Driving control system, driving control method, and driving control program

Abstract

The present invention provides an operational control system for efficiently operating load devices equipped in facilities or equipment that utilize renewable energy generation. [Solution] The operation control system 1 of this invention comprises a renewable energy power generation device (photovoltaic power generation device) 10, an energy measurement means 42, a load device group 80 having a plurality of load devices, and an operation control device 100 that controls the operation of the load devices. The operation control device 100 comprises a set value input unit, an acquisition unit, an operation condition determination unit, and an operation control unit. The operation control unit controls the operation of the load devices to increase, decrease, or maintain the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity according to the determination result made by the operation condition determination unit based on the information on the amount of purchased electricity used acquired by the acquisition unit and the information on the set value input unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation control system, an operation control method, and an operation control program. More specifically, the present invention relates to an operation control system, an operation control method, and an operation control program that enable efficient operation of facilities or equipment using renewable energy power generation (power generation using renewable energy), in particular, by efficiently operating or driving load devices such as equipment included in facilities or equipment using photovoltaic power generation.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, power generation using renewable energy such as solar energy has been known. In particular, as a device that uses solar energy as an energy source, a photovoltaic power generation system including a large number of photovoltaic panels, which are solar cell modules, is known. In recent years, introduction of photovoltaic power generation systems has been progressing in facilities and equipment such as stores and warehouses in order to improve power consumption efficiency. On the other hand, optimization of power consumption and cost for equipment (facility equipment) included in such facilities and equipment has been demanded, and development of such technologies has been carried out. Examples of such technologies are disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2020-092595 (Patent Document 1) proposes a photovoltaic power generation control device capable of saving purchased power by fully utilizing the power generation capacity of photovoltaic power generation while reliably preventing reverse power flow.

[0004] This photovoltaic power generation control device is A photovoltaic power generation control device that controls on / off for each section of the photovoltaic power generation device in a power supply system that supplies power from a commercial power source to a power demand facility and also supplies power from a photovoltaic power generation device divided into a plurality of sections via a power conditioner for each section, wherein A power purchase monitoring unit monitors whether the amount of electricity purchased from the commercial power source to the aforementioned power demand facility falls below or exceeds a predetermined level, Based on the monitoring by the aforementioned electricity purchase monitoring unit, When the amount of electricity purchased falls below the aforementioned level, a control signal is output to the power conditioner of at least one currently on section to switch it off. The system includes a control signal output unit that outputs a control signal to switch on at least one of the currently off sections of the power conditioner when the amount of electricity purchased exceeds the aforementioned level.

[0005] Furthermore, in International Publication No. 17 / 090180 (Patent Document 2), a water heater control system is proposed that can suppress the increase in electricity charges when surplus power becomes insufficient and electricity needs to be purchased, due to a decrease in the amount of solar power generated by temporary cloudy weather, or an increase in household electricity consumption due to the use of other electrical load circuits such as home appliances.

[0006] This water heater control system is Solar power generation equipment connected to commercial power, An electrical load circuit including a hot water storage type electric water heater that uses the power from the commercial power supply and the power generated by the solar power generation device to heat cold water to a high temperature and store it, A control device that stops or suppresses the heating operation of the storage-type electric water heater and restricts the heating operation of the storage-type electric water heater when the electricity charge data for the purchased electricity supplied from the commercial power source to the electrical load circuit is higher than a standard amount, It is equipped with the following features. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-092595 (Claims, Figure 1) [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 17 / 090180 (Claims, Figure 1) [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] Electricity supply from renewable energy sources can be unstable due to factors such as weather and time of day. In particular, the amount of electricity generated by solar power is unstable and depends on the season and weather. Furthermore, it is difficult to predict fluctuations in the amount of electricity that can be generated by solar power, which are caused by changes in sunlight conditions and the duration of sunlight due to the season and weather.

[0009] Furthermore, in solar power generation, even when power generation is possible, the amount of power generated fluctuates depending on the amount of sunlight, and it is difficult to determine the current amount of power that can be generated. Therefore, it is difficult to operate all the equipment, especially when a facility or equipment has multiple rooms containing equipment or multiple pieces of equipment.

[0010] The solar power generation control device described in Patent Document 1 reliably prevents reverse power flow in solar power generation and controls the solar power generation itself. Therefore, Patent Document 1 does not disclose a device for controlling the operation or function of equipment that utilizes renewable energy such as solar power.

[0011] Furthermore, the hot water heater control system described in Patent Document 2 includes a solar power generation device connected to a commercial power supply, and stops or suppresses the heating operation of the storage-type electric water heater when the electricity charge data for purchased electricity is higher than a standard amount. However, this water heater control system does not predict fluctuations in the amount of electricity that can be generated from renewable energy sources such as solar power, and does not efficiently operate multiple storage-type electric water heaters.

[0012] In view of the current situation, an object of the present invention is to provide an operation control system, an operation control method, and an operation control program that enable efficient operation of facilities or equipment using such a power generation method by predicting fluctuations in the amount of power that can be generated in renewable energy power generation (power generation using renewable energy), particularly photovoltaic power generation (such as photovoltaic power generation devices or systems), and efficiently operating or operating load devices such as equipment included in facilities or equipment using such a power generation method. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0013] That is, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is: An operation control system for controlling the operation of a plurality of load devices provided in a facility or facility using renewable energy power generation, wherein The operation control system includes a renewable energy power generator, a power amount measuring means, a load device group composed of the plurality of load devices, and an operation control device that controls the operation of the load devices, wherein The operation control device includes: at least a set value input unit configured to be able to input a value of purchased power consumption preset as a set value; at least an acquisition unit that acquires purchased power consumption measured by the power amount measuring means; an operating condition determination unit configured to determine whether it is necessary to increase or decrease the number of operating load devices and / or the operating capacity of the load devices constituting the load device group, and determine whether to maintain the current number of operating devices and / or the operating capacity, based on the information on the purchased power consumption acquired by the acquisition unit and the information on the set value input from the set value input unit; an operation control unit that controls the operation of the load device so that the number of operating load devices and / or the operating capacity is increased, decreased, or maintained based on the determination result by the operating condition determination unit, which is an operation control system characterized by:

[0014] The invention according to claim 2 of the present invention is: In the operation control system according to claim 1, The operation control device further comprises: a storage unit that stores information on purchased power usage acquired by the acquisition unit; and a first calculation unit that reads information on purchased power usage from the storage unit and calculates an average value or a predicted value of purchased power usage for a predetermined time based on the information on purchased power usage, wherein the operating condition determination unit is configured to, based on the information of the average value or the predicted value calculated by the first calculation unit and the information of the set value input by the set value input unit, determine whether it is necessary to increase or decrease the number of operating load devices and / or the operating capacity of the load devices constituting the load device group, and determine whether to maintain the current number of operating load devices and / or the current operating capacity .

