Hot water supply system and control method

Abstract

In a system that automatically creates a hot water storage plan, we provide a hot water supply system that can disable operation based on an automatically created hot water storage plan if an inappropriate plan is created or if a hot water storage plan cannot be obtained. [Solution] The hot water supply system comprises a heat source unit, a server that calculates a first hot water storage plan that defines a target amount of hot water to be stored in a hot water storage tank generated by the heat source unit and transmits the first hot water storage plan to the control device of the heat source unit, and a control device that controls the heat source unit to generate hot water so that the first hot water storage plan can be achieved, and further comprises a selection means for selecting either the first hot water storage plan or the second hot water storage plan, and the control device controls the heat source unit based on the first hot water storage plan if the selection means selects the first hot water storage plan, and controls the heat source unit based on the second hot water storage plan if the selection means selects the second hot water storage plan.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a hot water supply system and a control method.

Background Art

[0002] A hot water supply system is used to supply hot and cold water to kitchen and bathroom facilities in restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals, welfare facilities, etc. In the hot water supply system, a heat source machine heats the supplied water and stores the heated hot and cold water in a hot water storage tank. Then, the hot and cold water stored in the hot water storage tank is supplied to the kitchen, bathroom facilities, etc. For efficient operation of the hot water supply system, a method has been proposed for automatically creating a hot water storage plan that can predict future hot and cold water demand and avoid running out of hot water while meeting the daily demand prediction (for example, Patent Document 1). However, when a hot water storage plan that greatly deviates from the actual situation is generated due to insufficient learning data or the like, or when the hot water storage plan created by the server cannot be received by the controller of the heat source machine due to a communication failure or the like in a system configuration, the desired operation cannot be performed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a system for automatically creating a hot water storage plan, there is a need for a hot water supply system that can invalidate the operation based on the automatically created hot water storage plan when an inappropriate hot water storage plan is created or when the hot water storage plan cannot be acquired due to a communication failure or the like.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a hot water supply system and a control method that can solve the above problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The hot water supply system of the present disclosure comprises a heat source unit, a server that calculates a first hot water storage plan that defines a target amount of hot water to be stored in a hot water storage tank for storing hot water generated by the heat source unit and transmits the first hot water storage plan to a control device of the heat source unit, and a control device that controls the heat source unit to generate hot water so that the first hot water storage plan can be achieved, the control device comprising a selection means for selecting either the first hot water storage plan or a second hot water storage plan set by the user, wherein the control device controls the heat source unit based on the first hot water storage plan when the selection means selects the first hot water storage plan, and controls the heat source unit based on the second hot water storage plan when the selection means selects the second hot water storage plan.

[0007] Furthermore, the control method of the present disclosure is a control method for a hot water supply system comprising: a heat source unit; a server that calculates a first hot water storage plan that defines a target amount of hot water to be stored in a hot water storage tank for storing hot water generated by the heat source unit and transmits the first hot water storage plan to a control device of the heat source unit; and a control device that controls the heat source unit to generate hot water so that the first hot water storage plan can be achieved, wherein the control device accepts a selection of either the first hot water storage plan or a second hot water storage plan set by the user, and instructs the control device to control the heat source unit based on the first hot water storage plan if the first hot water storage plan is selected, and to control the heat source unit based on the second hot water storage plan if the second hot water storage plan is selected. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the hot water supply system and control method described above, the operation of the hot water supply system based on the automatically generated hot water storage plan can be disabled. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a hot water supply system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hot water storage plan creation process according to the embodiment. [Figure 3]This diagram illustrates the margin setting process according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows an example of the server-side disabling process according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of the disabling process on the controller side according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the hot water supply system according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] <Embodiment> The following describes the process of disabling the operation of the hot water supply system based on the automatically generated hot water storage plan, depending on the situation, with reference to the diagrams. (System Configuration) Figure 1 shows an example of a hot water supply system according to each embodiment. As shown in the figure, the hot water supply system 100 comprises a hot water storage tank 1, a heat source unit 2, a remote control 3, a server 10, and an edge terminal 30. The heat source unit 2 includes, for example, a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator, and generates hot water by heating the feedwater through heat exchange in the condenser. The heat source unit 2 sends the generated hot water to the hot water storage tank 1, and the hot water storage tank 1 stores the hot water. The hot water storage tank 1 is equipped with a water level sensor 1a that measures the amount of hot water stored. The controller 20 acquires the measured value from the water level sensor 1a and controls the heat source unit 2 so that the amount of hot water stored measured by the water level sensor 1a reaches the target value. Then, an amount of hot water according to the demand is supplied from the hot water storage tank 1 to the facility on the load side.

