Information notification system, information notification method, information terminal, and program

Abstract

This disclosure provides an information notification system that can prevent the underutilization of an operation that reduces energy consumption of an air conditioning system by automatically controlling the set temperature. [Solution] The information notification system in this disclosure comprises: a calculation unit that calculates the amount of power consumption reduction due to adopting the automatic control operation based on the first power consumption of the air conditioner in automatic control operation, which suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioner by automatic control of the set temperature, and the second power consumption of the air conditioner in non-automatic control operation, which does not automatically control the set temperature; and a notification unit that, if the reduction amount calculated by the calculation unit does not reach a target value, notifies at least one of the factors that caused the reduction amount not to reach the target value, and measures to improve the fact that the reduction amount did not reach the target value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information notification system, an information notification method, an information terminal, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a system that compares and displays the power consumption performance during the period when energy-saving control is performed and the power consumption performance during the period when energy-saving control is not performed, after correcting them based on the outside air temperature and the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides an information notification system, an information notification method, an information terminal, and a program that can suppress the situation where the operation of suppressing the energy consumption of an air conditioner by automatic control of the set temperature becomes unusable.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The information notification system of the present disclosure includes a calculation unit that calculates the reduction amount of power consumption due to the adoption of the automatic control operation based on the first power consumption of the air conditioner in the automatic control operation that suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioner by automatic control of the set temperature and the second power consumption of the air conditioner in the non-automatic control operation that does not automatically control the set temperature, and a notification unit that notifies at least one of the factor that the reduction amount calculated by the calculation unit has not reached the target value and the improvement measure for the fact that the reduction amount has not reached the target value when the reduction amount has not reached the target value.

[0006] The information notification method in this disclosure calculates the amount of power consumption reduction due to adopting the automatic control operation based on the first power consumption of the air conditioner in automatic control operation, which suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioner by automatically controlling the set temperature, and the second power consumption of the air conditioner in non-automatic control operation, which does not automatically control the set temperature. If the calculated reduction amount does not reach the target value, the method notifies at least one of the following: the reason why the reduction amount did not reach the target value, and the corrective measures for why the reduction amount did not reach the target value.

[0007] The information terminal in this disclosure includes a notification unit that notifies the user of at least one of the following: the amount of power consumption reduction calculated based on the first power consumption of the air conditioner, which suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioner by automatically controlling the set temperature, and the second power consumption of the air conditioner in non-automatic control operation where the set temperature is not automatically controlled; and, if the amount of power reduction due to the adoption of the automatic control operation does not reach the target value, the factors that caused the amount of power reduction not to reach the target value; and measures to improve the situation in which the amount of power reduction did not reach the target value.

[0008] The program in this disclosure causes a computer to function as a notification unit, which notifies the computer of at least one of the following: the amount of reduction in power consumption calculated based on the first power consumption of the air conditioner in an automatic control operation that suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioner by automatically controlling the set temperature, and the second power consumption of the air conditioner in a non-automatic control operation that does not automatically control the set temperature, and if the amount of reduction due to the adoption of the automatic control operation does not reach a target value, the computer notifies the computer of at least one of the following: the reason why the amount of reduction did not reach the target value, and measures to improve the reason why the amount of reduction did not reach the target value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The air conditioning system, information notification method, information terminal, and program described in this disclosure notify the user of at least one of the factors and corrective measures if the amount of power consumption reduction achieved by adopting automatic temperature control in operation does not reach the target value. Therefore, users can understand clues to resolve the issue of insufficient power consumption reduction. Thus, it is possible to prevent the abandonment of the operation method that reduces the energy consumption of the air conditioning system by automatically controlling the set temperature. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioning system in Embodiment 1 [Figure 2] Diagram showing the configuration of the management server in Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of the data stored in the history database in Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the procedure for the air conditioning system in Embodiment 1 to perform automatic control operation. [Figure 5] A diagram showing an example of the data stored in the history database in Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the data stored in the power consumption DB in Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] Diagram showing the configuration of the terminal device in Embodiment 1 [Figure 8] A diagram showing an example of information notified by the notification unit in Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] Flowchart showing the processing of the management server in Embodiment 1 [Figure 10] A diagram illustrating the power consumption calculation process in Embodiment 1. [Figure 11] Flowchart showing the factor analysis process in Embodiment 1 [Figure 12] A flowchart showing the factor analysis process in another processing example (1) of Embodiment 1. [Figure 13] A flowchart showing the factor analysis process in another processing example (3) of Embodiment 1. [Figure 14] Figure showing an example of data stored in the power consumption database in another processing example (3) of Embodiment 1 [Figure 15] Figure showing the configuration of the management server in Embodiment 2 [Figure 16] Flowchart showing the processing of the management server in Embodiment 2 [Figure 17] Flowchart showing the processing of the management server in Embodiment 3 [Figure 18] Figure for explaining the processing of the management server in Embodiment 3 [Figure 19] Figure for explaining the processing of the management server in Embodiment 3 [Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention]

[0011] (Findings etc. underlying the present disclosure) When the inventors arrived at the present disclosure, there was a technology for automatically setting the set temperature of an air conditioner so as to suppress energy consumption. By the way, in this technology, as shown in Patent Document 1, making visible the actual power consumption during the period of performing energy-saving control has been proposed. However, with the technology of Patent Document 1, although it is possible to grasp that the actual power consumption during the period of performing energy-saving control is not good, it is not possible to grasp what is not good and how it is resolved. Therefore, conventionally, the inventors have discovered the problem that operations for suppressing the energy consumption of an air conditioner by automatically controlling the set temperature, such as energy-saving control, may not be used, and in order to solve that problem, they have come to constitute the subject of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure provides an information notification system, an information notification method, an information terminal, and a program that can suppress the situation where operations for suppressing the energy consumption of an air conditioner by automatically controlling the set temperature are not used.

[0012] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, there may be cases where a more detailed description than necessary is omitted. For example, there may be cases where a detailed description of well-known matters or a redundant description of substantially the same configuration is omitted. The attached drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand this disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0013] (Embodiment 1) [1-1. Structure] [1-1-1. Air Conditioning System Configuration] Figure 1 shows the configuration of the air conditioning system 1000. The air conditioning system 1000 comprises multiple air conditioning units 10, a management server 100, and an information terminal 5. The air conditioning units 10, the management server 100, and the information terminal 5 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with one another. In this disclosure, the management server 100 primarily automatically controls the set temperature of the air conditioning units 10 during operation. The air conditioning system 1000 is an example of an "information notification system".

[0014] In the example shown in Figure 1, the air conditioning units 10A to 10D (collectively referred to as air conditioning unit 10, or without distinction) are installed in facilities 1A to 1D (collectively referred to as facility 1, or without distinction). In this embodiment, the air conditioning unit 10 is described assuming a package air conditioner or room air conditioner that operates on electricity, but it may also be a GHP (gas heat pump) type that operates on gas energy. Furthermore, there are no particular restrictions on the specific configuration unless explicitly stated in this embodiment.

[0015] Each facility 1 has a conditioned space that is air-conditioned by an air conditioning system 10. The conditioned space is, for example, the entire building, a partitioned space within a building, and can be a residence, office, shop, medical facility, public facility, or other facility. Air conditioning includes heating, cooling, dehumidification, ventilation, etc., but in this embodiment, we will describe the case of cooling and heating the conditioned space.

[0016] The management server 100 may consist of a single server computer, or multiple server computers may function as the management server 100. The management server 100 may also be a so-called cloud server.