[0015] The invention according to claim 3 of the present invention is the operation control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the set values are a set upper limit value and a set lower limit value of purchased power usage, wherein the operating condition determination unit is configured to: determine to increase the number of operating load devices and / or the operating capacity of the load devices when the purchased power usage acquired by the acquisition unit, the average value or the predicted value is lower than the set lower limit value; determine to decrease the number of operating load devices and / or the operating capacity of the load devices when the purchased power usage, the average value or the predicted value exceeds the set upper limit value; and determine to maintain the current number of operating load devices and / or the current operating capacity of the load devices when the purchased power usage, the average value or the predicted value is determined to be between the set lower limit value and the set upper limit value .

[0016] The invention according to claim 4 of the present invention is the operation control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein all of the plurality of load devices are provided in one facility or equipment, or are separately provided in a plurality of facilities or pieces of equipment, each of said facilities or pieces of equipment is provided with a temperature measurement means, The acquisition unit is further configured to acquire the temperature measured by the temperature measuring means, or the operation control device further includes a second acquisition unit configured to acquire the temperature measured by the temperature measuring means. The storage unit is configured to store data of the set temperature inside the facility or equipment in relation to or associated with information about the facility or equipment. The aforementioned operation control device further includes a data storage unit that stores at least information relating to the facility or equipment and information relating to load devices provided in the facility or equipment, in association with or corresponding to the information relating to the facility or equipment. The first calculation unit calculates the difference between the set temperature inside the facility or equipment and the measured temperature as the maximum score for each facility or equipment. Furthermore, using the calculated maximum score and the total number of load devices stored in the data storage unit in association with each facility or equipment, and with T being the maximum score of the facility or equipment and n being the total number of load devices provided by the facility or equipment, the calculation is performed for each facility or equipment as T × (N / n), varying N from 1 to n, and the obtained value is calculated as a score that can be set for each load device. Alternatively, the operation control device further includes a second calculation unit which calculates the difference between the set temperature and the measured temperature inside the facility or equipment as the maximum score for each facility or equipment, and further calculates the obtained value as a score that can be set for each load device, using the calculated maximum score and the total number of load devices stored in the data storage unit associated with or corresponding to each facility or equipment, where T is the maximum score of the facility or equipment and n is the total number of load devices provided by the facility or equipment, and calculates T × (N / n) for each facility or equipment while varying N from 1 to n, and calculates the obtained value as a score that can be set for each load device. The operation control device further includes a score setting unit that sets a score calculated by the first or second calculation unit for each of the load devices provided by the facility or equipment, according to predetermined conditions, and a priority determination unit that determines the priority of the load devices based on the scores set by the score setting unit. It is characterized by the following:

[0017] The invention described in claim 5 of this invention is, In the operation control system according to claim 1 or 2, The acquisition unit is configured to acquire the amount of purchased electricity used, measured again by the power consumption measuring means, after a certain period of time has elapsed since the operation control unit performed the operation control of the load device. It is characterized by the following:

[0018] The invention described in claim 6 of this invention is, In the operation control system according to claim 1 or 2, The aforementioned renewable energy source is solar energy, The operation control system includes a solar radiation intensity measuring means for measuring solar radiation intensity, and an operation control start / end execution instruction means for instructing the operation control device to start / end operation control according to the value of solar radiation intensity measured by the solar radiation intensity measuring means. The operation control start / end execution instruction means comprises: a threshold input unit configured to accept a preset threshold for solar radiation intensity; a solar radiation intensity acquisition unit that acquires solar radiation intensity measured by the solar radiation intensity measurement means; a solar radiation intensity storage unit that stores the solar radiation intensity acquired by the solar radiation intensity acquisition unit; a moving average calculation unit that reads solar radiation intensity data from the solar radiation intensity storage unit and calculates the average value of solar radiation intensity within a predetermined time period using the solar radiation intensity data; an operation control execution determination unit that determines whether to start operation control if the average value of solar radiation intensity calculated by the moving average calculation unit is equal to or greater than the threshold, and determines whether to end or stop operation control if it falls below the threshold; and an operation control execution instruction unit that, based on the determination result by the operation control execution determination unit, instructs the operation control device to start or end operation control of the load device. It is characterized by the following:

[0019] Furthermore, the invention described in claim 7 of this invention is, An operation control method performed by an operation control system that controls the operation of multiple load devices in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy generation, The process involves setting upper and lower limits for the amount of electricity purchased in advance, as pre-set values ​​for the amount of electricity purchased. A process of measuring the amount of purchased electricity used by an electricity consumption measuring device, Based on the measured electricity usage information and the set upper and lower limits of the electricity usage, if the measured electricity usage falls below the set lower limit, a determination is made to increase the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity; if it exceeds the set upper limit, a determination is made to decrease the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity; and if it is determined to be between the set lower limit and the set upper limit, the current number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity is maintained. A step of controlling the operating rotation speed and / or operating capacity of the load device based on the determination result, including This is a method for controlling the operation of a load device, characterized by the following:

[0020] Furthermore, the invention described in claim 8 of this invention is, An operation control program for controlling the operation of multiple load devices in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy generation, On the computer, An input step in which the upper and lower limits of the set value for purchased electricity usage are entered as set values, A step of acquiring purchased electricity usage, which involves acquiring the amount of purchased electricity usage measured by an electricity usage measurement means, A determination step in which, using the set value entered in the input step and the value of purchased electricity usage obtained in the purchased electricity usage acquisition step, a determination is made to increase the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity if the value of purchased electricity usage falls below the set lower limit, a determination is made to decrease the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity if it exceeds the set upper limit, and a determination is made to maintain the current number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity if it is determined to be between the set lower limit and the set upper limit. A control step that controls the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load device based on the result determined in the determination step, Make it happen This is a driving control program characterized by the following:

[0021] The invention described in claim 9 of this invention is, An operation control program for controlling the operation of multiple load devices in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy generation, On the computer, An input step in which the upper and lower limits of the set value for purchased electricity usage are entered as set values, A step of acquiring purchased electricity usage, which involves acquiring the amount of purchased electricity usage measured by an electricity usage measurement means, A purchased electricity usage storage step, which involves storing the amount of purchased electricity usage acquired in the purchased electricity usage acquisition step in a storage unit, A step of reading purchased electricity usage data, which reads purchased electricity usage data from the storage unit, The average value or predicted value calculation step calculates the average value or predicted value of purchased electricity usage over a predetermined period of time using the purchased electricity usage values ​​read in the purchased electricity usage data reading step, A determination step is performed using the set upper limit and set lower limit values ​​input in the input step and the average or predicted value of purchased electricity usage calculated in the average or predicted value calculation step, and if the value of purchased electricity usage falls below the set lower limit, it is determined to increase the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices; if it exceeds the set upper limit, it is determined to decrease the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices; and if it is determined to be between the set lower limit and the set upper limit, it is determined to maintain the current number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices. A control step that controls the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load device based on the result determined in the determination step, Make it happen This is a driving control program characterized by the following:

[0022] The invention described in claim 10 of this invention is, In the operation control program according to claim 8 or 9, The aforementioned multiple load devices may all be installed in one facility or equipment, or they may be installed in multiple facilities or equipment. Each facility or piece of equipment shall be equipped with a means for measuring temperature, The aforementioned driving control program is A temperature acquisition step of acquiring the internal temperature of the facility or equipment measured by a temperature measuring means, A storage step of storing data of the set temperature inside the facility or equipment in a storage unit in relation to or associated with information about the facility or equipment, A storage step of storing information relating to the facility or equipment and information relating to the load device provided in the facility or equipment in a data storage unit in relation to or associated with the information relating to the facility or equipment, A set temperature data reading step of reading data of the set temperature inside the facility or equipment from the storage unit, A maximum score calculation step is performed to calculate the difference between the internal temperature value of the facility or equipment obtained in the temperature acquisition step and the set temperature value of the facility or equipment read out in the set temperature data reading step as the maximum score for each facility or equipment. A data reading step for reading data relating to the total number of load devices installed in the facility or equipment from the data storage unit, A setting score calculation step is performed using the maximum score obtained in the maximum score calculation step and the total number of load devices installed in the facility or equipment read out in the total number of load devices data reading step, where T is the maximum score of the facility or equipment and n is the total number of load devices installed in the facility or equipment, and for each facility or equipment, T × (N / n) is calculated while varying N from 1 to n, and the obtained value is calculated as the score that can be set for each load device. A score setting step involves setting the scores calculated in the setting score calculation step to the load device according to predetermined conditions, A priority determination step, which determines the priority based on the score set in the score setting step, A control step that controls the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load device based on the result determined in the determination step and the priority determined in the priority determination step, Make it happen It is characterized by the following:

[0023] The invention described in claim 11 of this invention is, An operation control device for controlling the operation of multiple load devices equipped in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy generation, The aforementioned operation control device is At a minimum, a setting value input unit configured to allow input of a pre-set value for the amount of electricity used, At a minimum, the system includes an acquisition unit that acquires the amount of purchased electricity used measured by the electricity consumption measurement means, An operating condition determination unit is configured to determine whether or not to increase or decrease the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices constituting the load device group, and whether or not to maintain the current number of operating devices and / or operating capacity, based on the information on the amount of purchased electricity used acquired by the acquisition unit and the information on the set value input unit. The system includes an operation control unit that controls the operation of the load device so as to increase, decrease, or maintain the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity based on the determination result of the operation condition determination unit. This is a driving control device characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] The operation control system, operation control method, and operation control program of this invention control the operation of multiple load devices equipped in a facility or equipment utilizing renewable energy generation, particularly solar power generation. In particular, the computer is configured to control the operation of the load devices by increasing, decreasing, or maintaining the current number of operating devices and / or operating capacity, based on information on the amount of purchased electricity used measured by the electricity consumption measuring means and preset values ​​of the amount of purchased electricity used, preferably the upper and lower limits of the set values ​​of the amount of purchased electricity used. Based on this determination, the operation control device or means is configured to control the operation of the load devices by increasing, decreasing, or maintaining the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity. Therefore, according to this invention, fluctuations in the amount of power that can be generated in renewable energy generation, particularly solar power generation (such as solar power generation equipment or systems), can be predicted, and the operation (or functioning) of load devices such as equipment equipped in facilities and facilities that utilize such power generation methods can be efficiently performed, and as a result, such facilities and facilities can be operated efficiently.

