing demand response with reduced impact on user comfort. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A power management device (10) according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a power management device (10) capable of communicating with a control device (30) that controls one or more devices (50) installed in a property so that the power consumption of the property is equal to or less than the target power amount of the property, and a control unit (101) included in the power management device (10) determines a target power amount for an area including a plurality of properties, determines a first target value for the property so that the sum of the target power amounts of the properties is equal to or less than the target power amount of the area, transmits a signal for setting the first target value for the target power amount of the property, and, if a first error occurs in determining the first target value or a second error occurs in communication, transmits a signal for setting a predetermined second target value for the target power amount of the property.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to realize a demand response that reduces the impact on user comfort. In one aspect, it is possible to suppress the power consumption of an area or property and reduce the electricity charges for using facility equipment without compromising user comfort.

[0009] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a power management device (10) according to the first aspect, wherein the control unit (101) predicts the power demand of each of the plurality of properties, and determines a first target value for the property by distributing a target power amount for the area to the plurality of properties based on the power demand.

[0010] According to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the target amount of power for an area is distributed based on the amount of power demand for each property, so that the target amount of power for the area can be achieved while satisfying the amount of power demand for each property as much as possible.

[0011] A third aspect of the present disclosure is a power management device (10) according to the second aspect, wherein the control unit (101) transmits a signal for setting the second target value to the target power amount of one or more first properties among the plurality of properties in which the first error or the second error has occurred, and determines the first target value of the second property by distributing the amount of power obtained by subtracting the second target value of the first property from the target power amount of the area to a second property among the plurality of properties excluding the first property, and transmits a signal for setting the first target value to the target power amount of the second property.

[0012] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a predetermined power amount is set for a property where an error has occurred, and a target power amount for the property where no error has occurred is set so as to meet the target power amount for the area, thereby preventing a deterioration in comfort due to the setting of an inappropriate target power amount for a property where an error has occurred, while allowing normal control to continue for a property where no error has occurred.

[0013] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a power management device (10) according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the control unit (101) manages whether or not to set a target power amount for each of the plurality of properties, and transmits a signal to set the second target value for the target power amount for the property that is not subject to the management.

[0014] According to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a predetermined amount of power is set for properties that are not subject to management, thereby preventing a deterioration in comfort due to the setting of an inappropriate target amount of power even for properties that are not subject to management.

[0015] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a power management device (10) according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the control unit (101) transmits a signal for setting the upper limit value to the target power amount of the property when a first target value of the property exceeds a predetermined upper limit value.

[0016] According to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure, when the first target value exceeds the upper limit of the target power amount, an upper limit is set for the target power amount, thereby suppressing problems caused by the property's power consumption exceeding the upper limit.

[0017] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a power management device (10) according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the control unit (101) transmits a signal to set the target power amount of the property to a predetermined lower limit value when the first target value of the property is less than a predetermined lower limit value.

[0018] According to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, when the first target value is less than the lower limit of the target power amount, a lower limit is set for the target power amount, thereby suppressing a deterioration in comfort due to the property's power consumption being less than the lower limit.

[0019] A power management system (1000) according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a power management system (1000) including a control device (30) that controls one or more devices (50) installed in a property, and a power management device (10) that can communicate with the control device (30), wherein a control unit (101) included in the power management device (10) determines a target power amount for an area including a plurality of properties, determines a first target value for the properties so that the sum of the target power amounts of the properties is equal to or less than the target power amount for the area, transmits a signal to set the target power amount for the properties to the first target value, and when a first error occurs in determining the first target value or a second error occurs in communication, transmits a signal to set a predetermined second target value for the target power amount for the property, and the control unit (101) of the control device (30) sets the target power amount for the property based on the signal and controls the one or more devices (50) so that the power consumption of the property is equal to or less than the target power amount for the property.

[0020] In a power management method according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a control unit (101) included in a power management device (10) capable of communicating with a control device (30) that controls one or more devices (50) installed in a property so that the power consumption of the property is equal to or less than a target power amount for the property, determines a target power amount for an area including multiple properties, determines a first target value for the property so that the sum of the target power amounts for the properties is equal to or less than the target power amount for the area, transmits a signal for setting the first target value for the target power amount for the property, and, if a first error occurs in determining the first target value or a second error occurs in communication, transmits a signal for setting a predetermined second target value for the target power amount for the property.