[0017] Communication network N is a communication line comprising dedicated lines, public telephone networks, the Internet, etc. Communication network N may also include network devices not shown, such as Wi-Fi® routers, switches, routers, gateways, and various server devices. Furthermore, communication network N may also include wireless base stations installed by telecommunications carriers.

[0018] Information terminal 5 has the function of communicating with management server 100. In Figure 1, a laptop PC (Personal Computer) is shown as an example of information terminal 5, but it may also be a smartphone, tablet computer, smartwatch or other wearable device. There is no limit to the number of PCs that can be connected to the communication network N. Information terminal 5 also has a display unit 51 that displays information regarding the power consumption and usage status of the air conditioner 10 based on data generated by management server 100.

[0019] The air conditioning system 10A comprises a control device 11, an outdoor unit 12, an indoor unit 13, an operating unit 14, a communication device 15, and an outside air temperature sensor 18. Air conditioning systems 10B to 10D are configured similarly. The configuration in Figure 1 is just one example, and there is no limit to the number of outdoor units 12 and indoor units 13 that the air conditioning system 10 is equipped with. It may also be configured to provide air conditioning for multiple air-conditioned spaces in facility 1 using multiple indoor units 13.

[0020] The outdoor unit 12, although not shown in the diagram, includes a compressor, various valves such as four-way valves and on-off valves, an outdoor heat exchanger, and a refrigerant circuit connecting them. The indoor unit 13 includes an expansion valve, various valves such as on-off valves, an indoor heat exchanger, and a refrigerant circuit connecting them. The refrigerant circuit of the outdoor unit 12 and the refrigerant circuit of the indoor unit 13 are connected.

[0021] The control device 11 is connected to the outdoor unit 12, the indoor unit 13, the control unit 14, and the outside air temperature sensor 18. The control device 11 operates the air conditioning system 10 so that the temperature of the air-conditioned space reaches a set target temperature by controlling the operation of the compressor in the outdoor unit 12 and the opening and closing of the valves in the outdoor unit 12 and the indoor unit 13. The control device 11 includes, for example, memory and a processor, and the processor controls the air conditioning system 10A according to the data stored in memory by executing a program stored in memory. The processor of the control device 11 is, for example, a microcontroller integrated with memory.

[0022] The outdoor temperature sensor 18 is a temperature sensor that detects the ambient temperature and is installed, for example, on the outdoor unit 12. The detection method of the outdoor temperature sensor 18 is not limited. The communication device 15 is a device that communicates with the management server 100 via the communication network N.

[0023] The control unit 14 is a control panel or remote control installed on the wall for operating the air conditioning unit 10. For example, a person in the air-conditioned space can instruct the control device 11 to start, stop, and change the target temperature set by the air conditioning unit 10 by operating the control unit 14. Alternatively, an administrator who manages each air conditioning unit 10 may operate the control unit 14 via the communication network N and communication device 15 by operating an information terminal 5 or the like. In the following description, among the operations performed by the control unit 14, the operation to change the set temperature of the air conditioning unit 10 will be referred to as the temperature change operation.

[0024] Furthermore, the air conditioning unit 10 performs air conditioning of the air-conditioned space based on the operation of the control unit 14 and the information terminal 5, as well as the setting data SD transmitted from the management server 100. The setting data SD includes the set temperature during cooling operation and the set temperature during heating operation. The control device 11 receives the setting data SD via the communication device 15 and operates the air conditioning unit 10 at the set temperature specified by the received setting data SD. Furthermore, the control device 11 generates operation data RD indicating that it has received a temperature change operation and transmits it to the management server 100 via the communication device 15. As shown in Figure 1, the operation data RD includes, for example, at least one of the following: a facility ID, which is identification information that identifies each of the facilities 1, and an air conditioner ID, which is identification information that identifies each of the air conditioning units 10. The operation data RD also includes information on the date and time of the setting change due to the temperature change operation, the outside air temperature, the setting temperature before the change, and the setting temperature after the change.

[0025] [1-1-2. Management Server Configuration] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the management server 100. The management server 100 includes a control unit 110 and a communication unit 150.

[0026] The control unit 110 includes a processor 120 and a memory 130. The processor 120 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), and other arithmetic processing units. The memory 130 is a storage device that non-volatilely stores programs and data executed by the processor 120. The memory 130 is composed of a magnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage element, or other types of non-volatile storage devices. Specifically, the memory 130 includes an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a flash ROM (Read Only Memory), an SSD (Solid State Drive) composed of flash ROM, etc. The memory 130 may also include RAM (Random Access Memory) that constitutes the work area of ​​the processor 120.

[0027] Memory 130 stores the control program 131 executed by the processor 120. Memory 130 stores temperature setting data 132, history DB (database) 133, and power consumption DB 135. This data is processed or generated by processor 120.

[0028] The temperature setting data 132 is the set temperature data for the air conditioning unit 10. The temperature setting data 132 includes the set temperature data included in the setting data SD. The temperature setting data 132 may include different set temperature data for each air conditioning unit 10 or for each facility 1.

[0029] The history DB133 stores data on temperature change operations performed in the air conditioning system 10 as a change history. For example, it stores data that associates the air conditioner ID with the change history, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 is an example of the change history for a summer day when the daytime maximum temperature was 35°C.

[0030] Each record stored in the history DB133 corresponds to one temperature change operation in one air conditioner 10 and includes the date and time of the setting change, the operation type, the outside air temperature, the set temperature before the temperature change operation, and the set temperature after the temperature change operation. The date and time of the setting change is the date and time when the set temperature was changed by an operation of the operation unit 14. The operation type is the operating state of the air conditioner 10 when the temperature change operation was performed, and in this embodiment, the operation type is either cooling or heating. The outside air temperature is the outside air temperature when the temperature change operation was performed, and for example, the measured value of the outside air temperature sensor 18 is used, but outside air temperature information obtained from an external source such as a weather information service company may also be used. The set temperature before the temperature change operation is the set temperature of the air conditioner 10 before the temperature change operation was performed. The set temperature after the temperature change operation is the set temperature of the air conditioner 10 that was changed by a person in the air-conditioned space through manual operation or the like.

[0031] In this way, the history DB 133 stores the change history for each air conditioning unit 10, associated with the air conditioner ID. Although the example in Figure 3 only shows records where the operation type is cooling, the history DB 133 can store data received by the management server 100 throughout the year.

[0032] Furthermore, the history DB133 stores the change history separately for when the operation unit 14 is operated during automatic control operation, which suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioner 10 by automatically controlling the set temperature, and the change history during non-automatic control operation, which does not automatically control the set temperature. The reason and procedure for recording the change history during non-automatic control operation will be described later.

[0033] Here, we will explain automated and non-automated control operations.

[0034] The air conditioning system 1000 performs automatic control operation through three steps as shown in Figure 4. First, in the conventional operation of Stage 1 S1, the management server 100 does not control the set temperature of the air conditioning unit 10. For example, in Stage 1 S1, (i) an operation in which a person in the air-conditioned space operates the control unit 14, (ii) an operation in which the manager of facility 1 sets the temperature using an information terminal 5 or the like, or (iii) an operation in which the air conditioning unit 10 sets the temperature autonomously. In this disclosure, these cases are collectively referred to as "non-automatic control operation".

