Method, device and program

Abstract

To present combinations of waste treatment facilities and consumers included in an area designated by a user without making the user complicated. [Solution] The method includes a designation step (S10) in which regional information indicating an area including waste disposal facilities and consumers is designated to a computer, and a presentation step (S70) in which the computer presents to a user combinations of waste disposal facilities and consumers from among the waste disposal facilities and consumers included in the area indicated by the regional information designated in the designation step (S10).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method, an apparatus and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] The profitability of electricity retail businesses has traditionally been evaluated. Patent Document 1 discloses that an electricity retail business evaluation device receives an input of a combination of a consumer (electricity demand facility) and a power source selected by a user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-206027 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is cumbersome for the user to input the combination of the consumer and the power source.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a method that allows users to present combinations of waste treatment facilities and customers included in a specified area (for example, an area specified by the user) without causing any complication. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The method disclosed herein includes a designation step of designating regional information indicating an area including waste treatment facilities and consumers to a computer, and a presentation step of the computer presenting to a user combinations of waste treatment facilities and consumers from among the waste treatment facilities and consumers included in the area indicated by the regional information designated in the designation step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, combinations of waste disposal facilities and consumers included in a predetermined area (for example, an area designated by a user) can be presented to the user without causing any complication. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the system configuration of a power management system 100 according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a specific example of the functional configuration of a presentation device 10. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of a region information table stored in a region information storage unit 141. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of a power supply information table stored in a power supply information storage unit 142. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram showing a specific example of a customer information table stored in a customer information storage unit 143. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of a power generation amount information table stored in a power generation amount information storage unit 144. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of a power demand information table stored in a power demand information storage unit 145. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing the main flow of a presentation procedure by the presentation device 10. [Figure 9] 9 is a flowchart showing a sub-flow of a power source identification process in the main flow shown in FIG. 8; [Figure 10] 9 is a flowchart showing the first half of a sub-flow of a consumer determination process in the main flow shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 11] 9 is a flowchart showing the second half of the sub-flow of the consumer determination process in the main flow shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first example of a presentation form of a combination presented by the presentation device 10. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second example of a presentation form of a combination presented by the presentation device 10. [Figure 14]FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a specific example of the functional configuration of the planning device 20. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of a power price information table stored in a power price information storage unit 241. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of a power generation cost information table stored in a power generation cost information storage unit 242. [Figure 17] 4 is a flowchart showing a specific example of processing by the planning device 20. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a specific example of the functional configuration of a control device 30. [Figure 19] 4 is a flowchart showing a specific example of processing by the control device 30. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 90 applied to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (Power management system 100) FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the system configuration of a power management system 100 according to the present disclosure. The power management system 100 includes a presentation device 10, a planning device 20, and a control device 30. The presentation device 10, the planning device 20, and the control device 30 are communicatively connected via a network 70. The network 70 may be a network using wireless communication or a network using wired communication. The network 70 may be configured using, for example, the Internet or a local area network (LAN). The network 70 may also be configured by combining a plurality of networks.

[0010] The power management system 100 performs processing related to an EMS (Energy Management System). An EMS is, for example, a system for managing the amount of power demand and supply in a specific area. By introducing an EMS, for example, the amount of power demand and supply can be optimized. As a result, it may be possible to achieve cost reductions compared to when an EMS is not introduced.

[0011] In this embodiment, the power management system 100 considers, for example, a preferred combination of power sources and consumers in a specific region. The power management system 100 considers, for example, the cost reduction effect assuming the introduction of a storage battery. Note that the power management system 100 may also consider, for example, the cost reduction effect assuming the control of a waste treatment facility. In this case, the power management system 100 can, for example, reduce the amount of waste treated at the waste treatment facility and suppress the amount of power generated by the waste treatment facility during the daytime when electricity prices are low, while, for example, increase the amount of waste treated at the waste treatment facility and increase the amount of power generated by the waste treatment facility during the nighttime when electricity prices are high.

[0012] (Presentation device 10) The presentation device 10 stores information about power sources and information about consumers. The information about power sources and information about consumers each include regional information. The presentation device 10 presents, for example, combinations of power sources and consumers for a region specified by a user. The power source is, for example, a power generation facility. The power source includes, for example, a waste disposal facility, a solar power generation facility, a wind power generation facility, etc. The consumer is, for example, a facility that uses electricity. The consumer includes, for example, an educational facility such as an elementary school, a waterworks department, etc. The user may be, for example, an EMS operator, or a customer of the operator. The customer may be, for example, a local government. The customer may own the power source and the consumer, or may manage the power source and the consumer.

[0013] 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a specific example of the functional configuration of the presentation device 10. The presentation device 10 is configured using an information device (information processing device) such as a smartphone, tablet, personal computer, dedicated device, etc. The presentation device 10 includes a communication unit 11, an input unit 12, an output unit 13, a storage unit 14, and a control unit 15.

[0014] The communication unit 11 is a communication device. The communication unit 11 may be configured as, for example, a network interface. The communication unit 11 communicates data with other devices via a network in accordance with the control of the control unit 15. The communication unit 11 may be a device that performs wireless communication or a device that performs wired communication.

[0015] The input unit 12 is configured using existing input devices such as a keyboard, a pointing device (mouse, tablet, etc.), buttons, a touch panel, etc. The input unit 12 is operated by a user when inputting the user's instructions to the presentation device 10. The input unit 12 may be an interface for connecting the input device to the presentation device 10. In this case, the input unit 12 inputs an input signal generated in the input device in response to the user's input to the planning device 20. The input unit 12 may be configured using a microphone and a voice recognition device. In this case, the input unit 12 acquires an acoustic signal generated by the user's speech, performs voice recognition on the words spoken by the user, and inputs character string information of the recognition result to the presentation device 10. The voice recognition process may be performed by the control unit 15. The input unit 12 may be configured in any way as long as it is capable of inputting the user's instructions to the presentation device 10.

[0016] The output unit 13 outputs information in a form that can be recognized by the user. The output unit 13 may be, for example, an image display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The output unit 13 may be an interface for connecting the image display device to the presentation device 10. In this case, the output unit 13 generates a video signal for displaying image data and outputs the video signal to the image display device connected to the output unit 13. The output unit 13 may be a device for outputting sound such as a speaker. The output unit 13 may be an interface for connecting an audio output device such as a speaker or headphones to the presentation device 10. In this case, the output unit 13 generates an audio signal for playing audio data and outputs the audio signal to the audio output device connected to the output unit 13. The output unit 13 may be, for example, a printer. The output unit 13 may be an interface for connecting a printer to the presentation device 10. In this case, the output unit 13 generates a print signal for printing print data and outputs the print signal to the printer connected to the output unit 13. The output unit 13 may be configured as a touch panel integrated with the input unit 12.

[0017] The storage unit 14 is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk drive or a semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 14 stores data used by the control unit 15. The storage unit 14 stores data required when the control unit 15 performs processing. The storage unit 14 functions as, for example, a region information storage unit 141, a power source information storage unit 142, a consumer information storage unit 143, a power generation amount information storage unit 144, and a power demand information storage unit 145.

[0018] The region information storage unit 141 stores region information. The region information is information related to a region. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of a region information table stored in the region information storage unit 141. The region information table has a plurality of region information records. The region information record has values ​​of a region identification number (No.) and a region name. The region identification number (No.) is a unique identification number corresponding to each region. The identification number is, for example, a number. When the identification number is a number, the identification number may indicate the priority of the region. In this case, for example, the smaller the value of the identification number, the higher the priority of the region. The region name is a unique name used for the region corresponding to the region identification number.