[0021] A program according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure causes a control unit (101) of a power management device (10) capable of communicating with a control device (30) that controls one or more devices (50) installed in a property so that the power consumption of the property is equal to or less than the target power amount of the property to execute the following processes: determine a target power amount for an area including a plurality of properties; determine a first target value for the property so that the sum of the target power amounts of the properties is equal to or less than the target power amount of the area; transmit a signal for setting the first target value as the target power amount of the property; and, if a first error occurs in determining the first target value or a second error occurs in communication, transmit a signal for setting a predetermined second target value as the target power amount of the property. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a power management system. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computer. [Figure 3] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a power management method. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control target determination process. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a target value setting process. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a target value resetting process. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a property exclusion process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0024] [Embodiment] One embodiment of the present disclosure is a power management system that manages power consumption in one or more areas. The area includes one or more properties. One or more equipment is installed in the properties. The equipment is a device or apparatus that consumes power. As an example, the equipment may include an air conditioning device or a lighting device.

[0025] An area may be any range as long as one or more properties are installed. For example, an area may be a specific geographical area, a collection of specific consumer locations, or a range to which electricity is supplied by a specific electricity supplier. The area size, the number of properties included in the area, or the location of properties within the area may be set arbitrarily.

[0026] The property may be any property that has one or more pieces of equipment installed. For example, the property may be a building such as an office, factory, store, or residence. The structure of the property, the size of the property, the number of pieces of equipment installed in the property, and the layout of the equipment within the property may be set arbitrarily.

[0027] A property is equipped with a control device that controls the equipment installed in the property. The control device controls the operation of the equipment so that the power consumption of the property is equal to or less than a target power amount. In other words, the control device has a function of performing demand control.

[0028] The power management system controls the power consumption of properties within an area during periods of high power demand in that area. Specifically, the power management system determines a target power consumption for each property so that the target power consumption meets the power demand in the area, and sets the target power consumption for each property in a control device installed in each property. In other words, the power management system has a function to realize demand response.

[0029] In demand control, it is important to appropriately set the target power amount. When the property's power demand is at risk of exceeding the target power amount, the control device that performs demand control limits the functions of the facility equipment to reduce the power consumption of the facility equipment. For example, if the facility equipment is an air conditioning unit, the control device will limit the heating and cooling capacity or prevent the setting temperature of the indoor unit from being changed.

[0030] In this case, if an appropriate target power amount is set that matches the power demand of the property, the comfort of the facility equipment users will not be significantly affected. On the other hand, if an inappropriate target power amount is set, for example, control may be performed to excessively suppress the power consumption of the facility equipment, which may impair the comfort of the facility equipment users.

[0031] The present embodiment aims to realize demand response that reduces the impact on the comfort of users of facility equipment. In one aspect, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the power consumption of an area or property and reduce the electricity charges for using the facility equipment without compromising the comfort of users of the facility equipment.

[0032] <Overall structure> The overall configuration of a power management system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a power management system.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the power management system 1000 includes a power management apparatus 10, a device management apparatus 20, one or more control devices 30 (30-1, 30-2), one or more power meters 40 (40-1, 40-2), one or more facility devices 50 (50-1 to 50-4), and a terminal device 60.

[0034] Hereinafter, when there are multiple control devices 30, they will be distinguished from one another by using sub-numbers such as "control device 30-1," "control device 30-2," etc. Similarly, when there are multiple power meters 40 or facility devices 50, they will be distinguished from one another by using sub-numbers such as "power meter 40-1," "power meter 40-2," "facility device 50-1," "facility device 50-2," etc.

[0035] The power management device 10, the device management device 20, the control device 30, and the terminal device 60 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate data via a communication network N such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. The communication network N may include, for example, a wireless LAN, a mobile communication network, or a network using short-range wireless communication.

[0036] A weather information system E1 and an electricity market system E2 are connected to the communication network N. The power management device 10 is connected to the weather information system E1 and the electricity market system E2 via the communication network N so as to be able to communicate data with them.

[0037] The weather information system E1 is an information processing system that provides weather forecast data. The weather information system E1 stores weather forecast data indicating weather forecasts that have been announced in the past. The weather information system E1 may also store weather record data indicating actually observed weather information.

[0038] The electricity market system E2 is an information processing system that provides a wholesale electricity trading market. The wholesale electricity trading market is a market where electricity trading takes place between retail electricity suppliers and power generation suppliers. An example of a wholesale electricity trading market is the Japan Electric Power Exchange (JEPX). In the wholesale electricity trading market, multiple electricity market prices may be formed, for example, by region or by power generation method. The electricity market system E2 accumulates electricity price data that indicates the electricity market prices formed in the wholesale electricity trading market.

[0039] The power management system 1000 includes one or more areas A. Area A includes one or more properties B (B-1, B-2). Property B is installed with a control device 30, a power meter 40, and equipment 50. For example, property B-1 is installed with a control device 30-1, a power meter 40-1, and equipment 50-1 and 50-2. Property B-2 is installed with a control device 30-2, a power meter 40-2, and equipment 50-3 and 50-4. However, the number of areas A included in the power management system 1000, the number of properties B included in area A, and the number of equipment 50 installed in property B are merely examples, and these numbers may be configured arbitrarily.