[0011] Server 10, controller 20, and edge terminal 30 are computers equipped with processors. Controller 20 and server 10 are connected in a way that allows them to communicate with each other via edge terminal 30. Server 10 is a server located outside the facility where the hot water storage tank 1 and heat source unit 2 are installed, for example, in a data center. Server 10 performs tasks such as forecasting hot water demand and creating a hot water storage plan that determines the amount of hot water to be stored in the hot water storage tank 1 per unit time. Based on the hot water storage plan created by server 10, controller 20 controls the heat source unit 2 so that the amount of hot water stored in the hot water storage tank 1 reaches the target value. Methods for demand forecasting and creating a hot water storage plan are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-40696. Edge terminal 30 is located in the facility where the heat source unit 2 etc. are installed and transmits information about the heat source unit 2 and the hot water storage tank 1 (such as measurement values ​​from various sensors) to server 10 and receives the hot water storage plan from server 10, thus mediating communication between server 10 and controller 20.

[0012] The server 10 comprises a hot water storage plan creation unit 11, a hot water storage plan setting unit 12, a determination unit 13, a switch 14, a UI (user interface) 15, a storage unit 16, and a transmission unit 17.

[0013] The hot water storage plan creation unit 11 automatically creates a hot water storage plan. The hot water storage plan is, for example, the target amount of hot water to be stored in the hot water storage tank 1 every hour. The automatic creation of the hot water storage plan will be explained next using Figure 2. The hot water storage plan setting unit 12 accepts the hot water storage plan settings created by the user.

[0014] The determination unit 13 determines whether to send the hot water storage plan to the controller 20 to the plan automatically created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11 or to the plan that the hot water storage plan setting unit 12 has accepted. For example, if there are no problems with the hot water storage plan automatically created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11, the determination unit 13 selects the plan automatically created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11. If there are problems with the automatically created hot water storage plan, such as when the demand forecast deviates from the actual demand, the determination unit 13 selects the plan that the hot water storage plan setting unit 12 has accepted.

[0015] Switch 14 selects either the hot water storage plan created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11 or the hot water storage plan received by the hot water storage plan setting unit 12 based on the user's operation or the selection by the determination unit 13. Switch 14 may be a physical switch or a switch implemented by software.

[0016] UI 15 displays the measured value (water level) of the water level sensor 1a and the monitored values such as the outside air temperature transmitted from the controller 20. Further, UI 15 provides an interface for receiving the input of various setting information (for example, the hot water storage plan) by the user. The storage unit 16 accumulates the measured value of the water level sensor 1a and the monitored values such as the outside air temperature transmitted from the controller 20. The accumulated information becomes learning data used for constructing a demand prediction model for automatically creating a hot water storage plan. The transmission unit 17 transmits the hot water storage plan to the controller 20.

[0017] The controller 20 includes a hot water storage plan acquisition unit 21, a determination unit 22, and a switch 23. The hot water storage plan acquisition unit 21 acquires the hot water storage plan from the server 10 or the remote controller 3. The hot water storage plan acquired from the server 10 may be an automatically created plan or a plan set by the user. Also, when the hot water storage plan transmitted from the server 10 cannot be received by the controller 20 due to a communication failure or the like, or when there is a problem with the hot water storage plan transmitted from the server 10 (when it deviates from the actual demand), the hot water storage plan acquisition unit 21 acquires the hot water storage plan set using the remote controller 3.

[0018] The determination unit 22 determines whether to use the hot water storage plan received from the server 10 or the hot water storage plan set from the remote controller 3 for controlling the heat source machine 2. For example, when the determination unit 22 can receive the hot water storage plan from the server 10, it selects the hot water storage plan received from the server 10, and when it cannot receive it, it selects the hot water storage plan set from the remote controller 3.

[0019] Switch 23 selects either a plan received from server 10 or a plan set from remote control 3, based on user operation or selection by determination unit 22. Switch 23 may be a physical switch or a software-implemented switch.

