Power management system and program

Abstract

The objective is to provide a power management system, power management method, and program that enable the expansion of the introduction of solar panels, storage batteries, and other related technologies. [Solution] The power management system includes a first business system which calculates the electricity cost for a multi-unit dwelling equipped with a distributed power source that includes at least a storage battery and a solar power generation device for each multi-unit dwelling, based on the power consumption of grid power and the power of the distributed power source, collects the calculated electricity cost from multiple consumers in the multi-unit dwelling, and pays the money to the owner of the multi-unit dwelling equipped with the solar power generation device, and which includes a settlement unit which calculates the consideration for the first business operator, which bears the installation costs of the distributed power source, to lease the installation space for the solar power generation device in the multi-unit dwelling equipped with the solar power generation device from the owner, and pays the calculated money to the owner of the multi-unit dwelling, and the power generated by the solar power generation device is distributed to each consumer and stored in the storage battery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power management system and a program.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a power distribution system that contracts with an electric power company and distributes the electric power supplied from the power grid to each household in a condominium. The contract with the electric power company includes a bulk contract for high-voltage power and a bulk contract for low-voltage power. In the case of a bulk contract for high-voltage power, a high-voltage receiving and transforming device is required when supplying power from the power grid to each household (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In recent years, the use of renewable energy has been demanded, and there are condominiums having solar panels and storage batteries. Furthermore, while significantly improving the heat insulation performance of the outer skin and introducing a highly efficient equipment system to maintain the quality of the indoor environment and achieve significant energy savings, a Zero Energy House (ZEH) that aims to make the balance of the annual primary energy consumption zero by introducing renewable energy has been demanded. For this reason, in the case of a condominium as described above, it is required to significantly improve the heat insulation performance and introduce solar panels, storage batteries, etc.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, due to factors such as installation costs and operation costs, it has been difficult to expand the introduction of solar panels, storage batteries, etc.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a power management system and program that can promote the widespread introduction of solar panels, storage batteries, and the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of this embodiment is a power management system comprising a first business system which calculates electricity charges for a multi-unit dwelling equipped with a distributed power source that includes at least a storage battery and a solar power generation device for each multi-unit dwelling, based on the power consumption of grid power and the power of the distributed power source, collects the calculated electricity charges from multiple consumers of the multi-unit dwelling, and pays the money to the owner of the multi-unit dwelling where the solar power generation device is installed, and a first business system which includes a settlement unit which calculates the consideration for leasing the installation space of the solar power generation device in the multi-unit dwelling where the solar power generation device is installed from the owner, and pays the calculated money to the owner of the multi-unit dwelling, wherein the power generated by the solar power generation device is distributed to each consumer and stored in the storage battery.

[0008] One aspect of this embodiment relates to an apartment building equipped with a distributed power source that includes at least a storage battery and a solar power generation device for each apartment building, and comprises information from an electric meter installed in the apartment building, which includes information from a first lower meter for each customer that measures the amount of grid power and generated power consumed by the customer's facility in the apartment building, information from a second lower meter that measures the amount of grid power and generated power consumed by the common area facility in the apartment building, and information from a larger meter that is a centralized grid power receiving meter that measures the amount of grid power consumed by the facilities of multiple customers and the amount of grid power consumed by the common area facility. The power management system comprises a first business system which calculates the electricity bill for each customer in accordance with their consumption of grid power and the electricity generated by the distributed power source which can be purchased at a lower rate than the grid power, collects the calculated electricity bill from each customer in the apartment building, and pays the money to the owner of the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed, and a first business system which includes a settlement unit which calculates the consideration for the first business, which bears the installation costs of the distributed power source, to lease the installation space for the solar power generation equipment in the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed from the owner, and pays the calculated money to the owner of the apartment building.

[0009] According to one aspect of this embodiment, the generated electricity is distributed to each consumer and stored in the battery.

[0010] One aspect of this embodiment is a power management system comprising the steps of: a computer calculating electricity costs for a multi-unit dwelling equipped with a distributed power source that includes at least a storage battery and a solar power generation device for the multi-unit dwelling, in accordance with the power consumption of grid power and the power of the distributed power source; a computer collecting the calculated electricity costs from multiple consumers of the multi-unit dwelling; a computer calculating the amount of money to be paid to the owner of the multi-unit dwelling equipped with the solar power generation device, which is the consideration paid by a first business operator that bears the installation costs of the distributed power source to the owner for leasing the installation space of the solar power generation device in the multi-unit dwelling equipped with the solar power generation device; and a computer paying the calculated amount of money to the owner of the multi-unit dwelling.