[0040] The power management device 10 is an information processing device such as a personal computer, workstation, or server that manages power consumption in area A. The power management device 10 determines a target power amount for area A based on the power demand for area A, and determines a target power amount for property B based on the target power amount for area A. The power management device 10 transmits a demand control command indicating the target power amount for property B to the equipment management device 20. The demand control command is a signal for setting the target power amount for property B in a control device 30 installed in property B.

[0041] The power management device 10 determines whether to perform demand control for each predetermined time unit. The predetermined time unit may be 30 minutes, for example. Hereinafter, the predetermined time unit will be referred to as a "time period." The power management device 10 may determine whether to perform demand control for each time period based on electricity price data acquired from the electricity market system E2. The power management device 10 may also determine whether to perform demand control for each time period in response to a power supply and demand adjustment request issued by a power supplier.

[0042] The equipment management device 20 is an information processing device such as a personal computer, workstation, or server that manages the equipment 50 installed in property B. The equipment management device 20 receives performance data related to property B from a control device 30 installed in property B. The performance data may include, for example, operation data of the equipment 50, power data indicating the power consumption of the equipment 50, and control history data indicating the results of demand control by the control device 30. The equipment management device 20 transmits the performance data received from the control device 30 to the power management device 10.

[0043] The equipment management device 20 receives a demand control command indicating a target power amount for property B from the power management device 10. The equipment management device 20 identifies property B for which the target power amount is indicated in the demand control command, and transfers the demand control command to the control device 30 installed in property B.

[0044] The control device 30 is a device that controls the facility equipment 50 installed in property B. The control device 30 collects performance data from the power meter 40 and the facility equipment 50 installed in property B, and transmits the performance data to the equipment management device 20. The performance data may include power data generated by the power meter 40 and operation data generated by the facility equipment 50.

[0045] The control device 30 receives a demand control command indicating a target power amount for the property B from the equipment management device 20. The control device 30 stores the target power amount indicated in the demand control command in the auxiliary storage device 103. The control device 30 controls the operation of the equipment 50 installed in the property B so that the total power consumption of the equipment 50 is equal to or less than the target power amount stored in the auxiliary storage device 103.

[0046] The power meter 40 is a measuring device that measures the power consumption of the facility equipment 50. The power meter 40 outputs power data indicating the amount of power consumed by the facility equipment 50 to the control device 30. For example, the power meter 40 may output the power data at predetermined time intervals, or may output the power data in response to a request from the control device 30.

[0047] The facility equipment 50 is a device or apparatus that consumes power. For example, the facility equipment 50 may be an air conditioning device that conditions the air in a specified indoor space. The facility equipment 50 may be a facility equipment other than an air conditioning device, or may be a combination of an air conditioning device and another facility equipment. For example, the other facility equipment may be a lighting device that adjusts the light in a specified indoor space.

[0048] The facility equipment 50 accumulates operating data indicating the state of the equipment in a storage device during operation. The facility equipment 50 outputs the operating data accumulated in the storage device to the control device 30. For example, the facility equipment 50 may output the operating data at predetermined time intervals, or may output the operating data in response to a request from the control device 30.

[0049] The terminal device 60 is an information processing terminal such as a personal computer, smartphone, or tablet terminal operated by an administrator U of the power management system 1000. In response to operations by the administrator U, the terminal device 60 accepts input of setting information used for management by the power management apparatus 10 and transmits the setting information to the power management apparatus 10.

[0050] In this embodiment, the setting information may include the contracted power for each property B, the upper and lower limits of the target power amount for each property B, the upper limit price for the electricity market price for each area A, a coefficient used to calculate the target power amount for area A, a coefficient used to calculate the target power amount for property B, and identification information that identifies the property B to be managed.

[0051] The contracted power for each property B may be set in accordance with a contract (power supply contract) between the owner of property B and the power supplier that supplies power to property B. The upper and lower limit values ​​of the target power amount may be set in accordance with the power supply contract. The upper limit price for the power market price for each area A may be set in accordance with a contract (service provision contract) between the operator of the power management system 1000 and the owner of property B. The coefficient used to calculate the target power amount may be set in accordance with the service provision contract. The property B to be managed may be set in accordance with the service provision contract.

[0052] The overall configuration of the power management system 1000 shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and various system configuration examples are possible depending on the application and purpose. For example, the power management system 1000 may include multiple units of one or more of the power management apparatus 10, device management apparatus 20, control apparatus 30, power meter 40, facility equipment 50, and terminal device 60. For example, the power management apparatus 10 or the device management apparatus 20 may be implemented by multiple computers, or may be implemented as a cloud computing service. The classification of devices such as the power management apparatus 10, device management apparatus 20, control apparatus 30, power meter 40, facility equipment 50, and terminal device 60 shown in FIG. 1 is an example.

