Power control device, power control system, power control method, and program

Abstract

To provide a power control device which can appropriately reduce a storage hot water heat loss of an overall water heater while reducing a consumption power amount of a plurality of overall residences in which the water heater is installed.SOLUTION: A schedule creation part 105 creates an operation schedule of a boiling operation performed by each water heater. A water heater power amount prediction part 106 predicts a water heater power amount to be consumed in total by each of the water heaters. A machine power amount prediction part 103 predicts a machine power amount to be consumed in total by each of the machines. An alternative schedule creation part 108 creates one or more alternative operation schedules when a total overall power amount of the water heater power amount and the machine power amount exceeds the upper limit power amount. An alternative schedule selection part 109 selects any one of the alternative operation schedules from one or more alternative operation schedules based on a total of stored hot water heat losses estimated at the respective water heaters.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, hot water heaters with a heat pump unit and a hot water storage unit have become widespread. For example, a hot water heater with a heat pump unit operates late at night and stores hot water heated by the heat pump unit in the hot water storage tank of the hot water storage unit. Then, when a user needs hot water during the day or in the evening, the hot water heater mixes the hot water taken from the hot water storage tank with city water to provide hot water.

[0003] Recently, a water heater control device has been proposed that controls the heating operation of multiple storage-type water heaters (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This water heater control device predicts the future total power consumption of electrical appliances other than the water heaters in a home where multiple water heaters are installed, and the amount of hot water used in each home, and generates an operation schedule for each of the multiple water heaters so that the sum of the power consumption of each of the multiple water heaters and the aforementioned total power consumption is reduced to or below a preset power consumption threshold. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-137215 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the case of the water heater control device described in Patent Document 1, depending on the operation schedule, there may be a large time gap between the time when the water heater finishes heating the water and the time when the hot water actually starts to be used in each home. In this case, the temperature of the water heated by the water heater drops at the time when the hot water is actually used, resulting in heat loss (thermal energy loss). In particular, with a water heater control device that controls multiple water heaters, there is a concern that the combined heat loss from each water heater could result in a significant heat loss.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a power control device, a power control system, a power control method, and a program that can reduce the total power consumption across multiple homes in which water heaters are installed, and that can appropriately reduce the heat loss from hot water storage across the water heaters. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the power control device according to the present disclosure comprises: A power control device that controls water heaters installed in multiple consumer homes within a jurisdiction, a schedule creation means for creating an operation schedule for each of the water heaters for heating operation; a water heater power amount prediction means for predicting, for each time period, the amount of water heater power that can be consumed in total by each of the water heaters when operated according to the operation schedule; an equipment power amount prediction means for predicting, for each time period, an amount of equipment power that can be consumed in total by each of the equipments installed in the plurality of consumers excluding the water heater; an alternative schedule creating means for creating at least one alternative operation schedule by modifying at least one of the operation schedules of the water heater that have been created to perform a heating operation during the time period in which the total power amount obtained by adding up the water heater power amount and the equipment power amount for each time period exceeds an upper limit power amount determined according to the equipment power amount during any time period, by performing a heating operation before the time period in which the total power amount does not exceed the upper limit power amount; an alternative schedule selection means for selecting an alternative operation schedule from the one or more alternative operation schedules based on a total of hot water storage heat losses expected in each of the water heaters; Equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the overall power consumption of multiple homes in which water heaters are installed, and to appropriately reduce the heat loss of hot water stored in the water heaters as a whole. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a power control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] A diagram showing an example of each device installed in a typical home [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a water heater; [Figure 4] A block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power control device. [Figure 5] (a) is a diagram showing an example of the amount of power consumed by a device, (b) is a diagram showing an example of the amount of power generated by a power generation facility, and (c) is a diagram showing an example of the amount of power consumption corrected. [Figure 6] (a) is a diagram to explain the amount of hot water used, and (b) is a diagram to explain the amount of hot water required. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing examples of operation schedules for each water heater, in which (a) shows the initial operation schedule, (b) is a diagram for explaining the movement of time periods, and (c) is a diagram showing the final operation schedule. [Figure 8] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing an example of the total amount of power when the upper limit of power is exceeded; FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of the total amount of power when the upper limit of power is not exceeded; and FIG. 1C is a diagram for explaining another upper limit of power. [Figure 9] (a) is a diagram for explaining the time periods when the upper limit of power consumption is exceeded in the operation schedule of each water heater, and (b) and (c) are diagrams for explaining alternative operation schedules. [Figure 10] (a) and (b) are diagrams showing an example of the total power consumption after the upper limit power consumption is no longer exceeded. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a heat loss coefficient for calculating hot water storage heat loss. [Figure 12] Flowchart for explaining an example of operation schedule creation verification processing [Figure 13] (a) is a diagram showing an example of the amount of power consumed by a device, (b) is a diagram showing an example of the amount of power generated by a power generation facility, and (c) is a diagram showing an example of the amount of power consumption corrected. [Figure 14] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing an example of the total power amount when the power amount falls below the lower limit, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of the total power amount when the power amount does not fall below the lower limit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, a power control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a power control system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As an example, the power control system 1 includes a power control device 10, a weather server WS, and a water heater 20 and a power generation facility 30 installed in customers (houses H, apartment buildings SH) within a jurisdiction AR. The power control device 10, the weather server WS, the water heater 20, and the power generation facility 30 are communicably connected via a network NT, such as the Internet.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the homes H include homes H that do not have a power generation facility 30. Furthermore, the apartment complex SH may also include apartment complex SH that does not have a power generation facility 30.

[0013] Hereinafter, each device installed in a typical house H will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, in a house H, a water heater 20, a power generation facility 30, a distribution board 41, a power measurement device 42, an electric device 43, and a router 44 are installed.

[0014] The water heater 20 includes a heat pump unit 21, a tank unit 22, and a water heater controller 23. Details of the water heater 20 will be described later.

[0015] The power generation facility 30 is, for example, a solar power generation facility, and includes a PV (photovoltaic) panel 31 and a PV-PCS (Power Conditioning System) 32. The power generation facility 30 converts the electricity generated by the PV panel 31 from DC power to AC power using the PV-PCS 32, and supplies the electricity to a distribution board 41 via a connected power line.

[0016] The distribution board 41 supplies power supplied from the commercial power source PS or power supplied from the power generation facility 30 to the water heater 20, the equipment 40, the router 44, and other equipment.