[0011] One aspect of this embodiment is a computer that, for an apartment building equipped with a distributed power source that includes at least a storage battery and a solar power generation device for the apartment building, has information from electricity meters installed in the apartment building, which includes information from a first lower meter for each customer that measures the amount of grid power and generated power consumed by the customer's facilities in the apartment building, information from a second lower meter that measures the amount of grid power and generated power consumed by the common area facilities of the apartment building, and information from a larger meter that is a centralized grid power receiving meter that measures the amount of grid power consumed by the facilities of multiple customers and the amount of grid power consumed by the common area facilities, and then calculates the grid power and The power management system includes the steps of: calculating the electricity bill for each consumer in proportion to their consumption of electricity generated by the distributed power source, which can be purchased at a lower rate than the grid power; the computer collecting the calculated electricity bill from each consumer in the apartment building; the computer calculating the amount of money to be paid to the owner of the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed, which is the consideration paid by the first business operator, who bears the installation costs of the distributed power source, to the owner for the installation space of the solar power generation equipment in the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed; and the computer paying the calculated amount to the owner of the apartment building.

[0012] One aspect of this embodiment is a program that causes a computer to perform the following steps: calculate the electricity cost for a multi-unit dwelling equipped with a distributed power source that includes at least a storage battery and a solar power generation device for each multi-unit dwelling, in accordance with the power consumption of the grid power and the power of the distributed power source; collect the calculated electricity cost from multiple consumers of the multi-unit dwelling; calculate the amount of money to be paid to the owner of the multi-unit dwelling equipped with the solar power generation device, which is the consideration for a first business operator that bears the installation costs of the distributed power source to lease the installation space of the solar power generation device in the multi-unit dwelling equipped with the solar power generation device from the owner; and pay the calculated amount of money to the owner of the multi-unit dwelling.

[0013] One aspect of this embodiment involves a computer that, for an apartment building equipped with a distributed power source including at least a storage battery and a solar power generation device for the apartment building, includes information on electric meters installed in the apartment building, which includes information on a first lower meter for each customer that measures the amount of grid power and generated power consumed by the customer's facilities in the apartment building, information on a second lower meter that measures the amount of grid power and generated power consumed by the common area facilities of the apartment building, and information on a higher meter that is a centralized grid power receiving meter that measures the amount of grid power consumed by the facilities of multiple customers and the amount of grid power consumed by the common area facilities. The program is designed to perform the following steps: calculate the electricity bill for each consumer based on their consumption of grid power and electricity generated by the distributed power source which can be purchased at a lower rate than the grid power; collect the calculated electricity bill from each consumer in the apartment building; calculate the amount of money to be paid to the owner of the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed, which is the consideration for the first business operator, who bears the installation costs of the distributed power source, to lease the installation space for the solar power generation equipment in the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed from the owner; and pay the calculated amount to the owner of the apartment building. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to expand the introduction of solar panels, storage batteries, and the like. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the overall configuration to which the information management system according to the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] This is a diagram illustrating the outline of an apartment building equipped with a solar power generation system and a storage battery in an embodiment of the design. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example configuration of a power management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the relationship between the first and second businesses. [Figure 5]This is a diagram for explaining the flow of power transactions, billing, and settlement, etc. carried out by the first operator system according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a diagram showing a configuration example of functional units that perform the processing of the first operator system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a diagram showing a configuration example of the second operator system according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a diagram showing a configuration example of functional units that perform the processing of the second operator system according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a sequence diagram of a processing example in the information management system according to the embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used in the following description, the scales of each member are appropriately changed in order to make each member recognizable. The embodiments described below are merely examples, and the embodiments to which the present invention is applied are not limited to the following embodiments.

[0017] In all the drawings for explaining the embodiments, those having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations are omitted. In addition, "based on XX" as used in the present application means "at least based on XX", and includes cases where it is based on another element in addition to XX. Also, "based on XX" is not limited to the case of directly using XX, and includes cases where it is based on something obtained by performing arithmetic operations or processing on XX. "XX" is an arbitrary element (for example, arbitrary information).

[0018] First, a configuration example to which the information management system of the embodiment is applied will be described using FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration example to which the information management system according to the embodiment is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the overall configuration to which the information management system is applied includes, for example, a house 2, a house 3, an electric power company 4, an intermediary company 5, a house 6, and an electric power supply destination 7. The configuration in FIG. 1 is an example and is not limited thereto.

[0019] The housing 2 is an apartment building or a single-family house. The housing 2 is equipped with a solar power generation system.

[0020] The housing 3 is an apartment building or a single-family house. The housing 3 is equipped with a solar power generation system and a storage battery.

[0021] The power company 4 purchases surplus power from the housing 2 and the housing 3 through the intermediary company 5. Note that the power company 4 may purchase the power from the housing 2 without a storage battery at the standard price and purchase the power from the housing 3 with a storage battery at a premium price higher than the standard price. The power company 4 supplies the power purchased through the intermediary company 5 to, for example, the housing 6 constructed by the intermediary company 5 and the power supply destination 7 of the intermediary company 5.

[0022] The building owners of the housing 2 and 3 may lease the roof, etc. to the intermediary company 5. In that case, the intermediary company 5 installs a solar power generation system on the roof rented from the building owner of the housing 2 and performs maintenance management of the solar power generation system. The intermediary company 5 installs a solar power generation system on the roof rented from the building owner of the housing 3, installs a storage battery, and performs maintenance management of the solar power generation system and the storage battery. The intermediary company 5 acts as an intermediary for the power of the power company 4.