[0035] Next, in the second stage S2, where learning data is accumulated, the management server 100 operates the air conditioner 10 by changing the set temperature of the air conditioner 10 in various ways based on the setting data SD, and observes the user's reaction. Specifically, the number of times the user changes the temperature to increase energy after it has been set based on the setting data SD is measured as the "number of changes". A temperature change operation to increase energy is an operation to lower the set temperature during cooling operation. During heating operation, it is an operation to raise the set temperature. An operation to raise the set temperature because the user feels the cooling is too strong is not a temperature change operation to increase energy, so this number is not measured. By repeating this process, the user's preferences are learned.

[0036] Then, in the third stage S3, where AI automatic control is performed, the air conditioner 10 is operated while automatically controlling the set temperature of the air conditioner 10 in order to achieve both energy consumption reduction and user comfort, based on the data obtained in the first stage S1 and the data obtained in the second stage S2. In this disclosure, the operation adopted in this third stage S3 is referred to as "automatic control operation".

[0037] These three stages can be performed sequentially or in parallel. For example, in the second stage S2, learning data accumulation and conventional operation can be performed in parallel. In the third stage S3, AI automatic control and conventional operation can be performed in parallel. Performing them in parallel at the same time makes it easier to compare the effects of introducing automatic control operation with non-automatic control operation, for example, by comparing them under the same or similar weather conditions.

[0038] In order to evaluate the power consumption reduction effect resulting from the introduction of automatic control operation, the air conditioning system 1000 records not only the power consumption P1 consumed during automatic control operation but also the power consumption P2 consumed during non-automatic control operation in the power consumption DB135.

[0039] The history DB133 may also collect the number of times the set temperature was changed for each combination of outside temperature and time period, as shown in Figure 5. In the example in Figure 5, the outside temperature is set in 1°C increments from 22°C to 37°C, and the time period is set in 1-hour increments from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. As an example, a change example is shown for the combination of an outside temperature of 32°C and a time period of around 13:00. Here, the actual number is the number of times the set temperature was set based on the setting data SD from the management server 100. The number of changes is the number of times the user changed the temperature to the energy-increasing side after the temperature was set based on the setting data SD as described above. The change probability is the value obtained by dividing the number of changes by the actual number. In this example, when the system was operated with a set temperature of 28°C, the user felt that the air conditioning was not working well and changed the temperature all four times. Also, when the system was operated with a set temperature of 27°C and 26°C, the user changed the temperature in the majority of cases, suggesting that the air conditioning was not working well. On the other hand, when the temperature is lowered to 25°C or 24°C, the number of changes is 0, suggesting that users find it comfortable. The history DB133 may, for example, store history data in the format shown in Figure 3 during the day, and then aggregate the data from Figure 3 at night when the server load is low to update the data shown in Figure 5.

[0040] In this way, by pre-recording the cumulative number of changes made by the user for each combination of outside temperature and time period, the processing of the output unit 124, described later, can be performed efficiently.

[0041] The above example shows how to store historical data when the system is running in cooling mode, but the same method can be used to store historical data when the system is running in heating mode. Also, the above is just one example of how to store data in the history DB133, and data may be stored in other ways.

[0042] The power consumption DB135 stores data indicating the power consumption of the air conditioning system 10. For example, the power consumption DB135 stores data indicating power consumption associated with the air conditioner ID of the air conditioning system 10. The data stored in the power consumption DB135 is, for example, data on power consumption every hour. In addition, the air conditioner ID indicating which air conditioning system 10 the data belongs to, the date and time the power consumption was measured are stored as data, as well as the outside temperature and weather during that time period. Furthermore, information on the set temperature before and after the temperature change operation during that time period may also be linked and stored.

[0043] Furthermore, the power consumption DB135 may store data in a format that allows for a list of power consumption amounts for each facility, as shown in Figure 6. For example, during the day, power consumption data may be accumulated on an hourly basis, and at night, when the server load is low, the data for each store may be aggregated and the database in Figure 6 updated.

[0044] Returning to the explanation of Figure 2, the processor 120 controls each part of the management server 100 by executing the control program 131. The processor 120 includes, as functional units, an acquisition unit 121, a calculation unit 122, a determination unit 123, an output unit 124, a server notification unit 125, and a processing unit 126. Each of these functional units is realized through the cooperation of software and hardware as the processor 120 executes the control program 131.

[0045] The communication unit 150 is a communication device connected to the communication network N. The communication unit 150 includes, for example, a connector for connecting a communication cable and an interface circuit for inputting and outputting signals through the connector. Alternatively, for example, the communication unit 150 may be a wireless communication device equipped with an antenna and a wireless circuit, connected to the communication network N via a wireless communication line. The communication unit 150 communicates with information terminals 5, etc., via the communication network N.

[0046] The acquisition unit 121 communicates with the air conditioning system 10 via the communication unit 150 and receives operation data RD from the air conditioning system 10. Based on the operation data RD, the acquisition unit 121 adds data to the history DB 133 and updates the history DB 133.

[0047] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 121 communicates with the air conditioning system 10 via the communication unit 150 and receives data regarding power consumption from the air conditioning system 10. Based on the received data, the acquisition unit 121 adds the data to the power consumption DB 135 and updates the power consumption DB 135.

[0048] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 121 acquires operation data RD necessary for processing in the calculation unit 122 and output unit 124, which will be described later, from the history DB 133, and acquires data related to power consumption from the power consumption DB 135.

[0049] The calculation unit 122 calculates the amount of power consumption reduction due to the adoption of automatic control operation based on the power consumption data obtained via the acquisition unit 121.

[0050] The determination unit 123 determines whether the reduction amount calculated by the calculation unit 122 has reached the target value.

[0051] The output unit 124 analyzes the factors and outputs the results when the determination unit 123 determines that the amount of power consumption reduction has not reached the target value.

[0052] The server notification unit 125 notifies the information terminal 5 of the information output by the output unit 124 via the communication unit 150 and the communication network N. The information output by the output unit 124 may be output directly to the information terminal 5, or it may be notified to the information terminal 5 in a format that is easy for the user of the information terminal 5 to understand visually.

[0053] The processing unit 126 performs processing other than that performed by the acquisition unit 121, calculation unit 122, determination unit 123, output unit 124, and server notification unit 125, as well as general-purpose processing. For example, it reads temperature setting data 132 from memory 130 and processes the server communication unit 150 to send the setting data SD to the air conditioner 10. It also issues instructions to the acquisition unit 121 or server notification unit 125 to perform various processes, and performs simple branching and determination processes in the flowchart described later.

[0054] [1-1-3. Terminal Device Configuration] Figure 7 shows the configuration of the information terminal 5. The information terminal 5 comprises a control unit 50, a display unit 51, a communication unit 52, and an input unit 53.

[0055] The control unit 50 is a device that controls various parts of the information terminal 5. The control unit 50 includes a processor 500, memory 510, and interface circuitry. The processor 500 is composed of a CPU, MPU, etc. Other devices and sensors equipped with the information terminal 5 are connected to the interface circuitry. Processor 500 is an example of a “computer” in this disclosure.

[0056] Memory 510 is a memory that stores programs and data. Memory 510 stores the control program 511 and data to be processed by the processor 500. Memory 510 has a non-volatile storage area. Memory 510 also has a volatile storage area and constitutes the work area of ​​the processor 500. Memory 510 is composed of, for example, ROM or RAM. The control program 511 may be a browser or an application program other than a browser. Control program 511 is an example of a "program".

[0057] The display unit 51 is equipped with a display composed of elements such as liquid crystal, LED (Light Emitting Diode), and OLED (Organic LED). The display unit 51 displays various information according to the control of the control unit 50. For example, the display unit 51 displays information received from the management server 100.

