Program and information processing apparatus

Abstract

To allow a battery business operator to recover the cost more reliably.SOLUTION: A program causes a computer to be used by a battery business operator that leases or sells a battery to a consumer to which a power generation system has been introduced, to execute operations including: acquiring information indicating a first amount when the battery business operator receives, in place of the consumer, from an electric power company, a payment of the first amount equivalent to at least a part of the amount of electricity sales from the consumer to the electric power company; and billing the consumer for a second amount calculated by subtracting a discount amount, which is determined in accordance with the first amount, from the amount billed related to lease or sale of the battery.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a program and an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] A battery leasing system has been proposed that is configured to require users to pay a price commensurate with the use of the battery (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this leasing system, the price to be paid to the leasing company is calculated from the difference between a first electricity charge predicted when the leasing system is not used and a second electricity charge that the user actually pays to the power company. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-197392 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventionally, there has been no consideration of technology that improves the reliability of battery companies recovering costs when they sell batteries on a lease or installment payment basis. There is room for improvement in technology that improves the reliability of battery companies recovering costs.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a program and an information processing device that can improve the reliability of battery companies recovering the cost of batteries. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure causes a computer used by a battery operator that leases or sells batteries to a consumer that has installed a power generation system to perform operations including, when the battery operator receives payment of a first amount equivalent to at least a portion of the amount of electricity sold by the consumer to the power company from the power company on behalf of the consumer, acquiring information indicating the first amount, and billing the consumer for a second amount obtained by deducting a discount amount determined according to the first amount from the amount billed for the lease or sale of the battery.

[0007] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an information processing device used by a battery business operator that leases or sells batteries to consumers who have installed power generation systems, and is equipped with an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating a first amount when the battery business operator receives payment of the first amount, which corresponds to at least a portion of the amount of electricity sold by the consumer to the power company, from the power company on behalf of the consumer, and a control unit that bills the consumer for payment of a second amount obtained by deducting a discount amount determined according to the first amount from the billed amount for the lease or sale of the battery. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a program and an information processing device that can improve the reliability of battery companies recovering costs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system including an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the information processing device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the customer system of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a process executed by an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 5]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a billing method by an information processing device. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a process executed by an information processing apparatus according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings used in the following description are schematic.

[0011] (Overall system configuration) 1 shows a schematic configuration of a system 1 including an information processing device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In addition to the information processing device 10, the system 1 may include a customer system 20, a power company system 30, a first financial institution system 40, and a second financial institution system 50. The information processing device 10, the customer system 20, the power company system 30, the first financial institution system 40, and the second financial institution system 50 may be able to communicate with each other via a communication network 60. The communication network 60 includes, for example, the Internet, a mobile communication network, etc.

[0012] The information processing device 10 is a computer used by a battery business 2 that leases or sells batteries to consumers 3. The information processing device 10 is not limited to a single computer. The functions of the information processing device 10 may be distributed and implemented on multiple computers. The information processing device 10 does not need to be located within the facilities of the battery business 2. The information processing device 10 may be located in a data center operated by a third party. The information processing device 10 performs processing to bill the consumer 3 for the cost of leasing or selling the battery. Note that the "sale" of the battery is assumed to be made through installments in which the price of the battery is divided into multiple payments and paid at regular intervals (e.g., one month). In both the "leasing" and "sale" cases, it is assumed that a predetermined invoice amount to be paid at regular intervals is determined between the battery business 2 and the consumer 3. The predetermined invoice amount is not limited to a fixed amount and may vary at regular intervals.

[0013] The consumer system 20 is a system installed in the home or facility of a consumer 3. The consumer 3 includes individuals and small to large-scale businesses. The consumer 3 can sell some or all of the electricity generated by a power generation system such as a solar power generation system to the power company 4 via the power network 70. The consumer 3 can store some or all of the generated electricity in a battery and consume it in the consumer's own home or facility. The consumer 3 can also purchase electricity from the power company 4 via the power network 70. The power network 70 can be rephrased as a "commercial power system."