[0023] The housing 6 is, for example, a housing constructed by the intermediary company 5. The housing 6 is an apartment building or a single-family house.

[0024] The power supply destination 7 is operated by the intermediary company 5 or the power company 4 and is, for example, an office 71, an exhibition hall 72, or a factory 73.

[0025] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the outline of an apartment building equipped with a solar power generation system and a storage battery in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the apartment building 3 is equipped with a solar power generation device 31, a storage battery 32, and a higher-level meter 33. The apartment building 3 also includes a common area 34 and residential units 35. The common area 34 includes, for example, lighting, a communal entrance intercom, an electric key control device, electrical outlets, a telephone security box, etc. The residential units 35 include, for example, six units, 101-103 and 201-203. Each unit in the residential units 35 is equipped with a lower-level meter 36. The solar power generation device 31 includes, for example, at least solar panels and a storage battery. Note that in the example in Figure 3, for example, a power conditioner and circuit breakers, etc., have been omitted.

[0026] In Figure 2, the intermediary company enters into a bulk contract with the power company for low-voltage electricity. The residents of residential unit 35 then enter into a contract for electricity supply with the intermediary company and pay their electricity bills to the intermediary company.

[0027] During a power outage, power is supplied to the common area 34 from the battery 32. Also, during a power outage, each unit in the residential area 35 receives power for wireless communication from the common area 34, for example, via an access point 37, for example, through a LAN (Local Area Network) cable.

[0028] Next, the power management system of this embodiment will be described. Figure 3 shows an example configuration of a power management system according to this embodiment. The power management system 100 shown in Figure 3 includes, for example, a house 101, an electric vehicle 104, a multi-unit housing facility 105, the owner (builder) of house 101 106, a wholesale electricity market 107, a second business operator 108, a first detached house 109, a second detached house 110, and the business premises 111 of the first business operator. The business premises 111 may be, for example, an office, a showroom, a factory, etc. Also, the business premises 111 may be the business premises of the second business operator. Note that the configuration example of the power management system 100 shown in Figure 3 is just one example and is not limited to this.

[0029] The residence 101 is, for example, a rental apartment building and is equipped with a distributed power source 102, for example, a solar power generation system and a storage battery. The electricity generated or stored by the distributed power source 102 is supplied to the facilities of the apartment complex 105 via the first business operator 103 at a low electricity cost. The apartment complex 105 includes, for example, facilities in common areas (outlets, lighting, electric locks, etc.) and facilities in the residences of multiple customers (outlets, lighting, electric locks, etc.). In the event of a power outage, electricity stored in a battery is supplied from the distributed power source 102, for example, to the common areas. The distributed power source 102 may also be configured to cooperate with, for example, a customer's electric vehicle 104 and supply power to the electric vehicle 104.

[0030] The first business operator 103 is, for example, the system of intermediary company 5 in Figure 1. The first business operator 103 supplies surplus electricity from the house 101 to the second business operator 108. The first business operator 103 also purchases electricity from the second business operator 108 at a low price.

[0031] The first detached house, 109, is a house that has a contract for electricity with the second business operator. The first detached house, 109, receives electricity from the second business operator, 108. The second detached house 110 is a house whose roof is leased to the first business operator. Solar panels are installed on the roof of the second detached house 110 by the first business operator. The second detached house 110 is equipped with, for example, a power conditioner (not shown) to supply surplus electricity to the second business operator 108. The second detached house 110 may also be equipped with a storage battery (not shown).

[0032] The second business operator 108 has a power grid. The second business operator 108 purchases surplus electricity generated by the distributed power source 102 through the first business operator 103 and purchases electricity from the wholesale electricity market 107. The second business operator 108 purchases surplus electricity from the second detached house 110. The second business operator 108 supplies surplus electricity to the first detached house 109. The second business operator 108 supplies this electricity to the first business operator's offices 111, etc.

[0033] The flow of money will be explained with reference to Figure 3. The first business operator 103 collects the cost of the electricity supplied to the customer from the customer. If the owner 106 is leasing the roof of the house 101 to the first business operator 103, the first business operator 103 pays the owner 106 a rent for the roof, for example, according to the number of solar panels or according to the amount of electricity generated or consumed. The first business operator 103 pays the cost of the electricity supplied by the second business operator 108 to the second business operator 108. The first business operator 103 receives the cost of the electricity supplied to the second business operator 108 according to the cost of the surplus electricity. Thus, in this embodiment, the first business operator 103 bears the cost of installing the distributed power source (the first business operator is the owner of the distributed power source). The first business operator 103 then leases the installation space, such as the roof, from the owner 106. The first business operator 103 pays the owner 106 compensation for this.

[0034] Next, we will explain the relationship between the first business operator 103 and the second business operator 108. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the first operator and the second operator. As shown in Figure 4, the relationship between the first operator and the second operator 108 is as shown in Figure 4, where the second operator 108 has a power grid and encompasses the first operator. Note that the configuration example shown in Figure 4 is just one example and is not limited to this.