[0058] The communication unit 52 is equipped with communication hardware such as communication circuits that conform to a predetermined communication standard, and communicates with each device connected to the communication network NW. For example, the communication unit 52 communicates with the management server 100.

[0059] The input unit 53 is equipped with an interface circuit for connecting to devices such as operation switches, touch input panels, mice, and keyboards, and detects the input operations of the user of the information terminal 5 and outputs the detection results to the processor 500.

[0060] The processor 500 functions as a reception unit 501, a communication control unit 502, and a notification unit 503 by reading and executing the control program 511 stored in the memory 510.

[0061] The reception unit 501 receives input operations from the input unit 53. For example, the reception unit 501 receives a request from the input unit 53 to provide information regarding the power consumption of the air conditioning system 1000.

[0062] The communication control unit 502 communicates with the management server 100 via the communication unit 52. When the receiving unit 501 receives a request for information regarding power consumption, the communication control unit 502 transmits this request to the management server 100.

[0063] Then, the management server 100 responds to this request and transmits information regarding power consumption to the information terminal 5. The information received by the communication unit 52 is then displayed on the display unit 51. If the power consumption reduction achieved by adopting automatic control operation does not reach the target value, the notification unit 503 displays the reason for not reaching the target value using the display unit 51. This notifies the user of the information terminal 5 of the reason.

[0064] Figure 8 shows an example of information notified by the server notification unit 125. This information is generated based on data like that shown in Figure 6, which is stored in the power consumption DB 135. Store B adopted automated control operation, but the power consumption reduction rate was only 7.9%, failing to reach the target value. Clicking the "Report" icon here will show the reasons why the reduction amount did not reach the target value. Store B raised the set temperature from 22.4°C to 24.3°C, a difference of about 2°C, in order to reduce energy consumption. However, on average, users changed the temperature nearly three times a day, resulting in the system actually operating at a temperature lower than 24.3°C, which meant the reduction rate remained below 10%. "Reduction rate" is an example of the amount of reduction.

[0065] [1-2. Operation] Next, the processes performed by the air conditioning system 1000 in Embodiment 1 will be explained with reference to a flowchart and the like.

[0066] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the management server 100.

[0067] First, the acquisition unit 121 of the management server 100 acquires the first power consumption P1 during automatic control operation and the second power consumption P2 during non-automatic control operation from the power consumption DB (step SA1).

[0068] Next, the calculation unit 122 calculates the reduction rate of the first power consumption P1 relative to the second power consumption P2 (step SA2). This will be explained in detail with reference to Figure 10. In Figure 10, each point indicated by a black circle or an "x" is plotted with the daily power consumption on the vertical axis and the average outdoor temperature on the horizontal axis. The black circles represent data from non-autonomous operation, i.e., measurement data before the introduction of automated control operation. The "x" marks represent measurement data after the introduction of automated control operation. Figure 10 shows several months' worth of data measured in this manner.

[0069] The calculation unit 122 then determines a regression curve for non-automatic control operation based on the data plotted with black circles, and a regression curve for automatic control operation based on the data plotted with X marks, and estimates (calculates) the power consumption reduction rate based on the distance on the vertical axis of these regression curves. These regression curves can be calculated using various methods such as the least squares method, but the method is not limited.

[0070] Furthermore, such regression curves of power consumption values ​​may be calculated in advance and stored as data in the power consumption DB135. This allows for faster calculation of the reduction rate. Alternatively, the reduction rate calculated using this method may be stored as data in the power consumption DB135 in the format shown in Figure 6. In addition to calculating the reduction rate by determining a regression curve as described above, the reduction rate may also be calculated by simply comparing the cumulative values ​​of the first power consumption P1 and the second power consumption P2 over a predetermined period. However, if the ambient temperature differs between the period of automatic control operation and the period of non-automatic control operation, it may not be possible to correctly evaluate the power consumption reduction effect. Therefore, it is preferable to compare values ​​corrected based on ambient temperature information as described above.

[0071] Returning to Figure 9, the determination unit 123 determines whether the reduction rate determined in step SA2 has reached the target value (step SA3). Here, the target value varies depending on the facility where the air conditioning system 10 is installed and may not necessarily be uniform. For example, the target value may be determined by the facility's environment, the performance and output of the air conditioning system, and an agreement between the air conditioning system operator and the user. Therefore, the power consumption DB 135 may also store information on the target value for each facility, and the determination unit 123 may read the target value for the target facility from the power consumption DB 135 before performing the above determination. Next, if it is determined that the reduction rate has not reached the target value (Step SA4: NO), the process proceeds to the factor analysis process by the output unit 124 (Step SA5). For example, in the example in Figure 6, the reduction rate at store B is 7.9%, which is below the target rate of 15%.

[0072] Referring to Figure 11, the factor analysis process (step SA5) will be explained. In the factor analysis process, if the reduction amount calculated by the calculation unit 122 does not reach the target value, the factors that caused the reduction amount to not reach the target value are output.

[0073] First, the acquisition unit 121 acquires the change history of the air conditioning system 10 during automatic control operation from the history DB 133 (step SA51). The history to be acquired is initially thought to be the daily change history shown in Figure 3, but the amount of information is too large to present this change history directly to the user. Therefore, it may be possible to acquire aggregated data, for example, as shown in Figure 5.

[0074] Next, the output unit 124 outputs the change history (number of changes) during automatic control operation and the time periods with a high number of changes, based on the data acquired by the acquisition unit 121, as factors that prevented the reduction amount from reaching the target value (step SA52). In the example shown in Figure 8, store B had a relatively high average number of changes, 2.8 times per day. Therefore, the number of changes is output as a factor that prevented the reduction amount from reaching the target value. In addition, as for time periods with a high number of changes, it is conceivable to output time periods where the probability of change is above a predetermined value (e.g., 60%). For example, referring to Figure 5, in the case of time period 13:00 and outside temperature 32℃, data is obtained showing that there is a high probability that the user changed the temperature when the set temperature was between 26℃ and 28℃. Therefore, 13:00 is output as information for a time period with a high number of changes. Then, (Step SA5) is completed.

[0075] Returning to Figure 9, the server notification unit 125 notifies the information terminal 5 of the factors output from the output unit 124 in step SA5 (step SA6). The notified content is displayed on the display unit 51 of the information terminal 5 using a screen similar to that shown in Figure 8. This allows the manager of the air conditioning system 10 to know the factors that prevented the target value from being reached.

[0076] Furthermore, if the reduction rate has reached the target value (Step SA4: YES), the server notification unit 125 notifies the information terminal 5 that the reduction rate has reached the target value (Step SA7). In the example in Figure 6, store A has a reduction rate of 22.6%, which is 15% of the target rate. Therefore, store A notifies the information that the reduction rate has reached the target value.

[0077] [1-2-2. Other Processing Examples (1)] The factor analysis process may be performed as shown in Figure 12, instead of the example described in Figure 11 (step SA5 above). The acquisition unit 121 acquires the change history of the air conditioning system 10 during non-automatic control operation from the history DB 133 (step SB51). Furthermore, even if the temperature of the air conditioner 10 is changed by operating the control unit 14, the air conditioner 10 is capable of performing an "automatic set temperature return" control, which returns it to a predetermined set temperature after a certain period of time. Next, the output unit 124 determines whether the number of changes during non-automatic control operation is greater than or equal to a predetermined number (step SB52). The number of changes is, for example, the average value per day. If the number of changes exceeds a predetermined number (Step SB52: YES), the change history (number of changes) during non-automatic control operation is output (Step SB53). For example, in Figure 8, the "conventional" value of 0.3 for "Number of set temperature changes" corresponds to this number of changes.