[0019] The power source information storage unit 142 stores power source information. The power source information is information related to power sources. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of a power source information table stored in the power source information storage unit 142. The power source information table has multiple power source information records. The power source information record has values ​​for a power source identification number (No.), a power source name, a power source category, new / existing, and area. The power source identification number (No.) is a unique identification number corresponding to each power source. The identification number is, for example, a number. If the identification number is a number, the identification number may indicate the priority of the power source. In this case, for example, the smaller the value of the identification number, the higher the priority of the power source. The power source name is a unique name used for the power source corresponding to the power source identification number. The power source category is the type of power source corresponding to the power source identification number. Examples of power source categories include waste disposal facilities, solar power generation facilities, wind power generation facilities, etc. The new / existing is information indicating whether the power source corresponding to the power source identification number is new or existing. If "new construction / existing" is "new construction," it may indicate a power source that is currently under construction or a power source that is scheduled to be constructed in the future. If "new construction / existing" is "existing," it may indicate a power source that has already been constructed. The region is the region to which the power source corresponding to the power source identification number belongs. Multiple regions may be set for one power source. For example, if one power source is shared by multiple regions, multiple regions are set for one power source.

[0020] The consumer information storage unit 143 stores consumer information. The consumer information is information related to consumers. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a specific example of a consumer information table stored in the consumer information storage unit 143. The consumer information table has multiple consumer information records. The consumer information record has values ​​for a consumer identification number (No.), a consumer name, a consumer category, and an area. The consumer identification number (No.) is a unique identification number corresponding to each consumer. The identification number is, for example, a number. If the identification number is a number, the identification number may indicate the priority of the consumer. In this case, for example, a smaller value of the identification number may indicate a consumer with a higher priority. The consumer name is a unique name used for the consumer corresponding to the consumer identification number. The consumer category is the type of consumer corresponding to the consumer identification number. Consumer categories include, for example, educational facilities such as elementary schools, waterworks, etc. The area is the area to which the consumer corresponding to the consumer identification number belongs. Multiple areas may be set for one consumer. For example, when one consumer is shared among a plurality of regions, a plurality of regions are set for the one consumer.

[0021] The power generation amount information storage unit 144 stores power generation amount information. The power generation amount information is information related to the amount of power generated by a power source. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a specific example of a power generation amount information table stored in the power generation amount information storage unit 144. The power generation amount information table has a plurality of power generation amount information records. Each power generation amount information record has values ​​for the power source name, period, and power generation amount. The power generation amount in one power generation amount information record indicates the amount of power generated by the power source identified by the power source name in the power generation amount information record during the period in the power generation amount information record. In the example shown in the figure, the period is, for example, a period obtained by dividing one year into 30-minute intervals. However, the period (hereinafter also referred to as the unit period) is not limited to this and may be, for example, an hourly unit, a daily unit, a monthly unit, a 10-minute unit, or a 1-minute unit. The power generation amount in the power generation amount information record may be, for example, an actual value for any past year (for example, last year). The power generation amount in the power generation amount information record may be, for example, an average value of actual values ​​for any past several years. The amount of power generated in the power generation information record may be, for example, a result of a simulation performed by software, or may be, for example, a result of generation by artificial intelligence.

[0022] The power demand information storage unit 145 stores power demand information. The power demand information is information related to the demand for power sources. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a specific example of a power demand information table stored in the power demand information storage unit 145. The power demand information table has a plurality of power demand information records. Each power demand information record has values ​​for a consumer name, a period, and a demand amount. The demand amount in one power demand information record indicates the demand amount of power required by a consumer identified by the consumer name in that power demand information record during the period in that power demand information record. In the example shown in the figure, the period is, for example, a period obtained by dividing one year into 30-minute intervals. However, the period (unit period) is not limited to this and may be, for example, in units of one hour, one day, one month, ten minutes, or one minute. The demand amount in the power demand information record may be, for example, an actual value for any past year (e.g., last year). The demand amount in the power demand information record may be, for example, an average value of actual values ​​for any past several years. The demand amount in the power demand information record may be, for example, the result of a simulation using software. The demand amount in the power demand information record may be, for example, the result of generation by artificial intelligence. The demand amount in the power demand information may be, for example, input by a user to the presentation device 10 and acquired in the power demand information storage unit 145. The user who inputs the power demand information may be, for example, a customer or a business operator. The power demand information may be acquired from an external source (a local government, a consumer).

[0023] The control unit 15 is configured using a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory (main storage device). When the processor executes a program, the control unit 15 functions as a designated area information acquisition unit 151, a power source genre information acquisition unit 152, a consumer genre information acquisition unit 153, a combination determination unit 154, and a combination presentation unit 155. Note that all or part of the functions of the control unit 15 may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The above program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include portable media such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, and a semiconductor storage device (e.g., a solid-state drive (SSD)), as well as storage devices such as a hard disk and a semiconductor storage device built into a computer system. The above program may be transmitted via a telecommunications line.

[0024] The control unit 15 may execute, for example, an application installed on its own device (the presentation device 10). A specific example of such an application is an application provided to the presentation device 10 as a dedicated application for the power management system 100. Another specific example of such an application is a web browser application. Such an application may be pre-installed on the presentation device 10, or may be downloaded each time a determination process is executed. For example, when implemented as a web browser application, the presentation device 10 may download and execute the application from a device specified by a specific web server (for example, the web server itself or another server) in response to the presentation device 10 connecting to the web server. The control unit 15 operates according to the program of the application being executed.

[0025] The designated area information acquisition unit 151 acquires area information designated by a user (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as designated area information). The area information indicates an area including a power source and a consumer. The user designates an area using, for example, the input unit 12. The user who designates an area may be, for example, a customer or a business operator.

[0026] The power source genre information acquisition unit 152 acquires power source genre information indicating the genre of the power source input by the user. The user inputs the power source genre using, for example, the input unit 12. The user who inputs the power source genre may be, for example, a customer or a business operator.

[0027] The consumer category information acquisition unit 153 acquires consumer category information indicating the category of the consumer input by the user. The user inputs the consumer category using, for example, the input unit 12. The user who inputs the consumer category may be, for example, a customer or a business operator.

[0028] The combination determination unit 154 determines a combination of power sources and consumers from among the power sources and consumers included in the area indicated by the designated area information. The combination determination unit 154 may determine the combination of power sources and consumers based on, for example, the designated area information, consumer category information, power source information, consumer information, power generation amount information, and power source demand information. Detailed operations of the combination determination unit 154 will be described later.

[0029] The combination presentation unit 155 presents the combinations of power sources and consumers determined by the combination determination unit 154. The presentation of the combinations may be, for example, by outputting the combinations from the output unit 13. The presentation of the combinations may be, for example, by outputting the combinations from an image display device, an audio output device, or a printer. In this case, the combinations are presented to the user from the presentation device 10. The presentation of the combinations may be, for example, by sending information about the combinations from the presentation device 10 to the planning device 20. In this case, the combinations are presented from the presentation device 10 to the planning device 20. A specific presentation format by the combination presentation unit 155 will be described later.

[0030] (Presentation by presentation device 10) Next, a method of presentation by the presentation device 10 will be described. In this method, the user specifies a region, a power source genre, and a consumer genre. The presentation device 10 presents combinations of power sources and consumers that satisfy the conditions of the specified region, power source genre, and consumer genre.

[0031] 8 is a flowchart showing a main flow of a presentation procedure by the presentation device 10. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a sub-flow of a power source identification process in the main flow shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the first half of a sub-flow of the consumer determination process in the main flow shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the latter half of the sub-flow of the consumer determination process in the main flow shown in FIG.

[0032] First, as shown in FIG. 8, a user performs a designation step (S10) of designating area information indicating an area including a power source and consumers. At this time, the user inputs the target area to the presentation device 10, for example, using the input unit 12. At this time, the presentation device 10 may present selectable areas to the user through the output unit 13. The presentation device 10 may, for example, display the selectable areas on an image display device. The presentation device 10 can present selectable areas based on, for example, area information stored in the area information storage unit 141. The user may designate only one area or multiple areas. The designated area information acquisition unit 151 acquires the area information designated by the user.

