Distributed power supply system, software update method and program

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of automatically and appropriately executing software update of a system in connecting a new apparatus to the existing distributed power supply system.SOLUTION: A distributed power supply system includes distributed power supplies, a power conversion device, and a first apparatus, the first apparatus is provided with a first storage part for storing a first software set including first software related to control of the power conversion device and second software related to control of the first apparatus, and the power conversion device includes a second storage part for storing at least the first software, an acquisition part for acquiring version information of the first software stored in the first storage part when undergoing communication connection to the power conversion device for the first time, a comparison part for comparing the version of the first software of the first storage part with a version of the same software of the second storage part, and an update part for acquiring the first software set from the first storage part to update the version of the first software stored in the second storage part in the case that the version of the first software stored in the first storage part is newer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a distributed power system, and a software update method and program for devices used in the distributed power system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, various distributed power systems have become widespread, including private power generation systems such as photovoltaic power generation systems (for example, Patent Document 1), storage battery systems that use storage batteries (charged with nighttime electricity) as their power source, and V2H (Vehicle to Home) systems that connect storage batteries for driving power in electric vehicles to the electrical system of a facility. Furthermore, these distributed power systems are often combined to form a composite distributed power system.

[0003] In such a complex distributed power system, it is known that a power conditioning system (PCS) that converts power from DC to AC within the system is integrated into one unit to control the power of the entire system. Note that, below, a PCS that handles power conversion for multiple distributed power sources is also referred to as a multi-PCS.

[0004] Such a multi-PCS holds software related to its own control and the control of each device linked to it. When a linked device is connected to the multi-PCS, the software held by the multi-PCS is used to update the software of the linked device so that the software versions match. By updating the software held by the multi-PCS, the software of each device connected to the multi-PCS (i.e., the entire system) can be updated, and the entire system can be updated so that the model and software version of each device are properly combined as previously authenticated. Software updates for the PCS can be performed online, as described in Patent Document 1, or locally using a storage medium. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-046453 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, with the above method, when incorporating new equipment into an existing distributed power system (for example, by adding or replacing a solar power generation system), the software of the new equipment is overwritten (downgraded) with the older version of the software held by the existing multi-PCS, which may lead to reduced functionality or malfunctions. Furthermore, the model and software versions of the multi-PCS and connected equipment may no longer be an approved combination, which may result in grid connection restrictions. To avoid such malfunctions, it is necessary to manually update the software of the multi-PCS before connecting new connected equipment to the multi-PCS, which is cumbersome.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology that can automatically and appropriately perform system software updates when connecting new equipment to an existing distributed power system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following configuration as one aspect. A distributed power system having one or more distributed power sources, a power conversion device, and a first device used in conjunction with the power conversion device, The first device is a first storage unit that stores a software set including first software related to control of the power conversion device and second software related to control of the first device; a first communication unit that communicates with the power conversion device, The power conversion device is a second storage unit that stores at least the first software; a second communication unit that communicates with at least the first device; an acquisition unit that acquires version information of the first software stored in the first storage unit when the first device is connected to the power electronics device for communication for the first time; a comparison unit that compares the version of the first software stored in the first storage unit with the version of the first software stored in the second storage unit; A distributed power generation system comprising: an update unit that, if the version of the first software stored in the first memory unit is newer, retrieves the software set from the first memory unit and updates the version of the first software stored in the second memory unit.

[0009] With this configuration, if the newly connected device has the latest version of software stored, when the PCS and device are connected, the PCS software is automatically updated only if the software in the PCS is an older version. Furthermore, by updating the software of other devices based on this, the software version of the entire system is updated (unified). This prevents downgrading of newly connected devices, eliminating the possibility of performance degradation or malfunctions due to downgrading, and eliminating the need to manually update the PCS software before connecting devices.

[0010] Furthermore, when updating the version of the first software, the update unit may update the version of the second software read by the arithmetic unit of the first device to the version of the second software included in the software set. With this configuration, even if the version of the second software read (implemented) by the arithmetic unit of the first device is not the latest, the first device can also be automatically updated to the latest software by, for example, storing the latest version of the software set in a removable storage medium and attaching it to the first device.

[0011] The distributed power supply system may also have a plurality of distributed power supplies. For example, the distributed power supplies may include a storage battery and a solar power generation device, and the first device may transmit power generated by the solar power generation device to the power conversion device. This configuration is suitable, for example, when adding a solar power generation system to an existing distributed power supply system using a storage battery, or when replacing (updating) an existing solar power generation system.

