Power management system, power management method, and computer program

Abstract

To manage the power supply of a facility in accordance with the activation of specific equipment installed in that facility. [Solution] The system includes: a power consumption pattern information storage unit that stores power consumption pattern information showing the power consumption pattern after the startup of a specific piece of equipment; a first power consumption prediction unit that calculates a predicted value of a first power consumption consumed by the specific piece of equipment based on the power consumption pattern information; a second power consumption prediction unit that calculates a predicted value of a second power consumption other than the first power consumption consumed by the facility using a second power consumption prediction model; a detection unit that detects the startup of the specific piece of equipment; and a purchased power amount prediction unit that, when the startup of the specific piece of equipment is detected, calculates a predicted value of the amount of electricity purchased by the facility after a predetermined time based on the predicted value of the first power consumption and the predicted value of the second power consumption.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an operation plan optimization device that minimizes the peak of power consumption in a facility equipped with a plurality of power load facilities and one or more power storage facilities. The operation plan optimization device described in Patent Document 1 obtains an operation schedule of the power load facilities and a charge / discharge schedule of the power storage facilities based on predicted power consumption data of the power load facilities.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the operation plan optimization device described in Patent Document 1, since the operation schedule of the power load facilities is obtained so as to minimize the peak of the power consumption of the facility, the operation schedule of the power load facilities cannot be freely created, and there are problems such as being unable to cope with sudden changes in the operation schedule of the power load facilities.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a power management system, a power management method, and a computer program capable of managing the power of a facility in response to the startup of specific equipment provided in the facility.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a power management system for a facility equipped with specific equipment, comprising: a power consumption pattern information storage unit that stores power consumption pattern information indicating the power consumption pattern after the specific equipment is started up; a first power consumption prediction unit that calculates a predicted value of a first power consumption consumed by the specific equipment based on the power consumption pattern information; a second power consumption prediction unit that calculates a predicted value of a second power consumption other than the first power consumption consumed by the facility using a prediction model of the second power consumption generated in advance by machine learning based on information about the surrounding environment of the facility and past actual values ​​of the second power consumption; a detection unit that detects the start up of the specific equipment; and a power purchase amount prediction unit that, when the start up of the specific equipment is detected, calculates a predicted value of the amount of electricity purchased by the facility after a predetermined time based on the predicted value of the first power consumption obtained by the first power consumption prediction unit and the predicted value of the second power consumption obtained by the second power consumption prediction unit. One aspect of the present invention is a power management system further comprising an operating status information acquisition unit that acquires operating status information indicating the operating status of the specific equipment after startup, and the first power consumption prediction unit changes the predicted value of the first power consumption calculated based on the power consumption pattern information according to the operating status information. One aspect of the present invention is a power management system in which the detection unit determines whether to start up the specific equipment based on the measured values ​​of a power measuring instrument installed in the specific equipment over a certain period of time. One aspect of the present invention is a power management system in which the purchased electricity amount prediction unit calculates a predicted value of the purchased electricity amount based on a predicted value of the amount of renewable energy generation available to the facility, a predicted value of the first power consumption, and a predicted value of the second power consumption. One aspect of the present invention is a power management system further comprising a power generation prediction unit that calculates a predicted value of the amount of renewable energy that can be used by the facility. One aspect of the present invention is a power management system further comprising: a battery charge acquisition unit that acquires the remaining charge of a battery available for use with the power consumption of the facility; and a battery charge / discharge planning unit that divides a predetermined forecast period into unit time intervals, calculates a planned value for the charge / discharge amount of the battery per unit time based on the forecast value of the amount of purchased electricity, and calculates a planned value for the remaining charge of the battery per unit time based on the planned value for the charge / discharge amount of the battery per unit time and the remaining charge of the battery. One aspect of the present invention is a power management system in which the battery charge / discharge planning unit determines whether there is a unit of time in which the predicted value of the amount of electricity purchased exceeds a predetermined threshold for the amount of electricity purchased, and calculates a planned value for the amount of discharge of the battery to be used to cover the portion of the predicted amount of electricity purchased that exceeds the threshold for the amount of electricity purchased for the unit of time in which the predicted value of the amount of electricity purchased exceeds the threshold for the amount of electricity purchased. One aspect of the present invention is a power management system in which, in the above-mentioned power management system, the battery charge / discharge planning unit determines whether there is a unit of time in which a reverse power state occurs, where the predicted value of the amount of purchased electricity is a negative value, and calculates a planned value for the amount of charge of the battery in the reverse power state for that unit of time. One aspect of the present invention is a power management system in which the planned values ​​for the charge / discharge amount of the storage battery per unit time and the planned values ​​for the remaining battery capacity of the storage battery per unit time are updated before the predetermined prediction period ends. One aspect of the present invention is a power management system in which the planned values ​​for the charge / discharge amount of the storage battery per unit time and the planned values ​​for the remaining battery capacity of the storage battery per unit time are updated when predetermined conditions