[0033] Next, the presentation device 10 performs a power source identification process (power source identification step) (S30). In this process, as shown in FIG. 9, first, the presentation device 10 receives a power source genre from the user (S31). At this time, the user inputs the target power source genre to the presentation device 10, for example, using the input unit 12. At this time, the presentation device 10 may present selectable power source genres to the user through the output unit 13. The presentation device 10 may, for example, display the selectable power source genres on an image display device. The presentation device 10 can present selectable power source genres, for example, based on power source information stored in the power source information storage unit 142. The user may specify only one power source genre or multiple power source genres. The power source genre information acquisition unit 152 acquires the power source genre information specified by the user.

[0034] Next, the presentation device 10 selects a new region from the designated regions (S32). When multiple regions are designated as designated regions, this process is a process for sequentially selecting a region for identifying a power supply genre from the multiple regions. In this process, for example, when there is an unselected region among the regions included in the designated region information acquired by the designated region information acquisition unit 151, the combination determination unit 154 selects one of the unselected regions. Note that when there are multiple designated regions, the combination determination unit 154 may determine the order of selecting the regions based on, for example, the priority of the region information, or may determine the order randomly, or may determine the order based on, for example, an input from the user.

[0035] Next, the presentation device 10 identifies existing or new power sources in the selected new area (hereinafter also referred to as the selected area) that correspond to the input power source genre (S33). At this time, the combination determination unit 154 may identify all of the power sources belonging to the selected area that match the power source genre of the power source genre information, or may identify a portion of the power sources. When identifying a portion of the power sources, the combination determination unit 154 may determine the power sources based on, for example, the priority of the power source information, for example, randomly, or based on input from the user.

[0036] The presentation device 10 may further receive, for example, a condition regarding whether the power source is new or existing, in addition to receiving the power source category (S31). In this case, when identifying the power source (S33), the combination determination unit 154 may identify, from the power source information, a power source that matches the condition regarding whether the power source is new or existing, in addition to the condition regarding the power source category. In this embodiment, the power sources included in the area (designated area) indicated by the area information specified in the designation step (S10) include power sources to be newly installed in the area (designated area) indicated by the area information specified in the designation step (S10). Therefore, combinations of power sources and consumers included in the area specified by the user can be presented without complication to the user, while also taking into consideration newly installed power sources. However, the power source information does not need to have a value for new installation / existing installation, and the power sources included in the designated area do not need to include power sources to be newly installed in the designated area.

[0037] As described above, for example, when one power source is shared among a plurality of regions, a plurality of regions may be set for one power source (see FIG. 4, for example). 9, the presentation device 10 determines whether the identified power source corresponds to a plurality of regions (S34). At this time, for example, if a plurality of regions are set in the power source information record for the identified power source, the combination determination unit 154 may determine that the identified power source corresponds to a plurality of regions.

[0038] If it is determined that there are multiple corresponding regions (S34: Yes), the presentation device 10 adds, to the designated region, any of the multiple corresponding regions that is not included in the designated region (S35). At this time, for example, the combination determination unit 154 updates the designated region information from a state in which the region to be added is not included to a state in which the region to be added is included. Thereafter, the presentation device 10 determines whether all the designated areas have been selected (S36), and if it is determined that all the designated areas have been selected (S36: Yes), it ends the power source identification process. On the other hand, if it is determined that all the designated areas have not been selected (S36: No), the presentation device 10 returns to the process of selecting a new unselected area from the designated areas (S32).

[0039] In addition, when determining (S34) whether there are multiple areas corresponding to the identified power source, if it is determined that there are not multiple corresponding areas (S34: No), the presentation device 10 skips the process of adding areas from the multiple corresponding areas that are not included in the designated areas to the designated areas (S35), and proceeds to the process of determining (S36) whether all the designated areas have been selected.

[0040] By performing the above-described power source identification process (S30), power sources that correspond to the accepted power source category are identified for each designated area, making it possible to grasp the amount of power generated by the power sources in the designated area.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 8, after the power source identification process (S30) is completed, the presentation device 10 performs a consumer determination process (a consumer determination step) (S50). In this process, as shown in FIG. 10 , first, the presentation device 10 sets a consumer genre (S51). At this time, the user inputs a target consumer genre to the presentation device 10, for example, using the input unit 12. This process can also be considered an input step (S51) in which consumer genre information indicating the consumer genre is input. At this time, the presentation device 10 may present selectable consumer genres to the user through the output unit 13. The presentation device 10 may, for example, display the selectable consumer genres on an image display device. The presentation device 10 can present selectable consumer genres based on, for example, consumer information stored in the consumer information storage unit 143. The user may specify only one consumer genre or multiple consumer genres. The consumer genre information acquisition unit 153 acquires the consumer genre information specified by the user.

[0042] Next, the presentation device 10 selects a new region from the designated regions (S52). When multiple regions are designated as designated regions, this process is a process for sequentially selecting a region from the multiple regions to identify a consumer category. In this process, if there are any unselected regions among the regions included in the designated region information that has undergone the power source identification step, the combination determination unit 154 selects one of those regions. Note that when there are multiple designated regions, the combination determination unit 154 may determine the order in which to select the regions based on, for example, the priority of the region information, or may determine the order randomly, or may determine the order based on, for example, an input from the user.

[0043] Next, the presentation device 10 selects consumers in the selected new area (hereinafter also referred to as the selected area) that correspond to the input consumer genre (S53). At this time, the combination determination unit 154 selects one consumer from the consumer information among the consumers belonging to the selected area that matches the consumer genre of the consumer genre information. Note that if there are multiple consumers that satisfy the conditions, the combination determination unit 154 may determine the order of selecting the consumers based on, for example, the priority of the consumer information, or may determine it randomly, or may determine it based on, for example, an input from the user.

[0044] Next, the presentation device 10 performs an acquisition step of acquiring the power demand of the selected consumer (hereinafter also referred to as the selected consumer) (S54). In this acquisition step (S54), power demand information indicating the power demand of consumers included in the area (designated area) indicated by the area information designated in the designation step (S10) is acquired. At this time, the combination determination unit 154 may acquire the power demand of the selected consumer based on, for example, the power demand information stored in the power demand information storage unit 145, or may acquire it based on input from the user.

[0045] Next, the presentation device 10 subtracts the acquired power demand from the capacity of the power source identified in the power source identification process (S55). At this time, first, the combination determination unit 154 acquires the capacities of the power sources identified in the power source identification process as follows. That is, the combination determination unit 154 selects a power source belonging to the selected area from the power sources identified in the power source identification process. The combination determination unit 154 acquires the capacities of the power sources identified in the power source identification process based on the selected power sources and the power generation amount information stored in the power generation amount information storage unit 144. Note that if multiple power sources are selected, the combination determination unit 154 acquires the total power generation amount of all the power sources as the capacity of the power source identified in the power source identification process. Thereafter, the combination determination unit 154 subtracts the power demand acquired in the immediately preceding acquisition step (S54) from the capacity of the power source identified in the power source identification process. In this embodiment, the power generation amount of the power source and the power demand amount of the consumer are, for example, periods divided into 30-minute intervals of a year. The combination determination unit 154 compares the power source capacities with the power demands for the same time period. The same time period may be, for example, a period (unit period) during which power demand peaks in a year. The period during which power demand peaks in a year varies depending on the region. For example, in Japan, the period during which power demand peaks is generally around 2 p.m. in winter. The storage unit 14 may store the period during which power demand peaks in a year. In this case, the combination determination unit 154 subtracts the power demand (demand amount) from the power source capacity (power generation amount) for the period stored in the storage unit 14. This completes the process (S55). The subtracted capacity is calculated through this process.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 11, next, the presentation device 10 (combination determination unit 154) determines whether the subtracted capacity is greater than a threshold value (S56). Here, the threshold value may be greater than 0, may be equal to 0, or may be less than 0. For example, if the threshold value is greater than 0, the threshold value can function as a margin. The margin is a margin provided to prevent power supply shortages in unexpected situations. The margin may be, for example, a value obtained by multiplying the capacity (power generation amount) of the power source at peak times by a certain margin rate. In this case, the margin rate may be stored in, for example, the storage unit 14, or may be input by the user. The margin may be determined by, for example, the combination determination unit 154. For example, when the threshold is smaller than 0, the combination determination unit 154 allows a power shortage of a certain amount of demand (a demand amount corresponding to the magnitude of the absolute value of the threshold). In this case, for example, the combination determination unit 154 determines a combination on the premise of purchasing power from the power market.