[0012] Furthermore, the storage battery may include a battery provided in an electric vehicle. In recent years, V2H systems have become widespread, which connect vehicles such as electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which use electricity as a drive source and have built-in storage batteries that can receive power from an external source, to the electrical system of a facility such as a house, thereby enabling power to be supplied in both directions. The present invention can also be suitably used when building a distributed power supply system that combines such a system with a solar power generation system.

[0013] The first storage unit also stores third software for controlling another power electronics device that is different from the power electronics device and can be used in cooperation with the first device; and a second software set including the second software is further stored; The acquisition unit may transmit information to the first device that can identify the power conversion device as a device controlled by the first software, and acquire the first software set stored in the first memory unit.

[0014] There may be multiple power conversion devices to which a newly connected linked device can be connected, but by keeping all the latest versions of the software corresponding to each of the multiple power conversion devices (and their corresponding systems) that are candidates for connection and having the power conversion device to which the connection is made acquire the software (including the software set) for its own device, the present invention can be applied to a variety of power conversion devices and, ultimately, a variety of system configurations.

[0015] Further, the second storage unit stores hardware model information of the power conversion device, and the acquisition unit acquires, from the first device, identification information determined based on a combination of the hardware model of the first device and a version of the second software; The power conversion device is The system may further include a determination unit that determines whether the combination of the hardware type of the first device and the version of the second software indicated by the identification information, and the hardware type of the power conversion device and the version of the first software, satisfies predetermined conditions.

[0016] While grid-connecting a distributed power system requires approval from a general electricity transmission and distribution utility, using certified equipment and systems can significantly reduce the procedures for obtaining approval. However, because certification is performed for each combination of the model of equipment that makes up the system and the version of the software implemented in the equipment, changing the configuration (hardware and software) of an already grid-connected distributed power system (including updating versions) could result in an uncertified system configuration. In this regard, providing a determination unit such as the one described above makes it easy to identify when a software update would result in an uncertified system configuration.

[0017] The determination unit may perform the determination before the update unit updates the first software, and the update unit may cancel the update if the result of the determination by the determination unit is negative. This makes it possible to prevent a software update from resulting in an unauthenticated system configuration.

[0018] Furthermore, the determination unit may perform the determination after the update unit updates the first software, and if the result of the determination is negative, perform processing to stop operation of the power conversion device. This makes it possible to prevent power output from a distributed power source from flowing back to the grid when a software update results in an unauthenticated system configuration.

[0019] The distributed power supply system further includes a second device used in cooperation with the power conversion device, the first software set stores fourth software relating to control of the second device; The update unit When updating the version of the first software, the fourth software included in the first software set acquired from the first device may be sent to the second device, and the fourth software read by the computing device of the second device may be updated to the version sent.

[0020] According to this configuration, when devices (such as an extension unit) different from the first device are connected to the PCS, the control software of these devices can also be updated collectively.

[0021] The present invention can also be understood as the following method: A first software update method for controlling a power conversion device in a distributed power system including one or more distributed power sources, a power conversion device, and a linked device used in cooperation with the power conversion device, the first software update method comprising: a storing step of storing in the linked device a software set including the first software and second software related to control of the linked device; a connecting step of connecting the linked device to the power conversion device; The power conversion device is an acquisition step of acquiring version information of the first software stored in the linked device when the linked device is connected to the power electronics device for the first time; a comparison step of comparing a current version of the first software in the power electronics device with a version of the first software acquired from the linked device; a software update method comprising: if the version of the first software stored in the linked device is newer, acquiring the software set from the linked device and updating the first software in the power conversion device to the version of the first software acquired from the linked device.

[0022] The present invention can also be understood as a program for causing an information processing device to execute the above-described method, or as a computer-readable recording medium on which such a program is non-transitoryly recorded.