are met. One aspect of the present invention is a power management system further comprising a charge / discharge control unit for controlling the charging and discharging of a storage battery, wherein the charge / discharge control unit controls the charging and discharging of the storage battery with a target value of the remaining battery charge of the storage battery as the target unit time for which the charging and discharging of the storage battery is controlled. One aspect of the present invention is a power management system comprising the above-described power management system, further comprising a power purchase amount acquisition unit that acquires the amount of power purchased by the facility, wherein the charge / discharge control unit determines whether the amount of power purchased may exceed a predetermined power purchase amount threshold in the target unit time, calculates the required amount of discharge of the storage battery to be used for the portion of the power purchased expected to exceed the power purchase amount threshold when it is determined that the amount of power purchased may exceed the power purchase amount threshold, performs discharge of the storage battery to the required amount when the required amount of discharge of the storage battery is less than or equal to the remaining battery capacity of the storage battery, performs discharge of the storage battery to the dischargeable amount when it is determined that the amount of power purchased may not exceed the power purchase amount threshold, and performs charge / discharge of the storage battery with a target of the planned remaining battery capacity of the storage battery. One aspect of the present invention is a power management system that further comprises a power purchase amount acquisition unit for acquiring the amount of power purchased by the facility, wherein the charge / discharge control unit determines whether there is a possibility of a reverse power flow state where the amount of power purchased is a negative value in the target unit time, and if it is determined that there is a possibility of a reverse power flow state, it calculates the required amount of charge for the storage battery to absorb the amount expected to be reversed, and if the required amount of charge for the storage battery is less than or equal to the available capacity of the storage battery, it charges the storage battery to the required amount of charge, and if the required amount of charge for the storage battery exceeds the available capacity of the storage battery, it charges the storage battery to the amount of charge that can be charged, and if it is determined that there is no possibility of a reverse power flow state, it charges and discharges the storage battery with a target of the planned remaining battery capacity.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a power management method to be performed by a power management system of a facility equipped with specific equipment, comprising: a power consumption pattern information storage step of storing power consumption pattern information indicating the power consumption pattern after the specific equipment is started up in a power consumption pattern information storage unit; a first power consumption prediction step of calculating a predicted value of a first power consumption consumed by the specific equipment based on the power consumption pattern information; a second power consumption prediction step of calculating a predicted value of a second power consumption other than the first power consumption consumed by the facility using a second power consumption prediction model that has been generated in advance by machine learning based on information about the surrounding environment of the facility and past actual values ​​of the second power consumption; a detection step of detecting the start-up of the specific equipment; and, when the start-up of the specific equipment is detected, a purchased power amount prediction step of calculating a predicted value of the amount of electricity purchased by the facility after a predetermined time based on the predicted value of the first power consumption obtained in the first power consumption prediction step and the predicted value of the second power consumption obtained in the second power consumption prediction step.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a computer program for causing a computer to execute: a power consumption pattern information storage step of storing power consumption pattern information indicating the power consumption pattern after startup of specific equipment installed in a facility subject to power management in a power consumption pattern information storage unit; a first power consumption prediction step of calculating a predicted value of a first power consumption consumed by the specific equipment based on the power consumption pattern information; a second power consumption prediction step of calculating a predicted value of a second power consumption other than the first power consumption consumed by the facility using a second power consumption prediction model that has been generated in advance by machine learning based on information about the surrounding environment of the facility and past actual values ​​of the second power consumption; a detection step of detecting the startup of the specific equipment; and, when the startup of the specific equipment is detected, a purchased power amount prediction step of calculating a predicted value of the amount of electricity purchased by the facility after a predetermined time based on the predicted value of the first power consumption obtained in the first power consumption prediction step and the predicted value of the second power consumption obtained in the second power consumption prediction step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the power supply of a facility can be managed in accordance with the activation of specific equipment installed in the facility. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows a schematic configuration example of a power management system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows a schematic configuration example of a control device according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows an example of the procedure for a power management method according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows an example of the procedure for a power management method according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram of power consumption pattern information according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram of the predicted values ​​of the first power consumption and the second power consumption according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the configuration used when calculating charge / discharge plan information according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of the procedure for a power management method according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples, and the embodiments to which the present invention is applied are not limited to the embodiments described below. In all the drawings used to describe the embodiments, components having the same function will be given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, in this application, "based on XX" means "based on at least XX," and includes cases where it is based on another element in addition to XX. Also, "based on XX" is not limited to cases where XX is used directly, but also includes cases where it is based on something that has been calculated or processed from XX. "XX" is any element (for example, any information).