[0035] (Electricity exchange, billing, and settlement for the first business operator's system) Next, we will explain the electricity exchange, billing, and settlement processes carried out by the first business operator's system. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the flow of electricity exchange, billing, and settlement performed by the first business operator system according to this embodiment. In Figure 5, for the sake of simplicity, one apartment building is shown as an example, but the system of the first business operator 103 (hereinafter referred to as the first business operator system 400) may manage two or more apartment buildings. In Figure 5, two units are shown as an example of customers 315 (315-1, 315-2) for the sake of simplicity, but the number of units in the apartment building facilities 300 is not limited to this.

[0036] First, let's explain an example of the configuration of an apartment building. The apartment building 300 includes, for example, an upper meter 301, a power receiving panel 302, a sensor 303, a control device 304, a distributed power supply 305, a distribution board 308, lower meters 309, lower meters 310, a switching panel 311, and a common area 312. The common area 312 includes, for example, a lower meter 313 and common area facilities 314.

[0037] The upper meter 301 has the first operator system 400 connected to its input side and the input side of the power receiving panel 302 connected to its output side. The power receiving panel 302 is connected to the input side of the distribution panel 308, with the output side connected to the output side. The power receiving panel 302 also outputs surplus power to the first business operator system 400. The distribution board 308 has, via the sensor 303, connections to the control device 304, the input side of the lower meter 309, the input side of the lower meter 310, and the first input side of the switchboard 311 on its output side.

[0038] Lower meter 309 has a facility (outlet, etc.) belonging to customer 315-1 connected to its output side. Lower meter 310 has the facilities (outlets, etc.) of customer 315-2 connected to its output side.

[0039] The switch panel 311 has the second output side of the control device 304 connected to its second input side, and the lower meter 313 of the common section 312 connected to its output side. The lower meter 313 has a shared facility 314 (such as an electrical outlet) connected to its output side.

[0040] The control device 304 has, for example, a solar cell module 306 connected to the first control side and a storage battery 307 connected to the second control side.

[0041] Next, we will explain examples of the operation of each piece of equipment in apartment building 300. The upper-level meter 301 is a meter for measuring electricity consumption contracted with the first business operator 103, and is a bulk power receiving meter. The upper-level meter 301 measures the electricity consumption of the facilities of multiple consumers 315 and the electricity consumption of the common area 312. The upper-level meter 301 may be, for example, a smart meter.

[0042] The power receiving panel 302 is connected to the higher-level meter 301 and receives power from the low-voltage bulk power receiving system via the first operator system 400. The power receiving panel 302 includes, for example, a current transformer and circuit breakers. The power receiving panel 302 supplies the supplied power to the distribution panel 308.

[0043] Sensor 303 is connected, for example, downstream of a distribution board 308, and detects, for example, the direction of the current flowing through the distribution board 308. Sensor 303 outputs the detected result to the control device 304.

[0044] The distributed power source 305 includes at least a solar cell module 306 and a storage battery 307. The distributed power source 305 may also include a fuel cell, a wind power generation system, etc.

[0045] The control device 304 is, for example, a power conditioner. The control device 304 controls the solar cell modules 306. The control device 304 controls the battery 307. The control device 304 converts the DC electricity generated by the solar cell modules 306 into AC electricity that can be used in homes. The control device 304 converts the voltage of the surplus DC electricity generated by the solar cell modules 306 that are not used in the common areas 312 or the facilities of the consumers 315 into a voltage that can be charged into the battery 307, and stores the converted power in the battery 307. When the amount of power generated by the solar cell modules 306 is low, the control device 304 supplies the power stored in the battery 307 to the common areas 312 and the facilities of the consumers 315. The control device 304 controls the charging and discharging of the battery 307 based on the detection result indicating the direction of current flow detected by the sensor 303. The control device 304 detects whether or not power is being supplied from the grid side, and if it detects that a power outage has occurred, it switches the switch 311 to supply power stored in the battery 307 to the common area facilities 314.

[0046] The distribution board 308, for example, is equipped with multiple circuit breakers for each branch destination. During grid connection operation, the distribution board 308 branches the power received by the power receiving board 302 into multiple sub-circuits and distributes it to the facilities of the common area 312 and the customer 315. The distribution board 308 also branches the power supplied via the control device 304 into multiple sub-circuits and distributes it to the facilities of the common area 312 and the customer 315. In the case of an apartment building with multiple floors, the distribution board 308 may be configured to distribute power to each floor.

[0047] Lower meter 309 is a meter that measures the power consumption of the facility of customer 315-1.

[0048] The facility of customer 315-1 is, for example, the first residential facility of the apartment building facility 300. The facility of customer 315-1 includes, for example, an access point and loads (outlets, lights, etc.).

[0049] The lower meter 310 is a meter that measures the power consumption of the facility of customer 315-2.