[0017] The power measuring device 42 measures the power consumption in the house H using a CT (Current Transformer). For example, the power measuring device 42 measures the amount of power generated by the power generation facility 30 by measuring the power on the power line connecting the PV-PCS 32 and the distribution board 41. The power measuring device 42 also measures the total amount of power consumption in the house H by measuring the power on the power line connecting the commercial power source PS and the distribution board 41. The power measuring device 42 can also measure the power consumption of the water heater 20 by measuring the power on the power line connecting the distribution board 41 and the water heater controller 23. Also, by subtracting the power consumption of the water heater 20 from the total power consumption, it is possible to measure the power consumption of devices in the house H other than the water heater 20 (electrical devices 43, router 44).

[0018] The electrical appliances 43 are, for example, air conditioners, lighting equipment, floor heating systems, refrigerators, induction heating (IH) cookers, televisions, and other appliances.

[0019] The router 44 is, for example, a broadband router, and relays communications between at least the water heater controller 23 and the power measurement device 42, and the power control device 10 on the network NT. For example, as will be described later, when the router 44 receives water heater information transmitted from the water heater controller 23, it transmits the water heater information to the power control device 10. Furthermore, when the router 44 receives an operation schedule transmitted from the power control device 10, it transmits the operation schedule to the water heater controller 23. Furthermore, as will be described later, when the router 44 receives power information transmitted from the power measurement device 42, it transmits the power information to the power control device 10.

[0020] Hereinafter, the hot water heater 20 (heat pump unit 21, tank unit 22, and hot water heater controller 23) will be described in detail with reference to FIG. First, the heat pump unit 21 includes a compressor 211, a water-refrigerant heat exchanger 212, an expansion valve 213, an air heat exchanger 214, and a blower 215. The compressor 211, the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 212, the expansion valve 213, and the air heat exchanger 214 are connected in a ring shape to form a refrigeration cycle circuit for circulating the refrigerant.

[0021] The compressor 211 compresses the refrigerant to increase the temperature and pressure. For example, the compressor 211 includes an inverter circuit, and changes the capacity (the amount of air delivered per unit) according to the drive frequency.

[0022] The water-refrigerant heat exchanger 212 is a heat source for heating city water to a target boiling temperature. The water-refrigerant heat exchanger 212 is a plate-type or double-pipe-type heat exchanger, and performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and water (low-temperature water). Due to the heat exchange in the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 212, the refrigerant releases heat and its temperature drops, and the water absorbs heat and its temperature rises.

[0023] The expansion valve 213 expands the refrigerant to reduce its temperature and pressure. The expansion valve 213 changes its valve opening in accordance with an instruction from the water heater controller 23.

[0024] The air heat exchanger 214 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the outside air sent by the blower 215. Due to the heat exchange in the air heat exchanger 214, the refrigerant absorbs heat and the outside air releases heat, resulting in a decrease in temperature.

[0025] The blower 215 operates in accordance with instructions from the water heater controller 23 and supplies outside air to the air heat exchanger 214 .

[0026] Next, the tank unit 22 includes a hot water storage tank 221 and a water pump 222. These components are housed in a metal exterior case.

[0027] The hot water storage tank 221 is made of metal (stainless steel, for example) or resin. A heat insulating material (not shown) is arranged on the outside of the hot water storage tank 221. This allows high-temperature hot water to be kept warm in the hot water storage tank 221 for a long period of time.

[0028] The hot water storage tank 221 and the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 212 of the heat pump unit 21 are connected by piping, and a boiling circuit is formed in which hot water circulates by starting from the bottom of the hot water storage tank 221, passing through the water pump 222 and the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 212, and returning to the top of the hot water storage tank 221.

[0029] Water pump 222 transports low-temperature water from the bottom of hot water storage tank 221 to water-refrigerant heat exchanger 212. Water pump 222 includes, for example, an inverter circuit, and can change the flow rate of water when transporting it by changing the driving rotation speed according to instructions from water heater controller 23.

[0030] Next, the water heater controller 23 includes a hot water usage amount acquisition unit 231, a hot water usage amount history memory unit 232, a hot water storage information acquisition unit 233, a water heater information transmission unit 234, a schedule receiving unit 235, and an operation control unit 236. The water heater controller 23 is, for example, an embedded computer, and has, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), auxiliary storage devices such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and SSD (Solid State Drive), and a communication unit such as a wired LAN and a wireless LAN. The water heater controller 23, for example, has a CPU that uses RAM as a work memory, executes a program stored in ROM or an auxiliary storage device, and appropriately controls the communication unit, thereby realizing a hot water usage acquisition unit 231, a hot water storage information acquisition unit 233, a water heater information transmission unit 234, a schedule receiving unit 235, and an operation control unit 236, etc.

[0031] The hot water usage acquisition unit 231 acquires the value of the amount of hot water supplied from the hot water storage tank 221 into the house H, for example, via a flow meter not shown, and stores the acquired value as the amount of hot water used in the hot water usage history memory unit 232.

[0032] The hot water usage history storage unit 232 stores the amount of hot water used supplied from the hot water usage amount acquisition unit 231.

[0033] The hot water storage information acquisition unit 233 acquires hot water storage information including the amount and temperature of hot water stored in the hot water storage tank 221. For example, the hot water storage information acquisition unit 233 acquires the amount of hot water acquired from a water level sensor (not shown) as the current amount of stored hot water. The hot water storage information acquisition unit 233 also acquires the hot water temperature acquired from a temperature sensor (not shown) as the current stored hot water temperature. The hot water storage information acquisition unit 233 supplies the hot water storage information including the current amount of hot water storage and the current hot water storage temperature to the water heater information transmission unit 234.

[0034] The water heater information transmitting unit 234 transmits, as water heater information, hot water usage history information indicating the history of hot water usage read from the hot water usage history storage unit 232 and the hot water storage information supplied from the hot water storage information acquiring unit 233 to the router 44. Then, the router that has received the water heater information transmits the water heater information to the power control device 10 via the network NT.

[0035] The schedule receiving unit 235 receives the operation schedule sent from the power control device 10 via the router 44. The operation schedule is an operation schedule for the boiling operation performed by the water heater 20, and will be described in detail later. The schedule receiving unit 235 supplies the received operation schedule to the operation control unit 236.

[0036] The operation control unit 236 controls the heat pump unit 21 and the tank unit 22 in accordance with the operation schedule received by the schedule receiving unit 235 to heat the water.

[0037] Returning to FIG. 1, the power control device 10 is, for example, a server computer, and controls the water heaters 20 installed in the houses H and apartment buildings SH within the jurisdiction AR.

[0038] The weather server WS also manages weather information for various locations, and, for example, in response to a request from the power control device 100, transmits to the power control device 10 weather information for the area where each of the houses H and apartment complexes SH is located. The weather information includes, for example, the current temperature, the predicted temperature after a certain time, the current amount of solar radiation, and the predicted amount of solar radiation after a certain time.