[0020] (Creating a hot water storage plan) Next, we will explain how to create a hot water storage plan, referring to Figure 2. Figure 2 shows an example of the hot water storage plan creation process according to the embodiment. The hot water storage plan creation unit 11 includes a demand forecasting unit 111, a plan creation unit 112, and a margin processing unit 113.

[0021] The demand forecasting unit 111 is equipped with a demand forecasting model that outputs the amount of hot water demand when input such as outside temperature, day of the week, weather, month or season, and time of day. The demand forecasting model is constructed by machine learning or the like using the learning data stored in the memory unit 16. The demand forecasting unit 111 obtains explanatory variables such as hourly outside temperature for the next 24 hours and inputs them into the demand forecasting model to predict the hourly amount of hot water demand.

[0022] The planning unit 112 creates a hot water storage plan that sets target hot water storage amounts for each hour over a future 24-hour period. The planning unit 112 is equipped with a power consumption estimation model that, upon input of the outside temperature, the inlet temperature of the water supplied to the heat source unit 2, and the boiling temperature, outputs the power consumption required to boil a unit volume (for example, 1 L) of hot water. The planning unit 112 solves an optimization problem with the objective function of minimizing the daily power consumption and the constraint that it must satisfy the hourly demand predicted by the demand forecasting model, and then creates a hot water storage plan. For example, the planning unit 112 creates a hot water storage plan that satisfies the predicted hourly demand using any method, and calculates the hourly hot water storage amount, inflow amount (amount of hot water supplied by the heat source unit 2), outflow amount, and power consumption when that hot water storage plan is executed. The planning unit 112 simulates the operation of heating water using the heat source unit 2 every hour if the amount of hot water stored at that time is below the target amount of hot water stored as indicated in the hot water storage plan, and not heating water if it is above the target amount of hot water stored. The amount of hot water stored is calculated by adding the amount of water inflow in the previous hour to the amount of hot water stored one hour ago, and then subtracting the amount of water outflow in the previous hour. The planning unit 112 searches for a hot water storage plan that satisfies the hourly demand for hot water and minimizes the total amount of electricity consumed for one day, while also modifying the hot water storage plan. This creates the hot water storage plan.

[0023] The margin processing unit 113 sets a margin for the hot water storage plan created by the planning unit 112. Margin processing is the process of modifying (correcting) the created hot water storage plan with an emphasis on preventing hot water shortages and saving energy. For example, in cold regions in particular, running out of hot water is a problem that must be avoided for the hot water supply system 100. In order to ensure the minimum amount of hot water that can be stored to avoid running out of hot water, the margin processing unit 113 raises the target amount of hot water for time periods in the created hot water storage plan where the target amount of hot water is below a certain value. Figure 3 is a graph showing an example of a hot water storage plan after margin processing. In the graph in Figure 3, the vertical axis is the amount of hot water stored and the horizontal axis is time. L1 is the hot water storage plan after margin processing, and L2 is the amount of hot water demand predicted by the demand forecasting unit 111. Since the demand for time periods t0-t1, t2-t3, and t4-t5 is less than 20%, the target hot water storage amount for the same time period in the hot water storage plan calculated by the planning unit 112 through optimization calculation may also be calculated as less than 20%. To avoid running out of hot water, the user sets a 20% margin through the UI 15. Then, the margin processing unit 113 raises the target hot water storage amount to 20% for time periods in the hot water storage plan created by the planning unit 112 where the target hot water storage amount is less than 20%. For this reason, in the hot water storage plan L1 in Figure 3, the target hot water storage amount for time periods t0-t1, t2-t3, and t4-t5 is 20%. The margin setting is not limited to the lower limit of the target hot water storage amount. For example, coefficients such as "1.2" and "0.8" may be set. If a coefficient of 1.2 is set, the margin processing unit 113 multiplies the target hot water storage amount for each time period in the hot water storage plan created by the planning unit 112 by 1.2. The margin setting of "1.2" is for preventing running out of hot water. "0.8" is for reducing power consumption. As explained above, the hot water storage plan creation unit 11 predicts the demand for hot water, calculates a target hot water storage volume that can meet the predicted demand while minimizing power consumption, and automatically creates a hot water storage plan by applying margin processing to the calculated target hot water storage volume to prevent running out of hot water, etc.