[0078] If the number of changes during non-automatic control operation is high, it can be inferred that users in the air-conditioned space of the air conditioner 10 tended to lower the set temperature in order to prioritize comfort, making it difficult to reduce energy consumption even with the introduction of automatic control operation. In addition, if the number of changes during non-automatic control operation is high, it can be inferred that the set temperature after the "automatic return of set temperature" during non-automatic control operation was already at a temperature where energy consumption could be reduced, leaving little room for further energy reduction through automatic control operation. Therefore, by outputting the change history during non-automatic control operation, it is possible to demonstrate that the insufficient reduction in energy consumption was not solely due to the automatic control of the set temperature. Note that the process shown in Figure 12 may be performed instead of the factor analysis process (step SA5) in Figure 11, or it may be performed in addition to step SA5.

[0079] [1-2-3. Other Processing Examples (2)] In the example shown in Figure 12, after step SB53, if the number of times the set temperature during automatic control operation is changed is less than or equal to a predetermined number, the output unit 124 may output a message to that effect. In this case, following the same procedure as in step SB51, the acquisition unit 121 first acquires the change history of the air conditioning system 10 during automatic control operation from the history DB 133. Next, the output unit 124 determines whether the number of changes during automatic control operation is less than or equal to a predetermined number. If the number of changes is less than or equal to the predetermined number, the output unit 124 outputs that the reason the power consumption reduction did not reach the target value was that processing prioritizing comfort was performed during automatic control operation.

[0080] During automatic control operation, the system operates at a set temperature that balances energy saving with user comfort. If, in the second stage S2, which is the data accumulation stage described above, it is detected that users tend to prioritize excessive comfort, then in the third stage S3, where AI automatic control is performed, the system will operate at a lower set temperature. As a result, user comfort will be satisfied, and the number of temperature setting changes due to manual temperature adjustments will decrease, but the reduction in power consumption will be insufficient because the initial set temperature is low. Therefore, if the number of times the user changes the set temperature to the energy-increasing side during a predetermined period of non-automatic control operation is greater than or equal to a predetermined number, and the number of times the user changes the set temperature to the energy-increasing side during a predetermined period of automatic control operation is less than or equal to a predetermined number, the server notification unit 125 notifies that control prioritizing comfort has been performed. The notification unit 503 then notifies that control prioritizing comfort has been performed. With this configuration, users can understand that the reason the target value was not reached was because the control prioritized the comfort of occupants in the air-conditioned space over the reduction of energy consumption. Therefore, the operation of reducing the energy consumption of the air conditioning system by automatically controlling the set temperature can be less likely to fall out of use.

[0081] [1-2-4. Other Processing Examples (3)] The factor analysis process may be the process shown in Figure 13. In this example, the output unit 124 outputs a message indicating that the power consumption reduction amount has been reached under specific conditions, even if the reduction amount has not reached the target value.

[0082] First, the acquisition unit 121 acquires the power consumption P1 during automatic control operation and the power consumption P2 during non-automatic control operation from the power consumption DB 135 and compares the power consumption under specific conditions (step SC 51). Specific conditions refer to, for example, the power consumption under a specific combination of ambient temperature, time of day, and weather. When the acquisition unit 121 acquires power consumption from the power consumption DB 135, it also acquires information such as the ambient temperature, time of day, and weather at the time of measurement, in addition to the power consumption value. To improve the efficiency of the processing described later, the power consumption DB135 may be configured to pre-store power consumption during automatic and non-automatic control operation in sets of time period and outside temperature, as shown in Figure 14.

[0083] Then, if there are specific conditions under which the reduction in power consumption P1 during automatic control operation compared to power consumption P2 during non-automatic control operation reaches the target value (step SC52: YES), the output unit 124 outputs that the target value has been reached under the specific conditions (step SC53). Then, exiting step SB5, the process returns to step SA6 in Figure 9, and the server notification unit 125 notifies the information terminal 5 of the information output in step SC53. As a result, the notification unit 503 notifies the information output in step SC53.

[0084] With this configuration, for example, the system can inform the user that the target value has been reached under specific conditions such as a particular range of outside temperatures or time periods, thereby reducing user dissatisfaction. It can also suggest to the user that there is room to reduce power consumption through improvements to the automatic control method, thus preventing the automatic control operation from being underutilized.

[0085] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, the air conditioning system 1000 of Embodiment 1 includes a calculation unit 122 that calculates the amount of power consumption reduction due to adopting the automatic control operation based on a first power consumption P1 of the air conditioning system in automatic control operation, which suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioning system by automatic control of the set temperature, and a second power consumption P2 of the air conditioning system in non-automatic control operation, which does not automatically control the set temperature, and a server notification unit 125 that notifies the server of the reasons why the reduction amount calculated by the calculation unit 122 did not reach the target value.

[0086] According to Embodiment 1, if the amount of power consumption reduction achieved by adopting automatic temperature control during operation does not reach the target value, the cause is notified. Therefore, users can understand the reasons why the amount of power consumption reduction has not reached the target value. Thus, it is possible to prevent the operation of reducing the energy consumption of the air conditioner by automatically controlling the set temperature from being abandoned.

[0087] (Embodiment 2) Next, Embodiment 2 will be described.

[0088] Figure 15 shows the configuration of the management server 200 according to Embodiment 2. In terms of configuration, the management server 200 differs from the management server 100 of Embodiment 1 in that it further includes a prediction unit 127.

[0089] This prediction unit 127 predicts whether the property where the air conditioner 10 is installed is suitable for automatic control operation, based on the number of times the air conditioner 10 has been changed during a predetermined period of non-automatic control operation.

[0090] Refer to Figure 16 to explain the processes performed by the management server 200.

[0091] The acquisition unit 121 acquires the change history of the air conditioner 10 during non-automatic operation control from the history DB 133 (step SD1). In this flowchart, the air conditioner 10 is capable of executing the "automatic return of set temperature" described above.

[0092] Next, the prediction unit 224 determines whether the number of changes during non-automatic control operation is greater than or equal to a predetermined number (step SD2). The number of changes is, for example, the average value per day.

[0093] Then, if the number of changes exceeds a predetermined number (Step SD2: YES), it outputs that the expected power consumption reduction effect by adopting automatic control operation is low (Step SD3). The server notification unit 125 then notifies the information terminal 5 of the information output by the prediction unit 224.

[0094] If the set temperature is changed frequently even during non-automatic control operation before the introduction of automatic control operation, possible reasons include: (i) the property's location makes it difficult to control air conditioning, (ii) the property has users who demand excessive comfort, and (iii) the set temperature after the "automatic return of set temperature" during non-automatic control operation is already at a temperature where energy consumption can be reduced, leaving little room for further energy reduction through automatic control operation. If automatic control operation is adopted in the same environment in the future, the above attributes (i) to (iii) will usually be carried over, so it is unlikely that a reduction in power consumption can be expected even if automatic control operation is adopted. Therefore, in Embodiment 2, if the set temperature is changed frequently during non-automatic control operation, it is predicted and output that the power consumption reduction effect from adopting automatic control operation will be low for the property in question. The notification unit 503 then notifies the user of this fact. This makes it possible to prevent dissatisfaction from arising after the introduction of automatic control.

[0095] (Embodiment 3) Next, Embodiment 3 will be described.