[0039] The power control device 10 will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 illustrates the configuration of the power control device 10.

[0040] As shown in Figure 4, the power control device 10 includes a weather information acquisition unit 101, a power information acquisition unit 102, an equipment power energy prediction unit 103 which is an example of an equipment power energy prediction means, a water heater information acquisition unit 104, a schedule creation unit 105 which is an example of a schedule creation means, a water heater power energy prediction unit 106 which is an example of a water heater power energy prediction means, a power energy verification unit 107, an alternative schedule creation unit 108 which is an example of an alternative schedule creation means, an alternative schedule selection unit 109 which is an example of an alternative schedule selection means, and a schedule transmission unit 110. As described above, the power control device 10 is a server computer, and includes, for example, a CPU, RAM, ROM, an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD or SSD, and a communication unit such as a wired LAN or wireless LAN. In the power control device 10, for example, the CPU uses the RAM as a work memory and executes a program stored in the ROM or an auxiliary storage device to appropriately control the communication unit, thereby realizing the weather information acquisition unit 101 to the schedule transmission unit 110.

[0041] The weather information acquisition unit 101 acquires weather information for the area where each house H and apartment complex SH are located from a weather server WS. For example, the weather information acquisition unit 101 acquires weather information including the current temperature, the predicted temperature after a certain time, the current amount of solar radiation, and the predicted amount of solar radiation after a certain time.

[0042] The power information acquisition unit 102 acquires power information from each of the homes H and the apartment complex SH. For example, the power information acquiring unit 102 acquires, via the router 44, the power information measured by the power measuring device 42 as shown in FIG. This power information includes, for example, the amount of power generated by the power generation facility 30 and the amount of power consumed by the devices in the house H excluding the water heater 20 (electrical devices 43, router 44).

[0043] The equipment power consumption prediction unit 103 predicts the total amount of equipment power that can be consumed by multiple devices (electrical devices 43 and routers 44 in each home H and apartment complex SH) excluding multiple water heaters 20 in all homes (each home H, apartment complex SH) within the jurisdiction AR for each time period. For example, first, the equipment power consumption prediction unit 103 aggregates the weather information acquired by the weather information acquisition unit 101 and the power information acquired by the power information acquisition unit 102 (power consumption of the equipment excluding the water heater 20), and predicts the power consumption of the entire equipment as shown in Figure 5(a). Next, the equipment power consumption prediction unit 103 aggregates the weather information acquired by the weather information acquisition unit 101 and the power information (power generation amount of the power generation equipment 30) acquired by the power information acquisition unit 102, and predicts the power generation amount of the entire power generation equipment 30 as shown in Figure 5(b). Then, the device power consumption prediction unit 103 subtracts the power generation amount in FIG. 5(b) from the power consumption amount in FIG. 5(a) (subtracting over the same time period) to predict the corrected power consumption amount of the entire device as shown in FIG. 5(c).

[0044] Returning to FIG. 4, the water heater information acquisition unit 104 acquires water heater information from each of the residences H and the apartment complex SH. For example, the power information acquisition unit 102 acquires, via the router 44, the water heater information transmitted by the water heater information transmission unit 234 of the water heater controller 23 as shown in FIG. This water heater information includes, for example, hot water usage history information and hot water storage information (current hot water storage, current hot water storage temperature, etc.).

[0045] The schedule creation unit 105 creates operation schedules for the water heating operations to be performed by each of the plurality of water heaters 20. The creation of an operation schedule will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0046] First, the schedule creation unit 105 predicts the amount of hot water to be used for each water heater 20, for example, based on the water heater information (hot water usage history information), as shown in FIG. 6(a). More specifically, it predicts the amount of hot water required by adding the amount of hot water α, as shown in FIG. 6(b). Note that the amount of hot water α is, for example, the amount of hot water needed for one shower. By adding this amount of hot water α, it is possible to prevent hot water from running out during the day, for example.

[0047] Next, the schedule creation unit 105 creates an operation schedule as shown in Fig. 7(a) based on the required amount of hot water in Fig. 6(b) and the hot water heater information (current hot water storage, current hot water storage temperature) for each hot water heater 20. The operation schedule shown in Fig. 7(a) shows a schedule when boiling operations are performed collectively during the nighttime hours. With the operating schedule shown in Figure 7(a), there is a considerable amount of time between the completion of the heating operation and the evening when hot water is used in large amounts, resulting in heat loss (thermal energy loss). Therefore, the schedule creation unit 105 moves part or all of the operation schedule to the daytime time slot. As an example, the schedule creation unit 105 moves part of the operation schedule to the daytime time slot as shown in FIG. 7(b). That is, the schedule creation unit 105 ultimately creates operation schedules for performing the water heating operation separately for the nighttime period and the daytime period as shown in FIG. 7(c).

[0048] Returning to Figure 4, the water heater power consumption prediction unit 106 predicts the total amount of water heater power that can be consumed by multiple water heaters 20 for each time period when operating according to the operation schedule created by the schedule creation unit 105. For example, the water heater power consumption prediction unit 106 predicts the total amount of water heater power that can be consumed by each water heater 20 when operating according to an operation schedule such as that shown in Figure 7(c) above.

[0049] The power amount verification unit 107 verifies whether the total power amount obtained by adding together the power amount of the equipment predicted by the equipment power amount prediction unit 103 and the power amount of the water heater predicted by the water heater power amount prediction unit 106 for the same time period exceeds the upper limit power amount. For example, when the total power consumption is calculated by adding up the power consumption of all the devices in Fig. 5(c) and the water heater power consumption according to the operation schedule in Fig. 7(c), there will be a time period in which the peak PK (maximum power consumption) is exceeded, as shown in Fig. 8(a). Therefore, the power consumption verification unit 107 determines that there is a time period in which the total power consumption exceeds the maximum power consumption.

[0050] On the other hand, if good weather is predicted and the amount of power generation is expected to be greater than the amount of power generation shown in Fig. 5(b), when the total amount of power generation is calculated by adding the water heater power generation amount according to the operation schedule shown in Fig. 7(c), the peak PK (upper limit power generation amount) will not be exceeded in any time period, as shown in Fig. 8(b). Therefore, the power amount verification unit 107 determines that there is no time period in the total amount of power generation that exceeds the upper limit power generation amount.