[0023] Furthermore, the above-described configurations and processes can be combined with each other to constitute the present invention as long as no technical contradiction occurs. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, when a new device is connected to an existing distributed power system, the software of the system can be automatically and appropriately updated. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a distributed power supply system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of a software update process that has conventionally been performed in a distributed power system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of the functional configuration of the multi-PCS according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an outline of the functional configuration of the PV unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the versions of software stored in the multi-PCS and the PV unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a software update according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a distributed power supply system according to a first modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of software stored in the storage unit of the PV unit according to the first modified example. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a distributed power supply system according to a second modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of software stored in the storage units of the multi-PCS and PV unit according to the second modified example. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a distributed power supply system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] Fig. 12A is an explanatory diagram illustrating identification information in embodiment 2. Fig. 12B is a first diagram illustrating the correspondence between combinations of models and software versions of multi-PCS and PV units and whether authentication is performed in embodiment 2. Fig. 12C is a second diagram illustrating the correspondence between combinations of models and software versions of multi-PCS and PV units and whether authentication is performed in embodiment 2. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the determination process performed by the multi-PCS according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is another flowchart illustrating the flow of the determination process performed by the multi-PCS according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] <Application example> The present invention can be applied to, for example, a distributed power system 1 equipped with a plurality of distributed power sources, as shown in Fig. 1. The distributed power system 1 includes a load 50, is connected to a commercial power grid 30, and includes, as distributed power sources, a storage battery 13 and a photovoltaic (PV) power generation device 21. Specifically, the photovoltaic power generation device 21 is a string (or multiple strings) made up of a plurality of solar panels.

[0027] The storage battery 13 is connected to the multi-PCS 10 via a BMU (Battery Management Unit) 12, and the multi-PCS 10 supplies direct current (DC) to the storage battery 13. The solar power generation device 21 is connected to the multi-PCS 10 via the PV unit 20, and the multi-PCS 10 converts power from DC to AC and controls the output (amount of power generated). The multi-PCS 10 is also connected to a remote control panel (not shown), and receives input operations and displays information via the remote control panel.

[0028] 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the multi-PCS 10. The multi-PCS 10 has, as its main functional components, a control unit 100, a storage unit 110, a communication unit 120, and a power conversion unit 130. The control unit 100 also has, as functional modules, an acquisition unit 101, a comparison unit 102, an update unit 103, and a power control unit 104.

[0029] 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the PV unit 20. The PV unit 20 includes a control unit 200, a storage unit 210, a communication unit 220, and a power transmission unit 230 as its main functional components.

[0030] The control units 100 and 200 are so-called microcomputers, and include a calculation unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a main memory device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory), and an input / output interface (IF). The storage units 110 and 210 are removable storage devices such as flash memories.

[0031] Here, a conventional updating method for updating software programs related to the control of each device in the distributed power system 1 described above will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a method for updating software programs related to the control of each device in the system (here, the multi-PCS 1) via the multi-PCS 10. 1 is a diagram showing the flow of software update relating to the control of the power supply unit 10 and the power supply unit 20.

[0032] Prior to the processing, the multi-PCS 10 first acquires software related to the control of each device via a communication network or a removable storage device. The acquired software is stored in the memory unit 110 of the multi-PCS 10. The multi-PCS 10 then compares the version of the acquired software with the version of the software currently being read by the arithmetic unit in the control unit 100 of the multi-PCS 10 (hereinafter also referred to as "current version software") to determine whether they are the same (step S101).

[0033] If the acquired software and the current version of the software are different, the software read by the control unit 100 arithmetic unit of the multi-PCS 10 is updated to the acquired version of the software (S102), and the process proceeds to step S103. On the other hand, if the acquired software and the current version of the software are the same version in step S101, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0034] In S103, the multi-PCS 10 compares whether the acquired version of the software related to the control of the PV unit 20 is the same as the current version of the software related to the PV unit 20 (step S103). If the acquired software and the current version of the software are different, the software read by the arithmetic device of the PV unit 20 is updated to the acquired version of the software (S104), and the process ends. On the other hand, if the acquired software and the current version of the software are the same version in step S103, the process ends.

[0035] By performing this process, it is possible to automatically update the software related to the control of devices within the system and to unify the software versions of each device, i.e., to unify the software versions of the entire system.

[0036] In the above-described distributed power system 1, when the PV unit 20 replaces the PV-PCS, or when a new PV system is introduced into a system consisting only of an existing storage battery 13, the PV unit 20 will be newly incorporated into the distributed power system 1. In such a case, if the software related to the control of the PV unit 20 is updated in the manner described above, even if the latest version of software is installed in the control unit 200 of the PV unit 20, if the software for the PV unit 20 stored in the storage of the multi-PCS 10 is an older version, the software read by the arithmetic device in the PV unit 20 will be overwritten (downgraded) with the older version of software held by the multi-PCS 10.