[0025] The aforementioned operation control system controls the operation of multiple load devices equipped in a facility or equipment utilizing renewable energy generation, particularly solar power generation. The operation control system is configured to include a renewable energy generation device (particularly a solar power generation device), an energy measurement means, a group of load devices composed of the multiple load devices, and an operation control device for controlling the operation of the load devices. The operation control device includes at least a setting value input unit configured to accept a preset value of the amount of purchased electricity used, preferably an upper limit and a lower limit for the amount of purchased electricity used, as a set value, and at least the energy measurement means. The system can be configured to include: an acquisition unit (first acquisition unit) that acquires the amount of purchased electricity used measured by means; an operating condition determination unit configured to determine whether it is necessary to increase or decrease the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices constituting the load device group, and whether to maintain the current number of operating devices and / or operating capacity, based on the information of the amount of purchased electricity used acquired by the acquisition unit and the information of the set value input unit; and an operation control unit that controls the operation of the load devices so that the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity are increased, decreased, or maintained, based on the determination result by the operating condition determination unit. In this case, the operation control device may be configured to further include a storage unit that stores information on the amount of electricity used purchased by the acquisition unit, and an electricity usage calculation unit (first calculation unit) that reads the information on the amount of electricity used purchased from the storage unit and calculates an average value or predicted value of the amount of electricity used purchased over a predetermined period of time based on the information on the amount of electricity used purchased. The operation condition determination unit may be configured to determine whether it is necessary to increase or decrease the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity of the load device group, and whether to maintain the current number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity, based on the average value or predicted value information calculated by the electricity usage calculation unit and the setting value information input by the setting value input unit.

[0026] Furthermore, in the operation control system, operation control method, and operation control program of this invention, the plurality of load devices may all be provided in one facility or equipment, or they may be provided in multiple facilities or equipment, each facility or equipment may be provided with a temperature measuring means, and the difference between the set temperature inside the facility or equipment and the temperature measured by the temperature measuring means is calculated as the maximum score for each facility or equipment, and further, using the maximum score calculated for each facility or equipment and the total number of load devices associated with or corresponding to each facility, when the maximum score of the facility is T and the total number of load devices provided is n, for each facility, T × (N / n) is calculated while changing N from 1 to n, and the obtained value is calculated as a score that can be set for the load device, and for each facility or equipment, the calculated score is set for each load device provided in the facility or equipment according to predetermined conditions, in particular the operating time of the load device, and the priority of the load devices is determined based on the set score, and according to this priority, the operation control of the load devices, in particular the increase, decrease, or maintenance of the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity can be performed. With this configuration, it becomes possible to control the operation of all load devices according to the determined priority order, for example, stopping their operation or reducing their operating capacity in order from the lowest priority to the highest priority. Therefore, according to this invention, even when multiple load devices are installed in one facility or equipment, or when one or more load devices are installed in multiple facilities or equipment, it is possible to operate or run the load devices efficiently. As a result, it becomes possible to operate the facilities or equipment equipped with the load devices efficiently.

[0027] Furthermore, in the operation control system, operation control method, and operation control program of this invention, when solar energy is selected as renewable energy, that is, when renewable energy generation is solar power generation, a solar radiation intensity measuring means for measuring solar radiation intensity and an operation control start / end execution instruction means for instructing the start / end of operation control by the operation control device or means according to the value of solar radiation intensity measured by the solar radiation intensity measuring means may be provided. In this case, the operation control start / end execution instruction means calculates the average value of solar radiation intensity within a predetermined time period using the solar radiation intensity measured by the solar radiation intensity measuring means, and compares this with a preset threshold of solar radiation intensity. If the average value of solar radiation intensity is equal to or greater than the threshold, a determination is made to start operation control; if it falls below the threshold, a determination is made to end or stop operation control. Based on this determination result, an instruction can be given to the operation control device or means to start or end operation control of the load device. This configuration allows for more efficient operation (or functioning) of the load device, and as a result, the operation of such facilities and equipment can be made more efficient.

[0028] Furthermore, the operation control system, operation control, and operation control program of this invention may be configured such that, after a certain period of time has elapsed since the operation control unit performed the operation control of the load device, the acquisition unit acquires the amount of purchased electricity used, which has been measured by the power consumption measuring means, again. This configuration allows for sufficient time for power to stabilize when the load device is started (operation begins) or stopped. Furthermore, it prevents malfunctions and decreases in energy efficiency caused by excessive and rapid starting and stopping of the load device.

[0029] Furthermore, the aforementioned operation control device is suitable as an operation control device used to control multiple load devices installed in one or more facilities or equipment that utilize renewable energy, particularly solar power generation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0030] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the driving control system of this invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of a detailed configuration of the driving control system of this invention. [Figure 3]Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation control processing performed by the operation control device included in the operation control system. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the operation control processing performed by the operation control device included in the operation control system. [Figure 5] This block diagram shows another example of the configuration of the control device included in the driving control system of this invention. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a group of load devices that can be controlled by the operation control device shown in Figure 5. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of the content of the operation control processing performed by the operation control device that constitutes the operation control system of this invention. [Figure 8] A block diagram shows another example of the detailed configuration of the driving control system of this invention. [Figure 9] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure for starting or ending operation control using the operation control device provided in the operation control system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] The following describes embodiments of the operation control system (hereinafter referred to as the "operation control system") for controlling the operation (or functioning) of load devices such as equipment, according to this invention. Furthermore, this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, and various improvements can be made without altering its essence.

[0032] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the driving control system of this invention. In Figure 1, the operation control system 1 according to one embodiment controls the operation (or functioning) of load devices (equipment, etc.) equipped in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy generation (power generation using renewable energy), and uses solar energy as the renewable energy. In Figure 1, the operation control system 1 comprises a solar power generation device (or means) 10 (reference numerals 10A and 10B in Figure 1) as a renewable energy power generation device, a junction box 20, a power conditioner 30, a power receiving equipment 40, a power supply meter transformer (VCT) 50, an external power generation device (commercial power supply) 60, a solar radiation intensity measuring means 70, and an operation control device (or means) 100, and further comprises a group of load devices (equipment, etc. (hereinafter simply referred to as "equipment")) 80 controlled by the operation control device 100. In Figure 1, the dashed lines connecting each component represent the flow of electrical signals, such as information (data). These electrical signals may be transmitted and received via a network, or they may be transmitted and received by at least one of wired and wireless connections.