[0051] In the above explanation, the peak PK of the power consumption of the entire device is set as the upper limit power amount, but setting the peak PK of the power consumption of the entire device as the upper limit power amount is just one example, and the upper limit power amount may also be defined from other perspectives. For example, the upper limit of the amount of power may be determined according to the time-of-day electricity unit price in the spot market, which fluctuates in accordance with changes in crude oil prices and the like. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 8(c), the power amount verification unit 107 determines whether the total power amount exceeds the upper limit power amount UL, which varies depending on the time period.

[0052] Returning to Figure 4, when the power amount verification unit 107 determines that the total power amount will exceed the upper limit power amount, the alternative schedule creation unit 108 creates an alternative operation schedule to substitute the water heater 20 (the relevant water heater 20) that operates during the time period when the total power amount exceeds the upper limit power amount. At this time, the alternative schedule creating unit 108 creates a plurality of alternative operation schedules that are modified so as not to exceed the upper limit of the power amount. 9(a), when the upper limit of power consumption is exceeded in time period T, the water heater 20 in the house A and the water heater 20 in the house B are the relevant water heaters 20. Therefore, the alternative schedule creation unit 108 creates an alternative schedule by shifting at least one of the operation schedule A2 for the house A and the operation schedule C2 for the house C so that they do not overlap with time period T.

[0053] Specifically, as a first pattern, the alternative schedule creating unit 108 advances the operation schedule A2 of the residence A by three frames (shifts it to an earlier time), as shown in FIG. 9(b). As a second pattern, the alternative schedule creating unit 108 advances the operation schedule C2 of the residence C by one frame, as shown in FIG. 9(c). Incidentally, by advancing the operation schedule A2 of the house A by three frames as shown in Fig. 9(b), the exceedance of the peak PK (upper limit power amount) is eliminated as shown in Fig. 10(a). Similarly, by advancing the operation schedule C2 of the house C by one frame as shown in Fig. 9(c), the exceedance of the peak PK (upper limit power amount) is eliminated as shown in Fig. 10(b).

[0054] Returning to FIG. 4, the alternative schedule selection unit 109 selects an alternative operation schedule according to, for example, one of two methods. First, as the first method, a method of comparing the difference in hot water storage heat loss between when an operation schedule is followed and when an alternative operation schedule is followed will be described. The alternative schedule selection unit 109 calculates the difference between the hot water heat loss when operating according to the operation schedule and the hot water heat loss when operating according to the alternative operation schedule for at least one alternative operation schedule created by the alternative schedule creation unit 108. Then, the alternative schedule selection unit 109 selects an alternative operation schedule that minimizes the difference from the hot water heat loss when operating according to the operation schedule. FIG. 11 is a curve showing an example of a heat loss coefficient for calculating the heat loss of hot water storage. FIG. 11 shows the heat loss coefficient K(t) per unit time at elapsed time t. The heat loss coefficient K(t) is determined by a combination of at least the air temperature (Te), the boiling temperature (Ts), the heat loss from the hot water storage tank (Ht), and the elapsed time (t). The heat loss of hot water storage per unit time is calculated using the following formula (Formula 1).

[0055] [Number 1] dQL(t)=C K(t)

[0056] It should be noted that C is the heat capacity inside the hot water storage tank 221, and is calculated by multiplying the specific heat of water by the amount of hot water stored at the time boiling is completed. Furthermore, when operating according to the operation schedule, the time when heating ends is t0 and the time when hot water usage starts is (t0+Tw), the hot water storage heat loss dQL of each water heater 20 is calculated by the following formula (Equation 2).

[0057]

number

[0058] Furthermore, when operation is performed according to the alternative operation schedule and the heating end time is set to be Ts earlier than time t0 (t0-Ts), the hot water storage heat loss dQL' is calculated using the following formula (Formula 3).

[0059]

number

[0060] The difference from the hot water storage heat loss dQL when operating according to the operation schedule is calculated using the following formula (Formula 4).

[0061]

number

[0062] In this way, the alternative schedule selection unit 109 calculates the difference between the hot water storage heat loss dQL when operating according to the operation schedule and the hot water storage heat loss dQL' when operating according to the alternative operation schedule, and selects the alternative operation schedule that minimizes the difference.

[0063] Next, we explain the second method, which involves comparing the total amount of hot water storage heat loss when following alternative operation schedules. The alternative schedule selection unit 109 selects one of the alternative operation schedules created by the alternative schedule creation unit 108 based on the total expected hot water storage heat loss in each of the multiple water heaters 20. For example, first, the alternative schedule selection unit 109 tallies the hot water storage heat loss dQL when the hot water heaters 20, excluding the relevant hot water heater 20, among the plurality of hot water heaters 20, are operated according to the operation schedule created by the schedule creation unit 105. The hot water storage heat loss dQL is calculated by the above-mentioned formula (Equation 2). Next, the alternative schedule selection unit 109 tally up the hot water storage heat loss dQL' when the water heater 20 is operated according to each of the multiple alternative operation schedules created by the alternative schedule creation unit 108. The hot water storage heat loss dQL' is calculated using the above-mentioned formula (Equation 3). The alternative schedule selection unit 109 then compares the total sum (each total sum of hot water storage heat loss) obtained by adding the aggregated value of hot water storage heat loss dQL when operating according to the operation schedule to each aggregated value of hot water storage heat loss dQL' when operating according to each alternative operation schedule, and selects the alternative operation schedule corresponding to the total with the smallest value.

[0064] Returning to Figure 4, if the power amount verification unit 107 determines that there is no time period in which the total power amount exceeds the upper limit power amount, the schedule transmission unit 110 transmits each operation schedule created by the schedule creation unit 105 to the corresponding water heater 20. On the other hand, if the power amount verification unit 107 determines that there is a time period in which the total power amount exceeds the upper limit power amount, the schedule transmission unit 110 replaces the original operation schedule with the alternative operation schedule selected by the alternative schedule selection unit 109, and then transmits each operation schedule to the corresponding water heater 20.

[0065] Hereinafter, the operation of the power control system 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the operation schedule creation and verification process executed by the power control device 10. This operation schedule creation and verification process is executed, for example, at a predetermined time every night.