[0037] The distributed power system 1 according to this application example can prevent such inconveniences. Specifically, a device (here, the PV unit 20) newly connected to the multi-PCS 10 stores the latest version of software related to the control of the multi-PCS 10 and the PV unit 20 (and other devices connected to the multi-PCS 10) in a storage unit 210 (a removable storage device such as a flash memory). Hereinafter, each piece of software will be collectively referred to as a "software set." Note that, as before, the multi-PCS 10 also stores this software in the storage unit 110, but the version of the software is not necessarily the latest.

[0038] FIG. 5 shows the version (Ver: 1.00) of each software stored in the storage unit 110 of the multi-PCS 10 and the version (Ver: 1.00) of each software stored in the storage unit 210 of the newly connected PV unit 20. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the versions (Ver: 2.00) of each software installed.

[0039] When the PV unit 20 is connected to the multi-PCS 10 for the first time in this state, the processing flow performed in the distributed power system 1 according to this application example will be described with reference to Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 6, first, the acquisition unit 101 of the multi-PCS 10 requests and acquires version information of the PCS software stored in the memory unit 210 of the PV unit 20 (S201). Then, the comparison unit 102 of the multi-PCS 10 compares the software version stored in the memory unit 110 with the software version stored in the memory unit 210 (S202).

[0040] If the comparison shows that the software version stored in the storage unit 210 of the PV unit 20 is newer (has a larger version number) than the software version stored in the storage unit 110, the process proceeds to step S203. In step S203, the update unit 103 of the multi-PCS 10 acquires the software set stored in the storage unit 210 (S203) and overwrites and updates the software set stored in the storage unit 110 (S204). Thereafter, an update process for the software implemented in the control unit 100 is performed (S205), and the series of processes ends. The process performed in step S205 can be performed in the same manner as the process described using FIG. 2.

[0041] If the comparison in step S202 shows that the version of the software stored in storage unit 210 is not newer than the version of the software stored in storage unit 110, the process proceeds from step S202 to step S205. Therefore, only if the version of each piece of software stored in storage unit 110 is older than the version of the software held by the newly connected device, the software set stored in storage unit 110 is updated, and the software executed by the control unit of each device is updated based on this.

[0042] <Embodiment 1> (System Overview) Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings, including those already described. A distributed power system 1 according to this embodiment has the same configuration as that described in the application example. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the distributed power system 1 includes a multi-PCS 10, a PV unit 20, a photovoltaic power generation device 21, a storage battery 13, a BMU 12, a distribution board 40, and a load 50, and is interconnected with a commercial power grid 30. Note that, in the following, the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations and processes as those already described, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0043] 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the multi-PCS 10. The multi-PCS 10 is a so-called hybrid type power conditioner capable of controlling the power of multiple distributed power sources, and has the following main functional components: a control unit 100, a memory unit 110, a communication unit 120, and a power conversion unit 130.

[0044] The control unit 100 is a so-called microcomputer, and includes a calculation device such as a CPU, memories such as RAM and ROM, and an input / output IF. The ROM stores software programs read by the calculation device. The storage unit 110 is an auxiliary storage device including a removable storage device such as a flash memory, and stores software related to the control of each device that may be included in the distributed power generation system 1. The communication unit 120 can employ an appropriate hardware configuration, whether wired or wireless, and performs information communication with other devices via the communication network N. The power conversion unit 130 is composed of a power conversion circuit including, for example, a bidirectional DC / AC inverter, and performs inverse rectification of the output power from each distributed power source and rectification of the input power to the storage battery. At the same time, the input and output voltages may be increased or decreased.

[0045] The control unit 100 further includes, as functional modules, an acquisition unit 101, a comparison unit 102, an update unit 103, and a power control unit 104. Each functional module is realized, for example, by a calculation device reading out software stored in ROM. When a new device (PV unit 20) is communicatively connected to the multi-PCS 10, the acquisition unit 101 acquires version information of the PCS software stored in the memory unit 210 of that device. The comparison unit 102 compares the acquired version of the PCS software with the version of the software originally stored in the memory unit 110. When the version of the software stored in the memory unit 210 is newer, the update unit 103 acquires software related to the control of each device from the memory unit 210 and overwrites (updates) each piece of software stored in the memory unit 110 with the acquired software.