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a power management system 1 according to an embodiment. In the present embodiment, a factory 500 will be described as an example of a facility to be power-managed. The factory 500 includes an electric furnace (electric arc furnace) 510 as an example of specific equipment that consumes power. The number of electric furnaces 510 included in the factory 500 may be one or plural. Further, the factory 500 includes air conditioning equipment 520-1, lighting equipment 520-2, electrical equipment 520-3, electronic equipment 520-4, etc. as equipment (non-specific equipment) that consumes power other than the electric furnace 510. Hereinafter, when non-specific equipment such as the air conditioning equipment 520-1, lighting equipment 520-2, electrical equipment 520-3, and electronic equipment 520-4 is not particularly distinguished, it is referred to as non-specific equipment 520.

[0013] Further, the factory 500 includes a storage battery BT. The storage battery BT is a power source available for the power consumption of the factory 500. The storage battery BT can supply power to the electric furnace 510 and the non-specific equipment 520.

[0014] Power POWa and POWb used in the factory 500 are supplied to the factory 500.

[0015] The power POWa is the power purchased from the power grid. Hereinafter, the power POWa is referred to as the purchased power POWa. The electricity bill for the purchased power POWa is mainly determined by the monthly purchased power consumption and the basic charge. The basic charge is determined by the contract power, and the contract power is determined as the largest value among the maximum power consumptions of each month in the past one year. The maximum power consumption in a certain month is the largest value among the average power consumptions every 30 minutes in that month. Therefore, it is preferable to perform power management of the factory 500 so as to minimize the maximum value of the average power consumption every 30 minutes in order to reduce the electricity bill for the purchased power POWa. <000当該月における30分毎の平均使用電力のうち最も大きい値である。したがって、30分毎の平均使用電力の最大値をできる限り小さくするように工場500の電力管理を行うことが、買電電力POWaの電気料金を削減するために好ましい。The maximum power consumption in a certain month is the largest value among the average power consumptions every 30 minutes in that month. Therefore, it is preferable to perform power management of the factory 500 so as to minimize the maximum value of the average power consumption every 30 minutes in order to reduce the electricity bill for the purchased power POWa.Power POWb is electricity generated for Factory 500 using renewable energy. Hereafter, Power POWb will be referred to as Proprietary Power POWb. Proprietary Power POWb is generated using variable renewable energy (VRE), such as solar and wind power, whose output is affected by weather conditions, as an example of renewable energy. Therefore, Proprietary Power POWb may be affected by weather conditions.

[0017] In Figure 1, the power management system 1 comprises a management device 10 and a terminal device 20. The management device 10 and the terminal device 20 are connected via communication. For example, the management device 10 and the terminal device 20 may be connected via a communication line or via a communication cable. The terminal device 20 may be a mobile communication terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet computer (tablet PC), or it may be a stationary communication terminal device (for example, a stationary personal computer). For example, the terminal device 20 may be a mobile communication terminal device such as a smartphone and may be connected to the management device 10 via a wireless communication line.

[0018] The management device 10 is connected to the factory 500 via a communication line. For example, the management device 10 may be connected to the factory 500 via a communication network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. The management device 10 obtains information necessary for power management of the factory 500 from the factory 500.

[0019] The management device 10 is connected to the weather information provider 50 via a communication line. For example, the management device 10 may be connected to the weather information provider 50 via a communication network such as the Internet.

[0020] The weather information provider 50 is a device that provides weather forecast information showing weather forecasts that predict future weather conditions. The management device 10 acquires weather forecast information from the weather information provider 50. The management device 10 uses the weather forecast information to predict the proprietary power supply POWb, which may fluctuate depending on the weather conditions.

[0021] Furthermore, non-specified equipment 520, such as air conditioning equipment 520-1 and lighting equipment 520-2, may have varying usage conditions and therefore fluctuate power consumption depending on weather conditions. For this reason, the control device 10 uses weather forecast information to predict the power consumption of non-specified equipment 520, which may fluctuate depending on weather conditions.

[0022] Figure 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of the management device 10 according to this embodiment. In Figure 2, the management device 10 comprises a control unit 100, a storage unit 200, and a communication unit 300.

[0023] The control unit 100 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and realizes various functions by calling and executing programs stored in the memory unit 200.

[0024] The control unit 100 includes, as its functions, a first power consumption prediction unit 1101, a second power consumption prediction unit 1102, a detection unit 1103, a purchased power amount prediction unit 1104, an operating status information acquisition unit 1105, a power generation amount prediction unit 1106, a battery remaining charge acquisition unit 1201, a battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202, a charge / discharge control unit 1203, and a purchased power amount acquisition unit 1204. These functions are realized by the CPU executing a management program 2101 stored in the memory unit 200.

[0025] The storage unit 200 is composed of a storage medium, such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access read / write Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or any combination of these storage media. The storage unit 200 stores various programs and data, such as the management program 2101 executed by the control unit 100 (CPU).

[0026] The memory unit 200 has a memory area (power consumption pattern information storage unit) for storing power consumption pattern information 2102. Power consumption pattern information 2102 is information indicating the power consumption pattern after the electric furnace 510 is started up. Power consumption pattern information 2102 is stored in the memory unit 200 in advance. Power consumption pattern information 2102 is generated in advance, for example, based on measured values ​​of power consumption after the electric furnace 510 is started up.

[0027] Furthermore, the power consumption pattern information 2102 stored in the memory unit 200 may be updated in accordance with changes in the power consumption pattern after the electric furnace 510 is started up. For example, if the power consumption pattern after the electric furnace 510 is started up changes due to aging deterioration of the electric furnace 510, the power consumption pattern information 2102 stored in the memory unit 200 may be updated in accordance with the number of years the electric furnace 510 has been in use.

[0028] The memory unit 200 has a memory area (charge / discharge plan information storage unit) for storing charge / discharge plan information 2103. The charge / discharge plan information 2103 is information that shows the battery remaining charge plan based on the charge / discharge plan of the battery BT.

[0029] The communication unit 300 communicates with devices outside the management device 10.

[0030] The management device 10 may be configured using a general-purpose computer device, or it may be configured as a dedicated hardware device. For example, the management device 10 may be configured using a server computer connected to a communication network such as the Internet. Furthermore, each function of the management device 10 may be implemented by cloud computing. In addition, the management device 10 may be implemented by a single computer, or its functions may be distributed and implemented across multiple computers. Furthermore, the management device 10 may be configured to launch a website using, for example, a WWW system.

[0031] The first power consumption prediction unit 1101 calculates a predicted value of the power consumption consumed by the electric furnace 510 (hereinafter referred to as the first power consumption) based on the power consumption pattern information 2102.