[0014] The electric power company system 30 is a system of the electric power company 4 that has a relationship of buying and selling electricity with the consumer 3. The electric power company system 30 manages the buying and selling of electricity between the electric power company 4 and the consumer 3. The electric power company system 30 calculates the amount of payment in accordance with the electricity transaction with the consumer 3. The electric power company system 30 may be able to obtain the amount of electricity sold and purchased by the consumer 3 from smart meters installed in the consumer system 20 via the communication network 60.

[0015] The first financial institution system 40 is a system of a financial institution where the battery company 2 has an account. The information processing device 10 can access the first financial institution system 40 via a communication network to check the deposit status and balance of the account of the battery company 2. In addition, the first financial institution system 40 may send a notification to the information processing device 10 when a deposit is made into the account of the battery company 2.

[0016] The second financial institution system 50 is a system of a financial institution where the consumer 3 has an account. The consumer 3 may pay for the lease or purchase of the battery from an account at the financial institution. For example, when there is an account transfer contract, the financial institution where the consumer 3 has an account may receive billing data from the information processing device 10, debit the billing amount from the account of the consumer 3, and transfer the debited amount to the account of the battery company 2.

[0017] (Configuration of information processing device) As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13.

[0018] The control unit 11 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The control unit 11 controls each unit of the information processing device 10 and executes processes related to the operation of the information processing device 10.

[0019] The storage unit 12 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM). The RAM is, for example, a static random access memory (SRAM) or a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The ROM is, for example, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The storage unit 12 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 12 stores programs and data used in the operation of the information processing device 10, and data obtained by the operation of the information processing device 10. The information stored in the storage unit 12 may be updatable with information obtained from the communication network 60 via the communication unit 13, for example.

[0020] The communication unit 13 includes at least one external communication interface connected to the communication network 60. The communication interface may be either a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. In the case of wired communication, the communication interface is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface or a USB (Universal Serial Bus). In the case of wireless communication, the communication interface is, for example, an interface compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th generation), or 5G (5th generation). The communication unit 13 receives data used in the operation of the information processing device 10, and transmits data obtained by the operation of the information processing device 10 to the outside (for example, the consumer system 20, the electric power company system 30).

[0021] 2 of the present embodiment does not include an input unit and an output unit, the information processing device 10 may further include an input unit and an output unit. That is, the information processing device 10 may receive (input) and transmit (output) information via the communication unit 13, and may also input and output information using the input unit and the output unit.

[0022] The functions of the information processing device 10 are realized by executing a program relating to the information processing method of this embodiment on a processor corresponding to the control unit 11. That is, the functions of the information processing device 10 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operations of the information processing device 10, thereby causing the computer to function as the information processing device 10. That is, the computer functions as the information processing device 10 by executing the operations of the information processing device 10 in accordance with the program.

[0023] In this embodiment, the program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes non-transitory computer-readable media, such as a magnetic recording device, an optical disc, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. The program can be distributed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending a portable recording medium, such as a DVD (digital versatile disc) or a CD-ROM (compact disc read only memory), on which the program is recorded. The program can also be distributed by storing the program in the storage of an external server and transmitting the program from the external server to another computer. The program can also be provided as a program product.

[0024] (Configuration of consumer system) As shown in FIG. 3, in one embodiment, the customer system 20 includes a management device 21, a power generation system 22, a battery 23, a power conditioner 24, a distribution board 25, and an electric device 26.

[0025] The management device 21 monitors and controls the operating conditions of the power generation system 22, the battery 23, the power conditioner 24, the distribution board 25, and the electrical appliances 26. The management device 21 includes a control unit including a processor such as a CPU and a memory, and a communication unit that communicates with other devices / systems via a communication network 60. The control unit manages each unit of the management device 21 in accordance with a program that defines a control procedure. The management device 21 can monitor and record the amount of power generated by the power generation system 22, the amount of power stored in the battery 23, the amount of power consumed by the electrical appliances 26, and the amount of power sold to and purchased from the power company 4, based on the outputs of sensors disposed in each unit of the consumer system 20. The management device 21 can control the sale of power generated by the power generation system 22 to the power company 4 and the charging of the battery 23. The management device 21 may be, for example, a home energy management system (HEMS) or a building energy management system (BEMS).