[0047] If it is determined that the subtracted capacity is greater than the threshold (S56: Yes), it is considered that there is still room in the power supply capacity, and therefore it is preferable to add consumers if possible. Therefore, the presentation device 10 first determines whether all consumers in the selected area have been selected (S57). If the presentation device 10 determines that all consumers in the selected area have not been selected (S57: No), a new consumer is added to the selected consumers (S58). Note that if there are multiple unselected consumers, the combination determination unit 154 may determine the order of selecting the consumers based on, for example, the priority of the consumer information, or may determine the order randomly, or may determine the order based on, for example, an input from the user. Thereafter, the presentation device 10 returns to the acquisition step (S54) of acquiring the power demand of the selected consumer, as shown in FIG. 10, and continues the process.

[0048] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 11, if it is determined that the subtracted capacity is not greater than the threshold (S56: No), it is considered that there is no surplus capacity in the power supply. Therefore, it is preferable to refrain from adding any further customers. Therefore, the presentation device 10 ends the selection of consumers in the selected area without performing the process of adding consumers in the selected area (S57, S58). Even if it is determined that the subtracted capacity is greater than the threshold, if it is determined that all consumers in the selected area have been selected (S57: Yes), it is impossible to add consumers in the selected area, and so the presentation device 10 similarly ends the selection of consumers in the selected area. In these cases, the presentation device 10 determines whether all the designated areas have been selected (S59), and if it is determined that all the designated areas have not been selected (S59: No), the presentation device 10 returns to the process of selecting a new area from the designated areas (S52) and continues the process, as shown in Fig. 10. On the other hand, if it is determined that all the designated areas have been selected (S59: Yes), as shown in Fig. 11, the presentation device 10 completes the consumer determination process (S50).

[0049] By carrying out the above-described consumer determination process (S50), a combination of power sources and consumers is determined for each designated area.

[0050] 8, after the consumer determination process (S50) is completed, the presentation device 10 performs a presentation step (S70) of presenting combinations of the identified power sources and the determined consumers. In this presentation step (S70), combinations of power sources and consumers are presented from among the power sources and consumers included in the area (designated area) indicated by the area information designated in the designation step (S10).

[0051] In this presentation step (S70), the combination presentation unit 155 presents the combinations of power sources and consumers determined by the combination determination unit 154. Therefore, in the presenting step (S70), combinations of power sources and consumers are presented from among the power sources and consumers included in the region (designated region) indicated by the region information specified in the designation step (S10), based on the power of the power sources included in the region (designated region) indicated by the region information specified in the designation step (S10) and the power demand of the consumers included in the region (designated region) indicated by the region information specified in the designation step (S10). Also, in the present embodiment, in the presentation step (S70), combinations of power sources and consumers are presented from among the power sources and consumers included in the region (designated region) indicated by the region information specified in the designation step (S10), based also on the input results of the input step (S51). Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the presentation step (S70), combinations of power sources and consumers are presented from among the power sources and consumers included in the area (designated area) indicated by the regional information designated in the designation step (S10), based also on the results obtained in the acquisition step (S54).

[0052] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a first example of a presentation form of combinations presented by the presentation device 10. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a second example of a presentation form of combinations presented by the presentation device 10. Here, as described above, the combination presentation unit 155 may present the combinations to the user from the presentation device 10, or may present the combinations from the presentation device 10 to the planning device 20. When the combination presentation unit 155 presents the combinations to the user from the presentation device 10, the combination presentation unit 155 may present the combinations to an image display device, a printer, or the like, for example, as in the first example shown in FIG. 12, or may present the combinations as in the second example shown in FIG. 13.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 12, in the first example presentation form, two areas R1 and R2 are provided in the presentation area R. The two areas R1 and R2 are a first area R1 and a second area R2. The first area R1 displays a power source. The first area R1 may display each value of a power source information record. The second area R2 displays a consumer. The second area R2 may display each value of a consumer information record. In the illustrated example, the first area R1 and the second area R2 are provided separately on the left and right sides of the presentation area R, but may also be provided separately on the top and bottom sides of the presentation area R, for example. A mark M is provided at the boundary between the first area R1 and the second area R2. The mark M indicates the boundary between the first area R1 and the second area R2. In the illustrated example, the mark M is an arrow, but it may be a mark of another form.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 13 , in the second example presentation form, a graph G is presented in a presentation area R. The horizontal axis of the graph G is time. The vertical axis of the graph G is the amount of power generation or the amount of power demand. The graph G is a line graph, but it does not have to be a line graph. The graph G has two graph lines G1 and G2. The two graph lines G1 and G2 are a first graph line G1 and a second graph line G2. The first graph line G1 indicates the capacity (amount of power generation) of the power source. The second graph line G2 indicates the power demand (amount of demand) of the consumer. In this way, the power of the power source and the power demand of the consumer may be presented in the presentation step (S70). In this case, for example, the user can easily understand the relationship between power supply and demand.

[0055] (Effects of the presentation method) As described above, in this embodiment, in the presentation step (S70), combinations of power sources and consumers are presented from among the power sources and consumers included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step (S10). Therefore, for example, by the user specifying area information in the designation step (S10), combinations of power sources and consumers included in the area specified by the user can be presented without the user having to go through the process too cumbersome.

[0056] In a presentation step (S70), combinations of power sources and consumers are presented based on the power of the power sources and the power demands of the consumers from among the power sources and consumers included in the area indicated by the area information designated in the designation step (S10). Therefore, combinations of power sources and consumers that can more reliably meet the power demands of the consumers can be presented without complication to the user.

[0057] In a presentation step (S70), combinations of power sources and consumers are presented from among the power sources and consumers included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step (S10), based on the results of the acquisition step (S54). In the acquisition step (S54), power demand information indicating the power demand of consumers included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step (S10) is acquired. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of the power demand information, for example. As a result, more appropriate combinations of power sources and consumers can be proposed without the user having to go through the hassle.

[0058] In a presentation step (S70), combinations of power sources and consumers are presented from among the power sources and consumers included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step (S10), based also on the input results of the input step (S51). In the input step (S51), consumer category information indicating the consumer category is input. Therefore, combinations of power sources and power demand facilities included in the area specified by the user can be presented without complication to the user, while also taking into consideration the consumer category.

[0059] (Planning Device 20) The power sources and consumers included in the combinations presented by the presentation device 10 are combined to satisfy the supply-demand relationship with each other. However, adding a new storage battery to this combination may lead to energy savings and cost improvements. The storage battery is a storage battery that can charge the power of the power sources included in the combinations presented in the presentation step (S70). The storage battery is a storage battery that can discharge (supply power) to the consumers included in the combinations presented in the presentation step (S70).

[0060] For example, the business operator prepares a storage battery and a control device 30 that controls the storage battery on behalf of the customer. The business operator provides a service using the storage battery and the control device 30, and receives a portion of the energy saving effect achieved (the benefit of implementation) as compensation.

[0061] Consumers can receive power from a power source. On the other hand, consumers can also purchase power from the power market. In general, in the power market, the buying and selling prices of the amount of power differ for each period (unit period). Furthermore, unlike when there is no storage battery, when there is a storage battery, the user can store the power generated from the power source in the storage battery. Therefore, for example, when the buying and selling price is low, users can purchase electricity from the market and store the electricity generated from the power source in a storage battery, and when the buying and selling price is high, users can supply the electricity generated from the power source and the electricity stored in the storage battery to consumers and sell it to the market, thereby improving the cost of electricity. A planning device 20 as shown in Fig. 1 considers the cost improvement. The planning device 20 creates a plan for controlling the discharge and charge of a storage battery. The planning device 20 estimates the cost to be reduced based on the created plan. In the following description, the planning device 20 creates a plan that takes into account the cost reduction effect of charging and discharging the storage battery, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. As described above, the planning device 20 (and the control device 30 described later) may also consider the cost reduction effect assuming control of a waste treatment facility, for example.