[0024] The automatically generated hot water storage plan may deviate from actual demand. For example, the accuracy of the demand forecast may be insufficient due to insufficient training data used to build the demand forecasting model, or demand may differ from the forecast due to unexpected events or unfavorable weather conditions. In such cases, operating the hot water supply system 100 based on the automatically generated hot water storage plan may result in malfunctions such as running out of hot water. In such cases, with the hot water supply system 100 illustrated in Figure 1, the hot water supply system 100 can be operated based on the hot water storage plan that corresponds to actual demand by setting a hot water storage plan that corresponds to actual demand on the server 10 and switching the switch 14 to the hot water storage plan setting unit 12. Alternatively, the hot water supply system 100 can be operated based on the hot water storage plan that corresponds to actual demand by switching the switch 23 from the server 10 to the remote control 3 and setting a hot water storage plan that corresponds to actual demand (it may be a target hot water storage amount for the next few hours, not necessarily for 24 hours) on the remote control 3.

[0025] Furthermore, even if the hot water storage plan created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11 is appropriate, there is a possibility that it cannot be transmitted to the controller 20 due to communication failures or other issues. In such cases, the switch 23 on the controller 20 can be switched from the server 10 to the remote control 3, and the hot water storage plan corresponding to the actual demand can be set from the remote control 3, thereby enabling the hot water supply system 100 to be operated based on the hot water storage plan corresponding to the actual demand.

[0026] The process of invalidating the hot water storage plan automatically created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11 due to reasons such as incorrect demand forecasts or communication failures, and instead adopting a hot water storage plan created by the user, is called invalidation processing. Next, an example of invalidation processing will be explained using Figures 4 and 5.

[0027] (operation) (Disabling Server 10) First, let's explain the processing on server 10. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the server-side disabling process according to the embodiment. As a prerequisite, switch 14 is set to select the hot water storage plan automatically created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11. The hot water storage plan creation unit 11 creates a hot water storage plan (step S1). Next, the hot water storage plan creation unit 11 performs margin processing (step S2). The hot water storage plan creation unit 11 outputs the hot water storage plan after margin processing to the transmission unit 17. The transmission unit 17 transmits the hot water storage plan automatically created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11 to the controller 20 (step S3). The transmitted hot water storage plan is received by the edge terminal 30, and the edge terminal 30 transmits the received hot water storage plan to the controller 20. The controller 20 receives the hot water storage plan and stores the received hot water storage plan in the storage medium of its device. Next, it determines whether there is a problem with the automatically created hot water storage plan (step S4). This determination may be made by the user or by the determination unit 13. For example, the user may determine that there is a problem with the automatically created hot water storage plan if there is a discrepancy between the forecast of the outside temperature used to automatically create the hot water storage plan and the forecast of the current outside temperature and future outside temperature. Furthermore, for example, the user checks whether there has been any sudden change at the load-side facility that affects the demand for hot water, and if there has been a change, it determines that there is a problem with the automatically generated hot water storage plan. Also, for example, when the heat source unit 2 is operated based on the automatically generated hot water storage plan, the determination unit 13 compares the hourly target hot water storage amount shown in the automatically generated hot water storage plan with the actual hot water storage amount shown by the monitor value transmitted from the heat source unit 2 (the value measured by the water level sensor 1a), and if it is confirmed that the two deviate by a predetermined value or more (or if it is confirmed that they deviate continuously for a predetermined time), it determines that there is a problem with the automatically generated hot water storage plan. If the determination unit 13 determines that there is a problem, it may display on the UI 15 that the actual hot water storage amount deviates from the target hot water storage amount and notify the user that the target hot water storage amount has not been achieved. If it is determined that there is no problem (step S4; No), the process in Figure 4 is terminated.