[0066] First, the power control device 10 predicts the amount of power consumed by devices in the entire house (step S11). That is, the equipment power consumption prediction unit 103 predicts the total amount of equipment power that can be consumed by multiple devices (electrical devices 43 and routers 44 in each home H and apartment complex SH) excluding multiple water heaters 20 in all homes (each home H, apartment complex SH) within the jurisdiction AR for each time period. For example, first, the equipment power consumption prediction unit 103 aggregates the weather information acquired by the weather information acquisition unit 101 and the power information acquired by the power information acquisition unit 102 (power consumption of the equipment excluding the water heater 20), and predicts the power consumption of the entire equipment as shown in Figure 5(a). Next, the equipment power consumption prediction unit 103 aggregates the weather information acquired by the weather information acquisition unit 101 and the power information (power generation amount of the power generation equipment 30) acquired by the power information acquisition unit 102, and predicts the power generation amount of the entire power generation equipment 30 as shown in Figure 5(b). Then, the device power consumption prediction unit 103 subtracts the power generation amount in FIG. 5(b) from the power consumption amount in FIG. 5(a) (subtracting over the same time period) to predict the corrected power consumption amount of the entire device as shown in FIG. 5(c). Such step S11 is an example of a device power amount prediction step.

[0067] The power control device 10 creates an operation schedule for each of the water heaters 20 (step S12). That is, the schedule creation unit 105 creates operation schedules for the water heating operations to be performed by the plurality of water heaters 20, respectively. For example, first, the schedule creation unit 105 predicts the amount of hot water to be used as shown in Fig. 6(a) based on the hot water heater information (hot water usage history information) for each hot water heater 20. More specifically, it predicts the amount of hot water required by adding the amount of hot water α (for example, the amount of hot water for about one shower) as shown in Fig. 6(b). Next, the schedule creation unit 105 creates an operation schedule (a schedule for performing boiling operations in the nighttime hours) as shown in Figure 7(a) for each water heater 20 based on the required amount of hot water in Figure 6(b) and the water heater information (current hot water storage, current hot water storage temperature). Next, the schedule creation unit 105 takes heat loss (heat energy loss) into consideration and moves part of the operation schedule to the daytime as shown in FIG. 7(b). That is, the schedule creation unit 105 ultimately creates operation schedules for performing the water heating operation separately for the nighttime period and the daytime period as shown in FIG. 7(c). Such step S12 is an example of a schedule creation step.

[0068] The power control device 10 predicts the amount of power consumed by the water heaters in the entire house (step S13). That is, the water heater power amount prediction unit 106 predicts, for each time period, the total amount of water heater power that can be consumed by the multiple water heaters 20 when they are operated according to the operation schedule created in step S12 above. For example, the water heater power amount prediction unit 106 predicts the total amount of water heater power that can be consumed by the water heaters 20 when they are operated according to an operation schedule that performs operations such as those shown in FIG. 7(c). Such step S13 is an example of a water heater power consumption prediction step.

[0069] The power control device 10 calculates the total amount of power by adding up the amount of power of the devices and the amount of power of the water heater 20 (step S14). That is, the power amount verification unit 107 calculates the total power amount by adding up the power amount of the appliances predicted in the above-mentioned step S11 and the power amount of the water heater predicted in the above-mentioned step S13 for the same time period.

[0070] The power control device 10 determines whether or not the total amount of power exceeds the upper limit of the amount of power in any time period (step S15). For example, when the total amount of power as shown in FIG. 8(a) is calculated in step S14 above, the power amount verification unit 107 determines that there is a time period in which the total amount of power exceeds the upper limit amount of power. Furthermore, when the total amount of power as shown in FIG. 8(b) is calculated in step S14 above, the power amount verification unit 107 determines that there is no time period in which the total amount of power exceeds the upper limit amount of power.

[0071] When the power control device 10 determines that there is no time period in which the total power amount exceeds the upper limit power amount (step S15; No), the process proceeds to step S19, which will be described later.

[0072] On the other hand, if it is determined that there is a time period in which the total power amount exceeds the upper limit power amount (step S15; Yes), the power control device 10 creates a plurality of alternative operation schedules for the water heater 20 (step S16). That is, the alternative schedule creation unit 108 creates an alternative operation schedule to be used as an alternative for the water heater 20 (corresponding water heater 20) operating during the time period in which the upper limit of power consumption is exceeded. In this case, the alternative schedule creation unit 108 creates multiple alternative operation schedules that are modified so as not to exceed the upper limit of power consumption. For example, in the case where the upper limit of power consumption is exceeded in time period T as shown in FIG. 9(a), as a first pattern, the alternative schedule creation unit 108 creates an alternative operation schedule that advances the operation schedule A2 of house A by three frames (shifts it to an earlier time), as shown in FIG. 9(b). As a second pattern, the alternative schedule creating unit 108 creates an alternative operation schedule in which the operation schedule C2 for the residence C is advanced by one frame, as shown in FIG. 9(c). Such step S16 is an example of an alternative schedule creating step.

[0073] The power control device 10 selects one of the alternative operation schedules created in step S16 above based on the total amount of hot water storage heat loss (step S17). For example, first, the alternative schedule selection unit 109 tallyes up the hot water storage heat loss when the water heaters 20 other than the relevant water heater 20 among the multiple water heaters 20 are operated according to the operation schedule created in the above-mentioned step S12. Next, the alternative schedule selection unit 109 tally up the hot water storage heat loss when the water heater 20 is operated according to each of the multiple alternative operation schedules created in step S16 described above. The alternative schedule selection unit 109 then compares the total sum (each total sum of hot water storage heat loss) obtained by adding the total value of hot water storage heat loss when operating according to the operation schedule to each total sum of hot water storage heat loss when operating according to each alternative operation schedule, and selects the alternative operation schedule corresponding to the total that has the smallest value. Such step S17 is an example of an alternative schedule selection step.

[0074] The power control device 10 replaces the original operation schedule with the selected alternative operation schedule (step S18). That is, the schedule transmission unit 110 extracts an operation schedule corresponding to the alternative operation schedule selected in the above step S17 from the operation schedules created in the above step S12, and replaces it with the selected alternative operation schedule.

[0075] The power control device 10 transmits each operation schedule to each water heater 20 (step S19). That is, if it is determined in the above-mentioned step S15 that there is no time period in which the total amount of electricity exceeds the upper limit amount of electricity, the schedule transmission unit 110 transmits each operation schedule created in the above-mentioned step S12 to the corresponding water heater 20. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned step S15, if it is determined that there is a time period in which the total amount of power exceeds the upper limit amount of power, each operation schedule, including the operation schedule replaced with the alternative operation schedule selected in the above-mentioned step S18, is transmitted to the corresponding water heater 20.

[0076] This type of operation schedule creation and verification process can prevent an increase (rise) in the maximum value of power consumption (peak power) for each time period in the total power consumption of the jurisdiction area AR, thereby reducing the supply and demand adjustment load on the system, reducing capital investment in preparation for peak increases, and reducing electricity bills. Furthermore, when an alternative operation schedule is created, an alternative operation schedule that minimizes the heat loss of hot water storage in the entire water heater 20 is selected. As a result, the total power consumption of multiple homes in which the water heaters are installed can be reduced, and the heat loss of hot water stored in the water heaters as a whole can be appropriately reduced.