[0062] 14 is a schematic block diagram showing a specific example of the functional configuration of the planning device 20. The planning device 20 is configured using an information device (information processing device) such as a smartphone, tablet, personal computer, or dedicated device. The planning device 20 includes a communication unit 21, an input unit 22, an output unit 23, a storage unit 24, and a control unit 25.

[0063] The communication unit 21 is a communication device. The communication unit 21 may be configured as, for example, a network interface. The communication unit 21 communicates data with other devices via a network in accordance with the control of the control unit 25. The communication unit 21 may be a device that performs wireless communication or a device that performs wired communication.

[0064] The input unit 22 is configured using existing input devices such as a keyboard, a pointing device (mouse, tablet, etc.), buttons, a touch panel, etc. The input unit 22 is operated by a user when inputting the user's instructions to the planning device 20. The input unit 22 may be an interface for connecting the input device to the planning device 20. In this case, the input unit 22 inputs an input signal generated in the input device in response to the user's input to the planning device 20. The input unit 22 may be configured using a microphone and a voice recognition device. In this case, the input unit 22 acquires an acoustic signal generated by the user's speech, performs voice recognition on the words spoken by the user, and inputs character string information of the recognition result to the planning device 20. The voice recognition process may be performed by the control unit 25. The input unit 22 may be configured in any way as long as it is capable of inputting the user's instructions to the planning device 20.

[0065] The output unit 23 outputs information in a form that can be recognized by the user. The output unit 23 may be, for example, an image display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence (EL) display. The output unit 23 may be an interface for connecting the image display device to the planning device 20. In this case, the output unit 23 generates a video signal for displaying image data and outputs the video signal to the image display device connected to the output unit 23. The output unit 23 may be a device for outputting audio such as a speaker. The output unit 23 may be an interface for connecting an audio output device such as a speaker or headphones to the planning device 20. In this case, the output unit 23 generates an audio signal for playing audio data and outputs the audio signal to the audio output device connected to the output unit 23. The output unit 23 may be, for example, a printer. The output unit 23 may be an interface for connecting a printer to the planning device 20. In this case, the output unit 23 generates a print signal for printing print data and outputs the print signal to the printer connected to the output unit 23. The output unit 23 may be configured as a touch panel integrated with the input unit 22.

[0066] The storage unit 24 is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk drive or a semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 24 stores data used by the control unit 25. The storage unit 24 stores data required when the control unit 25 performs processing. The storage unit 24 functions as, for example, an electricity price information storage unit 241 and a power generation cost information storage unit 242.

[0067] The power price information storage unit 241 stores power price information. The power price information is information related to power prices. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a specific example of a power price information table stored in the power price information storage unit 241. The power price information table has a plurality of power price information records. Each power price information record has values ​​for a period and a price. The price in one power price information record indicates the buying and selling price per unit amount of power for the period (unit period) in that power price information record. Note that if the selling price and buying price of electricity are different, the power price information record may have values ​​corresponding to the selling price and buying price, respectively, instead of the price. For example, the power price information may be a predicted price for each hour in the power market. The power market is a market where electricity is traded, such as the Japan Electric Power Exchange (JEPX).

[0068] The power generation cost information storage unit 242 stores power generation cost information. The power generation cost information is information related to the cost required for power generation by a power source. Figure 16 is a diagram showing a specific example of a power generation cost information table stored in the power generation cost information storage unit 242. The power generation cost information table has multiple power generation cost information records. A power generation cost information record has values ​​for a power source identification number (No.), a power source name, and a power generation cost. The power source identification number (No.) and the power source name are the same values ​​as the power source information. The power generation cost in one power generation cost information record indicates the cost required per unit amount of power by the power source in that power generation cost information record.

[0069] The control unit 25 is configured using a processor such as a CPU and a memory. The control unit 25 functions as a discharge / charge planning unit 251, a cost estimation unit 252, and a cost presentation unit 253 by the processor executing a program. All or part of the functions of the control unit 25 may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC, a PLD, or an FPGA. The above program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer-readable recording media include portable media such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, and a semiconductor storage device (e.g., an SSD), and storage devices such as a hard disk or semiconductor storage device built into a computer system. The above program may be transmitted via a telecommunications line.

[0070] The control unit 25 may execute, for example, an application installed in its own device (the planning device 20). A specific example of such an application is an application provided to the planning device 20 as a dedicated application for the power management system 100. Another specific example of such an application is a web browser application. Such an application may be installed in the planning device 20 in advance, or may be downloaded each time a determination process is executed. For example, when implemented as a web browser application, the planning device 20 may download and execute the application from a device specified by a specific web server (for example, the web server itself or another server) in response to the planning device 20 connecting to the web server. The control unit 25 operates according to the program of the application being executed.

[0071] The discharge / charge planning unit 251 formulates a plan for controlling the discharge / charge of the storage battery. The cost estimation unit 252 estimates the cost that will be reduced by the plan drawn up by the discharge / charge planning unit 251. The cost presentation unit 253 presents the cost estimated by the cost estimation unit 252. The discharge / charge planning unit 251, the cost estimation unit 252, and the cost presentation unit 253 will be described below together with the processing performed by the planning device 20.

[0072] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a specific example of the processing of the planning device 20. First, the discharge / charge planning unit 251 creates a plan to control the discharge / charge of the storage battery (S101: EMS step). At this time, the discharge / charge planning unit 251 creates a plan to control the discharge / charge of the storage battery based on the electricity price, the amount of power generated by the power source, and the amount of power demanded by the consumer. In this way, in this embodiment, it is possible to easily create a plan to control the discharge / charge of the power source of the storage battery with high accuracy based on a large amount of information. The electricity price is, for example, the electricity price information and power generation cost information described above. The power generation amount of the power source is the power generation amount of the power source included in the combination presented in the presentation step (S70), for example, the power generation amount information about the power source. The power demand amount of the consumer is the power demand amount of the consumer included in the combination presented in the presentation step (S70), for example, the power demand information about the consumer.

[0073] The discharge / charge planning unit 251, for example, creates a discharge / charge plan that minimizes an objective function that represents costs. The discharge / charge planning unit 251 creates the above-mentioned plan, for example, on the premise that constraints related to power supply and demand are satisfied.

[0074] The objective function is expressed, for example, by the following equation (1). (1) (Total expenses during the planning period) - (Total sales during the planning period) Here, the planning period is not particularly limited and may be, for example, one year, one month, one week, or one day. The planning unit period may be longer than the unit period. The planning period may be input from the input unit 22 or may be stored in the storage unit 24, for example. The total cost is, for example, the sum of costs. The cost is calculated, for example, for each unit period. The cost includes, for example, the cost of purchasing electricity from the electricity market and the cost of generating electricity from a power source. The purchasing cost is calculated based on electricity price information. The power generation cost is calculated based on power generation cost information. The total cost may be calculated, for example, by the charging / discharging planning unit 251. The total sales may be, for example, the sum of sales to the electricity market. The sales may be calculated, for example, for each unit period. The sales may be calculated based on electricity price information. The total sales may be calculated, for example, by the charging / discharging planning unit 251.

[0075] The constraints include, for example, the following conditions: (2-1) In each unit period, the amount of electricity supplied will not fall below the amount of electricity demanded. (2-2) In each unit period, the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery does not exceed the battery capacity of the storage battery (the battery capacity of the storage battery may be input from the input unit 22 or may be stored in the storage unit 24, for example).