[0096] The configuration of the management server in this embodiment is the same as that of the management server 200 in Embodiment 2. However, it differs from Embodiment 2 in that the prediction unit 127 predicts the reduction rate of power consumption by adopting automatic control operation based on the operating history of the air conditioner 10 during non-automatic control operation before automatic control operation, and the history of temperature setting changes by the user of the air conditioner 10, and calculates the predicted value of that reduction rate.

[0097] The processes performed by the management server 200 will be explained with reference to Figures 17 to 19.

[0098] First, the acquisition unit 121 acquires the history of power consumption values ​​and the history of ambient temperature during non-automatic control operation from the power consumption DB 135 (step SE1). Here, the power consumption DB135 collects and stores data on the daily power consumption of the air conditioner 10 during non-automatic control operation and the average outside temperature for that day. This data is collected for a predetermined period (for example, several months).

[0099] Next, the prediction unit 224 plots the daily historical data acquired by the acquisition unit 121 during non-automatic control operation onto a virtual two-dimensional coordinate system with power consumption on the vertical axis and ambient temperature on the horizontal axis. Here, one day is represented by one point (step SE2). Figure 18 schematically shows this, with each black circle corresponding to a pair of daily power consumption and the average ambient temperature for the day. This group of black circles is then designated as D1.

[0100] Next, the acquisition unit 121 acquires the history of changes in the set temperature during non-automatic control operation during the predetermined period from the history DB 133 (step SE3).

[0101] Next, the prediction unit 224 predicts, based on the change history acquired by the acquisition unit 121, whether power consumption can be reduced by performing automatic control operation for each day obtained in step SE2 (step SE4).

[0102] Figure 19 schematically illustrates the prediction procedure. For example, let's assume that the number of changes in a day was zero on June 22nd. Let's also assume that the weather was cloudy on this day, so the indoor temperature did not rise due to sunlight. In this case, for days like June 22nd when cloudy weather is predicted, it is predicted that it would not have been a problem to raise the set temperature, and the power consumption when the set temperature was lowered is plotted on the graph as an "X".

[0103] For example, let's assume that the number of temperature settings changed on July 13th was zero. Even though the outside temperature was relatively high on this day, the number of changes was still zero. This is because it was a Saturday, a public holiday, so there were fewer people in the heated space, making it difficult for the indoor temperature to rise. In this way, even on a Saturday, we predict that raising the set temperature would not have caused any problems, and we plot the power consumption under the assumption that the set temperature was lowered, marking it with an "x" on the graph.

[0104] Conversely, if August 9th was extremely hot and power consumption was high, but the number of temperature settings changed throughout the day was also high, then even if the system is designed to raise the set temperature, there is a high probability that users will manually lower the temperature using the control panel, resulting in a low power consumption reduction effect.

[0105] In this way, we predict how much electricity consumption could have been reduced for each day during the given period. Let's call this set of data marked with an "x" D2.

[0106] Next, a regression curve is calculated for the data set D1 under non-automatic control operation (step SD6). In Figure 19, the solid line represents the regression curve under non-automatic control operation. Similarly, a regression curve is calculated for the predicted data set D2 under automatic control operation. These regression curves can be calculated using various methods, such as the least squares method, but the method is not limited.

[0107] Then, the predicted reduction rate of power consumption is calculated based on the distance on the vertical axis between the regression curve for data group D1 and the regression curve for predicted data group D2 (step SD7). "Based on the distance on the vertical axis" means that the power consumption ratio at the same ambient temperature is calculated and the average value of these is used as the reduction rate.

[0108] According to this embodiment 3, the predicted power consumption reduction rate can be presented to the user before the introduction of automatic control operation, which helps in deciding whether or not to adopt automatic control and allows for adjustment of expectations.

[0109] (Other embodiments) As described above, Embodiments 1 to 3 have been explained as examples disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited thereto and can be applied to embodiments that have been modified, replaced, added, or omitted. Furthermore, it is possible to create new embodiments by combining the components described in Embodiments 1 to 3 above.

[0110] The processor 120 may consist of a single processor or multiple processors. These processors may also be hardware programmed to implement the corresponding functional units. That is, these processors may consist of, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0111] In the embodiment described above, the notification unit 503 is configured to notify the user of the reasons why the reduction rate did not reach the target value if the reduction rate has not reached the target value. In other embodiments, the notification unit 503 may also notify the user of corrective measures to improve the reduction rate if the reduction rate has not reached the target value. For example, the notification unit 503 may notify the user of corrective measures such as refraining from changing the set temperature.

[0112] In the embodiment described above, display was given as an example of the notification method of the notification unit 503. However, the notification method of the notification unit 503 is not limited to display, and may also be audio output or printing.

[0113] The configuration of the management server 100 shown in Figure 3 is merely an example, and the specific implementation is not particularly limited. In other words, it is not necessarily required that hardware corresponding to each part be implemented individually, and it is also possible to configure the system so that the functions of each part are realized by a single processor executing a program. That is, it is not necessary to implement hardware corresponding to the acquisition unit 121, calculation unit 122, determination unit 123, output unit 124, server notification unit 125, and processing unit 126, and it is also possible to configure the system so that the functions of each part are realized by one or more processors executing a program. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, some of the functions implemented by software may be implemented by hardware, or some of the functions implemented by hardware may be implemented by software.

[0114] In other embodiments, the system may also notify users of the history of changes to the set temperature on the energy-boosting side, as well as the time period in which the user most frequently changes the set temperature on the energy-boosting side.

[0115] Furthermore, in the screen shown in Figure 8, information regarding the factors shown at the bottom of the figure may be displayed even if the user does not click on an icon. Alternatively, the factors may be displayed only for stores where the reduction amount did not reach the target value and the number of times the set temperature was changed was predetermined or more.

[0116] Furthermore, the notification unit 503 may also notify the user of information regarding a malfunction of the air conditioner 10 as the reason why the reduction in power consumption did not reach the target value, or as a corrective measure for the reason why the reduction did not reach the target value. Here, the information regarding the malfunction of the air conditioner 10 is generated, for example, based on alarm information emitted from the main body of the air conditioner 10 or the operating data of the air conditioner 10. In this other embodiment, for example, the notification unit 503 may notify the user of the reason why the reduction in power consumption did not reach the target value due to a malfunction, or it may notify the user of a corrective measure such as calling a maintenance person to resolve the malfunction.

[0117] Furthermore, at least one of the functions of the acquisition unit 121, calculation unit 122, determination unit 123, and output unit 124 may be executed not by the control unit 110 of the management server 100, but by a control device that controls each part of the information terminals 5 and 7, or a control device that controls each part of the air conditioning system 10. In this case, the control device that controls each part of the information terminal 5 and the control device that controls each part of the air conditioning system 10 correspond to a "computer." The program executed by such a control device corresponds to a "program."

[0118] In the embodiment described above, the reduction rate was used as an example of the "reduction amount," but the "reduction amount" does not have to be a rate. Also, the power consumption used to calculate the "reduction amount" may be a value corrected for, for example, the ambient temperature.

[0119] In other embodiments, the "number of changes" may be an actual value or an average value. As an example of the latter, in other embodiments, the number of times the set temperature is changed to the energy-increasing side is counted in one-hour increments, and the counted data is stored in the history DB of the management server. This data is then accumulated, for example, during the summer months of May to October. This period from May to October is called the "predetermined period." The hourly or daily average of the number of changes counted in this way is taken as the "number of changes," and it is evaluated whether this number of changes is equal to or greater than the predetermined number. Only if it is equal to or greater than the predetermined number is the user notified accordingly. As an example of the former, another embodiment might present the number of changes on a daily basis. In this case, the "predetermined period" is one day, and the days on which the user manually and frequently changes the set temperature to the energy-increasing side are presented as days when the number of changes exceeds the predetermined number.