[0032] The second power consumption prediction unit 1102 calculates a predicted value of power consumption other than the first power consumption consumed in the factory 500 (hereinafter referred to as the second power consumption) using the prediction model MD. The second power consumption is the power consumed by non-specific equipment 520. The prediction model MD is pre-installed in the second power consumption prediction unit 1102. The prediction model MD is pre-generated as a model to predict the second power consumption by machine learning based on information about the surrounding environment of the factory 500 (e.g., weather information) and past performance values ​​of the second power consumption. Of the second power consumption, for example, the power consumption of the air conditioning equipment 520-1 is correlated with the season, weather information, time of day, etc. Also, the power consumption of the lighting equipment 520-2 is correlated with the time of day, weather information, etc. In addition, the power consumption of non-specific equipment 520 that operates regularly is correlated with, for example, the day of the week, time of day, etc. These correlations are learned from past performance values ​​of each power consumption.

[0033] The detection unit 1103 detects the start of the electric furnace 510. For example, the detection unit 1103 may determine the start of the electric furnace 510 based on the measured values ​​of a power meter installed in the electric furnace 510 over a certain period of time. For example, the detection unit 1103 may determine that the electric furnace 510 has started if the measured value of the power meter installed in the electric furnace 510 continuously exceeds a threshold for a certain period of time.

[0034] Alternatively, the control device 10 may acquire an electric furnace start signal from the factory 500 indicating whether or not the electric furnace 510 is started, and the detection unit 1103 may determine whether the electric furnace 510 is started (operating) or not (not operating) based on the electric furnace start signal. The electric furnace start signal may be generated by an existing detector in the factory 500.

[0035] The electricity purchase amount prediction unit 1104 predicts the future electricity purchase amount POWa. When the start-up of the electric furnace 510 is detected, the electricity purchase amount prediction unit 1104 calculates a predicted value of the electricity purchase amount of the factory 500 after a predetermined time, based on the predicted value of the first power consumption obtained by the first power consumption prediction unit 1101 and the predicted value of the second power consumption obtained by the second power consumption prediction unit 1102.

[0036] The operating status information acquisition unit 1105 acquires operating status information indicating the operating status of the electric furnace 510 after startup. The operating status information is acquired from the factory 500. The first power consumption prediction unit 1101 may change the predicted value of the first power consumption calculated based on the power consumption pattern information 2102 according to the operating status information. This allows the predicted value of the first power consumption to be changed according to the operating status of the electric furnace 510 after startup, thereby contributing to an improvement in the accuracy of the predicted value of the first power consumption.

[0037] The power generation forecasting unit 1106 calculates a predicted value for the amount of renewable energy power generation (proprietary power POWb) available to the factory 500. The power generation forecasting unit 1106 uses weather forecast information obtained from the weather information provision device 50 to predict proprietary power POWb.

[0038] The electricity purchase quantity prediction unit 1104 may calculate a predicted value for electricity purchase quantity based on the predicted value of proprietary power POWb, the predicted value of the first power consumption, and the predicted value of the second power consumption. This contributes to improving the prediction accuracy of electricity purchase quantity POWa when proprietary power POWb is used at factory 500.

[0039] The battery charge acquisition unit 1201 acquires the remaining battery charge of the battery BT available for use in the power consumption of the factory 500. Battery charge information indicating the remaining battery charge of the battery BT is acquired from the factory 500.

[0040] The battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202 generates charge / discharge planning information 2103. The battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202 divides a predetermined forecast period into unit time intervals, calculates planned values ​​for the charge / discharge amount of the battery BT per unit time based on the predicted value of the amount of purchased electricity, and calculates planned values ​​for the remaining battery capacity of the battery BT per unit time based on the planned values ​​for the charge / discharge amount of the battery BT per unit time and the remaining battery capacity of the battery BT. The charge / discharge planning information 2103 contains planned values ​​for the remaining battery capacity of the battery BT per unit time. The charge / discharge planning information 2103 may also contain the charge amount and discharge amount of the battery BT per unit time.

[0041] The planned values ​​for the charge / discharge amount of the battery BT per unit time and the planned value for the remaining battery charge of the battery BT per unit time may be updated before the predetermined forecast period ends.

[0042] The planned values ​​for the charge / discharge amount of the battery BT per unit time and the planned value for the remaining battery charge of the battery BT per unit time may be updated when predetermined conditions are met. These predetermined conditions may be, for example, at regular intervals or each time the electric furnace 510 is started up.

[0043] The battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202 may determine whether there is a unit of time in which the predicted value of purchased electricity exceeds a predetermined purchased electricity threshold, and for the unit of time in which the predicted value of purchased electricity exceeds the purchased electricity threshold, it may calculate a planned discharge value of the battery BT to be used to cover the portion of the predicted value of purchased electricity that exceeds the purchased electricity threshold.

[0044] The battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202 may determine whether there is a unit of time in which a reverse current state occurs, where the predicted value of the amount of purchased electricity is negative, and calculate a planned value for the amount of charge of the battery BT for the unit of time in which a reverse current state occurs. This allows the reverse current state to be suppressed by charging the battery BT for the unit of time in which a reverse current state is likely to occur. The planned value for the amount of charge of the battery BT for a reverse current state may be a constant value, for example, to simplify operation. This constant value is predetermined according to the charging performance of the battery BT and the expected amount of reverse current, etc.

[0045] The charge / discharge control unit 1203 controls the charging and discharging of the battery BT. The charge / discharge control unit 1203 generates a charge / discharge control signal that controls the charging and discharging of the battery BT. The charge / discharge control signal is transmitted from the management device 10 to the factory 500. The battery BT is charged and discharged according to the charge / discharge control signal.