[0076] The discharge / charge planning unit 251 performs a simulation using, for example, the objective function according to (1) above and the constraints according to (2-1) and (2-2) above. In the simulation, for example, the following (a) to (g) are used as variables. (a) Power generation amount for each unit period (b) The amount of electricity generated by the power source in each unit period that is charged to the storage battery (c) The amount of electricity consumed by consumers out of the electricity generated by the power source in each unit period (d) The amount of electricity generated by a power source in each unit period that is sold to the electricity market (e) Amount of energy discharged from the battery in each unit period (f) The amount of electricity consumed by consumers out of the electricity discharged from the storage battery in each unit period (g) The amount of electricity discharged from the storage battery in each unit period that is sold to the electricity market

[0077] The method of creating a plan by the discharge / charge planning unit 251 is not limited to this. In this way, in the EMS step (S101), a plan for controlling the discharge and charge of the power source of the storage battery is created based on the electricity price, the amount of power generated by the power sources included in the combinations presented in the presentation step (S70), and the amount of power demanded by the consumers included in the combinations presented in the presentation step (S70). This makes it easier to create a plan for controlling the discharge and charge of the power source of the storage battery with high accuracy.

[0078] After the plan is created (S101), the cost estimation unit 252 estimates the cost reduced by the plan created by the discharge / charging planning unit 251 (hereinafter also referred to as reduced cost) (S102: estimation step). The cost estimation unit 252 calculates, for example, the difference in cost depending on whether or not there is a discharge / charge plan by the discharge / charge planning unit 251. The cost estimation unit 252 can estimate the cost reduction based on the plan formulated by the discharge / charge planning unit 251, for example, by subtracting the cost when (A) there is a discharge / charge plan by the discharge / charge planning unit 251 from the cost when (B) there is no discharge / charge plan by the discharge / charge planning unit 251. The cost estimation unit 252 can employ, for example, the value of the objective function of the above equation (1) calculated by the discharge / charge planning unit 251 for the cost when (A) there is a discharge / charge plan by the discharge / charge planning unit 251. The cost estimation unit 252 can employ, for example, the cost when all of the demand of the consumer is met only by the amount of power generated by the power source for the cost when (B) there is no discharge / charge plan by the discharge / charge planning unit 251. The cost estimation unit 252 can calculate the cost related to (B), for example, based on power demand information and power generation cost information.

[0079] After the cost is estimated (S102), the cost presentation unit 253 presents the cost estimated by the cost estimation unit 252 (S103: second presentation step). Therefore, in this embodiment, for example, the cost reduced by the EMS step (S101) can be presented without causing any complication to the user. The presentation of the costs may be, for example, by outputting the costs from the output unit 23. The presentation of the costs may be, for example, by outputting the costs from an image display device, an audio output device, or a printer. In this case, the costs are presented to the user from the planning device 20. The presentation of the costs may be, for example, by sending information about the costs from the planning device 20 to the control device 30. In this case, the costs are presented from the planning device 20 to the control device 30. The cost presentation unit 253 may also present the costs in multiple regions. In this case, the user and the control device 30 who receive the presentation can easily compare the costs in multiple regions.

[0080] This completes the processing by the planning device 20.

[0081] (Determination of Region) Here, when multiple regions are specified in the presentation by the presentation device 10 (when multiple regions are specified in the designation step (S10)), a region where the EMS will be introduced (hereinafter also referred to as an introduction region) may be determined from each of the multiple specified regions (determination step). At this time, the user may determine the introduction region, or the presentation device 10 or the planning device 20 may determine the introduction region. When the presentation device 10 or the planning device 20 determines the introduction region, the control unit 15 of the presentation device 10 or the control unit 25 of the planning device 20 may function as a region determination unit that determines the region where the EMS will be introduced. For example, the region determination unit may determine, as the introduction region, a region where the reduced cost estimated by the cost estimating unit 252 is the highest. For example, the region determination unit may compare the reduced cost estimated by the cost estimating unit 252 with the EMS introduction cost, and determine, as the introduction region, a region where the reduced cost estimated by the cost estimating unit 252 is higher than the EMS introduction cost. The introduction cost may be input from the input unit 12, 22, or may be stored in the storage unit 14, 24. That is, a determination step may be performed to determine the region in which to introduce the EMS from among the plurality of regions, based on the combinations presented for each of the plurality of regions in the presentation step (S70). In the determination step, the region in which the EMS is to be introduced may be determined from among a plurality of regions based on the number of power sources or the number of consumers included in each of the combinations presented in the presentation step (S70). In this case, when the user makes the decision, the user may determine the introduction region based on a presentation format such as that shown in FIG. Furthermore, in the determination step, a region in which an EMS is to be introduced may be determined from among a plurality of regions based on the power source capacity or the power demand of consumers included in each of the combinations presented in the presentation step (S70). In this case, when the user makes the decision, the user may determine the introduction region based on a presentation format such as that shown in FIG. Furthermore, in the determination step, a region in which the EMS is to be introduced may be determined from among the plurality of regions based on the reduced cost presented in the second presentation step (S103).

[0082] As described above, in this embodiment, a region in which an EMS is to be introduced is determined from among the multiple regions in a determination step based on the combinations presented for each of the multiple regions in a presentation step (S70). Here, for each of the multiple regions indicated by the region information designated in the designation step (S10), combinations of power sources and consumers are presented in the presentation step (S70) from among the power sources and consumers included in each of the multiple regions. Therefore, by designating region information indicating multiple regions that each include a power source and a consumer in the designation step (S10), it is possible to present combinations of power sources and consumers included in each of the multiple regions designated by the user without complication, and it is also possible to appropriately determine the region in which an EMS is to be introduced based on the presented combinations.

[0083] Furthermore, when the region in which the EMS is to be introduced is determined in the determination step from among multiple regions based on the number of power sources or the number of consumers included in each combination presented in the presentation step (S70), the region in which the EMS is to be introduced can be more appropriately determined based on the number of power sources and the number of consumers. Furthermore, when the region in which the EMS is to be introduced is determined in the determination step from among a plurality of regions based on the power source capacity or the power demand of the consumers included in each of the combinations presented in the presentation step (S70), the region in which the EMS is to be introduced can be determined more appropriately based on the power source capacity and the power demand of the consumers.

[0084] (Control device 30) 1 controls the charging and discharging of storage batteries in an area where it has been decided to introduce an EMS, and the control device 30 charges customers a portion of the reduced costs.

[0085] 18 is a schematic block diagram showing a specific example of the functional configuration of the control device 30. The control device 30 is configured using an information processing device such as a personal computer or a server device. The control device 30 includes a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a control unit 33.

[0086] The communication unit 31 is a communication device. The communication unit 31 may be configured as, for example, a network interface. The communication unit 31 communicates data with other devices via the network 70 in accordance with the control of the control unit 33. The communication unit 31 may be a device that performs wireless communication or a device that performs wired communication.

[0087] The storage unit 32 is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk drive or a semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 32 stores data used by the control unit 33. The storage unit 32 may function as, for example, a performance information storage unit 321, a power price information storage unit 322, and a power generation cost information storage unit 323.

[0088] The performance information storage unit 321 stores performance information. The performance information is information relating to the performance of control by the discharge / charge control unit 331, which will be described later. The performance information is updated, for example, after the discharge / charge control unit 331 performs control. The power price information storage unit 322 and the power generation cost information storage unit 323 may have the same configuration as the power price information storage unit 322 and the power generation cost information storage unit 323 in the planning device 20, for example.

[0089] The control unit 33 is configured using a processor such as a CPU and a memory. The control unit 33 functions as a discharge / charge control unit 331, a billing processing unit 332, a discharge / charge planning unit 333, and a cost calculation unit 334 when the processor executes a program. All or part of the functions of the control unit 33 may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC, a PLD, or an FPGA. The above program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer-readable recording media include portable media such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, and a semiconductor storage device (e.g., an SSD), and storage devices such as a hard disk or semiconductor storage device built into a computer system. The above program may be transmitted via a telecommunications line.

[0090] The discharge / charge planning unit 333 can have the same configuration as the discharge / charge planning unit 251 in the planning device 20. However, the discharge / charge planning unit 333 in the control device 30 creates plans for a shorter period (for example, one day) than the discharge / charge planning unit 251 in the planning device 20. The discharge / charge planning unit 333 creates a plan for the next day, for example. Furthermore, the cost calculation unit 334 can employ a configuration similar to that of the cost estimation unit 252 in the planning device 20. However, while the cost estimation unit 252 in the planning device 20 estimates the cost to be reduced by the plan (plan information) formulated by the discharge / charge planning unit 251, the cost calculation unit 334 in the control device 30 calculates the actual cost reduced by the actual control results (actual result information) of the discharge / charge control unit 331 (hereinafter also referred to as "actual reduced cost").