[0077] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, various modifications and applications are possible in implementing the present disclosure.

[0078] In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which the predicted power generation amount does not exceed the predicted power generation amount in any time period, as in the relationship between the power consumption amount in Figure 5(a) and the power generation amount in Figure 5(b). However, in reality, there may be cases in which the predicted power generation amount exceeds the predicted power consumption amount in some time periods, as in the relationship between the power consumption amount in Figure 13(a) and the power generation amount in Figure 13(b). In this case, when the power generation amount in FIG. 13(b) is subtracted from the power consumption amount in FIG. 13(a), there will be a time period in which the power consumption amount of the entire device after correction falls below 0 (power amount 0), as shown in FIG. 13(c). In other words, the generated power will not be fully consumed in some time periods. Therefore, an alternative operation schedule may be created and selected so that the generated power can be consumed. Hereinafter, another embodiment characterized by being able to appropriately consume generated power will be described.

[0079] As shown in Figure 13(c), when there is a time period during which the power consumption falls below 0, the power consumption verification unit 107 verifies whether the total power consumption obtained by adding together the power consumption of the equipment predicted by the equipment power consumption prediction unit 103 and the power consumption of the water heater predicted by the water heater power consumption prediction unit 106 for the same time period is below the lower limit power consumption (for example, a power consumption of 0). For example, when the total power consumption is calculated by adding up the power consumption of all the devices in Fig. 13(c) and the water heater power consumption according to the operation schedule in Fig. 7(c) described above, there will be a time period MT where the power consumption falls below 0 (lower limit power consumption), as shown in Fig. 14(a). Therefore, the power consumption verification unit 107 determines that there is a time period in the total power consumption where the generated power cannot be consumed and the power consumption falls below the lower limit power consumption. When the power amount verification unit 107 determines that there is a time period in which the total power amount falls below the lower limit power amount, the alternative schedule creation unit 108 creates an alternative operation schedule in which water-boiling operation is performed during that time period. In other words, the alternative operation schedule is concentrated in the time period in which the total power amount falls below the lower limit power amount. For example, the alternative schedule creating unit 108 creates an alternative operation schedule that fills in the time periods in which the total power amount falls below the lower limit power amount, as shown in FIG. 14(b). Furthermore, if there are still time periods in which the amount of power consumed falls below the lower limit even after concentrating the alternative operation schedules, an alternative operation schedule may be created and selected so that the total amount of power consumed falling below 0 is minimized.

[0080] In this way, even when the total power amount falls below the lower limit, an alternative operation schedule can be created to eliminate the time periods when the power amount falls below the lower limit or to select an alternative operation schedule that minimizes the total amount of power that falls below the lower limit. As a result, the generated power can be used with as little waste as possible.

[0081] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, when the power amount verification unit 107 determines that the total power amount will exceed the upper limit power amount during the operation of the power control system 1, the alternative schedule creation unit 108 creates multiple alternative operation schedules that are modified so as not to exceed the upper limit power amount. However, there may be cases where the upper limit power amount has to be exceeded even in the alternative operation schedules due to a small margin for the upper limit power amount or a large amount of power consumed by the equipment, etc. In such a case, the alternative schedule creation unit 108 may create a plurality of alternative operation schedules that minimize the excess amount, and the alternative schedule selection unit 109 may select the alternative operation schedule that minimizes the excess amount among the alternative operation schedules.

[0082] In addition, when there are multiple alternative operation schedules that minimize the amount of excess, the alternative schedule selection unit 109 selects one of the alternative operation schedules using a method that uses the hot water storage heat loss, similar to when selecting an alternative operation schedule that does not exceed the upper limit of power consumption.

[0083] Alternatively, the alternative schedule creation unit 108 may create multiple alternative operation schedules in which the excess amount is equal to or less than a certain value, and the alternative schedule selection unit 109 may similarly select one of the alternative operation schedules using a method that uses the hot water storage heat loss.

[0084] In this way, even in cases where the upper limit on the amount of power must be exceeded even with an alternative operation schedule, an alternative operation schedule can be created and selected so that the amount of excess is minimized. This makes it possible to prevent as much as possible an increase (rise) in the maximum value of power (peak power) for each time period in the overall power amount of the jurisdiction AR, thereby reducing the load on the supply and demand adjustment of the grid, reducing capital investment in preparation for peak increases, and reducing electricity charges.

[0085] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the amount of hot water used (amount of hot water required) by each water heater 20 is determined by the power control device 10 has been described, but the water heater controller 23 may predict the amount of hot water used by each water heater 20, transmit the predicted amount of hot water used to the power control device 10 as water heater information, and the schedule creation unit 105 of the power control device 10 may refer to the amount of hot water used predicted by the water heater controller 23.

[0086] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which an alternative operation schedule is created for a water heater 20 that operates during a time period in which the total power amount exceeds the upper limit power amount, based on the power consumption of the entire device and the water heater operation schedule of the water heater 20. The method for creating an alternative operation schedule is not limited to this example. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which an alternative operation schedule for a water heater 20 is created using a trained model that inputs the power consumption of the entire device and the water heater operation schedule of the water heater 20 and outputs an alternative operation schedule.

[0087] In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the heat loss of hot water storage is calculated based on the heat loss coefficient per unit time during the time elapsed since the end of heating and the heat capacity of the hot water storage tank. The method for calculating the heat loss of hot water storage is not limited to this example. For example, the heat loss of hot water storage may be estimated using a trained model that inputs the time when the water heater 20 finishes heating, the amount of hot water stored at the time of the end of heating, the time when hot water use begins, the heating temperature, the heat radiation loss of the hot water storage tank, and the air temperature, and outputs the heat loss of hot water storage.

[0088] In the above-described embodiment, the weather information acquisition unit 101 to the schedule transmission unit 110 of the power control device 10 are realized by the CPU using the RAM as a work memory and executing a program stored in the ROM or an auxiliary storage device. However, each of these functions may be realized by dedicated hardware. The dedicated hardware may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof.

[0089] In addition, by applying a program that specifies the operation of the power control device 10 according to the above-described embodiment to an existing personal computer or information terminal device, it is possible to cause the personal computer or information terminal device to function as the power control device 10 according to the embodiment.

[0090] Furthermore, the method of distribution of such a program is arbitrary; for example, it may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or a memory card and distributed, or it may be distributed via a communication network such as the Internet.