[0046] The charge / discharge control unit 1203 controls the charging and discharging of the battery BT with a target value of the planned battery charge level of the battery BT during the target unit time, which is the unit time for which the charging and discharging of the battery BT is controlled.

[0047] The electricity purchase amount acquisition unit 1204 acquires the amount of electricity purchased by factory 500. The amount of electricity purchased by factory 500 is notified from factory 500 to the management device 10.

[0048] The charge / discharge control unit 1203 determines whether the amount of electricity purchased may exceed the electricity purchase threshold in the target unit time. If it is determined that the amount of electricity purchased may exceed the electricity purchase threshold, it calculates the required amount of discharge from the battery BT to cover the portion of electricity purchased that is expected to exceed the electricity purchase threshold. If the required amount of discharge from the battery BT is less than or equal to the remaining battery capacity of the battery BT, it discharges the battery BT to the required amount. If the required amount of discharge from the battery BT exceeds the remaining battery capacity of the battery BT, it discharges the battery BT to the maximum amount it can discharge. If it is determined that the amount of electricity purchased is not likely to exceed the electricity purchase threshold, it may charge and discharge the battery BT with the planned remaining battery capacity as the target. This prevents the actual amount of electricity purchased from exceeding the contracted power in the target unit time by discharging from the battery BT when it is likely to exceed the contracted power.

[0049] The charge / discharge control unit 1203 determines whether there is a possibility of a reverse power flow condition occurring, where the amount of purchased electricity is negative, within the target unit time. If it determines that there is a possibility of a reverse power flow condition occurring, it calculates the required amount of charge for the battery BT to absorb the amount expected to be reversed. If the required amount of charge for the battery BT is less than or equal to the available capacity of the battery BT, it charges the battery BT to the required amount. If the required amount of charge for the battery BT exceeds the available capacity of the battery BT, it charges the battery BT to the amount it can charge. If it determines that there is no possibility of a reverse power flow condition occurring, it may charge or discharge the battery BT with the planned remaining battery capacity as the target. This ensures that, within the target unit time, if a reverse power flow condition is actually likely to occur, the reverse power flow condition is suppressed by charging the battery BT.

[0050] Furthermore, the charge / discharge control unit 1203 may monitor the amount of discharge from the battery BT in response to an excess threshold of purchased electricity and the amount of charge from the battery BT in response to a reverse current state, for example on a second-by-second basis, and perform tracking control according to the monitoring results of the excess threshold of purchased electricity and the reverse current state.

[0051] Next, the charge and discharge planning process in the power management method according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figures 3 and 4 are flowcharts showing an example of the procedure of the power management method according to this embodiment.

[0052] In this embodiment, as an example, the predetermined prediction period is 24 hours (48 segments), and the unit time is 30 minutes (1 segment). The electricity purchase threshold is the contracted power or the target contracted power. In the following explanation, contracted power will be used as an example of the electricity purchase threshold.

[0053] The procedures shown in Figures 3 and 4 are performed at regular intervals (for example, every hour). This allows for the prediction of the charge / discharge plan to be updated at regular intervals (for example, every hour) up to a predetermined prediction period of 24 hours (48 frames).

[0054] (Step S1) The power generation forecasting unit 1106 calculates a predicted value for the amount of renewable energy power generation (proprietary power POWb) available to the factory 500 for each of the following 48 timeframes.

[0055] (Step S2) The second power consumption prediction unit 1102 calculates a predicted value of the second power consumption for each of the following 48 frames using the prediction model MD. The second power consumption is the power consumption consumed in the factory 500 other than the first power consumption (power consumption of the electric furnace 510).

[0056] (Step S3) The first power consumption prediction unit 1101 confirms the result of the detection unit 1103's detection of the start of the electric furnace 510 (whether or not the electric furnace 510 is in operation).

[0057] (Step S4) If the result of the check in Step S3 indicates that the electric furnace 510 is in operation, proceed to Step S5. On the other hand, if the electric furnace 510 is not in operation, proceed to Step S6.

[0058] (Step S5) The first power consumption prediction unit 1101 calculates a predicted value of the first power consumption for each of the next 48 frames based on the power consumption pattern information 2102. The first power consumption is the power consumption consumed by the electric furnace 510.

[0059] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the power consumption pattern information 2102 according to this embodiment. As illustrated in Figure 5, the power consumption pattern information 2102 is information that shows the change in power consumed by the electric furnace 510 from the time Ts when the electric furnace 510 is started up to the time Te when the electric furnace 510 is stopped up. Figure 5 shows a graph PT that shows the change in power consumed by the electric furnace 510 from the time Ts when the electric furnace 510 is started up to the time Te when the electric furnace 510 is stopped up.

[0060] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the predicted values ​​of the first and second power consumption according to this embodiment. Figure 6 shows graph W1, which shows the trend of the predicted value of the second power consumption. Graph W1 is a graph of the predicted value of the second power consumption predicted by the second power consumption prediction unit 1102. Regarding the first power consumption, graph PT is shown in Figure 6, with the time T1, when the detection unit 1103 detects the start of the electric furnace 510, set to the start time Ts of the electric furnace 510.

[0061] The first power consumption prediction unit 1101 calculates a predicted value of the first power consumption for each of the next 48 frames, based on the power consumption trend (graph PT) of the electric furnace 510 after startup, as shown in the power consumption pattern information 2102, starting from the time T1 (startup time Ts) when the detection unit 1103 detects the startup of the electric furnace 510. For example, if the startup of the electric furnace 510 is detected at the start of the next 48 frames, the first power consumption prediction unit 1101 sets the start time Ts of the electric furnace 510 as the start time Ts of the next 48 frames, and uses the power consumption for each frame (30 minutes) from the start time Ts of the electric furnace 510 as shown in the power consumption pattern information 2102 to predict the first power consumption for each frame (30 minutes) in the next 48 frames.