[0053] <Hardware configuration> The power management apparatus 10, the device management apparatus 20, the control apparatus 30, and the terminal apparatus 60 included in the power management system 1000 can be implemented by a computer. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer.

[0054] 2, the computer 100 includes a processor 101, a memory 102, an auxiliary storage device 103, an operation device 104, a display device 105, a communication device 106, and a drive device 107. The hardware components of the computer 100 are connected to each other via a bus 108.

[0055] The processor 101 has various arithmetic devices such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), etc. The processor 101 reads out various programs installed in the auxiliary storage device 103 onto the memory 102 and executes them.

[0056] The memory 102 has a main storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The processor 101 and the memory 102 form a so-called computer (hereinafter also referred to as a "controller"), and the processor 101 executes various programs read onto the memory 102, thereby enabling the computer to realize various functions.

[0057] The auxiliary storage device 103 (hereinafter also referred to as a "storage unit") stores various programs and various data used when the processor 101 executes the various programs.

[0058] The operation device 104 is an operation device that allows a user of the computer 100 to perform various operations. The display device 105 is a display device that displays the results of various processes executed by the computer 100.

[0059] The communication device 106 is a communication device for communicating with external devices via a network (not shown).

[0060] Drive device 107 is a device for loading storage medium 109. The storage medium 109 here includes media that store information optically, electrically, or magnetically, such as CD-ROMs, flexible disks, and magneto-optical disks. Storage medium 109 may also include semiconductor memories that store information electrically, such as ROMs and flash memories.

[0061] The various programs to be installed in the auxiliary storage device 103 are installed, for example, by setting the distributed storage medium 109 in the drive device 107 and reading out the various programs stored in the storage medium 109 by the drive device 107. Alternatively, the various programs to be installed in the auxiliary storage device 103 may be installed by being downloaded from a network via the communication device 106.

[0062] <Power management method> The power management method executed by the power management system 1000 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 7. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the power management method.

[0063] In step S1, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 determines a time limit to be subject to demand control. Hereinafter, the time limit to be subject to demand control will also be referred to as a "time limit to be controlled." The processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 may determine whether or not each time limit included in a predetermined time interval is to be subject to control. The processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 may determine whether or not each time limit is to be subject to control based on electricity price data acquired from the electricity market system E2.

[0064] The predetermined time interval may be a time interval during which the electricity market price is indicated by the electricity price data. When the electricity market system E2 outputs electricity price data indicating the electricity market price for the next day, the predetermined time interval may be 24 hours from 0:00 to 24:00 on the next day.

[0065] Step S1 is executed periodically. For example, the time when step S1 is executed may be set based on the time slot when the electricity market system E2 provides the electricity market price. For example, when the electricity market system E2 provides the electricity market price for the next day during the nighttime, step S1 may be scheduled to be executed during the nighttime.

[0066] In step S2, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 determines a first target value for each property B included in the area A, and sets the first target value as the target power amount for the property B. Specifically, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 predicts the power demand for the area A and the power demand for each property B based on the performance data for the property B acquired from the control device 30 and the weather forecast data acquired from the weather information system E1.

[0067] The processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 determines a target power amount for area A based on the power demand for area A. The processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 determines a first target value for each property B based on the target power amount for area A and the power demand for each property B. The processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 transmits a demand control command indicating the first target value for each property B included in area A to the equipment management apparatus 20.

[0068] The processor 101 of the equipment management device 20 receives a demand control command indicating a first target value for property B from the power management device 10. The processor 101 of the equipment management device 20 identifies property B indicated in the demand control command, and transfers the demand control command to the control device 30 installed in property B.

[0069] The processor 101 of the control device 30 receives a demand control command indicating a first target value for property B from the equipment management device 20. The processor 101 of the control device 30 stores the first target value indicated in the demand control command in the auxiliary storage device 103 as a target power amount for property B. Thereafter, the processor 101 of the control device 30 controls the operation of the equipment 50 installed in property B so that the total amount of power consumption of the equipment 50 is equal to or less than the first target value.

[0070] The processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 stores history information related to the series of processes executed in steps S1 and S2 in the auxiliary storage device 103. The history information includes processing results indicating the success or failure of each process. The processing results may be information indicating whether each process ended normally or whether an error occurred during the process. If an error occurs during the process, the processing results may include information that can identify the nature of the error.

[0071] In step S3, processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 determines whether an error has occurred during the current time period. Processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 may determine whether an error has occurred based on history information stored in auxiliary storage device 103. For example, processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 determines that an error has occurred during processing when the history information stored during the current time period includes a processing result indicating that an error has occurred.