[0026] The power generation system 22 is a system that generates power at the residence or facility of the consumer 3. The power generation system 22 is, for example, a solar power generation system. The solar power generation system may include a solar cell that converts solar energy into electric power through photoelectric conversion. The solar cell includes, for example, a silicon-based polycrystalline solar cell and a silicon-based monocrystalline solar cell. The power generation system 22 is not limited to a solar power generation system. The power generation system 22 may be, for example, a wind power generation system.

[0027] The battery 23 can store some or all of the power generated by the power generation system 22. The battery 23 includes, but is not limited to, a lithium-ion battery. The battery 23 includes a lead-acid battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a sodium-sulfur battery, a lithium-sulfur battery, a magnesium battery, an all-solid-state battery, and the like. The battery 23 includes a storage battery that can be used in the future. In this embodiment, the power generated by the power generation system 22 is temporarily stored in the battery 23 before being consumed by the electrical equipment 26 in the consumer system 20. The power stored in the battery 23 can be supplied to the electrical equipment 26.

[0028] The power conditioner 24 includes a DC / DC converter that converts the voltage of DC power to a predetermined voltage, and an inverter that converts DC power to AC power. The power conditioner 24 can convert the voltage of DC power generated by the power generation system 22 and supply it to the battery 23 for storage. The power conditioner 24 can convert the DC power generated by the power generation system 22 into AC power and supply it to the distribution board 25. The power conditioner 24 can convert the DC power supplied from the battery 23 into AC power and supply it to the distribution board 25.

[0029] The distribution board 25 is connected to the power conditioner 24, the electrical equipment 26, and the power network 70 via power lines. The distribution board 25 may transmit power generated by the power generation system 22 and converted into AC power by the power conditioner 24 to the power network 70 for power sale. The distribution board 25 can supply power generated by the power generation system 22, stored in the battery 23, and then converted into AC power by the power conditioner 24 to the electrical equipment 26. The distribution board 25 can switch between a power selling state and a power buying state of the consumer system 20. The distribution board 25 may supply power supplied from the power network 70 to the electrical equipment 26.

[0030] The electrical devices 26 are devices that consume power. The electrical devices 26 include home appliances, heating and cooling devices, lighting devices, and information and communication devices. The electrical devices 26 are also called "loads."

[0031] The customer system 20 shown in Fig. 3 is merely an example. The system within the residence or facility of the customer 3 can have various configurations.

[0032] (Billing processing using information processing equipment 1) The procedure for requesting payment of the consideration for leasing or selling the battery 23, which is executed by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10, will be described below with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 4. The procedure shown in Fig. 4 may be executed by the processor of the control unit 11 in accordance with a program stored in the storage unit 12.

[0033] As a premise, the battery provider 2, the consumer 3, and the electric power company 4 have a specific agreement regarding the exchange of payment for the battery 23 and the exchange of payment for the sale of electricity by the consumer 3. Specifically, the consumer 3 sells electricity to the electric power company 4 at a predetermined unit price. The predetermined unit price may be fixed or may vary depending on conditions such as the time of day and the day of the week. The battery provider 2 receives payment from the electric power company 4 on behalf of the consumer 3 at each predetermined period in an amount equivalent to at least a portion of the amount of electricity sold by the consumer 3 to the electric power company 4. This amount equivalent to at least a portion of the amount of electricity sold by the consumer 3 to the electric power company 4 is set as a first amount. The first amount may be calculated by multiplying the amount of electricity sold by the consumer 3 to the electric power company 4 by a predetermined rate. The battery provider 2 invoices the consumer 3 for each predetermined period in an amount calculated by deducting a discount amount determined according to the first amount from the standard invoice amount for the lease or sale of the battery 23. Here, the discount amount is set to an amount equal to or greater than the first amount, with the first amount being the lower limit. The second amount is the amount obtained by subtracting the discount amount from the predetermined invoice amount for the lease or sale of the battery 23.