[0062] (Step S6) The electricity purchase amount prediction unit 1104 calculates a predicted value for the amount of electricity purchased for each of the following 48 timeframes using the following formula. Predicted amount of electricity purchased = "Predicted amount of first power consumption" + "Predicted amount of second power consumption" - "Predicted amount of renewable energy generation"

[0063] After step S6 in Figure 3, proceed to step S7 in Figure 4.

[0064] (Step S7) The battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202 determines whether there is a frame j in the next 48 frames calculated in step S6 that exceeds the contracted power (purchased power threshold). If there is a frame j that exceeds the contracted power, the unit proceeds to step S8; otherwise, the unit proceeds to step S12.

[0065] (Step S8) The battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202 calculates the required discharge amount k of the battery BT for each time slot j where the predicted value of purchased electricity exceeds the contracted power. The required discharge amount k of the battery BT for each time slot j is the amount exceeding the contracted power in the predicted value of purchased electricity for that time slot j. The required discharge amount k of the battery BT for each time slot j is calculated by the following formula. The required discharge amount of battery BT for koma j = "Predicted amount of electricity purchased for koma j" - "Contracted power" Note that the discharge amount k may be a value that allows for a margin of safety relative to the calculated value in the above formula, i.e., "calculated value in the above formula + constant value".

[0066] The battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202 sets the discharge amount k as the planned value for the discharge amount of the battery BT in time j.

[0067] (Step S9) The battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202 determines whether there is a frame l in the next 48 frames calculated in step S6 that is a negative value, indicating a reverse current state. If there is a frame l in a reverse current state, the unit proceeds to step S10; otherwise, the unit proceeds to step S11.

[0068] (Step S10) The battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202 calculates the amount of charge m required for the battery BT in time slot l, where the predicted value of the purchased electricity amount results in reverse current. The amount of charge m required for the battery BT in time slot l is the amount of reverse current in time slot l. The battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202 sets the charge amount m to the planned value of the battery BT charge amount in time slot l.

[0069] (Step S11) The battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202 generates charge / discharge planning information 2103 for the next 48 frames so as to satisfy the discharge amount k for frame j set in step S8 and the charge amount m for frame l set in step S10. As a result, the charge / discharge planning information 2103 for the next 48 frames is generated as information indicating the battery remaining charge plan based on the charge / discharge plan for the next 48 frames.

[0070] (Step S12) The battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202 determines whether there is a frame l in the next 48 frames calculated in step S6 that is a negative value, indicating a reverse current state. If there is a frame l in a reverse current state, the unit proceeds to step S10; otherwise, the unit proceeds to step S13.

[0071] (Step S13) The battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202 determines whether the next 48 time slots fall within the summer period from July 1 to September 30. If the next 48 time slots fall within the summer period, the unit proceeds to step S14; otherwise, the unit proceeds to step S15.

[0072] (Step S14) The battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202 generates planned battery remaining values ​​for the next 48 charge / discharge planning information 2103 based on a charge / discharge plan in which the battery is charged during off-peak hours (for example, from 10 pm to 8 am) and discharged during hours when electricity costs are higher compared to other times, such as during peak hours in the daytime (for example, from 1 pm to 4 pm).

[0073] (Step S15) The battery charge / discharge planning unit 1202 generates planned battery remaining values ​​for the next 48 charge / discharge planning information 2103 based on a charge / discharge plan in which the battery is charged during periods when electricity rates are lower compared to other times, such as nighttime electricity hours (for example, from 10 pm to 8 am), and discharged during periods outside of nighttime electricity hours.

[0074] Figure 7 shows an example of the configuration during the calculation of charge / discharge plan information according to this embodiment. The charge / discharge plan information 2103 illustrated in Figure 7 has the remaining battery capacity calculated from the charge amount and discharge amount for each time slot. A discharge amount k is set for time slot j where the predicted value of purchased electricity exceeds the contracted power. A charge amount m is set for time slot l which is in a reverse power state. The remaining battery capacity may be expressed in kWh or as a charge rate.

[0075] Next, the charge / discharge control process in the power management method according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the power management method according to this embodiment.

[0076] (Step S31) The charge / discharge control unit 1203 determines whether the amount of electricity purchased in the current time slot may exceed the contracted power (electricity purchase threshold) based on the amount of electricity purchased in the current time slot acquired by the electricity purchase amount acquisition unit 1204 from the factory 500. If the amount of electricity purchased in the current time slot may exceed the contracted power, the unit proceeds to step S32; otherwise, the unit proceeds to step S36.

[0077] (Step S32) The charge / discharge control unit 1203 calculates the required discharge amount of the battery BT to be used to cover the amount of electricity purchased in the current time slot that is expected to exceed the contracted power.

[0078] (Step S33) The charge / discharge control unit 1203 determines whether the remaining charge of battery BT is sufficient to meet the required discharge amount calculated in step S32, based on the remaining charge of battery BT acquired from the factory 500 by the battery remaining charge acquisition unit 1201. If the remaining charge of battery BT is sufficient, the process proceeds to step S34; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S35.

[0079] (Step S34) The charge / discharge control unit 1203 discharges the battery BT in the current frame with the required discharge amount calculated in step S32.