[0028] If a problem is detected (Step S4; Yes), the hot water storage plan setting unit 12 switches the switch 14 to select the hot water storage plan it has received (Step S5). For example, the user may operate the physical switch 14 to switch it, or if the switch is implemented in software, the user may give an instruction to switch the switch so that the switch 14 selects the hot water storage plan set by the user. Alternatively, if the determination unit 13 detects a problem in Step S4, the determination unit 13 may instruct the switch 14 to switch so that the switch 14 selects the hot water storage plan set by the user instead of the automatically generated hot water storage plan. When the switch 14 is switched, the hot water storage plan setting unit 12 accepts the hot water storage plan setting (Step S6). The user creates a hot water storage plan according to the actual demand and inputs it to the server 10. The hot water storage plan setting unit 12 receives the input hot water storage plan and outputs it to the transmission unit 17. The transmission unit 17 transmits the hot water storage plan received by the hot water storage plan setting unit 12 to the controller 20 (Step S7). The transmitted hot water storage plan is received by the edge terminal 30, which then transmits the received hot water storage plan to the controller 20. The controller 20 receives the hot water storage plan and overwrites the hot water storage plan transmitted in step S3.

[0029] (Disabling process for controller 20) Next, the processing of the controller 20 will be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the controller-side disabling process according to the embodiment. As a prerequisite, the switch 23 is set to select the hot water storage plan received from the server 10. The controller 20 receives the hot water storage plan through the edge terminal 30 (step S11). The controller 20 records the hot water storage plan in the storage medium of its device (step S12). Next, it determines whether there is a problem in receiving the hot water storage plan (step S13). This determination may be made by the user or by the determination unit 22. For example, the user checks whether there is a problem with communication between the server 10 and the edge terminal 30 (or controller 20). Alternatively, for example, the determination unit 13 checks the contents of the hot water storage plan recorded in step S12 and determines that there is a problem in receiving the hot water storage plan if the hot water storage plan has not been recorded or the target hot water storage amount has not been changed. If it is determined that there is no problem (step S13; No), the controller 20 controls the heat source unit 2 based on the hot water storage plan received in step S1 (step S16).

[0030] If a problem is detected (Step S13; Yes), switch 23 is switched to select the hot water storage plan set from the remote control 3 (Step S14). For example, the user may operate the physical switch 23 to switch it, or if the switch is implemented in software, the user may give an instruction to switch the switch so that switch 23 selects the hot water storage plan set from the remote control 3. Alternatively, if the detection unit 22 detects a problem in Step S13, the detection unit 13 may instruct switch 23 to switch it so that switch 23 selects the hot water storage plan set from the remote control 3 instead of the hot water storage plan received from the server 10. When switch 23 is switched, the hot water storage plan acquisition unit 21 accepts the hot water storage plan setting (Step S15). The user creates a hot water storage plan according to the actual demand and inputs the created hot water storage plan to the controller 20 by operating the remote control 3. The hot water storage plan acquisition unit 21 acquires the input hot water storage plan. The controller 20 controls the heat source unit 2 based on the hot water storage plan acquired in Step S15 (Step S16).

[0031] Regarding communication failures, the determination of whether or not a communication failure has occurred is not limited to the flowchart in Figure 5; the server 10 may also determine whether or not a communication failure has occurred. For example, if the transmission unit 17 receives a signal such as a transmission error when transmitting the hot water storage plan, the determination unit 13 may determine that a communication failure has occurred, display the occurrence of the communication failure on the UI 15, and notify the user that the hot water storage plan could not be transmitted. Upon seeing this notification, the user manually switches the switch 23 to the remote control 3 and sets the hot water storage plan using the remote control 3.

[0032] (effect) As described above, this embodiment allows for the operation of the hot water supply system based on an automatically generated hot water storage plan to be disabled as needed, and enables the operation of the hot water supply system based on an alternative hot water storage plan. For example, if the contents of the automatically generated hot water storage plan are inappropriate, the hot water supply system 100 can be controlled based on an appropriate hot water storage plan by switching the switch 14 on the server 10 to send a hot water storage plan set by the user to the controller 20, or by switching the switch 23 to obtain a hot water storage plan set from the remote control 3.

[0033] Furthermore, if the controller 20 is unable to receive the hot water storage plan from the server 10 due to a communication failure, the controller 20 can switch the switch 23 to obtain the hot water storage plan set from the remote control 3, thereby controlling the hot water supply system 100 based on an appropriate hot water storage plan.

[0034] In the above embodiment, a switch 14 is provided on the server 10 and a switch 23 is provided on the controller 20. However, it is also possible to provide a switch 14 on the server 10 and no switch on the controller 20. In this configuration, a function may be implemented to allow setting a new hot water storage plan from the remote control 3 in case of a communication failure. Alternatively, the server 10 may not have a switch 14, and the controller 20 may have a switch 23.