[0033] The operation control system of this invention can be used to control the operation (or functioning) of load devices in a power generation method in which the amount of power generated or the power may be unstable, specifically, in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy power generation. The aforementioned renewable energy generation is not limited to solar power generation. Examples of such renewable energy generation include solar power generation, wind power generation, biomass power generation, hydroelectric power generation, and geothermal power generation. In solar power generation facilities, the amount of electricity generated fluctuates due to weather conditions (solar radiation, temperature, snowfall, etc.). Similarly, in wind power generation facilities, the amount of electricity generated fluctuates due to wind speed. Furthermore, in biomass power generation and waste-to-energy generation, the properties of the raw materials (biomass and waste, sludge, etc.) are generally not stable, and the output is unstable due to the temporary inclusion of unsuitable materials for incineration. The aforementioned operation control system 1 is preferably used in power generation methods in which the amount of power generated or the power itself may be unstable, particularly when using solar power generation.

[0034] In Figure 1, the operation control system 1 includes a photovoltaic power generation system including a photovoltaic power generation device 10, but there are no particular restrictions on the configuration of the photovoltaic power generation system. Therefore, the aforementioned photovoltaic power generation system may have a configuration similar to that of a conventional photovoltaic power generation system in at least part thereof.

[0035] The solar power generation device 10 can be composed of multiple solar power generation means, each of which can be composed of any number of solar modules (solar panels). In Figure 1, the solar power generation system 10 consists of two solar modules 10A and 10B, which are connected to a junction box 20. The solar power generation device 10 supplies the DC power generated by the solar modules to the power conditioner 30 via the junction box 20 when necessary.

[0036] The aforementioned junction box 20 is used to consolidate the power (DC power) generated by the solar modules and output it. In Figure 1, the power generated by the solar modules 10A and 10B is supplied to the junction box 20. In Figure 1, the junction box 20 is connected to the power conditioner 30. Therefore, the power (DC power) output from the junction box 20 is supplied to the power conditioner 30. Furthermore, there are no particular restrictions on the configuration of the junction box 20, as long as it has the functions described above. The junction box 20 may be configured as an integral part of the power conditioner 30.

[0037] In Figure 1, the power conditioner 30 has the function of converting the input DC power into AC power and is connected to the power receiving equipment 40. The AC power converted (output) by the power conditioner 30 is supplied to the power receiving equipment 40.

[0038] The power receiving equipment 40 is equipped with a function (power receiving unit 41) for receiving power supplied from a predetermined power source or power system. In Figure 1, the power receiving equipment 40 is connected to the power conditioner 30. Therefore, the power receiving equipment 40 is capable of receiving power (AC power) supplied from the power conditioner 30.

[0039] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the power receiving equipment 40 is configured to receive power (AC power) from an external power generator 60, which is a commercial power source. In Figure 1, the power receiving equipment 40 is connected to the external power generation device 60 via the power supply and demand metering transformer 50. The aforementioned power supply and demand instrument transformer 50 consists of an instrument transformer (not shown) and a current transformer (not shown), and is equipped with an energy meter (first energy meter) 51. With this configuration, the power supply and demand meter transformer 50 can be used as a transformer for power measurement and as a means for calculating electricity charges.

[0040] The power receiving equipment 40 further includes an energy measurement means (second energy meter side means) 42 for measuring or determining the amount of electricity supplied from the external power generation device 60, that is, the amount of purchased electricity used (purchased electricity). In this invention, the amount of purchased electricity used (purchased electricity) is used as an indicator of the amount of electricity that can be generated by a renewable energy (especially solar) power generation device or system. Therefore, in Figure 1, it is possible to determine whether the electricity generated by the solar power generation device 10 is being used without waste or efficiently. For example, if a predetermined amount of purchased electricity is supplied at a low current, it can be determined that it is being used without waste. The power consumption measuring means 42 can be, for example, a known power consumption measuring means such as a power meter. The power consumption measuring means 42 can be connected to the operation control device 100, specifically its operation condition determination unit 103, as will be described later.

[0041] In this invention, the operation control system 1 includes an operation control device 100. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a detailed configuration of the driving control system of this invention. In Figure 2, the operation control device 100 includes a set value input unit 101, an acquisition unit 102, an operation condition determination unit 103, and an operation control unit 104.

[0042] The aforementioned setting value input unit 101 consists of input means such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel, and accepts input of pre-set purchased electricity usage values ​​(purchased electricity values) as setting values, and transmits information (data) of these setting values. There are no particular restrictions on the setting values, and they may be pre-set upper limits (set upper limit) and lower limits (set lower limit) of the range of purchased electricity usage (purchased electricity). Furthermore, known or future-developed input means can be used as the input means. In this embodiment, an upper limit and a lower limit are input as set values, and this data is transmitted to the operating condition determination unit 103. Regarding the upper and lower limit values, for example, lowering the upper limit can reduce the number of operating units or systems (number of units or systems operating) and / or the operating capacity (or operating capacity). On the other hand, regarding the lower limit, since the renewable energy power generation device or system (photovoltaic power generation device or system in Figures 1 and 2) uses commercial power or electricity supplied from the commercial power grid, i.e., electricity supplied from the power purchase side, it is preferable not to set it to "0". The input settings may be stored in a memory unit and configured to be read out as needed.

[0043] The acquisition unit 102 acquires the amount of purchased electricity used (purchased electricity) measured or measured by the electricity consumption measurement means 42 as data. The acquired information (data) of purchased electricity used can be transmitted to the operating condition determination unit 103 or the storage unit 105, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 102 is configured to acquire data not only on the amount of electricity used measured by the power consumption measurement means 42, but also on the temperature measured by the temperature measurement means (temperature sensor) 90, which will be described later.

[0044] The operating condition determination unit 103 determines the operating (or running) conditions of the load devices that constitute the load device group 80. In this embodiment, the operating condition determination unit 103 is configured to determine whether to increase or decrease the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices constituting the load device group 80. Specifically, the operating condition determination unit 103 determines whether it is necessary to increase or decrease the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity, and whether to maintain the current number of operating devices and / or operating capacity, based on the information on the amount of purchased electricity used measured by the power consumption measuring means 42 and the set upper limit and set lower limit information input by the set value input unit 101.