[0091] The present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of equivalent disclosures are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0092] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0093] (Appendix 1) A power control device that controls water heaters installed in multiple consumer homes within a jurisdiction, a schedule creation means for creating an operation schedule for each of the water heaters for heating operation; a water heater power amount prediction means for predicting, for each time period, the amount of water heater power that can be consumed in total by each of the water heaters when operated according to the operation schedule; an equipment power amount prediction means for predicting, for each time period, an amount of equipment power that can be consumed in total by each of the equipments installed in the plurality of consumers excluding the water heater; an alternative schedule creating means for creating at least one alternative operation schedule by modifying at least one of the operation schedules of the water heater that have been created to perform a heating operation during the time period in which the total power amount obtained by adding up the water heater power amount and the equipment power amount for each time period exceeds an upper limit power amount determined according to the equipment power amount during any time period, by performing a heating operation before the time period in which the total power amount does not exceed the upper limit power amount; an alternative schedule selection means for selecting an alternative operation schedule from the one or more alternative operation schedules based on a total of hot water storage heat losses expected in each of the water heaters; A power control device comprising: (Appendix 2) the alternative schedule selection means selects an alternative operation schedule that minimizes a difference between the hot water storage heat loss when the water heater is operated according to the operation schedule and the hot water storage heat loss when the water heater is operated according to each of the one or more alternative operation schedules. 10. The power control device of claim 1. (Appendix 3) The alternative schedule selection means selects an alternative operation schedule corresponding to the smallest total among totals obtained by adding together the total value of the hot water storage heat loss when the water heaters other than the relevant water heater operate according to the operation schedule and the total value of the hot water storage heat loss when the relevant water heater operates according to one or more alternative operation schedules, 10. The power control device of claim 1. (Appendix 4) the alternative schedule creation means creates at least one or more alternative operation schedules by modifying at least one operation schedule of the water heater, which is created so that when the total power amount falls below a lower limit power amount determined according to the device power amount in any time period, the water heater operation is performed after the time period in which the total power amount falls below the lower limit power amount, by performing the water heater operation in the time period in which the total power amount falls below the lower limit power amount; 4. A power control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. (Appendix 5) The alternative schedule selection means calculates the hot water storage heat loss based on a heat loss coefficient having at least air temperature, heat radiation loss of the hot water storage tank, heating temperature, and elapsed time as variables. 5. A power control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. (Appendix 6) The schedule creation means creates the operation schedule for each of the plurality of water heaters based on water heater information including a history of hot water usage, a current hot water storage amount, and a current hot water storage temperature. 6. The power control device of any one of appendixes 1 to 5. (Appendix 7) the alternative schedule creation means creates a plurality of alternative operation schedules for which the operation schedules of the water heaters to be changed are different from each other among the relevant water heaters. 7. The power control device of any one of appendixes 1 to 6. (Appendix 8) The upper limit power amount is determined based on the power amount of the device as well as the time-of-day electricity rate. 8. A power control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. (Appendix 9) The device power amount prediction means predicts the amount of power that can be generated by the power generation facilities in the jurisdiction for each time period, and subtracts the amount of power that can be consumed by the devices excluding the water heater for each time period, thereby predicting the device power amount for each time period. 9. The power control device of any one of appendixes 1 to 8. (Appendix 10) A power control system in which water heaters installed in a plurality of consumers within a jurisdiction are communicably connected to a power control device via a network, The power control device a schedule creation means for creating an operation schedule for each of the water heaters for heating operation; a water heater power amount prediction means for predicting, for each time period, the amount of water heater power that can be consumed in total by each of the water heaters when operated according to the operation schedule; an equipment power amount prediction means for predicting, for each time period, an amount of equipment power that can be consumed in total by each of the equipments installed in the plurality of consumers excluding the water heater; an alternative schedule creating means for creating at least one alternative operation schedule by modifying at least one of the operation schedules of the water heater that have been created to perform a heating operation during the time period in which the total power amount obtained by adding up the water heater power amount and the equipment power amount for each time period exceeds an upper limit power amount determined according to the equipment power amount during any time period, by performing a heating operation before the time period in which the total power amount does not exceed the upper limit power amount; and an alternative schedule selection means for selecting an alternative operation schedule from the one or more alternative operation schedules based on a total of hot water storage heat losses expected in each of the water heaters. Power control system. (Appendix 11) A power control method executed by a power control device that controls water heaters installed in a plurality of consumer homes within a jurisdiction, comprising: a schedule creation step of creating an operation schedule for each of the water heating operations performed by the water heater; a water heater power amount prediction step of predicting, for each time period, the amount of water heater power that can be consumed in total by each of the water heaters when operated according to the operation schedule; an equipment power amount prediction step of predicting, for each time period, an amount of equipment power that can be consumed in total by each of the equipments installed in the plurality of consumers excluding the water heater; an alternative schedule creation step of creating at least one or more alternative operation schedules by modifying at least one of the operation schedules of the water heater that have been created to perform a heating operation during the time period in which the total power amount obtained by adding up the water heater power amount and the equipment power amount for each time period exceeds an upper limit power amount determined according to the equipment power amount during any time period, by performing a heating operation before the time period in which the total power amount does not exceed the upper limit power amount; an alternative schedule selection step of selecting an alternative operation schedule from the one or more alternative operation schedules based on a total amount of hot water storage heat loss expected in each of the water heaters; A power control method comprising: (Appendix 12) A computer that controls water heaters installed at multiple customers within the jurisdiction a schedule creation step of creating an operation schedule for each of the water heating operations performed by the water heater; a water heater power amount prediction step of predicting, for each time period, the amount of water heater power that can be consumed in total by each of the water heaters when operated according to the operation schedule; an equipment power amount prediction step of predicting, for each time period, an amount of equipment power that can be consumed in total by each of the equipments installed in the plurality of consumers excluding the water heater; an alternative schedule creating step of creating at least one or more alternative operation schedules by modifying at least one operation schedule of the water heater that has been created to perform a water heating operation in the time period in which the total power amount obtained by adding up the water heater power amount and the equipment power amount for each time period exceeds an upper limit power amount determined according to the equipment power amount in any time period, by performing a water heating operation before the time period in which the total power amount does not exceed the upper limit power amount; an alternative schedule selection step of selecting an alternative operation schedule from the one or more alternative operation schedules based on a total amount of hot water storage heat loss expected in each of the water heaters; A program to execute. [Industrial Applicability]