[0050] The facilities of customer 315-2 are, for example, the second residential facilities of the apartment building facilities 300. The facilities of customer 315-2 include, for example, access points and loads (outlets, lights, etc.).

[0051] The lower meter 313 is a meter that measures the power consumption of the common area 312.

[0052] The switch 311 determines whether the power is supplied from the grid power from the first operator system 400 or from the control device 304, switches the switch, and supplies power to the common area facilities 314 by switching between grid power and power supplied via the control device 304. In the event of a power outage, power from the storage battery 307 is supplied directly from the control device 304 to the switch 311 without going through the distribution board 308.

[0053] Common areas 312 include, for example, electrical facilities in the lobby, corridors, management office, and meeting rooms of an apartment building. Common area facilities 314 include, for example, routers, power outlets, lighting fixtures, door opening and closing devices, etc.

[0054] Next, we will explain an example configuration of the first service provider system 400. The first operator system 400 includes, for example, a power acquisition unit 401, a power supply unit 402, a surplus power acquisition unit 403, a surplus power output unit 404, an acquisition unit 405, and a settlement unit 406.

[0055] Next, we will explain an example of the operation of the first operator's system 400. The power acquisition unit 401 acquires power from the power grid of the second business operator 108 (Figure 3). The power supplied from the power grid of the second business operator 108 is power purchased from the wholesale electricity market. The power supplied from the power grid of the second business operator 108 may also include surplus power purchased from the second detached house 110. The power supply unit 402 supplies the electricity acquired by the power acquisition unit 401 to the apartment building 300.

[0056] The surplus power acquisition unit 403 acquires surplus power from the apartment building 300. The surplus power output unit 404 sells the acquired surplus power to the power grid of the second operator. The surplus power output unit 404 may also output information indicating the amount of acquired surplus power to the acquisition unit 405.

[0057] The acquisition unit 405 acquires the measured values ​​of the upper meter 301, lower meter 309, lower meter 310, and lower meter 313 of the apartment building 300.

[0058] The settlement unit 406 calculates the electricity charges to be billed to customers 315-1 and 315-2 respectively based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 405, and collects the electricity charges from customers 315-1 and 315-2 respectively. The settlement unit 406 pays the owner 106 the roof rent based on the solar cell modules 306 or the surplus electricity acquired from the apartment building 300. The settlement unit 406 pays the second business operator 108 the electricity charges for the amount of electricity purchased from the second business operator 108's power grid. The settlement unit 406 acquires the purchase revenue based on the surplus electricity purchased by the second business operator 108 from the first business operator system 400.

[0059] Figure 6 shows an example of the configuration of the processing function unit of the first business operator system according to this embodiment. The processing function unit of the first business operator system 400 is, for example, the acquisition unit 405 and the settlement unit 406. As shown in Figure 6, the functional unit 450 that performs processing for the first operator system 400 includes, for example, a communication unit 451, a CPU 452, a RAM 453, a ROM 454, an HDD 455, an operation unit 456, and an output unit 457. The communication unit 451, CPU 452, RAM 453, ROM 454, HDD 455, operation unit 456, and output unit 457 are connected via a BUS (bus). Note that the configuration example shown in Figure 6 is just one example and is not limited to this.

[0060] The communication unit 451 includes at least one of wireless communication and wired communication functions. The communication unit 451, for example, transmits and receives information with the system of the second business operator 108. The communication unit 451, for example, acquires information from the electric meters (upper meter, lower meter) of the apartment building 300.

[0061] The CPU 452 is a central processing unit that controls each part of the functional unit 450 that performs processing for the first operator system 400. RAM453 is Random Access Memory, which temporarily stores data. ROM454 is read-only memory and stores, for example, programs and mathematical formulas used by the CPU452 for control.

[0062] HDD455 is a hard disk drive that stores data such as power consumption and electricity costs. The programs and formulas used by PU452 for control may also be stored in HDD455. Furthermore, HDD455 may be a solid state drive, or a hybrid of a hard disk drive and a solid state drive.

[0063] The operation unit 456 is, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel sensor provided on the output unit 457, and detects the results of operations performed by the operator. The output unit 457 outputs operational information to an external device (e.g., an image display device, a printing device, etc.). Operational information includes, for example, electricity charges and electricity consumption.

[0064] (System of the second operator) Next, we will explain an example of the configuration of the system of the second business operator 108 (hereinafter referred to as the second business operator system 500). Figure 7 shows an example of the configuration of the second operator system according to this embodiment. The second operator system 500 includes, for example, a power acquisition unit 501, a power supply unit 502, a surplus power acquisition unit 503, a surplus power output unit 504, an acquisition unit 505, and a settlement unit 506.

[0065] Next, we will explain an example of the operation of the second operator's system 500. The power acquisition unit 501 acquires and purchases electricity from the wholesale electricity market. The power supply unit 502 supplies the power acquired by the power acquisition unit 501 to the first business operator system 400.

[0066] The surplus power acquisition unit 503 acquires surplus power from the first business operator system 400 and the second detached house 110. The surplus power output unit 504 supplies the acquired surplus power to the business premises of the second business operator 108 and the first detached house 109. The surplus power output unit 404 may also output information indicating the amount of acquired surplus power to the settlement unit 506.