[0045] The information on the amount of purchased electricity used, which is the subject of determination in the operating condition determination unit 103, may be an instantaneous value. In this case, the amount of purchased electricity used acquired by the acquisition unit 102 is transmitted to the operating condition determination unit 103.

[0046] On the other hand, the information on purchased electricity usage may be a calculated value such as an average value (e.g., a demand value) obtained by calculation from past purchased electricity usage values ​​measured or measured at a predetermined time, or it may be a predicted value, i.e., a future purchased electricity usage that is calculated or determined from past purchased electricity usage values.

[0047] In Figure 2, the operation control device 100 includes, in addition to the set value input unit 101, acquisition unit (first acquisition unit) 102, operation condition determination unit 103, and operation control unit 104, a storage unit 105 and a purchased power consumption calculation unit (first calculation unit) 106. The storage unit 105 stores the electricity usage data acquired by the acquisition unit 102. The electricity usage calculation unit 106 reads the electricity usage data from the storage unit 105, calculates the calculated value or the predicted value, and transmits it to the operating condition determination unit 103. With this configuration, the calculated value or predicted value is transmitted from the purchased electricity usage calculation unit 106 to the operating condition determination unit 103. Based on the information of the calculated value or predicted value and the set upper limit and set lower limit values ​​entered in the set value input unit 101, the operating condition determination unit 103 can determine whether or not to increase or decrease the number of operating units and / or operating capacity, and whether or not to maintain the current number of operating units and / or operating capacity. Furthermore, there are no particular restrictions on the configuration of the memory unit 105 and the calculation unit 106; known configurations can be adopted as long as they enable the construction of the above configuration.

[0048] In Figure 2, the operating condition determination unit 103 determines that if the instantaneous value, the calculated value, or the predicted value falls below the set lower limit, it will increase the number of operating devices (or number of active devices) and / or the operating capacity (or operating capacity) of the load devices constituting the load device group 80. If the instantaneous value, the calculated value, or the predicted value exceeds the set upper limit, it will decrease the number of operating devices and / or the operating capacity of the load devices constituting the load device group 80. On the other hand, if it determines that the instantaneous value, the calculated value, or the predicted value is between the set lower limit and the set upper limit, it determines that there is no need to increase or decrease the number of operating devices and / or the operating capacity, and the operating condition determination unit 103 determines that it will maintain the current number of operating devices and / or the operating capacity of the load devices constituting the load device group 80.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the operating condition determination unit 103 can be configured to make a decision to increase or decrease the number of operating units and / or operating capacity for one of the load devices constituting the load device group 80, and then to increase, decrease, or maintain the number of operating units and / or operating capacity for another load device, and to repeat this operation as needed. However, the decision to increase or decrease (or maintain) the number of operating units and / or operating capacity may be made for a single unit, where multiple load devices are grouped together.

[0050] The operation control unit 104 controls the operation of the load devices constituting the load device group 80, particularly increasing, decreasing, or maintaining the number of devices in operation and / or the operating capacity, based on the determination result from the operation condition determination unit 103.

[0051] The operation control device 100 may be configured such that, after operation control by the operation control unit 104 is performed, the acquisition unit 102 acquires the amount of purchased electricity used again. In this case, operation control by the operation control unit 104 is performed again based on the acquired amount of purchased electricity used (data). That is, a reassessment is made regarding the increase, decrease, or maintenance of the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices constituting the load device group 80, and operation control is performed based on this assessment result. As a result, the operating conditions for operation control of the load devices constituting the load device group 80 are reviewed. In this case, the acquisition of purchased electricity usage by the acquisition unit 102 may be performed after a certain period of time has elapsed (after a certain period of waiting).

[0052] In Figure 2, the operation control device 100 is further configured to include a time elapsed determination unit 107. The time elapsed determination unit 107 determines whether a certain amount of time (or period) has elapsed since the operation control unit 104 performed the operation control. If the time elapsed determination unit 107 determines that a certain amount of time has elapsed, it instructs the acquisition unit 102 to acquire the amount of purchased electricity used, which has been measured or measured by the power consumption measuring means 42, as data again. That is, after a certain amount of time has elapsed, the time elapsed determination unit 107 outputs a signal to the acquisition unit 102 indicating the acquisition of the amount of purchased electricity used. With this configuration, the operation control unit 104 performs a predetermined operation control review operation after a certain period of time has elapsed, which allows sufficient time for the power to stabilize when the load device is started (operation started) / stopped. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent malfunctions and a decrease in energy efficiency caused by excessive and rapid starting / stopping of the load device.

[0053] The load device group 80 is composed of multiple load devices, each of which is connected to the operation control device 100. Therefore, the operation or functioning of each load device is controlled by the operation control device 100. The aforementioned load device is not particularly limited as long as it is to which power is loaded, and may consist of a single piece of equipment (such as an electrical device), or it may consist of a system combining multiple related devices. Furthermore, the aforementioned load device may be distributed among multiple facilities or equipment.

[0054] This invention addresses the difficulty in determining the potential power generation capacity of renewable energy generation, particularly solar power generation (solar power generation equipment or systems, etc.), by focusing on the fact that when the amount of electricity used exceeds the potential power generation capacity (amount of electricity generated) by the generation method, electricity from the purchased power grid is used. One of the features of this invention is that the amount of electricity used from the purchased power grid, i.e., the amount of electricity purchased (amount of electricity purchased), is measured as an indicator of the potential power generation capacity of renewable energy generation, and the operation of load devices (electrical equipment, etc.), particularly the number of devices and / or operating capacity, is controlled so that this amount of electricity purchased remains within a certain range. With this configuration, it becomes possible to predict fluctuations in the amount of electricity that can be generated from renewable energy sources, especially solar power, so that the operation of load devices that utilize electricity from renewable energy sources can be carried out efficiently, and as a result, the operation of facilities and equipment equipped with such load devices can be carried out efficiently.

[0055] An example of the procedure for performing operation control by the aforementioned operation control device 100 will be explained with reference to Figure 3.

[0056] As shown in Figure 3, first, the upper and lower limits of the set value are input from the setting value input unit 101 as setting values ​​for the range of purchased electricity usage, and the input upper and lower limit data is sent to the operating condition determination unit 103 (step S201).