[0035] Figure 6 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the hot water supply system according to each embodiment. The computer 900 includes a CPU 901, main memory 902, auxiliary memory 903, input / output interface 904, and communication interface 905. The server 10, controller 20, and edge terminal 30 described above are implemented in the computer 900. The functions described above are stored in auxiliary storage device 903 in the form of programs. The CPU 901 reads the programs from auxiliary storage device 903, loads them into main memory 902, and executes the above processes according to the programs. The CPU 901 also allocates memory space in main memory 902 according to the programs. The CPU 901 also allocates memory space in auxiliary storage device 903 to store data being processed according to the programs.

[0036] Furthermore, a program to implement all or part of the functions of the server 10, controller 20, and edge terminal 30 may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed to perform processing by each functional unit. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as the OS and peripheral devices. Also, if a WWW system is used, "computer system" also includes the homepage provisioning environment (or display environment). Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as CDs, DVDs, USBs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into the computer system. In addition, if this program is distributed to computer 900 via a communication line, computer 900 that receives the distribution may load the program into main memory 902 and execute the above processing. Furthermore, the above program may be for implementing only a part of the functions described above, and may also be able to implement the above functions in combination with programs already recorded in the computer system.

[0037] As described above, several embodiments relating to this disclosure have been explained, but all of these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be carried out in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents.

[0038] <Note> The hot water supply system and control method described in each embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows:

[0039] (1) A hot water supply system according to the first embodiment comprises a heat source unit, a server that calculates a first hot water storage plan that defines a target amount of hot water to be stored in a hot water storage tank for storing hot water generated by the heat source unit and transmits the first hot water storage plan to a control device of the heat source unit, and a control device that controls the heat source unit to generate hot water so that the first hot water storage plan can be achieved, wherein the control device comprises a selection means for selecting either the first hot water storage plan or a second hot water storage plan set by the user, and the control device controls the heat source unit based on the first hot water storage plan when the selection means selects the first hot water storage plan, and controls the heat source unit based on the second hot water storage plan when the selection means selects the second hot water storage plan. This allows the operation of the hot water supply system based on the automatically generated first hot water storage plan to be disabled.

[0040] (2) A hot water supply system according to a second embodiment is the hot water supply system of (1), wherein the server comprises the selection means of the server, the receiving means of the server for receiving the setting of the second hot water storage plan, and the transmitting means for transmitting the first hot water storage plan or the second hot water storage plan selected by the selection means of the server to the control device. This allows the operation of the hot water supply system based on the first hot water storage plan to be disabled, and the hot water supply system to be operated based on the second hot water storage plan.

[0041] (3) The hot water supply system according to the third embodiment is the hot water supply system according to (1) to (2), wherein the control device comprises the selection means of the control device and the receiving means of the control device for receiving the setting of the second hot water storage plan. This allows the operation of the hot water supply system based on the first hot water storage plan to be disabled, regardless of the server status or the communication status with the server, and the hot water storage plan to be set by the control device.

[0042] (4) The hot water supply system according to the fourth embodiment is the hot water supply system according to (1) to (2), wherein the control device comprises means for determining whether or not a failure has occurred in communication with the server, the selection means of the control device, and the receiving means of the control device for receiving the setting of the second hot water storage plan. This allows the operation of the hot water supply system based on the first hot water storage plan to be disabled and the control device to set a new hot water storage plan, even if a communication failure occurs with the server.

[0043] (5) The hot water supply system according to the fifth embodiment is the hot water supply system of (2), wherein when the first hot water storage plan deviates from the amount of hot water actually required, the receiving means of the server receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan, the selection means of the server selects the second hot water storage plan, and the transmitting means transmits the second hot water storage plan to the control device. This allows the operation of the hot water supply system based on the first hot water storage plan to be disabled if the first plan is not appropriate, and the hot water supply system to be operated based on the hot water storage plan set by the control device.

[0044] (6) The hot water supply system according to the sixth embodiment is the hot water supply system of (3), wherein when the first hot water storage plan deviates from the amount of hot water actually required, the receiving means of the control device receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan, and the selection means of the control device selects the second hot water storage plan. This allows the operation of the hot water supply system based on the first hot water storage plan to be disabled if the first plan is not appropriate, and the hot water supply system to be operated based on the hot water storage plan set by the control device.