[0046] Furthermore, the power control unit 104 executes power conversion (and voltage step-up / step-down) by the power conversion unit 130, power output control of each distributed power source (storage battery 13, solar power generation device 21), and power input control to the storage battery 13.

[0047] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the PV unit 20. The PV unit 20 mainly includes a control unit 200, a storage unit 210, a communication unit 220, and a power transmission unit 230. The control unit 200 is a so-called microcomputer, and includes a calculation unit such as a CPU, memories such as RAM and ROM, and an input / output interface. The ROM stores software programs read by the calculation unit. The storage unit 210 is an auxiliary storage device including a removable storage device such as a flash memory, and stores software related to the control of each device that may be included in the distributed power system 1. The communication unit 120 can employ an appropriate hardware configuration, whether wired or wireless, and communicates with other devices via the communication network N. The power transmission unit 230 is a functional unit that transmits power generated by the photovoltaic power generation device 21 to the multi-PCS 10.

[0048] The photovoltaic power generation device 21 can be configured by a string (or a plurality of strings) made up of a plurality of solar panels, and the generated power is transmitted to the multi-PCS 10 via the PV unit 20.

[0049] The storage battery 13 is a known secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery, and is managed by the BMU 12 to ensure safe operation. The BMU 12 monitors the temperature, voltage, etc. of the storage battery 13, measures the charge and discharge power, and transmits the measured values ​​to the multi-PCS 10.

[0050] The distribution board 40 distributes the power transmitted from the commercial power system 30 and the multi-PCS 10 to each load 50 .

[0051] According to the distributed power supply system 1 of this embodiment as described above, even if the version of the software stored in the memory unit 110 of the multi-PCS 10 is not the latest version, it is possible to automatically update the software without downgrading the newly connected equipment (PV unit 20).

[0052] (Variation 1) In the above embodiment, the storage battery 13 may be a battery mounted on an electric vehicle (EV), for example. That is, as in the distributed power supply system 2 shown in FIG. 7, the present invention may be applied to a V2H (Vehicle to Home) system 60 that connects a drive storage battery mounted on an EV 61 or the like to the electrical system of a facility, enabling bidirectional power supply. Here, the V2H system 6 0 will replace MultiPCS10.

[0053] Here, the PV unit 20 can be connected to either the multi-PCS 10 or the V2H system 60. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 8 , the storage unit 211 of the PV unit 20 may be configured to store both a software set including software for the multi-PCS 10 and a software set including software for the V2H system 60.

[0054] In this case, the device to which the PV unit 20 is connected (multi-PCS 10 or V2H system 60) may send information to the PV unit 20 identifying the software related to the control of the device (for example, whether the device is a multi-PCS 10 or a V2H system 60) to obtain the software set for the device.

[0055] (Variation 2) Furthermore, the present invention can also be configured such that an EV 61 is connected to a multi-PCS 10 in addition to a storage battery 13 and a BUM 12, as in the distributed power system 3 shown in Fig. 9. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 9, the EV 61 may be configured to be connected to the multi-PCS 10 via a V2H stand 62.

[0056] In this case, software related to the control of the multi-PCS 10, the PV unit 20, and the V2H stand 62 is required, and therefore the number of pieces of software stored in the memory unit 112 of the multi-PCS 10 and the number of pieces of software stored in the memory unit 212 of the PV unit 20 will be three or more, as shown in FIG. 10 . Note that, here, the V2H stand 62 is considered an expansion unit, but it is assumed that the PV unit 20 is connected to the multi-PCS 10 later. Note that, although not shown, the V2H stand 62 is also configured to store software related to the control of each device in a removable storage device. When the V2H stand 62 is connected to the multi-PCS 10 later, the processing described in the application example and embodiment 1 is performed between the V2H stand 62 and the multi-PCS 10.

[0057] <Embodiment 2> Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that this embodiment has the same configuration as the distributed power supply system 1 of embodiment 1 except for some differences in the configuration of the multi-PCS 10 and the PV units 20. Therefore, the same components as those of the distributed power supply system 1 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0058] Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the multi-PCS 10A according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 11, the multi-PCS 10A differs from the first embodiment in that it includes a determination unit 105 as a functional module of the control unit 100A. In this embodiment, the storage unit 110 of the multi-PCS 10A stores information related to the model (hardware configuration) of the multi-PCS 10A.