[0067] The settlement unit 506 calculates the electricity charges based on, for example, the amount of electricity supplied to the first business operator's office 111 and collects them from the first business operator 103. The settlement unit 506 calculates the electricity charges based on the amount of electricity purchased from the first business operator 103 and pays the purchase revenue based on the amount of electricity purchased to the first business operator 103.

[0068] Figure 8 shows an example of the configuration of the processing function unit of the second business operator system according to this embodiment. The processing function unit of the second business operator system 500 is, for example, the acquisition unit 505 and the settlement unit 506. As shown in Figure 8, the functional unit 550 that performs processing for the second operator system 500 includes, for example, a communication unit 551, a CPU 552, a RAM 553, a ROM 554, an HDD 555, an operation unit 556, and an output unit 557. The communication unit 551, CPU 552, RAM 553, ROM 554, HDD 555, operation unit 556, and output unit 557 are connected via a BUS (bus). Note that the configuration example shown in Figure 8 is just one example and is not limited to this.

[0069] The communication unit 551 includes at least one of wireless communication and wired communication functions. The communication unit 551, for example, transmits and receives information with the first carrier system 400.

[0070] The CPU 552 is a central processing unit and controls each part of the functional unit 550 that performs processing for the second operator system 500. RAM553 is Random Access Memory, which temporarily stores data. ROM554 is read-only memory and stores, for example, programs and mathematical formulas used by the CPU552 for control.

[0071] HDD555 is a hard disk drive that stores data such as power consumption and electricity costs. The programs and formulas used by PU452 for control may also be stored in HDD555. Furthermore, HDD555 may be a solid state drive, or a hybrid of a hard disk drive and a solid state drive.

[0072] The operation unit 556 is, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel sensor provided on the output unit 557, and detects the results of operations performed by the operator. The output unit 557 outputs operational information to an external device (for example, an image display device, a printing device, etc.). Operational information includes, for example, electricity charges and electricity consumption.

[0073] (Example of processing) Next, we will explain an example of processing in an information management system. Figure 9 is a sequence diagram of an example of processing in the information management system according to this embodiment.

[0074] (Step S1) The second operator system 500 purchases grid electricity from the wholesale electricity market. The second operator system 500 supplies the grid electricity purchased from the wholesale electricity market to the first operator system 400.

[0075] (Step S2) The first operator system 400 obtains grid power from the second operator system 500.

[0076] (Step S3) The first operator system 400 supplies electricity obtained from the second operator system 500 to the apartment building 300.

[0077] (Step S4) The facilities of the 315 consumers in the apartment building 300 receive grid power from the first operator system 400.

[0078] (Step S5) The common area 312 of the apartment building 300 receives grid power from the first operator's system 400.

[0079] (Step S6) The control device 304 of the apartment building 300 supplies the solar power generated by the solar cell modules 306 to the common area 312 and the facilities of the consumer 315. The facilities of the common area 312 receive the solar power.

[0080] (Step S7) The facilities of 315 consumers in the 300 apartment buildings receive solar power.

[0081] (Step S8) The information from the lower meters (309, 310) of customer 315 in the apartment building 300 is output to the first business operator system 400.

[0082] (Step S9) The information from the upper meter 301 of the apartment building 300 and the information from the lower meter 313 of the common area 312 are output to the first business operator system 400.

[0083] (Step S10) The first operator system 400 obtains information on power consumption based on the lower meters (309, 310) and upper meter 301 of customer 315, and the information on the lower meter 313.

[0084] (Step S11) The first business operator system 400 uses the acquired information and the amount of electricity billed by the second business operator 108 to calculate the electricity bill for each household.

[0085] (Step S12) Customer 315 pays (transfers) the electricity bill to the first business system 400.

[0086] (Step S13) The first operator system 400 collects electricity charges from the customer 315.

[0087] (Step S14) The control device 304 of the apartment building 300 determines whether or not there is surplus power, and if there is surplus power, it sells the surplus power to the first business operator 103. For example, if the solar power generated by the solar cell module 306 during the day is stored in the storage battery 307 and then supplied to each consumer 315 and the common area 312, and there is still surplus power, the control device 304 determines that there is surplus power.

[0088] (Step S15) The first operator system 400 receives surplus electricity from the apartment building 300.

[0089] (Step S16) The first business system 400 sells the surplus electricity received from the apartment building 300 to the second business system 500.

[0090] (Step S17) The power conditioner installed in the second detached house 110 outputs surplus power to the second business operator system 500 if there is surplus power.

[0091] (Step S18) The second business system 500 receives surplus power output by the first business system 400 and surplus power output by the second detached house 110.

[0092] (Step S19) The second business operator system 500 supplies the received surplus power to the first detached house 109 and the first business operator's office 111, etc.

[0093] (Step S20) The first detached house 109 receives surplus electricity from the second business operator 108. The first business operator's office 111 receives surplus electricity from the second business operator's system 500.