[0034] By doing so, the consumer 3 can obtain a discount on the payment for the battery 23 that is equal to or higher than the amount of electricity sold that the consumer 3 can receive from the electric power company 4. This allows the consumer 3 to substantially keep the payment for the battery 23 per predetermined period to an amount equal to or lower than the predetermined billing amount. Furthermore, since the battery business operator 2 can receive monetary payments from both the electric power company 4 and the consumer 3, it can reliably recover at least a portion of the billing amount (leasing costs, loan costs, etc.) for the lease or sale of the battery 23. Furthermore, by supporting the spread of batteries, the electric power company 4 can contribute to social needs such as the diversification of power sources, including natural energy, and the spread of emergency power sources in the event of a disaster.

[0035] In the procedure shown in FIG. 4, first, the control unit 11 acquires information indicating the first amount to be paid from the electric power company 4 via the communication unit 13 (S101). The communication unit 13 functions as an acquisition unit. The method by which the control unit 11 acquires the first amount includes various methods. For example, the control unit 11 may connect to the first financial institution system 40 via the communication unit 13 at predetermined intervals and check the deposit information in the account. From the deposit information in the account, the control unit 11 can confirm that a deposit has been made from the electric power company 4 and the first amount. Furthermore, the control unit 11 may receive a notification of the first amount from the electric power company system 30 when a deposit is made in the account, according to an arrangement with the electric power company 4.

[0036] The control unit 11 determines the discount amount of the billing amount to be billed to the consumer 3 according to the acquired information indicating the first amount (S102). The discount amount is set to be the same as the first amount or an amount greater than the first amount. For example, the discount amount can be set to be the first amount plus a fixed percentage surcharge. For example, the discount amount can be set to be 20% more than the first amount. Alternatively, the discount amount can be set to be the first amount plus a fixed amount. A predetermined upper limit may be set for the discount amount. For example, a predetermined billing amount for leasing or selling the battery 23 may be set as the upper limit for the discount amount.

[0037] The control unit 11 determines a second amount by subtracting the discount amount from the default billing amount. The control unit 11 bills the consumer 3 for the second amount (S103). The control unit 11 may create an electronic bill for the consumer 3 and send it to the consumer system 20. The control unit 11 may also create billing data and send it to the second financial institution system 50, and debit the billing amount from the consumer 3's account.

[0038] The above procedure will be explained using a specific example shown in Fig. 5. In the example shown in Fig. 5, a consumer 3 sells electricity to an electric power company 4 at 16 points per kWh. The consumer 3 also purchases electricity from the electric power company 4 at 30 points per kW. Here, "points" is an arbitrary unit of monetary value. "Points" may be read as "yen," for example.

[0039] Let's say that consumer 3 sells electricity of an amount Ps (kWh) to power company 4 in a certain month. Of the consideration of Ps x 16 points paid to consumer 3, power company 4 transfers Ps x 10 points to the account of battery operator 2. Power company 4 either transfers the remaining Ps x 6 points to consumer 3's account or offsets it against the payment for the amount of electricity Pb ​​(kWh) purchased by consumer 3.

[0040] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 of the battery business operator 2 acquires information on the deposit from the electric power company 4 and recognizes Ps × 10 points as the first amount. The control unit 11 determines Ps × 12 points, which is the first amount plus a 20% surcharge, as the discount amount. The control unit 11 bills the consumer 3 for the second amount, which is the default billing amount minus Ps × 12 points, as the billing amount for the current month.

[0041] As described above, according to this embodiment, the battery business operator 2 receives payment of a first amount from the electric power company 4, and bills the consumer 3 for a second amount, which is the predetermined billing amount minus a discount amount determined according to the first amount. This allows the battery business operator 2 to receive monetary payments from both the electric power company 4 and the consumer 3, and therefore can reliably collect at least a portion of the billing amount (such as lease fees or installment payments) related to the lease or sale of the battery 23.

[0042] Furthermore, since the information processing device 10 determines the discount amount using the first amount as the lower limit, the consumer 3 can receive a discount equal to or greater than the amount paid by the electric power company 4 to the battery business operator 2. This allows the consumer 3 to receive a profit that is substantially greater than the amount of electricity sold to the electric power company 4. This makes it easier for the consumer 3 to lease or purchase the battery 23.