[0120] Furthermore, the step units of the operation shown in the flowcharts of each figure are divided according to the main processing content in order to facilitate understanding of the operation, and the operation is not limited by the way the processing units are divided or the names of the processing units. Depending on the processing content, it may be further divided into more step units. Also, it may be divided so that one step unit contains even more processing. In addition, the order of the steps may be changed as appropriate, as long as it does not hinder the intent of this disclosure.

[0121] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment may also achieve the following effects. There are individual differences in the level of comfort desired by users of the air conditioning system 10, and the installation locations of the air conditioning system 10 also vary. Therefore, various methods for automatically controlling the set temperature of the air conditioning system 10 are conceivable, and various factors may be considered for the amount of power consumption reduction not reaching the target value. The factors for not reaching the target value can be identified by examining the temperature change operation history of each user of the air conditioning system 10. However, it would be extremely time-consuming for a person in charge at a business that provides or sells the air conditioning system 10 to analyze the temperature change operation history of numerous air conditioning systems 10 one by one. Therefore, as in the embodiment described above, if the change history of temperature operation is automatically analyzed and the factors that prevented power consumption reduction and improvement measures are automatically notified, information can be provided to a large number of users in a short time, thus improving the efficiency of the information provision work of the business.

[0122] Since the embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes of the technology described herein, various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc., can be made within the claims or their equivalents.

[0123] (Note) Based on the above description of embodiments, the following technologies are disclosed.

[0124] (Technology 1) The system includes a calculation unit that calculates the amount of power consumption reduction due to adopting the automatic control operation, based on a first power consumption of the air conditioner in an automatic control operation that suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioner by automatically controlling the set temperature, and a second power consumption of the air conditioner in a non-automatic control operation that does not automatically control the set temperature, and a notification unit that, if the reduction amount calculated by the calculation unit does not reach a target value, notifies the system of at least one of the factors that caused the reduction amount not to reach the target value, and measures to improve the situation in which the reduction amount did not reach the target value. Information notification system.

[0125] According to this, if the reduction in power consumption achieved by adopting automatic temperature control does not reach the target value, the system will notify the user of at least one of the reasons for this failure and a suggested solution. This allows users to understand how to resolve the issue of insufficient power consumption reduction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the abandonment of the operation method that reduces the energy consumption of air conditioners through automatic temperature control.

[0126] (Technology 2) The information notification system according to Technology 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the user of the air conditioner of information regarding the history of changes to the set temperature on the energy-increasing side, as information regarding the factors.

[0127] This suggests that the reason the reduction in energy consumption did not reach the target was that the set temperature was changed in a way that increased energy consumption, thus preventing a reduction in power consumption. Therefore, users can understand that the cause lies in their own behavior and preferences, and they can find clues to address the fact that the reduction in power consumption has not reached the target. Thus, the operation of suppressing the energy consumption of air conditioners by automatically controlling the set temperature can be less likely to be abandoned. Furthermore, it can help users understand why the target amount of power consumption reduction has not been reached.

[0128] (Technology 3) The notification unit also notifies the user of the time period in which the number of times the set temperature is changed to the energy-increasing side is highest, as described in Technical 2.

[0129] According to this, users can identify the time periods when they change the set temperature in a way that increases energy consumption, and they can gain insights into how to address situations where the reduction in power consumption does not reach the target value. This can further prevent the abandonment of the operation that suppresses the energy consumption of air conditioning systems through automatic control of the set temperature.

[0130] (Technology 4) The information notification system according to Technical Reference 2, wherein the notification unit notifies the user of information regarding the change history when the number of times the user changes the set temperature to the energy-increasing side during a predetermined period exceeds a predetermined number.

[0131] According to this, by notifying information about the change history when there are many changes to the set temperature on the energy-boosting side, it is possible to suppress the notification of information about the change history even when there are few changes to the set temperature on the energy-boosting side.

[0132] (Technology 5) The information notification system according to Technical Reference 1, wherein the notification unit notifies information regarding the failure of the air conditioning system as information regarding the cause or information regarding corrective measures.

[0133] This allows users to understand that the reason the target value was not reached was not due to automatic temperature control. Furthermore, users can identify improvement measures, such as reducing power consumption by replenishing refrigerant. Therefore, this helps prevent the abandonment of the operation that uses automatic temperature control to reduce the energy consumption of air conditioners.

[0134] (Technology 6) The non-automatic control operation is an operation in which the air conditioner performs control to return to a predetermined set temperature after a certain period of time even if the set temperature is changed, and the notification unit notifies the user of the air conditioner of the fact that the number of times the set temperature is changed to the energy-increasing side by the user of the air conditioner exceeds a predetermined number of times during a predetermined period of the non-automatic control operation, as information on the cause, as described in Technical Reference 1.

[0135] According to this, users can understand that the cause was a change in the set temperature to the energy-increasing side in a control system that returns to the original set temperature after a certain period of time even if the set temperature is changed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the use of the operation that suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioner by automatically controlling the set temperature from being abandoned.

[0136] (Technology 7) The notification unit, in the case where, during a predetermined period of non-automatic control operation, the user changes the set temperature to the energy-increasing side a predetermined number of times or more, and during a predetermined period of automatic control operation, the user changes the set temperature to the energy-increasing side a predetermined number of times or less, notifies the user that, as information on the factors, control prioritizing comfort was performed in the automatic control operation, as described in Technical 6.

[0137] According to this, users can understand that the reason the target value was not reached was because the control system prioritized the comfort of occupants in the air-conditioned space over the reduction of energy consumption. Therefore, the operation of reducing the energy consumption of the air conditioning system by automatically controlling the set temperature can be made less likely to fall out of use.

[0138] (Technology 8) The information notification system according to Technology 1, wherein the notification unit compares the first power consumption and the second power consumption under specific conditions, and if the reduction amount reaches the target value, it notifies that the reduction amount has reached the target value under specific conditions.

[0139] According to this, users can understand that the target value is being reached under specific conditions, such as a particular range of outside temperatures or time periods, thereby reducing user dissatisfaction. Users can also understand that power consumption is being reduced through automatic control operation. Therefore, the operation that suppresses the energy consumption of air conditioners by automatically controlling the set temperature can be less likely to be abandoned.

[0140] (Technology 9) The non-automatic control operation is an operation in which the air conditioner performs control to return to a predetermined set temperature after a certain period of time even if the set temperature is changed, and the notification unit notifies that if the number of times the user of the air conditioner changes the set temperature to the energy-increasing side exceeds a predetermined number of times during a predetermined period of the non-automatic control operation, the power consumption reduction effect of the automatic control operation is low in the property where the air conditioner is installed, as described in Technical 1.

[0141] According to this, it is possible to identify in advance which properties are unsuitable for implementing automated control systems, thereby preventing dissatisfaction from arising after the implementation of automated control systems.

[0142] (Technology 10) The information notification system according to Technology 1, comprising a prediction unit that predicts the rate of reduction in power consumption by adopting the automatic control operation based on at least one of the operating history of the air conditioner before the automatic control operation and the history of changes in the set temperature by the user of the air conditioner, and a notification unit that notifies information of the reduction rate predicted by the prediction unit.