[0094] (Step S21) The second business system 500 calculates the purchase revenue of the electricity purchased from the first business 103 and pays (transfers) the calculated purchase revenue to the first business system 400.

[0095] (Step S22) The first business system 400 receives purchase revenue from the second business 108.

[0096] (Step S23) The first business system 400 calculates and pays (transfers) the roof rent to the owner 106 of the apartment building 300.

[0097] (Step S24) The owner 106 of apartment building 300 receives roof rent from the first business system 400.

[0098] Note that the processing content and procedure shown in Figure 9 are just examples and are not limited to them. For example, some processes may be performed in parallel and simultaneously, and the order of the processing procedures may be changed.

[0099] As described above, in this embodiment, under normal circumstances, the electricity received in bulk from the low-voltage power grid and the electricity generated by the solar cell modules 306 are supplied to the consumers 315 in the common areas and residential areas. For example, during the day, the electricity generated by the solar cell modules 306 is supplied to each residence and stored in the storage battery 307. Then, at night, the electricity stored in the storage battery 307 is supplied to each residence. In this way, in this embodiment, the generated electricity can be used in the apartment building as much as possible, and the amount of electricity purchased from the utility company can be reduced.

[0100] Therefore, according to the business model of this embodiment, by having residents purchase the generated electricity, it is possible to raise residents' awareness of environmental responsibility and promote local production and consumption of electricity. According to the business model of this embodiment, by using the purchased electricity at, for example, the business premises operated by the first business operator 103, it is possible to contribute to replacing the electricity consumed in the business activities of the first business operator 103 or the second business operator 108 with renewable energy, thereby contributing to the realization of a more broadly carbon-neutral society.

[0101] Furthermore, according to the business model of this embodiment, building owners can acquire rental housing with high environmental value and resilience without incurring the costs of installing and maintaining equipment, thereby strengthening their competitiveness in attracting tenants and meeting the need to participate in a decarbonized society. Moreover, according to the business model of this embodiment, tenants can purchase electricity with a high proportion of renewable energy at a lower price than major power companies, fostering an awareness of contributing to a decarbonized society. In the event of a power outage caused by a disaster, electricity supplied to common areas from storage batteries can be used for things like charging smartphones, which also helps to alleviate the lack of information after a disaster.

[0102] In conventional apartment buildings, for example, if a solar power generation system is installed in each dwelling, the amount of electricity used differs from dwelling to dwelling. For example, electricity from vacant dwellings is sold back to the grid and not distributed to dwellings that consume a lot of electricity, requiring the purchase of the necessary electricity from the power company. In contrast, in this embodiment, if there is surplus electricity, it can be distributed to the dwellings that need it.

[0103] Furthermore, a program for realizing all or part of the functions of the first business system 400 in this invention may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and all or part of the processing performed by the first business system 400 may be performed by loading the program recorded on this recording medium into a computer system and executing it. Also, a program for realizing all or part of the functions of the second business system 500 in this invention may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and all or part of the processing performed by the second business system 500 may be performed by loading the program recorded on this recording medium into a computer system and executing it. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer system" also includes a WWW system equipped with a homepage provisioning environment (or display environment). Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" also includes volatile memory (RAM) inside a computer system that acts as a server or client when a program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line, which holds the program for a certain period of time.

[0104] Furthermore, the above program may be transmitted from a computer system that stores the program in a memory device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves within the transmission medium. Here, the "transmission medium" for transmitting the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line. In addition, the above program may be for the purpose of realizing a part of the functions described above. Furthermore, it may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can realize the above functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

[0105] Although embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above using examples, the present invention is not limited in any way to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0106] 1...Information management system, 2...House, 3...House, 4...Power company, 5...Intermediary company, 6...House, 7...Power supply destination 7, 100...Power management system, 5...Intermediary company, 101...House, 104...Electric vehicle, 105...Apartment complex, 106...Owner, 107...Wholesale electricity market, 108...Second business operator, 109...First detached house, 110...Second detached house, 111...First business operator's office, 300...Apartment complex, 301...Upper meter, 302...Receiving board, 303...Sensor, 304...Control device, 305...Distributed power source, 306...Solar panel 307...Battery, 308...Distribution board, 309...Lower meter, 310...Lower meter, 311...Switching panel, 312...Common area, 313...Lower meter, 314...Common area facilities, 400...First operator system, 401...Power acquisition unit, 402...Power supply unit, 403...Surplus power acquisition unit, 404...Surplus power output unit, 405...Acquisition unit, 406...Settlement unit, 500...Second operator system, 501...Power acquisition unit, 502...Power supply unit, 503...Surplus power acquisition unit, 504...Surplus power output unit, 505...Acquisition unit, 506...Settlement unit

Claims

1. A first business system comprising a settlement unit that calculates electricity charges for a multi-unit dwelling equipped with a distributed power source that includes at least a storage battery and a solar power generation device for each multi-unit dwelling, based on the power consumption of grid power and the power of the distributed power source, collects the calculated electricity charges from multiple consumers of the multi-unit dwelling, and pays the money to the owner of the multi-unit dwelling equipped with the solar power generation device, wherein the first business operator, which bears the installation costs of the distributed power source, calculates the consideration for leasing the installation space of the solar power generation device in the multi-unit dwelling equipped with the solar power generation device from the owner, and pays the calculated money to the owner of the multi-unit dwelling, Equipped with, The electricity generated by the aforementioned solar power generation device is distributed to each consumer and stored in the aforementioned battery. Power management system.