[0057] When the operation (or operation) of the load device group 80 is started, as shown in Figure 3, the acquisition unit 102 acquires the amount of purchased electricity used (amount of purchased electricity (actual value)) measured by the power consumption measurement means 42 as data, and sends the acquired amount of purchased electricity used data to the operation condition determination unit 103 (step S202). As will be described later, the acquired electricity usage data may be stored in the storage unit 105, and the calculation unit (electricity usage calculation unit) 106 may read the electricity usage data from the storage unit 105 to calculate calculated values ​​such as average values ​​and predicted values, and send these to the operating condition determination unit 103.

[0058] Next, in step S203, the operating condition determination unit 103 determines whether the amount of purchased electricity used, obtained in step S202, is lower than the lower limit set value input from the set value input unit 101 in step S201.

[0059] In step S203, if the operating condition determination unit 103 determines that the amount of purchased electricity used obtained in step S202 is lower than the lower limit set value input from the setting value input unit 101 in step S201, the determination in step S203 becomes "Yes", and the process proceeds to step S204.

[0060] On the other hand, if it is determined that the amount of purchased electricity used obtained in step S202 is not lower than the lower limit set by input from the setting value input unit 101 in step S201, the determination in step S203 will be "No", and the process will proceed to step S205.

[0061] In step S204, the operation control unit 104 receives a determination result regarding the addition (start) of operation (or operation) of one load device in the load device group 80, or an increase in its operating capacity (or operating capacity). In this embodiment, the number of load devices for which operation is added or the operating capacity is increased is set to 1 (1 unit or 1 system). However, multiple load devices may be grouped together as one unit, and operation may be added or the operating capacity increased for this unit.

[0062] In step S206, the operation control unit 104 performs operation control on one of the load devices, that is, an operation to add to the number of load devices to be operated (the number of load devices to be operated) or an operation to increase the operating capacity, and proceeds to step S207.

[0063] Next, in step S207, the time elapsed determination unit 107 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed. Specifically, if the time elapsed determination unit 107 determines in step S207 that the predetermined time has elapsed, the determination in step S207 becomes "Yes," and the time elapsed determination unit 107 instructs the acquisition unit 102 to acquire the amount of purchased electricity used, which is measured or measured by the power consumption measuring means 42, as data again, and returns to step S202.

[0064] On the other hand, if the predetermined time has not elapsed, the determination in step S207 will be "No". Then, the process returns to step S207, and the determination of whether or not the predetermined time has elapsed is made again.

[0065] Furthermore, the acquisition of purchased electricity usage by the acquisition unit 102 may be performed immediately without waiting for a predetermined time to elapse. In this case, after the operation control unit 104 has performed operation control, the operation control unit 104 can directly send an instruction to the acquisition unit 102 to acquire the purchased electricity usage value again.

[0066] In step S205, the operating condition determination unit 103 determines whether the amount of purchased electricity used, obtained in step S202, is lower than the set upper limit value input from the set value input unit 101 in step S201.

[0067] In step S205, if the operating condition determination unit 103 determines that the amount of purchased electricity used obtained in step S202 is higher than the upper limit of the setting input unit 101 entered in step S201, the determination in step S205 becomes "Yes", and the process proceeds to step S208.

[0068] On the other hand, if it is determined that the amount of purchased electricity used obtained in step S202 is not higher than the upper limit set in input from the setting value input unit 101 in step S201, the determination in step S205 will be "No", and the operation condition determination unit 103 will instruct the operation control unit 104 to maintain the number of operating load devices and the operating capacity as they are, and proceed to step S211.

[0069] Next, in step S211, the operation to maintain the number of operating load devices and their operating capacity is performed, and the process returns to step S202.

[0070] In step S208, the operation control unit 104 receives a determination result regarding the stopping (termination) of the operation (or operation) of one load device in the load device group 80, or a reduction in its operating capacity (or operating capacity). In this embodiment, the number of load devices for which operation is added or the operating capacity is increased is set to 1 (1 unit or 1 system). However, multiple load devices may be grouped together as one unit, and operation may be added or the operating capacity increased for this unit.

[0071] In step S209, the operation control unit 104 performs operation control on one of the load devices, that is, an operation to add to the number of load devices to be operated (the number of load devices to be operated) or to increase the operating capacity, and the process proceeds to step S210.

[0072] Next, in step S210, the time elapsed determination unit 107 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed. Specifically, if the time elapsed determination unit 107 determines in step S210 that the predetermined time has elapsed, the determination in step S210 becomes "Yes," and the time elapsed determination unit 107 instructs the acquisition unit 102 to acquire the amount of purchased electricity used, which is measured or measured by the power consumption measuring means 42, as data again, and returns to step S202.

[0073] On the other hand, if the predetermined time has not elapsed, the determination in step S210 will be "No". Then, the process returns to step S210, and the determination of whether or not the predetermined time has elapsed is made again.

[0074] As mentioned above, the acquisition of the purchased electricity usage value by the acquisition unit 102 may be performed immediately without waiting for a predetermined time to elapse. In this case, after the operation control unit 104 has performed operation control, the operation control unit 104 can directly send an instruction to the acquisition unit 102 to acquire the purchased electricity usage value again.

[0075] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing another example of the procedure for performing operation control by the operation control device 100. The embodiment shown in Figure 4 and the embodiment shown in Figure 3 differ in that, in Figure 3, in step S202, the acquisition unit 102 acquires the amount of purchased electricity used (purchased electricity) measured or measured by the electricity amount measuring means 42 and sends the acquired amount of purchased electricity used data to the operating condition determination unit 103, whereas in Figure 4, the acquisition unit 102 sends the acquired amount of purchased electricity used data to the storage unit 105 (step S303), the calculation unit (amount of purchased electricity used calculation unit) 106 reads the amount of purchased electricity used data from the storage unit 105, uses this amount of purchased electricity used data to calculate calculated values ​​such as the average value over a predetermined time and future amount of purchased electricity used (predicted value), and sends the obtained average value data to the operating condition determination unit 103 (step S304).