[0080] (Step S35) The charge / discharge control unit 1203 discharges the battery BT in the current time slot, leaving a predetermined amount. This predetermined amount is, for example, the remaining battery capacity of the battery BT, which is determined based on the minimum power required for the continued operation of the factory 500.

[0081] (Step S36) The charge / discharge control unit 1203 determines whether there is a possibility of reverse current conditions occurring in the current time slot, based on the amount of electricity purchased for the current time slot acquired by the electricity purchase amount acquisition unit 1204 from the factory 500. If there is a possibility of reverse current conditions occurring in the current time slot, the unit proceeds to step S38; otherwise, the unit proceeds to step S37.

[0082] (Step S37) The charge / discharge control unit 1203 performs charging and discharging on the battery BT in the current time slot, targeting the planned battery level of the battery BT in the current time slot as indicated in the charge / discharge plan information 2103.

[0083] (Step S38) The charge / discharge control unit 1203 calculates the required amount of charge for the battery BT in the current frame to absorb the amount that is expected to flow in reverse.

[0084] (Step S39) The charge / discharge control unit 1203 determines whether the available charge capacity of the battery BT is sufficient to meet the required charge amount calculated in step S38, based on the battery charge acquisition unit 1201 acquired from the factory 500. If the available charge capacity of the battery BT is sufficient, the process proceeds to step S40; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S41.

[0085] (Step S40) The charge / discharge control unit 1203 charges the battery BT in the current frame with the required amount of charge calculated in step S38.

[0086] (Step S41) The charge / discharge control unit 1203 charges the battery BT in the current frame to the extent possible according to the available capacity of the battery BT.

[0087] As described above, according to this embodiment, the power supply to the factory 500 can be managed in accordance with the startup of the electric furnace 510 installed in the factory 500. This allows for the creation of a flexible operating schedule for the electric furnace 510. Furthermore, it is possible to respond to sudden changes in the operating schedule of the electric furnace 510.

[0088] In the embodiments described above, a factory was used as an example of a facility subject to power management, but the same principles apply to facilities other than factories. Furthermore, while an electric furnace was used as an example of specific equipment, the specific equipment may be any equipment that consumes electricity.

[0089] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design modifications and the like are also included within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0090] Alternatively, computer programs for realizing the functions of each of the above-mentioned devices may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the programs recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed. Note that the term "computer system" here may include hardware such as an operating system and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer system" shall also include the homepage provisioning environment (or display environment) if a WWW system is being used. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" refers to writable non-volatile memory such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, and flash memory, portable media such as DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), and storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems.

[0091] Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" also includes volatile memory (such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)) within computer systems that act as servers or clients when programs are transmitted via networks such as the Internet or communication lines such as telephone lines, which retain programs for a certain period of time. 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" used to transmit the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) like the Internet or a communication line (communication line) like a telephone line. Furthermore, the above program may be intended to implement some of the functions described above. It may also be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can implement the aforementioned functions in combination with programs already recorded in the computer system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1...Power management system, 10...Management device, 20...Terminal device, 50...Weather information provision device, 100...Control unit, 200...Storage unit, 300...Communication unit, 1101...First power consumption prediction unit, 1102...Second power consumption prediction unit, 1103...Detection unit, 1104...Purchased electricity amount prediction unit, 1105...Operating status information acquisition unit, 1106...Power generation amount prediction unit, 1201...Battery remaining charge acquisition unit, 1202...Battery charge / discharge planning unit, 1203...Charge / discharge control unit, 1204...Purchased electricity amount acquisition unit, 500...Factory, 510...Electric furnace, 520-1...Air conditioning equipment, 520-2...Lighting equipment, 520-3...Electrical equipment, 520-4...Electronic equipment, BT...Battery

Claims

1. A power management system for a facility equipped with specific equipment, A power consumption pattern information storage unit stores power consumption pattern information indicating the power consumption pattern after the start-up of the specified equipment, A first power consumption prediction unit calculates a predicted value of the first power consumption consumed by the specified equipment based on the power consumption pattern information, A second power consumption prediction unit calculates a predicted value of the second power consumption, other than the first power consumption, consumed by the facility, using a prediction model of the second power consumption that has been generated in advance by machine learning based on information about the surrounding environment of the facility and past actual values ​​of the second power consumption. A detection unit for detecting the activation of the aforementioned specific equipment, When the activation of the specified equipment is detected, the purchased electricity amount prediction unit calculates a predicted value of the amount of electricity purchased by the facility after a predetermined time, based on the predicted value of the first power consumption obtained by the first power consumption prediction unit and the predicted value of the second power consumption obtained by the second power consumption prediction unit. A power management system equipped with the following features.

2. The system further includes an operating status information acquisition unit that acquires operating status information indicating the operating status of the specified equipment after startup, The first power consumption prediction unit changes the predicted value of the first power consumption calculated based on the power consumption pattern information according to the operating status information. The power management system according to claim 1.

3. The detection unit determines whether the specified equipment is started based on the measured values ​​of a power meter installed in the specified equipment over a certain period of time. The power management system according to claim 1.

4. The electricity purchase quantity prediction unit calculates a predicted value for the amount of electricity purchased based on the predicted value of the amount of renewable energy generation available to the facility, the predicted value of the first power consumption, and the predicted value of the second power consumption. The power management system according to claim 1.