[0059] In this embodiment, the storage unit 210 of the PV unit 20 stores identification information determined based on a combination of the model of the PV unit 20 and the version of the software related to the control of the PV unit 20. The identification information can be specified based on a correspondence table such as that shown in Fig. 12A, and if the model of the PV unit 20 is A and the version of the software installed in the control unit 200 is Ver: 1.00, the identification information is "0". If the model is B and the version of the software installed in the control unit 200 is Ver: 3.00, the identification information is "5".

[0060] The determination unit 105 determines whether the combination of the model of the PV unit 20 indicated by the identification information, the version of the software installed in the control unit 200, and the model of the multi-PCS 10 (and the version of the software installed in the control unit 100) satisfies a predetermined condition. The acquisition unit 101 acquires the identification information from the PV unit 20 at an appropriate timing.

[0061] When connecting a distributed power system to a grid, failure to use equipment and systems that have received the required certification will result in grid connection problems (restrictions). This certification is performed for each combination of the model of equipment that makes up the system and the version of the software installed in the equipment. In other words, even if the software of the multi-PCS 10 is updated to the latest version by connecting a new PV unit 20, if the model of the multi-PCS 10 is older, the combination of that model and the latest version of the software, or the combination of a new PV unit 20 and an older model of multi-PCS 10, may not be certified.

[0062] In response to this, the judgment unit 105 judges whether the combination of the model and software version of the multi-PCS 10 and PV unit 20 after the software update is authenticated, for example, based on a correspondence table such as that shown in Figure 12B. The correspondence table shown in Figure 12B indicates whether the combination of the identification information of the PV unit 20 and the model of the multi-PCS 10 is authenticated. Figure 12B shows that the combination is authenticated only when the identification information of the PV unit 20 is "4" and the model of the multi-PCS 10 is A, and when the identification information of the PV unit 20 is "5" and the model of the multi-PCS 10 is B.

[0063] In other words, according to the correspondence table shown in Figure 12B, authentication is completed only if the software version of the multi-PCS 10 and the PV unit 20 is Ver: 3.00 and the hardware type of both is unified as A or B.

[0064] Depending on the judgment result of the judgment unit 105, the software update may be stopped, or if the update results in an unauthorized combination, the operation of the multi-PCS 10 may be stopped, thereby preventing connection to the grid in an unauthorized combination.

[0065] Next, with reference to FIG. 13, the flow of processing when the determination unit 105 performs a determination process before a software update will be described. As shown in FIG. 13, first, the acquisition unit 101 of the multi-PCS 10 acquires identification information from the PV unit 20 (S301). Then, the determination unit 105 determines whether the combination of the model and software version of the multi-PCS 10 and the PV unit 20 when the software is updated is authenticated based on the identification information, the model information of the own device, and a correspondence table such as that shown in FIG. 12B (S302). Here, if the combination is authenticated (YES in step S303), the software is updated using the processing described in the application example (S304), and the series of processing ends. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S303 that the combination is not authenticated, the processing ends without performing the software update.

[0066] Next, with reference to FIG. 14, the flow of processing when the determination unit 105 performs determination processing after a software update will be described. As shown in FIG. 14, first, after the PV unit 20 is connected, the multi-PCS 10 performs a software update using the processing described in the application example (S401). After that, the acquisition unit 101 acquires identification information from the PV unit 20 (S402). Next, the determination unit 105 determines whether the combination of the model and software version of the multi-PCS 10 and PV unit 20 after the software update is authenticated or not, based on the identification information, the model information of its own device, and a correspondence table such as that shown in FIG. 12B (S403). Here, if the combination is authenticated (YES in step S403), If the combination has not been authenticated (NO in step S403), the process ends. On the other hand, if the combination has not been authenticated (NO in step S403), the determination unit 105 performs a process to stop the operation of the multi-PCS 10 (S405). This makes it possible to prevent an unauthenticated system from being connected to the grid.

[0067] After the operation of the multi-PCS 10 is stopped, the software version can be manually downgraded to return to the certified configuration. Furthermore, by obtaining additional certification for the model / software version combination of the multi-PCS 10 and the PV unit 20, operation of the multi-PCS 10 can be resumed with the updated system. Specifically, for example, as shown in Figure 12C, the certified correspondence table can be updated and a new judgment can be made based on the updated correspondence table.