[0072] In this embodiment, errors that occur during processing include errors related to the determination of the first target value and errors related to communication. Errors related to the determination of the first target value may be rephrased as errors that occur in internal processing of the power management apparatus 10. Errors related to communication may be rephrased as errors that occur in communication between the power management apparatus 10 and another device.

[0073] The error in determining the first target value may include, for example, an error in calculating the first target value and an error in predicting the amount of power demand. Examples of the error in calculating the first target value include an error in calculating the target amount of power for area A and an error in calculating the first target value for property B. Examples of the error in predicting the amount of power demand include an error in predicting the amount of power demand for area A and an error in predicting the amount of power demand for property B.

[0074] The communication error may include, for example, an error in acquiring data used to determine the target power amount, and an error in communication with the control device 30. Examples of errors in acquiring data used to determine the target power amount include an error in acquiring performance data for property B, an error in acquiring identification information for property B, an error in acquiring the upper and lower limit values ​​of the target power amount for property B, an error in acquiring weather forecast data, and an error in acquiring power price data. Examples of errors in communication with the control device 30 include an error in receiving performance data from the control device 30, and an error in sending a demand control command to the control device 30.

[0075] If it is determined that an error has occurred (YES), processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, if it is determined that an error has not occurred (NO), processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 proceeds to step S5.

[0076] In step S4, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 determines a second target value for each property B included in area A, and sets the second target value as the target power amount for the property B. Specifically, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 determines a second target value for each property B. For each property B included in area A, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 transmits a demand control command indicating the second target value for the property B to the device management apparatus 20.

[0077] The second target value indicated in the demand control command is stored as the target power amount for property B in the auxiliary storage device 103 of the control device 30 installed in property B. Thereafter, the processor 101 of the control device 30 controls the operation of the facility devices 50 installed in property B so that the total amount of power consumption of the facility devices 50 installed in property B is equal to or less than the second target value.

[0078] The second target value may be a predetermined fixed value. The second target value may be set according to predetermined rules so as to be greater than the first target value. For example, the second target value may be a value obtained by multiplying the contracted power specified in the power supply contract, the maximum value that can be set by the power management device 10, or the first target value determined at the immediately preceding time limit by a first coefficient. The first coefficient may be 1 or greater, for example, 1.1. If the error that occurred in step S3 is an error related to the prediction of the power demand for area A, the second target value may be a value obtained by multiplying the predicted value of the power demand for property B by a second coefficient. The second coefficient may be 1 or less, for example, 0.9.

[0079] The processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 may determine a second target value only for a property B in which an error has occurred among multiple properties B included in area A, and set the second target value as the target power amount for that property B. At this time, the first target value may be updated for the other properties B in which no error has occurred, and a new first target value may be set as the target power amount for that property B. Hereinafter, the property B in which an error has occurred will also be referred to as an "error-occurring property." In addition, below, the other properties B in which no error has occurred will also be referred to as "successful properties."

[0080] Steps S2 to S4 are repeatedly executed for the time limits to be controlled determined in step S1. In other words, steps S2 to S4 do not have to be executed for time limits that are not to be controlled.

[0081] In step S5, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 determines a second target value for property B that is not to be managed, and sets the second target value as the target power amount for property B. Specifically, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 determines the second target value for property B that is not to be managed. The processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 transmits a demand control command indicating the second target value for property B that is not to be managed to the device management apparatus 20.

[0082] The second target value indicated in the demand control command is stored as the target power amount for property B to be excluded from management in the auxiliary storage device 103 of the control device 30 installed in property B. Thereafter, the processor 101 of the control device 30 controls the operation of the facility devices 50 installed in property B to be excluded from management so that the total amount of power consumed by the facility devices 50 installed in property B to be excluded from management is equal to or less than the second target value.

[0083] Step S5 is executed whenever there is a change in the managed property B. In other words, step S5 does not need to be executed unless there is a change in the managed property B.

[0084] <Control target determination process> The control target determination process (step S1 in FIG. 3) executed by the power management apparatus 10 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the control target determination process.

[0085] In step S11, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 acquires weather forecast data from the weather information system E1. The processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 may acquire weather forecast data for a predetermined time period. In this embodiment, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 may acquire weather forecast data for 24 hours from midnight to midnight of the next day.

[0086] In step S12, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 acquires power price data from the power market system E2. The processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 may acquire power price data relating to a predetermined time interval. In this embodiment, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 may acquire power price data indicating the power market price for 24 hours from 0:00 to 24:00 of the next day.

[0087] Steps S13 and S14 are executed for each time period included in a predetermined time interval. Steps S13 and S14 may be executed repeatedly from the first time period to the last time period in the time direction, or may be executed in parallel for each time period.

[0088] In step S13, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 determines whether the electricity market price corresponding to the time limit to be determined exceeds a predetermined upper limit price based on the electricity price data acquired in step S12. The predetermined upper limit price may be set in advance.