[0045] (7) The hot water supply system according to the seventh embodiment is the hot water supply system of (3), wherein if a communication failure occurs between the server and the control device, the receiving means of the control device receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan, and the selection means of the control device selects the second hot water storage plan. This allows the hot water supply system to be operated based on the first hot water storage plan if a hot water storage plan cannot be received from the server due to a communication failure, and the hot water supply system to be operated based on the hot water storage plan set in the control unit.

[0046] (8) The control method relating to the eighth aspect is a control method for a hot water supply system comprising: a heat source unit; a server that calculates a first hot water storage plan that defines a target amount of hot water to be stored in a hot water storage tank for storing hot water generated by the heat source unit and transmits the first hot water storage plan to a control device of the heat source unit; and a control device that controls the heat source unit to generate hot water so that the first hot water storage plan can be achieved, wherein the control device accepts a selection of either the first hot water storage plan or a second hot water storage plan set by the user, and instructs the control device to control the heat source unit based on the first hot water storage plan if the first hot water storage plan is selected, and to control the heat source unit based on the second hot water storage plan if the second hot water storage plan is selected. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 1. Hot water storage tank 1a...Water level sensor 2...Heat source machine 3. Remote control 10. Server 11. Hot Water Storage Planning Department 12. Hot water storage plan setting section 13... Judgment section 14...switch 15···UI 16...Storage section 17. Transmitter 20... Controller 21. Hot Water Storage Plan Acquisition Department 22... Judgment section 23...switch 30. Edge devices 100... hot water supply system 900... Computer 901···CPU 902...Main memory 903...Auxiliary storage device 904... Input / Output Interface 905...Communication Interface

Claims

1. A hot water supply system comprising: a heat source unit; a server that calculates a first hot water storage plan that defines a target amount of hot water to be stored in a hot water storage tank for storing hot water generated by the heat source unit, and transmits the first hot water storage plan to the control device of the heat source unit; and a control device that controls the heat source unit to generate hot water so that the first hot water storage plan can be achieved, The system includes a selection means for selecting either the first hot water storage plan or a second hot water storage plan set by the user, The control device controls the heat source unit based on the first hot water storage plan when the selection means selects the first hot water storage plan, and controls the heat source unit based on the second hot water storage plan when the selection means selects the second hot water storage plan. Hot water supply system.

2. The aforementioned server, The selection means of the server, The server receiving means for receiving the setting of the second hot water storage plan, A transmission means that transmits the first hot water storage plan or the second hot water storage plan selected by the selection means of the server to the control device, The hot water supply system according to claim 1, comprising:

3. The control device, The selection means of the control device, The receiving means of the control device that accepts the setting of the second hot water storage plan, A hot water supply system according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising:

4. The control device, A means for determining whether or not a communication failure has occurred with the server, The selection means of the control device, The receiving means of the control device that accepts the setting of the second hot water storage plan, A hot water supply system according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising:

5. If the first hot water storage plan deviates from the actual amount of hot water that is required, The receiving means of the server receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan, The selection means of the server selects the second hot water storage plan, The transmitting means transmits the second hot water storage plan to the control device. The hot water supply system according to claim 2.

6. If the first hot water storage plan deviates from the actual amount of hot water that is required, The receiving means of the control device receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan, The selection means of the control device selects the second hot water storage plan. The hot water supply system according to claim 3.

7. If a communication failure occurs between the server and the control device, The receiving means of the control device receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan, The selection means of the control device selects the second hot water storage plan. The hot water supply system according to claim 3.

8. A control method for a hot water supply system comprising: a heat source unit; a server that calculates a first hot water storage plan that defines a target amount of hot water to be stored in a hot water storage tank for storing hot water generated by the heat source unit, and transmits the first hot water storage plan to the control device of the heat source unit; and a control device that controls the heat source unit to generate hot water so that the first hot water storage plan can be achieved, wherein The system accepts a selection between the first hot water storage plan and the second hot water storage plan set by the user. The control device is configured to control the heat source unit based on the first hot water storage plan when the first hot water storage plan is selected, and to control the heat source unit based on the second hot water storage plan when the second hot water storage plan is selected. Control method.

Images