[0043] Furthermore, the information processing device 10 can acquire information indicating the first amount for each predetermined period (for example, each month) and request the consumer 3 to pay the second amount for each predetermined period. This makes it easier for the consumer 3 to manage electricity charges, as the amount to be paid to the battery company 2 is determined for each predetermined period.

[0044] (Billing processing using information processing equipment 2) Another procedure for requesting payment of the consideration for leasing or selling the battery 23, which is executed by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10, will be described below with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 6. The procedure shown in Fig. 6 may be executed by the processor of the control unit 11 in accordance with a program stored in the storage unit 12, similar to the procedure shown in the flowchart of Fig. 4. It is also assumed that the same agreement as that described above exists between the battery provider 2, the consumer 3, and the electric power company 4.

[0045] First, the control unit 11 acquires information indicating the first amount to be paid from the electric power company 4, similar to S101 (S201).

[0046] The control unit 11 acquires or calculates information on the amount of electricity sold from the consumer 3 to the electric power company 4 (S202). For example, the control unit 11 acquires information on the amount of electricity sold or the amount of electricity sold from the management device 21 of the consumer system 20 via the communication unit 13. Furthermore, for example, the control unit 11 calculates the amount of electricity sold by multiplying the first amount acquired in S201 by a predetermined coefficient. For example, if the first amount is set to two-thirds of the amount of electricity sold, the control unit 11 calculates the amount of electricity sold by multiplying the first amount by 1.5.

[0047] The control unit 11 acquires information on the amount of electricity bill reduction, which is the amount obtained by multiplying the amount of electricity generated by the power generation system 22, stored in the battery 23, and consumed by the electrical appliances 26 of the consumer 3 by the unit price of electricity purchased from the electrical power company 4 (S203). The amount of electricity bill reduction corresponds to the electricity bill for electricity that has not been purchased from the electrical power company 4 due to the use of the electricity generated by the power generation system 22. For example, the control unit 11 may acquire the amount of electricity generated by the power generation system 22, stored in the battery 23, and consumed by the electrical appliances 26 of the consumer 3 from the management device 21 of the consumer system 20 via the communication unit 13. The control unit 11 multiplies this amount of electricity by the unit price of electricity purchased from the electrical power company 4 to calculate the amount of electricity bill reduction. The management device 21 may also be configured to periodically notify the information processing device 10 of the information on the amount of electricity or the amount of electricity bill reduction.

[0048] The control unit 11 calculates the sum of the amount of electricity sold to the electric power company 4 acquired or calculated in S202 and the amount of electricity charge reduction acquired in S203 (S204). This sum corresponds to the profit obtained by the consumer 3 by introducing the power generation system 22 and the battery 23, converted into a monetary value.

[0049] The control unit 11 calculates an amount by subtracting the total amount calculated in S204 from the predetermined billing amount (S205). The amount by subtracting the total amount from the predetermined billing amount is set as a third amount.

[0050] The control unit 11 determines the discount amount by setting the higher of the first amount acquired in step S201 and the third amount calculated in step S205 as the lower limit (S206). A predetermined upper limit may be set for the discount amount. For example, the predetermined charge amount for leasing or selling the battery 23 may be set as the upper limit for the discount amount.

[0051] The control unit 11 bills the customer 3 for the second amount obtained by subtracting the discount amount determined in S206 from the predetermined billing amount (S207).

[0052] As an example, as shown in FIG. 5 , assume that the unit price of electricity sold to the electric power company 4 is 16 points / kWh and the unit price of electricity purchased from the electric power company 4 is 30 points / kWh. In this case, if the amount of electricity generated by the power generation system 22, stored in the battery 23, and consumed by the electrical appliances 26 of the consumer 3 is Pi (kWh), the amount of reduction in the electricity bill is Pi × 30 points. If the amount of electricity sold to the electric power company 4 is Ps, the total amount is Ps × 16 + Pi × 30 points. Furthermore, the third amount is the default billing amount − (Ps × 16 + Pi × 30) points. When the total amount is small, the third amount is high, and therefore the second amount, which is the amount to be paid, is lower than Ps × 16 + Pi × 30 points, which is the amount obtained by subtracting the third amount from the default billing amount. That is, the customer 3 is billed for payment within a range not exceeding the profits obtained by introducing the power generation system 22 and the battery 23.