[0089] If it is determined that the electricity market price exceeds the predetermined upper limit price (YES), processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 proceeds to step S14. On the other hand, if it is determined that the electricity market price does not exceed the predetermined upper limit price (is equal to or less than the predetermined upper limit price) (NO), processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 skips step S14.

[0090] In step S14, processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 determines that the time limits determined in step S13 are to be controlled. When it has been determined whether or not all time limits included in the predetermined time interval are to be controlled, processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 ends the control target determination process.

[0091] <<Target value setting process>> The target value setting process (step S2 in FIG. 3) executed by the power management apparatus 10 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the target value setting process.

[0092] In step S21, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 acquires performance data for each property B included in area A from the equipment management apparatus 20. The processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 may request the equipment management apparatus 20 to transmit performance data, and receive the performance data transmitted from the equipment management apparatus 20 in response to the request. The processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 stores the acquired performance data in the auxiliary storage device 103.

[0093] In step S22, processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 predicts the power demand for area A. Processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 may predict the power demand for area A based on the weather forecast data acquired in step S1 and the performance data acquired in step S21. Processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 may predict the power demand for area A based on a trained model constructed to predict the power demand for area A using the weather forecast data for area A and performance data for property B included in area A.

[0094] In step S23, processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 determines a target power amount for area A based on the power demand for area A predicted in step S22. For example, processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 may determine a preset fixed value as the target power amount for area A. Alternatively, for example, processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 may determine a value obtained by multiplying the power demand for area A by a third coefficient as the target power amount for area A. The third coefficient may be set in advance. The third coefficient may be equal to or less than 1, for example, 0.9.

[0095] In step S24, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 predicts the power demand of each property B included in area A. The processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 may predict the power demand of each property B based on the weather forecast data acquired in step S1 and the performance data acquired in step S21. The processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 may predict the power demand of property B based on a trained model constructed to predict the power demand of property B using the weather forecast data for area A including property B and the performance data of property B.

[0096] In step S25, processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 determines a first target value for each property B based on the target power amount for area A determined in step S23 and the power demand of each property B predicted in step S24. Processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 may determine the first target value for each property B by distributing the target power amount for area A to each property B based on the ratio of the power demand of each property B.

[0097] The determination of the first target value will be explained in detail using an example in which area A includes three properties B-1, B-2, and B-3. Assume that the target power amount for area A is 150 kW, the predicted power demand for property B-1 is 100 kW, the predicted power demand for property B-2 is 100 kW, and the predicted power demand for property B-3 is 100 kW. The ratio of power demand for properties B-1, B-2, and B-3 is 1:1:1. If the target power amount of area A, 150 kW, is distributed to properties B-1, B-2, and B-3 in a 1:1:1 ratio, the first target value for property B-1 will be 50 kW, the first target value for property B-2 will be 50 kW, and the first target value for property B-3 will be 50 kW.

[0098] Steps S26 to S30 are executed for each property B included in area A. Steps S26 to S30 may be executed repeatedly for each property B in an order according to a predetermined rule, or may be executed in parallel for each property B.

[0099] In step S26, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 determines whether the first target value for the property B determined in step S25 exceeds the upper limit of the target power amount. The upper limit of the target power amount may be set in advance for each property B.

[0100] If it is determined that the first target value exceeds the upper limit of the target power amount (YES), processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 proceeds to step S28. On the other hand, if it is determined that the first target value does not exceed the upper limit of the target power amount (is equal to or less than the upper limit) (NO), processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 proceeds to step S27.

[0101] In step S27, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 determines whether the first target value for the property B determined in step S25 is less than the lower limit of the target power amount. The lower limit of the target power amount may be set in advance for each property B.

[0102] If it is determined that the first target value is less than the lower limit of the target power amount (YES), processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 proceeds to step S29. On the other hand, if it is determined that the first target value is not less than the lower limit of the target power amount (is equal to or greater than the lower limit) (NO), processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 proceeds to step S30.

[0103] In step S28, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 updates the first target value for the property B to the upper limit value of the target power amount.

[0104] In step S29, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 updates the first target value for the property B to the lower limit value of the target amount of power.

[0105] In step S30, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 transmits a demand control command indicating a first target value for property B to the device management apparatus 20. The device management apparatus 20 transfers the demand control command received from the power management apparatus 10 to the control device 30 installed in property B indicated in the demand control command. The control device 30 stores the first target value indicated in the demand control command received from the device management apparatus 20 in the auxiliary storage device 103 as a target power amount.

[0106] <<Target value resetting process>> The target value resetting process (step S4 in FIG. 3) executed by the power management apparatus 10 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the target value resetting process.

[0107] The target value resetting process is executed for each property B included in area A. The target value resetting process may be executed repeatedly for each property B in an order according to a predetermined rule, or may be executed in parallel for each property B.