2. For a multi-unit dwelling equipped with a distributed power source that includes at least a storage battery and a solar power generation device for the multi-unit dwelling, the information of the electric meters installed in the multi-unit dwelling includes: information of a first lower meter for each customer that measures the amount of grid power and generated power consumed by the customer's facilities in the multi-unit dwelling; information of a second lower meter that measures the amount of grid power and generated power consumed by the common area facilities in the multi-unit dwelling; and information of a higher meter that is a bulk grid power receiving meter that measures the amount of grid power consumed by the facilities of multiple customers and the amount of grid power consumed by the common area facilities. Based on this, the first business operator system includes a settlement unit which calculates the electricity bill for each customer in proportion to their consumption of grid power and the electricity generated by the distributed power source which can be purchased at a lower rate than the grid power, collects the calculated electricity bill from each customer in the apartment building, and pays the money to the owner of the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed, and which calculates the consideration for the first business operator, which bears the installation costs of the distributed power source, to lease the installation space for the solar power generation equipment in the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed from the owner, and pays the calculated money to the owner of the apartment building. A power management system equipped with the following features.

3. The generated electricity is distributed to each consumer and stored in the battery. The power management system according to claim 2.

4. The computer calculates the electricity cost for a multi-unit dwelling that has a distributed power source, which includes at least a storage battery and a solar power generation device for each dwelling unit, based on the power consumption of the grid power and the power of the distributed power source. The computer collects the calculated electricity charges from multiple consumers in the apartment building, The computer calculates the amount of money to be paid to the owner of the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed, and the first business operator, which bears the installation costs of the distributed power source, pays the owner the rental fee for the installation space of the solar power generation equipment in the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed. The computer pays the calculated amount to the owner of the apartment building, A power management system having

5. The computer calculates the electricity bill for each customer based on the consumption of grid power and the generated power from the distributed power source, which can be purchased at a lower rate than the grid power, based on information from electricity meters installed in the apartment building, which includes information from a first lower meter for each customer that measures the amount of grid power and generated power consumed by the customer's facilities in the apartment building, information from a second lower meter that measures the amount of grid power and generated power consumed by the common areas of the apartment building, and information from a bulk grid power receiving meter that measures the amount of grid power consumed by the facilities of multiple customers and the amount of grid power consumed by the common areas of the apartment building. The computer collects the calculated electricity charges from each customer in the apartment building, The computer calculates the amount of money to be paid to the owner of the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed, which is the consideration paid by the first business operator, who bears the installation costs of the distributed power source, to the owner for leasing the space for the installation of the solar power generation equipment in the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed. The computer pays the calculated amount to the owner of the apartment building, A power management system having

6. On the computer, A step of calculating the electricity cost for a multi-unit dwelling equipped with a distributed power source that includes at least a storage battery and a solar power generation device for the multi-unit dwelling, in accordance with the power consumption of grid power and the power of the distributed power source, The steps include: collecting the calculated electricity charges from multiple consumers in the aforementioned apartment building; The money to be paid to the owner of the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed, comprising the steps of: first business operator, which bears the installation costs of the distributed power source, calculating the consideration for leasing the installation space of the solar power generation equipment in the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed from the owner; The steps include paying the calculated amount to the owner of the aforementioned apartment building, A program that executes the command.

7. On the computer, For a multi-unit dwelling equipped with a distributed power source that includes at least a storage battery and a solar power generation device for the multi-unit dwelling, the steps include: calculating the electricity bill for each customer based on the electricity consumption of grid power and the electricity generated by the distributed power source, which can be purchased at a lower rate than the grid power, based on information from an electric meter installed in the multi-unit dwelling, which includes information from a first lower-level meter for each customer that measures the amount of grid power and generated power consumed by the customer's facilities in the multi-unit dwelling, information from a second lower-level meter that measures the amount of grid power and generated power consumed by the common area facilities of the multi-unit dwelling, and information from a higher-level meter that is a bulk grid power receiving meter that measures the amount of grid power consumed by the facilities of multiple customers and the amount of grid power consumed by the common area facilities; The steps include: collecting the calculated electricity charges from each customer in the aforementioned apartment building; The money to be paid to the owner of the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed, comprising the steps of: first business operator, which bears the installation costs of the distributed power source, calculating the consideration for leasing the installation space of the solar power generation equipment in the apartment building where the solar power generation equipment is installed from the owner; The steps include paying the calculated amount to the owner of the aforementioned apartment building, A program that executes the command.

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