[0053] As described above, according to this embodiment, even if the amount of electricity sold in a predetermined period is relatively small or zero, the consumer 3 can receive a discount equal to or greater than the third amount obtained by subtracting the total amount from the amount billed by the battery company 2. This makes it even easier for the consumer 3 to lease or purchase the battery 23.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the battery 23 handled by the battery company 2 may be a reused battery. The reused battery may be, for example, a reused battery for an automobile such as a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) or an HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle).

[0055] In the processing procedure described based on Fig. 6, if the unit price of electricity purchased by the electric power company 4 varies depending on the time period, the control unit 11 may store, for each time period, in the storage unit 12, the amount of electricity stored in the battery 23 from the power generation system 22 and consumed by the consumer 3. In this case, the control unit 11 may calculate an amount by multiplying, for each time period, the amount of electricity stored in the battery 23 from the power generation system 22 and consumed by the consumer 3 by the unit price of electricity purchased from the electric power company 4. The control unit 11 may add up the amounts calculated for each time period to determine the amount of electricity bill reduction.

[0056] The electric power company 4 may collect a portion of the amount of electricity sold from the consumer 3 to the electric power company 4 as a margin. For example, if the amount of electricity sold is 5,000 yen, the electric power company 4 may collect 500 yen and pay an amount equivalent to at least a portion of the remaining 4,500 yen to the battery company 2 as the first amount.

[0057] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and many variations and modifications are possible. For example, the functions included in each means, step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to cause logical contradictions, and multiple means or steps can be combined into one or divided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1 System 2. Battery companies 3 Consumer 4. Electric power companies 10 Information processing equipment (computers) 11 Control section 12 Storage section 13 Communication Department (Acquisition Department) 20 Consumer System 21 Management device 22 Power Generation System 23 Battery 24 Power Conditioner 25 Distribution board 26 Electrical Equipment 30 Electric Power Company System 40 First Financial Institution System 50 Second Financial Institution System 60 Communication Network 70 Electricity Network

Claims

1. A computer used by a battery company that leases or sells batteries to consumers who have installed power generation systems, When the battery company receives a payment of a first amount corresponding to at least a portion of the amount of electricity sold from the consumer to the electric power company from the electric power company on behalf of the consumer, the battery company acquires information indicating the first amount; and Invoice the consumer for payment of a second amount obtained by deducting a discount amount determined according to the first amount from the invoice amount related to the lease or sale of the battery. A program that causes an operation including

2. 2. The program according to claim 1, The computer determines the discount amount using the first amount as a lower limit.

3. 3. The program according to claim 1 or 2, The computer When the battery company receives a payment of a first amount corresponding to at least a portion of the amount of electricity sold from the consumer to the electric power company on behalf of the consumer at every predetermined period, the battery company acquires information indicating the first amount; and a program for requesting payment of the second amount from the customer for each predetermined period.

4. 4. The program according to claim 3, The operation is Calculating, for each predetermined period, the total amount of the power sale amount from the consumer to the electric power company and the amount obtained by multiplying the amount of power stored in the battery from the power generation system and consumed by the consumer by the power purchase price from the electric power company; and determining the discount amount for each predetermined period, using as a lower limit the higher of the first amount corresponding to at least a portion of the amount of electricity sold and a third amount obtained by subtracting the total amount from the amount claimed for leasing or selling the battery; The program further comprises:

5. An information processing device used by a battery company that leases or sells batteries to consumers who have introduced power generation systems, A payment of a first amount corresponding to at least a portion of the amount of electricity sold from the consumer to the electric power company, an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating the first amount when the battery company receives the information from the electric power company on behalf of the customer; a control unit that invoices the consumer for payment of a second amount obtained by subtracting a discount amount determined according to the first amount from the invoice amount related to the lease or sale of the battery; An information processing device comprising:

Images