[0091] The discharge / charge control unit 331 controls the charging / discharging of the storage battery based on the planning information from the discharge / charge planning unit 333 . The billing processor 332 bills the client for a portion of the actual cost reduction based on the actual cost reduction calculated by the cost calculator 334 . The following mainly describes the charging / discharging control unit 331 and the billing processing unit 332, along with the processing by the control device 30.

[0092] FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing a specific example of the processing of the control device 30. First, the discharge / charge planning unit 333 creates a plan (S201). At this time, the discharge / charge planning unit 333 creates a plan for, for example, one day. This step can be performed in the same way as the above-mentioned EMS step S101, for example.

[0093] After the plan is created (S201), the discharge / charge control unit 331 controls the discharge / charge (S202). At this time, the discharge / charge control unit 331 controls the charge / discharge of the storage battery based on the plan information from the discharge / charge planning unit 333. As a result, the discharge / charge control unit 331 controls the discharge / charge of the storage battery based on the electricity price, the amount of power generated by the power source, and the amount of power demanded by the consumer. The electricity price is, for example, the electricity price information and power generation cost information described above. The amount of power generated by the power source is the amount of power generated by the power source included in the combination presented in the presentation step (S70), for example, power generation amount information about the power source. The amount of power demanded by the consumer is the amount of power demanded by the consumer included in the combination presented in the presentation step (S70), for example, power demand information about the consumer. The discharge / charge control unit 331 may store the actual results (results) of the discharge / charge control in the actual result information storage unit 321.

[0094] After discharging and charging are controlled (S202), the cost calculation unit 334 calculates the actual results of the reduced cost (S203: calculation step). This step can be performed in the same manner as the estimation step S102, for example, by replacing the plan information in the estimation step S102 with actual results information. Note that the calculation by the cost calculation unit 334 may be performed after the planning (S201) and the control of discharging and charging (S202) are repeated multiple times. For example, if the planning and the control of discharging and charging are performed on a daily basis, the calculation of the actual results of the reduced cost may be performed on a monthly basis.

[0095] After the actual cost reduction is calculated (S203), the billing processor 332 bills the customer for part of the actual cost (reduced cost) calculated in the calculation step (S203) (S204: billing step). For example, the billing processor 332 bills the customer for a value obtained by multiplying the reduced cost by a fixed rate as part of the actual cost reduction. This makes it possible to bill the customer appropriately, for example. The billing processor 332 may bill the customer once or multiple times during the planning period, for example. In this way, by billing the client in the billing step (S204) for part of the actual cost reduction calculated in the calculation step (S203), it is possible to bill the client appropriately, for example.

[0096] This completes the processing by the control device 30.

[0097] (Hardware configuration of each device) FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an example hardware configuration of an information processing device 90 applied to this embodiment. The information processing device 90 includes a processor 91, a main storage device 92, a communication interface 93, an auxiliary storage device 94, an input / output interface 95, and an internal bus 96. The processor 91, the main storage device 92, the communication interface 93, the auxiliary storage device 94, and the input / output interface 95 are communicably connected to each other via the internal bus 96. The information processing device 90 may be applied to, for example, the presentation device 10, the planning device 20, and the control device 30. In this case, for example, the communication units 11, 21, and 31 may be configured using the communication interface 93. For example, the memory units 14, 24, and 32 may be configured using the auxiliary storage device 94. Furthermore, the control units 15, 25, and 33 may be configured using the processor 91 and the main storage device 92.

[0098] The operations of the above-mentioned control units are stored in the form of a program in an auxiliary storage device 94 (storage). The processor 91 reads the program from the auxiliary storage device 94, loads it into the main storage device 92, and executes the above-mentioned processes in accordance with the program. The processor 91 also allocates storage areas in the main storage device 92 corresponding to the above-mentioned storage units in accordance with the program. Examples of the processor 91 include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), and a microprocessor.

[0099] The program may be for realizing some of the functions to be performed by the information processing device 90. For example, the program may be combined with other programs already stored in the auxiliary storage device 94 or other programs implemented in other devices to perform the functions. In another example of the embodiment, the information processing device 90 may include a custom LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) in addition to or instead of the above configuration. Examples of PLDs include PAL (Programmable Array Logic), GAL (Generic Array Logic), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). In this case, some or all of the functions realized by the processor 91 may be realized by the integrated circuit. Such an integrated circuit is also included as an example of a processor.

[0100] Examples of the auxiliary storage device 94 include a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, an optical disk, and a semiconductor memory. The auxiliary storage device 94 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of the information processing device 90, or an external medium connected to the information processing device 90 via the input / output interface 95 or a communication line. Furthermore, when this program is distributed to the information processing device 90 via a communication line, the information processing device 90 that has received the program may load the program into the main storage device 92 and execute the above-mentioned processing. In at least one embodiment, the auxiliary storage device 94 is a non-transitory tangible storage medium.

[0101] The program may also be a program for realizing some of the above-described functions. Furthermore, the program may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that realizes the above-described functions in combination with another program already stored in the auxiliary storage device 94.

[0102] For example, the program may be a program that causes a computer (information processing device) to execute a process of accepting designation of regional information indicating an area including power sources and consumers, and a process of presenting combinations of power sources and consumers from among the power sources and consumers included in the area indicated by the regional information (designated regional information) for which the designation was accepted.

[0103] For example, the program may be a program that causes a computer (information processing device) to execute the following processes: accepting designation of regional information indicating a plurality of regions each including a power source and a consumer; presenting, for each of the plurality of regions indicated by the regional information (designated regional information) for which the designation has been accepted, combinations of power sources and consumers from among the power sources and consumers included in each of the plurality of regions; and determining, from each of the plurality of regions, a region in which an EMS should be introduced, based on the combinations presented for each of the plurality of regions.

[0104] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes designs within the scope that do not deviate from the gist of this disclosure.

[0105] For example, in the above embodiment, the presentation device 10, the planning device 20, and the control device 30 are configured as different devices, but they may be configured as an integrated device. At least one of the presentation device 10, the planning device 20, and the control device 30 may be implemented using a plurality of information processing devices. For example, the at least one device may be implemented using a device such as a cloud. For example, in the at least one device, the storage unit and the control unit may be implemented in different information processing devices. For example, the storage unit of the at least one device may be distributed and implemented in a plurality of information processing devices. For example, the planning device 20 and the control device 30 may not be present. The present disclosure may simply present combinations of power sources and consumers.

[0106] The method according to the present disclosure does not necessarily need to be performed by the power management system 100, and part or all of the method may be performed by, for example, a user (human). For example, in the above embodiment, the combination determination unit 154 determines the combination of power sources and consumers. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the user may determine the combination of power sources and consumers. In this case, similar to the combination determination unit 154, the user may determine the combination of power sources and consumers based on, for example, designated area information, consumer category information, power source information, consumer information, power generation amount information, and power demand information. The user may also determine the combination of power sources and consumers based on, for example, their positional relationship on a map (longitude and latitude) or their relative relationship based on telephone numbers.

[0107] (Addendum) The method according to the embodiment can be understood as follows, for example.

[0108] <1> A method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is characterized by comprising a designation step of designating regional information indicating an area including power sources and consumers, and a presentation step of presenting combinations of power sources and consumers from among the power sources and consumers included in the area indicated by the regional information designated in the designation step.

[0109] In the presentation step, combinations of power sources and consumers are presented from among the power sources and consumers included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step. Therefore, for example, by a user specifying area information in the designation step, combinations of power sources and consumers included in the area specified by the user can be presented without complication to the user.

[0110] <2> the above <1> In the method according to the above, a configuration may be adopted in which, in the presentation step, combinations of power sources and consumers are presented from among the power sources and consumers included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step, based on the power of the power sources included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step and the power demand of the consumers included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step.