[0143] According to this, users can understand the predicted reduction rate of power consumption before introducing automated control operations, which can be useful in deciding whether or not to adopt automated control operations.

[0144] (Technology 11) An information notification method that calculates the amount of power consumption reduction due to adopting the automatic control operation, based on the first power consumption of the air conditioner in an automatic control operation that suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioner by automatically controlling the set temperature, and the second power consumption of the air conditioner in a non-automatic control operation that does not automatically control the set temperature, and if the calculated amount of reduction does not reach a target value, notifies at least one of the following: information on the factors that caused the amount of reduction not to reach the target value, and information on measures to improve the fact that the amount of reduction did not reach the target value.

[0145] According to this, it will have the same effect as the information notification system of Technology 1.

[0146] (Technology 12) An information terminal comprising a notification unit that notifies the amount of power consumption reduction calculated based on the first power consumption of the air conditioner in an automatic control operation that suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioner by automatically controlling the set temperature, and the second power consumption of the air conditioner in a non-automatic control operation that does not automatically control the set temperature, and if the amount of reduction due to the adoption of the automatic control operation does not reach a target value, then notifies at least one of the following: information on the factors that caused the amount of reduction not to reach the target value, and information on measures to improve the fact that the amount of reduction did not reach the target value.

[0147] According to this, it will have the same effect as the information notification system of Technology 1.

[0148] (Technology 13) A program that causes a computer to function as a notification unit, the notification unit notifies the computer of at least one of the following: the amount of reduction in power consumption calculated based on the first power consumption of the air conditioner in an automatic control operation that suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioner by automatically controlling the set temperature, and the second power consumption of the air conditioner in a non-automatic control operation that does not automatically control the set temperature, and if the reduction amount resulting from adopting the automatic control operation does not reach a target value, the computer notifies the computer of at least one of the following: information on the factors that caused the reduction amount not to reach the target value, and information on measures to improve the situation in which the reduction amount did not reach the target value.

[0149] According to this, it will have the same effect as the information notification system of Technology 1. [Industrial applicability]

[0150] As described above, the information notification system, information notification method, information terminal, and program according to the present invention can be used for the purpose of automatically setting the set temperature in an air conditioning system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0151] 1. Facilities 1A-1D 5. Information terminals 10, 10A~10B Air conditioning system 11 Control device 12 Outdoor unit 13 Indoor unit 14 Control section 15. Communication equipment 18. Outdoor temperature sensor 50 Control Unit 51 Display section 52 Communications Department 53 Input section 100 Management Servers 110 Control Unit 120 processors 121 Acquisition Department 122 Calculation Section 123 Judgment section 124 Output section 125 Server Notification Section 126 Processing Unit 127 Prediction Section 130 memory 131 Control Program 132 Temperature setting data 133 History DB 135 Power consumption DB 150 Communications Department 200 Management Servers 224 Prediction Section 500 Processors (Computers) 501 Reception Department 502 Communication Control Unit 503 Notification Department 510 memory 511 Control program (program) 1000 Air Conditioning System (Information Notification System) CP control parameters N Communication Network RD operation data SD card configuration data

Claims

1. A calculation unit calculates the amount of power consumption reduction due to adopting the automatic control operation, based on the first power consumption of the air conditioner in automatic control operation, which suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioner by automatically controlling the set temperature, and the second power consumption of the air conditioner in non-automatic control operation, which does not automatically control the set temperature. If the reduction amount calculated by the calculation unit does not reach the target value, the system includes a notification unit that notifies at least one of the following: the reason why the reduction amount did not reach the target value, and measures to improve the reason why the reduction amount did not reach the target value. Information notification system.

2. The notification unit notifies the user of the air conditioner of information regarding the history of changes to the set temperature to the energy-increasing side, as the contributing factor. The information notification system according to claim 1.

3. The notification unit also notifies the user of the time period in which the number of times the set temperature is changed to the energy-increasing side is highest. The information notification system according to claim 2.

4. The notification unit notifies the user of information regarding the change history when the number of times the user changes the set temperature to the energy-increasing side during a predetermined period exceeds a predetermined number. The information notification system according to claim 2.

5. The notification unit notifies information regarding the failure of the air conditioning system as the cause or the corrective action. The information notification system according to claim 1.

6. The aforementioned non-automatic control operation is an operation in which the air conditioning system performs control to return the set temperature to a predetermined set temperature after a certain period of time, even if the set temperature is changed. The notification unit shall, if the number of times the user of the air conditioner changes the set temperature to the energy-increasing side during a predetermined period of non-automatic control operation exceeds a predetermined number, notify the user of that fact as the cause. The information notification system according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned notification unit, If, during a predetermined period of non-automatic control operation, the number of times the user changes the set temperature to the energy-increasing side is greater than or equal to a predetermined number, and during a predetermined period of automatic control operation, the number of times the user changes the set temperature to the energy-increasing side is less than or equal to a predetermined number, As a factor, the system notifies that in the automatic control operation, the control was performed with a priority given to comfort. The information notification system according to claim 6.

8. The notification unit compares the first power consumption and the second power consumption under specific conditions, and if the reduction amount reaches the target value, it notifies that the reduction amount has reached the target value under specific conditions. The information notification system according to claim 1.

9. The aforementioned non-automatic control operation is an operation in which the air conditioning system performs control to return the set temperature to a predetermined set temperature after a certain period of time, even if the set temperature is changed. The aforementioned notification unit, If, during a predetermined period of non-automatic control operation, the number of times the user of the air conditioner changes the set temperature to the energy-increasing side exceeds a predetermined number, the property where the air conditioner is installed will be notified that the power consumption reduction effect of the automatic control operation is low. The information notification system according to claim 1.

10. The system includes a prediction unit that predicts the rate of reduction in power consumption by adopting the automatic control operation, based on at least one of the following: the operating history of the air conditioner prior to the automatic control operation, and the history of temperature setting changes made by the user of the air conditioner. The notification unit notifies the reduction rate predicted by the prediction unit. The information notification system according to claim 1.

11. Based on the first power consumption of the air conditioner in automatic control operation, which suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioner by automatically controlling the set temperature, and the second power consumption of the air conditioner in non-automatic control operation, which does not automatically control the set temperature, the amount of power consumption reduction due to adopting the automatic control operation is calculated. If the calculated reduction amount does not reach the target value, at least one of the following will be notified: the reason why the reduction amount did not reach the target value, and the corrective measures taken to address the reason why the reduction amount did not reach the target value. Information notification method.

12. The amount of power consumption reduction calculated based on the first power consumption of the air conditioner in automatic control operation, which suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioner by automatically controlling the set temperature, and the second power consumption of the air conditioner in non-automatic control operation, which does not automatically control the set temperature, and if the amount of reduction due to the adoption of the automatic control operation has not reached the target value, The system includes a notification unit that notifies the user of at least one of the following: the factors that caused the reduction amount to not reach the target value, and measures to improve the situation in which the reduction amount did not reach the target value. Information terminal.

13. Computers, It will function as a notification unit. The aforementioned notification unit, The amount of power consumption reduction calculated based on the first power consumption of the air conditioner in automatic control operation, which suppresses the energy consumption of the air conditioner by automatically controlling the set temperature, and the second power consumption of the air conditioner in non-automatic control operation, which does not automatically control the set temperature, and if the amount of reduction due to the adoption of the automatic control operation has not reached the target value, The system will notify the user of at least one of the following: the factors that caused the reduction amount to not reach the target value, and the measures taken to improve the situation that caused the reduction amount to not reach the target value. program.

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