[0068] <Other> The above examples merely illustrate the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Various modifications of the present invention are possible within the scope of the technical concept. For example, in the above-described second embodiment, the identification information is stored in advance in the storage unit 210 of the PV unit 20, but the identification information may be generated upon receiving a request from the multi-PCS 10.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the PV unit 20 is exemplified as the first device, and the V2H stand 62 is exemplified as the second device (extension unit) in the description of Modification 2. However, the device connected to the power conversion device according to the present invention is not limited to these. For example, it may be a remote control panel for operating the PCS.

[0070] Furthermore, the distributed power sources (and combinations thereof) are not limited to those described in the above examples, but can also include power generation facilities using renewable energy other than solar power, fuel cells, etc. The present invention can also be applied when adding a new solar power generation system to an existing solar power generation system, or when introducing a V2H system into a power generation system that uses fixed storage batteries as a distributed power source.

[0071] <Appendix 1> A distributed power supply system (1, 2, 3) having a distributed power supply (13, 21, 61), a power conversion device (10, 60), and a first device (20) used in cooperation with the power conversion device, The first device is a first storage unit (210, 211, 212) that stores a first software set including first software related to control of the power conversion device and second software related to control of the first device; a first communication unit (220) that communicates with the power conversion device; The power conversion device is a second storage unit (110, 112) that stores at least the first software; a second communication unit (120) that communicates with at least the first device; an acquisition unit (101) that acquires version information of the first software stored in the first storage unit when the first device is connected to the power electronics device for communication for the first time; a comparison unit (102) that compares the version of the first software stored in the first storage unit with the version of the first software stored in the second storage unit; and an update unit (103) that, when the version of the first software stored in the first storage unit is newer, acquires the first software set from the first storage unit and updates the version of the first software stored in the second storage unit. Distributed power systems.

[0072] <Appendix 2> A power generation system having a plurality of the distributed power sources. 2. The distributed power system of claim 1.

[0073] <Appendix 3> The distributed power sources include a storage battery (13) and a solar power generation device (21), the first device is a device that transmits power generated by the solar power generation device to the power conversion device; 2. A distributed generation system as described in Appendix 2.

[0074] <Appendix 4> The storage battery includes a battery provided in an electric vehicle. 1. A distributed generation system as described in Appendix 3.

[0075] <Appendix 5> the first storage unit further stores third software relating to control of a power conversion device (60) that is different from the power conversion device and can be used in cooperation with the first device, and a second software set including the second software; the acquisition unit transmits, to the first device, information capable of identifying that the power electronics device is a device controlled by the first software, and acquires the first software set stored in the first storage unit. 5. The distributed power system of claim 1.

[0076] <Appendix 6> the second storage unit stores model information of the hardware of the power conversion device; the acquisition unit acquires, from the first device, identification information determined based on a combination of a hardware model of the first device and a version of the second software; The power conversion device is The system further includes a determination unit (105) that determines whether a combination of the hardware type of the first device and the version of the second software, and a combination of the hardware type of the power electronics device and the version of the first software, indicated by the identification information, satisfies a predetermined condition. 6. The distributed power system of any one of appendixes 1 to 5.

[0077] <Appendix 7> the determination unit performs the determination before the update unit updates the first software, The update unit stops the update when the result of the determination by the determination unit is negative. 6. A distributed generation system as described in Appendix 6.

[0078] <Appendix 8> the determination unit performs the determination after the update unit updates the first software, and when a result of the determination is negative, performs a process of stopping operation of the power conversion device. 6. A distributed generation system as described in Appendix 6.

[0079] <Appendix 9> The power converter further includes a second device (62) that is used in conjunction with the power converter, the first software set stores fourth software relating to control of the second device; The update unit When updating the version of the first software, transmitting the fourth software included in the first software set acquired from the first device to the second device, and updating the fourth software read by a computing device of the second device to the transmitted version. 9. The distributed power system of any one of appendixes 1 to 8.