[0108] In step S41, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 determines whether or not an error has occurred regarding the setting of the first target value for the property B. The processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 may determine whether or not an error has occurred regarding the setting of the first target value for the property B based on history information stored in the auxiliary storage device 103.

[0109] If it is determined that an error occurred regarding the setting of the first target value for property B (YES), processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 classifies property B as an error-occurring property, and proceeds to step S42. On the other hand, if it is determined that an error did not occur regarding the setting of the first target value for property B (NO), processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 classifies property B as a successful property, and proceeds to step S44.

[0110] In step S42, processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 determines a second target value for the error-occurring property. Processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 may obtain a predetermined second target value from auxiliary storage device 103. Processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 may calculate the second target value according to a predetermined rule.

[0111] In step S43, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 transmits a demand control command indicating the second target value determined in step S42 to the device management apparatus 20. The device management apparatus 20 transfers the demand control command received from the power management apparatus 10 to the control apparatus 30 installed in the property where the error has occurred, as indicated in the demand control command. The control apparatus 30 stores the second target value indicated in the demand control command received from the device management apparatus 20 in the auxiliary storage device 103 as a target power amount.

[0112] In step S44, processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 updates the first target value of the successful properties. Processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 may determine the first target value for each successful property by allocating the amount of power obtained by subtracting the sum of the second target values ​​of the error-occurring properties from the target power amount for area A determined in step S23 to each successful property based on the ratio of the power demand amount for each successful property.

[0113] In step S45, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 transmits a demand control command indicating the first target value updated in step S44 to the device management apparatus 20. The device management apparatus 20 transfers the demand control command received from the power management apparatus 10 to the control device 30 installed in the successful property indicated in the demand control command. The control device 30 stores the first target value indicated in the demand control command received from the device management apparatus 20 in the auxiliary storage device 103 as the target power amount.

[0114] <Property exclusion processing> The object exclusion process (step S5 in FIG. 3) executed by the power management apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the object exclusion process.

[0115] In step S51, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 accepts input of a setting to exclude property B from the management target. The setting to exclude property B from the management target may be input to the power management apparatus 10 based on an operation by the administrator U on the terminal device 60. The trigger for excluding property B from the management target may be the termination of a service provision contract for property B.

[0116] In step S52, processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 determines a second target value for property B for which the setting to exclude property B from the management target was accepted in step S51. Processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 may obtain a predetermined second target value from auxiliary storage device 103. Processor 101 of power management apparatus 10 may calculate the second target value according to a predetermined rule.

[0117] In step S53, the processor 101 of the power management apparatus 10 transmits a demand control command indicating the second target value determined in step S52 to the device management apparatus 20. The device management apparatus 20 transfers the demand control command received from the power management apparatus 10 to the control apparatus 30 installed in property B indicated in the demand control command. The control apparatus 30 stores the second target value indicated in the demand control command received from the device management apparatus 20 in the auxiliary storage device 103 as a target power amount.

[0118] <Summary> The power management device 10 determines a target power amount for an area including multiple properties, determines a first target value for the properties so that the sum of the target power amounts of the properties is less than or equal to the target power amount for the area, transmits a signal to set the first target value for the target power amount of the properties, and if a first error occurs in determining the first target value or a second error occurs in communication, transmits a signal to set a predetermined second target value for the target power amount of the properties.

[0119] If the setting of the target power amount for a property fails or an unexpected failure occurs in predicting the property's maximum demand power, demand control based on an inappropriate target power amount may be performed, which may impair the comfort of users of the facility equipment. In this embodiment, if an error occurs in setting the first target value, a predetermined second target value is set as the target power amount, thereby reducing the impact on user comfort. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to achieve demand response with reduced impact on user comfort.

[0120] The power management device 10 may determine the first target value for the property by distributing the target power amount for the area to multiple properties based on the power demand of each of the multiple properties. According to this embodiment, the target power amount for the area is distributed based on the power demand of each property, so that the target power amount for the area can be achieved while satisfying the power demand of each property as much as possible.

[0121] The power management device 10 may set a second target value for the target power amount of a first property among the multiple properties in which a first error or a second error has occurred, and may set a first target value obtained by allocating the amount of power obtained by subtracting the second target value of the first property from the target power amount of the area to the target power amount of a second property among the multiple properties excluding the first property as the target power amount of the second property. According to this embodiment, a predetermined power amount is set for a property in which an error has occurred, and a target power amount for a property in which no error has occurred is set so as to satisfy the target power amount of the area, thereby preventing a deterioration in comfort due to an inappropriate target power amount setting in a property in which an error has occurred, while normal control can be continued in a property in which no error has occurred.