[0111] In the presentation step, combinations of power sources and consumers are presented based on the power of the power sources and the power demands of the consumers from among the power sources and consumers included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step. Therefore, combinations of power sources and consumers that can more reliably meet the power demands of the consumers can be presented without causing the user any complication.

[0112] <3> the above <2> The method according to the present invention may further include an acquisition step of acquiring power demand information indicating the power demand of consumers included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step, and may adopt a configuration characterized in that in the presentation step, combinations of power sources and consumers are presented from among the power sources and consumers included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step, based also on the results of the acquisition step.

[0113] In the presentation step, combinations of power sources and consumers are presented from among the power sources and consumers included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step, based on the results of the acquisition step. In the acquisition step, power demand information indicating the power demand of consumers included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step is acquired. Therefore, for example, the accuracy of the power demand information can be improved. As a result, more appropriate combinations of power sources and consumers can be proposed without the user having to go through the hassle.

[0114] <4> the above <1> ~ <3> In the method according to any one of the above aspects, a configuration may be adopted in which the power sources included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step include a power source to be newly installed in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step.

[0115] The power sources included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the specification step include power sources to be newly installed in the area indicated by the area information specified in the specification step. Therefore, it is possible to present combinations of power sources and consumers included in the area specified by the user without making the process complicated for the user, while also taking into consideration the newly installed power sources.

[0116] <5> the above <1> ~ <4> The method according to any one of the above aspects may further include an input step in which consumer category information indicating the category of the consumer is input, and the presenting step may present combinations of power sources and consumers from among the power sources and consumers included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the specifying step, based also on the input results of the input step.

[0117] In the presentation step, combinations of power sources and consumers are presented from among the power sources and consumers included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the designation step, based on the input results of the input step. In the input step, consumer category information indicating the consumer category is input. Therefore, combinations of power sources and power demand facilities included in the area specified by the user can be presented without complication to the user, while also taking into consideration the consumer category.

[0118] <6> the above <1> ~ <5> In the method according to any one of the above aspects, a configuration may be adopted in which the method further comprises an EMS step of creating a plan to control the charging and discharging of a storage battery that is capable of charging the power of the power sources included in the combination presented in the presentation step and discharging to the consumers included in the combination presented in the presentation step, based on the electricity price, the amount of power generated by the power sources included in the combination presented in the presentation step, and the amount of electricity demanded by the consumers included in the combination presented in the presentation step.

[0119] In the EMS step, a plan for controlling the discharge and charge of the power source of the storage battery is created based on the electricity price, the amount of power generated by the power sources included in the combinations presented in the presentation step, and the amount of power demanded by the consumers included in the combinations presented in the presentation step. This makes it easier to create a plan for controlling the discharge and charge of the power source of the storage battery with high accuracy.

[0120] <7> the above <6> The method according to the above aspect may further include a calculation step of calculating the actual cost reduction achieved by the EMS step, and a billing step of billing a customer for a portion of the actual cost reduction calculated in the calculation step.

[0121] In the billing step, a part of the actual cost calculated in the calculation step is billed to the customer, so that, for example, the customer can be billed appropriately.

[0122] <8> the above <6> or <7> The method according to the present invention may further include an estimation step of estimating the cost to be reduced by the EMS step, and a second presentation step of presenting the cost estimated in the estimation step.

[0123] The cost estimated in the estimation step is presented in the second presentation step. Therefore, for example, the cost reduction achieved by the EMS step can be presented without the user having to go through the trouble of doing so.

[0124] <9> the above <1> ~ <8> In the method according to any one of the above aspects, a configuration may be employed in which, in the presenting step, the power of the power source and the power demand of the consumer are presented.

[0125] In the presentation step, the power of the power source and the power demand of the consumer are presented, so that, for example, the user can easily understand the relationship between power supply and demand.

[0126] <10> A method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is characterized by comprising: a designation step of designating regional information indicating a plurality of regions each including a power source and a consumer; a presentation step of presenting, for each of the plurality of regions indicated by the regional information designated in the designation step, combinations of power sources and consumers from among the power sources and consumers included in each of the plurality of regions; and a determination step of determining, from each of the plurality of regions, an area in which an EMS will be introduced, based on the combinations presented for each of the plurality of regions in the presentation step.

[0127] Based on the combinations presented for each of the multiple regions in the presentation step, a region in which to introduce an EMS is determined from each of the multiple regions in the determination step. Here, for each of the multiple regions indicated by the regional information specified in the designation step, combinations of power sources and consumers are presented in the presentation step from among the power sources and consumers included in each of the multiple regions. Therefore, by specifying regional information indicating multiple regions that each include a power source and a consumer in the designation step, it is possible to present combinations of power sources and consumers included in each of the multiple regions specified by the user without complication to the user, and it is also possible to appropriately determine the region in which to introduce an EMS based on the presented combinations.

[0128] <11> the above <10> In the method according to the above, a configuration may be adopted in which, in the determining step, an area in which an EMS is to be introduced is determined from each of the plurality of areas based on the capacity of the power source included in each of the combinations presented in the presenting step or the power demand of the consumers.

[0129] In the determination step, the region where the EMS is to be introduced is determined from among the multiple regions based on the power source capacity or the power demand of the consumers included in each of the combinations presented in the presentation step. Therefore, the region where the EMS is to be introduced can be more appropriately determined based on the power source capacity and the power demand of the consumers.

[0130] <12> the above <10> In the method according to the above, a configuration may be adopted in which, in the determining step, an area in which an EMS is to be introduced is determined from among the plurality of areas based on the number of power sources or the number of consumers included in each of the combinations presented in the presenting step.

[0131] In the determination step, a region where the EMS will be introduced is determined from among the multiple regions based on the number of power sources or the number of consumers included in each of the combinations presented in the presentation step. Therefore, it is possible to more appropriately determine the region where the EMS will be introduced based on the number of power sources and the number of consumers.

[0132] <13> A program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: accepting a designation of regional information indicating an area that includes power sources and consumers; and presenting combinations of power sources and consumers from among the power sources and consumers included in the area indicated by the regional information for which the designation was accepted.

[0133] <14> A program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute the following processes: accepting designation of regional information indicating a plurality of regions each including a power source and a consumer; presenting, for each of the plurality of regions indicated by the regional information for which the designation was accepted, combinations of power sources and consumers from among the power sources and consumers included in each of the plurality of regions; and determining, from each of the plurality of regions, a region in which an EMS should be introduced, based on the combinations presented for each of the plurality of regions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0134] S10 Designated step S51 Input step S54 Acquisition step S70 Presentation Step S101 EMS Step S102 Estimation Step S103 Second presentation step S203 Calculation step S204 Billing Step

Claims

1. a designation step of designating area information indicating an area including a waste treatment facility and a consumer to a computer; a presentation step in which the computer presents to the user combinations of the waste disposal facilities and the consumers from among the waste disposal facilities and the consumers included in the area indicated by the area information specified in the specification step, A method characterized by:

2. In the presenting step, the waste treatment facilities included in the combination and the consumers included in the combination are associated with each other and presented to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 .

3. In the presenting step, an output unit is caused to output the waste treatment facilities included in the combination and the consumers included in the combination.

2. The method of claim 1 .

4. The output unit includes a printer.

4. The method of claim 3.

5. In the presenting step, the waste treatment facilities included in the combination and the consumers included in the combination are output to a display unit.

2. The method of claim 1 .

6. A designation means for receiving designation of area information indicating an area including a waste disposal facility and a consumer; and a presentation means for presenting to a user combinations of the waste disposal facilities and the consumers from among the waste disposal facilities and the consumers included in the area indicated by the area information designated by the designation means. An apparatus characterized in that

7. On the computer, A process of accepting designation of area information indicating an area including a waste treatment facility and a consumer; A program for executing a process of presenting to a user combinations of waste treatment facilities and customers from among the waste treatment facilities and customers included in the area indicated by the regional information for which the designation was accepted.

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