5. A power generation prediction unit calculates a predicted value of the amount of renewable energy power generation that can be used by the aforementioned facility. The power management system according to claim 4, further comprising:

6. A battery charge acquisition unit that acquires the remaining charge of a battery that can be used to power the aforementioned facility, The predetermined forecast period is divided into units of time, Based on the predicted amount of electricity purchased, the planned value for the charge / discharge amount of the battery per unit time is calculated. A battery charge / discharge planning unit calculates a planned value for the remaining charge of the battery per unit time based on the planned value for the charge / discharge amount of the battery per unit time and the remaining charge of the battery. A power management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising:

7. The aforementioned battery charge / discharge planning unit, Determine whether or not the predicted amount of electricity purchased exceeds a predetermined electricity purchase threshold for a given unit of time. For each unit of time in which the predicted amount of purchased electricity exceeds the threshold amount of purchased electricity, a planned value for the discharge amount of the storage battery to be used to cover the portion of the predicted amount of purchased electricity that exceeds the threshold amount of purchased electricity is calculated. The power management system according to claim 6.

8. The aforementioned battery charge / discharge planning unit, Determine whether there is a unit of time during which the predicted value of the amount of electricity purchased is negative, resulting in a reverse power flow state. For each unit of time during which the reverse current state occurs, calculate the planned value of the amount of charge of the storage battery in the reverse current state. The power management system according to claim 6.

9. The planned values ​​for the charge / discharge amount of the battery per unit time and the planned value for the remaining battery charge per unit time are updated before the predetermined forecast period ends. The power management system according to claim 6.

10. The planned values ​​for the charge / discharge amount of the battery per unit time and the planned value for the remaining battery charge per unit time are updated when predetermined conditions are met. The power management system according to claim 6.

11. The battery further comprises a charge / discharge control unit for controlling the charging and discharging of the battery, The charge / discharge control unit controls the charging and discharging of the battery with respect to a planned value of the remaining battery charge during a target unit time, which is the unit time for which the charging and discharging of the battery is controlled. The power management system according to claim 6.

12. The facility further comprises a unit for acquiring the amount of electricity purchased from the aforementioned facility, The charge / discharge control unit, in the target unit time, Determine whether the amount of electricity purchased may exceed a predetermined threshold for the amount of electricity purchased. If it is determined that the amount of electricity purchased may exceed the threshold amount of electricity purchased, the required amount of discharge from the storage battery to cover the portion of the electricity purchased that is expected to exceed the threshold amount of electricity purchased is calculated. When the required discharge amount of the storage battery is less than or equal to the remaining battery capacity of the storage battery, the storage battery will be discharged to the required discharge amount. When the required discharge amount of the storage battery exceeds the remaining battery capacity of the storage battery, the storage battery will be discharged to the maximum dischargeable amount. If it is determined that the amount of electricity purchased will not exceed a predetermined threshold amount, the battery will be charged and discharged with a target value for the remaining battery charge. The power management system according to claim 11.

13. The facility further comprises a unit for acquiring the amount of electricity purchased from the aforementioned facility, The charge / discharge control unit, in the target unit time, Determine whether or not there is a possibility of a reverse power flow state where the amount of purchased electricity is a negative value. If it is determined that there is a possibility of reverse current flow, the required amount of charge for the battery to absorb the expected amount of reverse current is calculated, and if the required amount of charge for the battery is less than or equal to the available capacity of the battery, the battery is charged to the required amount, and if the required amount of charge for the battery exceeds the available capacity of the battery, the battery is charged to the amount that can be charged. If it is determined that there is no possibility of reverse current flow, the battery will be charged and discharged with a target value for the remaining battery charge. The power management system according to claim 11.

14. A power management method implemented by a power management system of a facility equipped with specific equipment, A power consumption pattern information storage step involves storing power consumption pattern information indicating the power consumption pattern after the startup of the specified equipment in a power consumption pattern information storage unit. A first power consumption prediction step in which a predicted value of the first power consumption consumed by the specified equipment is calculated based on the power consumption pattern information, A second power consumption prediction step, which involves calculating a predicted value of the second power consumption other than the first power consumption consumed by the facility using a prediction model of the second power consumption that has been generated in advance by machine learning based on information about the surrounding environment of the facility and past actual values ​​of the second power consumption, A detection step for detecting the activation of the aforementioned specific equipment, When the activation of the specified equipment is detected, the purchased electricity amount prediction step calculates a predicted value of the amount of electricity purchased by the facility after a predetermined time, based on the predicted value of the first power consumption obtained in the first power consumption prediction step and the predicted value of the second power consumption obtained in the second power consumption prediction step. Power management methods including

15. On the computer, A power consumption pattern information storage step involves storing power consumption pattern information, which shows the power consumption pattern of a specific piece of equipment installed in a facility subject to power management, after startup, in a power consumption pattern information storage unit. A first power consumption prediction step in which a predicted value of the first power consumption consumed by the specified equipment is calculated based on the power consumption pattern information, A second power consumption prediction step, which involves calculating a predicted value of the second power consumption other than the first power consumption consumed by the facility using a prediction model of the second power consumption that has been generated in advance by machine learning based on information about the surrounding environment of the facility and past actual values ​​of the second power consumption, A detection step for detecting the activation of the aforementioned specific equipment, When the activation of the specified equipment is detected, the purchased electricity amount prediction step calculates a predicted value of the amount of electricity purchased by the facility after a predetermined time, based on the predicted value of the first power consumption obtained in the first power consumption prediction step and the predicted value of the second power consumption obtained in the second power consumption prediction step. A computer program designed to execute something.

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