[0122] The power management device 10 may manage whether or not to set a target power amount for a plurality of properties, and may set a second target value for the target power amount for properties that are not subject to management. According to this embodiment, a predetermined power amount is set for properties that are not subject to management, so that deterioration of comfort due to setting an inappropriate target power amount can be suppressed even for properties that are not subject to management.

[0123] When the first target value of a property exceeds a predetermined upper limit, the power management device 10 may set an upper limit for the target power amount of the property. According to this embodiment, when the first target value exceeds the upper limit for the target power amount, an upper limit is set for the target power amount, thereby preventing problems caused by the power consumption of the property exceeding the upper limit.

[0124] When the first target value of a property is less than a predetermined lower limit, the power management device 10 may set a lower limit for the target power amount of the property. According to this embodiment, when the first target value is less than the lower limit for the target power amount, the lower limit is set for the target power amount, thereby preventing a deterioration in comfort due to the power consumption of the property being less than the lower limit.

[0125] [supplement] Each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU) implemented by an electronic circuit, as well as devices such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and conventional circuit modules designed to execute each of the above-described functions.

[0126] Although the embodiments have been described above, it will be understood that various changes in form and details can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 10: Power management device 20: Equipment management device 30: Control device 40: Power meter 50: Equipment 60: Terminal device 101: Processor (control unit) 102: Memory 103: Auxiliary storage device (storage unit) 104: Operating device 105:Display device 106: Communication equipment 107: Drive device 1000: Power management system

Claims

1. A power management device (10) capable of communicating with a control device (30) that controls one or more devices (50) installed in a property so that the power consumption of the property is equal to or less than a target power amount of the property, The control unit (101) of the power management device (10) Determine the target power consumption for an area that includes multiple properties, determining a first target value for the property so that the total target power consumption of the property is equal to or less than the target power consumption of the area; transmitting a signal for setting the first target value as the target power amount of the property; transmitting a signal for setting a predetermined second target value as the target power amount of the property when a first error occurs in determining the first target value or a second error occurs in communication; Power management device (10).

2. The control unit (101) predicting the amount of electricity demand for each of the plurality of properties; determining a first target value for each property by allocating a target amount of power for the area to the properties based on the amount of power demand; The power management device (10) of claim 1.

3. The control unit (101) transmitting a signal for setting the second target value as a target power amount for one or more first properties among the plurality of properties in which the first error or the second error has occurred; determining the first target value for the second property by distributing an amount of power obtained by subtracting the second target value for the first property from the target power amount for the area to a second property among the plurality of properties excluding the first property; transmitting a signal for setting the first target value as the target power amount of the second property; The power management device (10) of claim 2.

4. The control unit (101) Manage whether or not to set a target power consumption for each of the plurality of properties; transmitting a signal for setting the second target value as the target power amount of the property to be excluded from the management; A power management device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The control unit (101) If the first target value of the property exceeds a predetermined upper limit, a signal is transmitted to set the upper limit to the target power amount of the property. A power management device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The control unit (101) If the first target value of the property falls below a predetermined lower limit, a signal is transmitted to set the target power amount of the property to the predetermined lower limit. A power management device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. A power management system (1000) including a control device (30) that controls one or more devices (50) installed in a property, and a power management device (10) that can communicate with the control device (30), The control unit (101) of the power management device (10) Determine the target power consumption for an area that includes multiple properties, determining a first target value for the property so that the total target power consumption of the property is equal to or less than the target power consumption of the area; transmitting a signal for setting the first target value as the target power amount of the property; When a first error occurs in determining the first target value or a second error occurs in communication, a signal is transmitted to set a predetermined second target value as the target power amount of the property; The control unit (101) of the control device (30) setting a target amount of power for the property based on the signal; controlling the one or more devices (50) so that the power consumption of the property is equal to or less than a target power amount of the property; A power management system (1000).

8. A control unit (101) included in a power management device (10) capable of communicating with a control device (30) that controls one or more devices (50) installed in a property so that the power consumption of the property is equal to or less than a target power amount of the property, Determine the target power consumption for an area that includes multiple properties, determining a first target value for the property so that the total target power consumption of the property is equal to or less than the target power consumption of the area; transmitting a signal for setting the first target value as the target power amount of the property; transmitting a signal for setting a predetermined second target value as the target power amount of the property when a first error occurs in determining the first target value or a second error occurs in communication; Power management methods.

9. A control unit (101) of a power management device (10) capable of communicating with a control device (30) that controls one or more devices (50) installed in a property so that the power consumption of the property is equal to or less than a target power amount of the property, Determine the target power consumption for an area that includes multiple properties, determining a first target value for the property so that the total target power consumption of the property is equal to or less than the target power consumption of the area; transmitting a signal for setting the first target value as the target power amount of the property; transmitting a signal for setting a predetermined second target value as the target power amount of the property when a first error occurs in determining the first target value or a second error occurs in communication; A program for executing a process.

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