[0094] The present disclosure can provide a power control device, a power control system, a power control method, and a program that can reduce the overall power consumption of multiple homes in which multiple water heaters are installed, and appropriately reduce the heat loss of hot water storage in the entire water heater. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1 Power control system, 10 Power control device, 101 Weather information acquisition unit, 102 Power information acquisition unit, 103 Equipment power amount prediction unit, 104 Water heater information acquisition unit, 105 Schedule creation unit, 106 Water heater power amount prediction unit, 107 Power amount verification unit, 108 Alternative schedule creation unit, 109 Alternative schedule selection unit, 110 Schedule transmission unit, 20 Water heater, 21 Heat pump unit, 22 Tank unit, 23 Water heater controller, 30 Power generation equipment, 31 PV panel, 32 PV-PCS, 41 Distribution board, 42 Power measurement device, 43 Electrical equipment, 44 Router

Claims

1. A power control device that controls water heaters installed in multiple consumer homes within a jurisdiction, a schedule creation means for creating an operation schedule for each of the water heaters for heating operation; a water heater power amount prediction means for predicting, for each time period, the amount of water heater power that can be consumed in total by each of the water heaters when operated according to the operation schedule; an equipment power amount prediction means for predicting, for each time period, an amount of equipment power that can be consumed in total by each of the equipments installed in the plurality of consumers excluding the water heater; an alternative schedule creating means for creating at least one alternative operation schedule by modifying at least one of the operation schedules of the water heater that have been created to perform a heating operation during the time period in which the total power amount obtained by adding up the water heater power amount and the equipment power amount for each time period exceeds an upper limit power amount determined according to the equipment power amount during any time period, by performing a heating operation before the time period in which the total power amount does not exceed the upper limit power amount; an alternative schedule selection means for selecting an alternative operation schedule from the one or more alternative operation schedules based on a total of hot water storage heat losses expected in each of the water heaters; A power control device comprising:

2. the alternative schedule selection means selects an alternative operation schedule that minimizes a difference between the hot water storage heat loss when the water heater is operated according to the operation schedule and the hot water storage heat loss when the water heater is operated according to each of the one or more alternative operation schedules. The power control device according to claim 1 .

3. The alternative schedule selection means selects an alternative operation schedule corresponding to the smallest total among totals obtained by adding together the total value of the hot water storage heat loss when the water heaters other than the relevant water heater operate according to the operation schedule and the total value of the hot water storage heat loss when the relevant water heater operates according to one or more alternative operation schedules, The power control device according to claim 1 .

4. The alternative schedule creation means creates at least one or more alternative operation schedules by modifying at least one operation schedule of the water heater, which is created so that a water heating operation is performed after the time period when the total power amount falls below a lower limit power amount determined according to the power amount of the equipment, when the total power amount falls below the lower limit power amount in any time period, by performing a water heating operation in the time period when the total power amount falls below the lower limit power amount. The power control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The alternative schedule selection means calculates the hot water storage heat loss based on a heat loss coefficient having at least air temperature, heat radiation loss of the hot water storage tank, heating temperature, and elapsed time as variables. The power control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The schedule creation means creates the operation schedule for each of the plurality of water heaters based on water heater information including a history of hot water usage, a current hot water storage amount, and a current hot water storage temperature. The power control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. the alternative schedule creation means creates a plurality of alternative operation schedules for which the operation schedules of the water heaters to be changed are different from each other among the relevant water heaters. The power control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. The upper limit power amount is determined based on the power amount of the device as well as the time-of-day electricity rate. The power control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

9. The device power amount prediction means predicts the amount of power that can be generated by the power generation facilities in the jurisdiction for each time period, and subtracts the amount of power that can be consumed by the devices excluding the water heater for each time period, thereby predicting the device power amount for each time period. The power control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

10. A power control system in which water heaters installed in a plurality of consumers within a jurisdiction are communicably connected to a power control device via a network, The power control device a schedule creation means for creating an operation schedule for each of the water heaters for heating operation; a water heater power amount prediction means for predicting, for each time period, the amount of water heater power that can be consumed in total by each of the water heaters when operated according to the operation schedule; an equipment power amount prediction means for predicting, for each time period, an amount of equipment power that can be consumed in total by each of the equipments installed in the plurality of consumers excluding the water heater; an alternative schedule creating means for creating at least one alternative operation schedule by modifying at least one of the operation schedules of the water heater that have been created to perform a heating operation during the time period in which the total power amount obtained by adding up the water heater power amount and the equipment power amount for each time period exceeds an upper limit power amount determined according to the equipment power amount during any time period, by performing a heating operation before the time period in which the total power amount does not exceed the upper limit power amount; and an alternative schedule selection means for selecting an alternative operation schedule from the one or more alternative operation schedules based on a total amount of hot water storage heat loss expected in each of the water heaters. Power control system.

11. A power control method executed by a power control device that controls water heaters installed in a plurality of consumer homes within a jurisdiction, comprising: a schedule creation step of creating an operation schedule for each of the water heating operations performed by the water heater; a water heater power amount prediction step of predicting, for each time period, the amount of water heater power that can be consumed in total by each of the water heaters when operated according to the operation schedule; an equipment power amount prediction step of predicting, for each time period, an amount of equipment power that can be consumed in total by each of the equipments installed in the plurality of consumers excluding the water heater; an alternative schedule creation step of creating at least one or more alternative operation schedules by modifying at least one of the operation schedules of the water heater created to perform a heating operation during the time period when the total power amount obtained by adding up the water heater power amount and the equipment power amount for each time period exceeds an upper limit power amount determined according to the equipment power amount during any time period, by performing a heating operation before the time period when the total power amount does not exceed the upper limit power amount; an alternative schedule selection step of selecting an alternative operation schedule from the one or more alternative operation schedules based on a total amount of hot water storage heat loss expected in each of the water heaters; A power control method comprising:

12. A computer that controls water heaters installed at multiple customers within the jurisdiction a schedule creation step of creating an operation schedule for each of the water heating operations performed by the water heater; a water heater power amount prediction step of predicting, for each time period, the amount of water heater power that can be consumed in total by each of the water heaters when operated according to the operation schedule; an equipment power amount prediction step of predicting, for each time period, an amount of equipment power that can be consumed in total by each of the equipments installed in the plurality of consumers excluding the water heater; an alternative schedule creating step of creating at least one or more alternative operation schedules by modifying at least one of the operation schedules of the water heater created to perform a water heating operation in the time period when the total power amount obtained by adding up the water heater power amount and the equipment power amount for each time period exceeds an upper limit power amount determined according to the equipment power amount in any time period, by performing a water heating operation before the time period when the total power amount does not exceed the upper limit power amount; an alternative schedule selection step of selecting an alternative operation schedule from the one or more alternative operation schedules based on a total amount of hot water storage heat loss expected in each of the water heaters; A program to execute.

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