[0080] <Appendix 10> A method for updating first software relating to control of a power conversion device in a distributed power supply system (1, 2, 3) having a distributed power supply (13, 21, 61), a power conversion device (10, 60), and a first device (20) used in cooperation with the power conversion device, comprising: a software set including the first software and second software related to control of the linked device is stored in the linked device; When the linked device is connected to the power conversion device, The power conversion device is an acquisition step (S201) of acquiring version information of the first software stored in the linked device when the linked device is connected to the power electronics device for the first time; a comparison step (S202) of comparing a current version of the first software in the power electronics device with a version of the first software acquired from the linked device; and an update step (S203, S204) of acquiring the software set from the linked device and updating the first software in the power electronics device to the version of the first software acquired from the linked device when the version of the first software stored in the linked device is newer. How to update your software.

[0081] <Appendix 11> A program for causing a computer to execute the acquisition step, comparison step, and update step of the software update method described in Appendix 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1, 2, 3... Distributed Power Systems 10, 10A...Multi-PCS 12 BMU 13. Storage battery 20...PV unit 21. Solar power generation equipment 30...Commercial power system 40 Distribution board 50...load 60···V2H system 61 EV 62···V2H Stand 100, 100A, 200... Control unit N···Communication Network

Claims

1. A distributed power supply system having a distributed power supply, a power conversion device, and a first device used in cooperation with the power conversion device, The first device is a first storage unit that stores a first software set including first software related to control of the power conversion device and second software related to control of the first device; a first communication unit that communicates with the power conversion device, The power conversion device is a second storage unit that stores at least the first software; a second communication unit that communicates with at least the first device; an acquisition unit that acquires version information of the first software stored in the first storage unit when the first device is connected to the power electronics device for communication for the first time; a comparison unit that compares the version of the first software stored in the first storage unit with the version of the first software stored in the second storage unit; an update unit that, when the version of the first software stored in the first storage unit is newer, acquires the first software set from the first storage unit and updates the version of the first software stored in the second storage unit. Distributed power systems.

2. A power generation system having a plurality of the distributed power sources. The distributed power system of claim 1 .

3. The distributed power sources include a storage battery and a solar power generation device, the first device is a device that transmits power generated by the solar power generation device to the power conversion device; The distributed power system of claim 2 .

4. The storage battery includes a battery provided in an electric vehicle. The distributed power system of claim 3 .

5. the first storage unit further stores third software relating to control of a power electronics device that is different from the power electronics device and can be used in cooperation with the first device, and a second software set including the second software; the acquisition unit transmits, to the first device, information capable of identifying that the power electronics device is a device controlled by the first software, and acquires the first software set stored in the first storage unit. The distributed power system of claim 1 .

6. the second storage unit stores model information of the hardware of the power conversion device, the acquisition unit acquires, from the first device, identification information determined based on a combination of a hardware model of the first device and a version of the second software; The power conversion device is The power electronics device further includes a determination unit that determines whether a combination of the hardware type of the first device and the version of the second software indicated by the identification information, and a combination of the hardware type of the power electronics device and the version of the first software, satisfies a predetermined condition. The distributed power system of claim 1 .

7. the determination unit performs the determination before the update unit updates the first software, The update unit stops the update when the result of the determination by the determination unit is negative. The distributed power system of claim 6.

8. the determination unit performs the determination after the update unit updates the first software, and if a result of the determination is negative, performs a process of stopping operation of the power conversion device. The distributed power system of claim 6.

9. The power converter further includes a second device used in conjunction with the power converter, the first software set stores fourth software relating to control of the second device, The update unit When updating the version of the first software, the fourth software included in the first software set acquired from the first device is transmitted to the second device, and the fourth software read by a computing device of the second device is updated to the transmitted version. The distributed power system of claim 1 .

10. 1. A first software update method for controlling a power conversion device in a distributed power supply system including a distributed power supply, a power conversion device, and a linked device used in cooperation with the power conversion device, the first software update method comprising: a software set including the first software and second software related to control of the linked device is stored in the linked device; When the linked device is connected to the power conversion device, The power conversion device is an acquisition step of acquiring version information of the first software stored in the linked device when the linked device is connected to the power electronics device for the first time; a comparison step of comparing a current version of the first software in the power electronics device with a version of the first software acquired from the linked device; and an updating step of, when the version of the first software stored in the linked device is newer, acquiring the software set from the linked device and updating the first software in the power electronics device to the version of the first software acquired from the linked device. How to update your software.

11. 11. A program for causing a computer to execute the acquiring step, the comparing step, and the updating step of the software updating method according to claim 10.

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