[0076] Furthermore, in this invention, when the operation control device 100 controls the operation of the load device group 80, a priority order (or priority) can be assigned to each load device constituting the load device group 80 based on predetermined conditions (for example, operating conditions of the load device such as operating time or rotation), and the operation or performance of each load device can be controlled according to the assigned priority order (or priority). With this configuration, when the operation control device 100 controls the operation or performance of multiple load devices (equipment and / or systems), for example, when one facility or equipment has multiple load devices (equipment and / or systems), or when multiple facilities or equipment have one or more load devices (equipment and / or systems), it becomes possible to control the operation or performance of each load device more efficiently. As a result, it becomes possible to operate the facility or equipment more efficiently.

[0077] Figure 5 is a block diagram of another embodiment of the operation control device 100 in this invention, specifically an embodiment that controls the operation or performance of each load device according to a priority determined based on predetermined conditions. In Figure 5, the load device group 80 consists of multiple load devices, which are provided in a predetermined number at each facility (or equipment). The load devices at each facility (first facility F1, second facility F2) are configured to be controllable by the operation control device 100. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the facility consists of two facilities, the first facility F1 and the second facility F2, with two load devices installed in the first facility F1 and three in the second facility F2. The facility is a cold storage warehouse, and each load device is configured as a single system consisting of a chiller (outdoor unit) and a cooler (indoor unit).

[0078] In Figure 5, each facility is equipped with temperature measuring means 90 (first temperature measuring means 91, second temperature measuring means 92). There are no particular restrictions on the temperature measuring means 90; for example, a temperature sensor can be selected.

[0079] In Figure 5, the operation control device 100 further includes a data storage unit 108, a score calculation unit (second calculation unit) 109, a score setting unit 110, and a priority determination unit 111. In Figure 5, the operation control device 100 is configured to separately include a purchased electricity usage calculation unit 106 and a score calculation unit 109. However, one calculation unit may have the function of calculating the calculated value or predicted value of the purchased electricity usage and the function of calculating a score, that is, one calculation unit may be configured to calculate the calculated value, the predicted value and the score.

[0080] The data storage unit 108 is capable of constructing a database, and various types of data (information) used to calculate a score are stored in the data storage unit 108. For example, the data storage unit 108 stores data such as information about each facility (or equipment) and information about each load device installed in that facility, and the information about each load device is stored in association with the facility (or equipment) in which it is installed. In this embodiment, the data storage unit 108 stores at least information about the load device, such as the configuration of the load device and information about operating conditions such as operating time, and information about the facility (or equipment), such as the number of facilities and the number of load devices provided. The data storage unit 108 may be configured to store the information in the computer's memory, or it may be configured to store it in a hardware database, external memory, USB, etc. Furthermore, the information may be stored in a table or other format as appropriate, and it may be possible to refer to and rewrite it as needed.

[0081] The acquisition unit 102 also acquires data on temperatures measured by temperature measuring means (temperature sensors) 90 installed within each facility (or equipment) that measure or detect the internal temperature (actual value). The acquired temperature data is associated with or linked to the facility (or equipment) where the measurement or detection was performed and transmitted to the score calculation unit 109.

[0082] The memory unit 105 stores data of the set temperature within each facility (or equipment) that has been input by an input means such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel, and is associated with or linked to information about the facility (or equipment). As described above, the input means can be any known or future-developed input means.

[0083] The score calculation unit 109 calculates the maximum score for each facility. Specifically, for a particular facility (or piece of equipment), the difference between the temperature value (measured value) obtained by the acquisition unit 102 within that facility and the set temperature value stored in the storage unit 105 in association with or related to that facility is calculated as the maximum score for that facility. Furthermore, the score calculation unit 109 uses the calculated maximum score to calculate a "score (points or points)" (priority indicator; priority) that can be assigned to each load device, based on the total number of load devices provided by the specific facility, which are stored in the data storage unit 108 in association with or related to the specific facility. The score calculation unit 109 performs the above processing for all facilities.

[0084] For example, the score calculation by the score calculation unit 109 is performed as follows. First, the score calculation unit 109 calculates the maximum score for a particular facility. Specifically, the score calculation unit 109 reads the set temperature data stored in association with or linked to the specific facility from the storage unit 105. Next, the score calculation unit 109 compares the temperature data acquired by the acquisition unit 102 at the specific facility with the set temperature data, calculates the difference, and calculates this difference as the maximum score. For example, if the set temperature inside facility F is T1 and the measured temperature inside facility F (the temperature acquired by the acquisition unit 109) is T2, then the maximum score T in facility F is T1 - T2.

[0085] The score calculation unit 109 further uses the maximum score calculated for the specific facility to calculate a score (priority) that can be assigned (set) to each of the load devices (equipment or systems) provided by the specific facility, based on the number (total number) of such load devices stored in the data storage unit 108. Specifically, the score calculation unit 109 calculates T × (N / n) while varying N from 1 to n, where n is the number of load devices provided by a particular facility F and T is the maximum score of the facility F, and calculates the obtained value as the score (priority). In other words, the scores calculated by the score calculation unit 109 are T × (1 / n), T × (2 / n), ..., T × {(n-1) / n}, T × (n / n), and as will be described later, these scores are assigned to each load device provided by the facility F based on predetermined conditions. For example, when the maximum score of a particular facility F is T, the score calculation unit 109 calculates T×(1 / 2) and T×(2 / 2) as possible scores to be assigned to each of the load devices if the total number of load devices equipped by facility F is 2, calculates T×(1 / 3), T×(2 / 3), and T×(3 / 3) as possible scores to be assigned to each of the load devices if the total number of load devices equipped by facility F is 3, and calculates T×(1 / 4), T×(2 / 4), T×(3 / 4), and T×(4 / 4) as possible scores to be assigned to each of the load devices if the total number of load devices equipped by facility F is 4.

[0086] The score calculation unit 109 performs the score calculation process for all facilities (or equipment) and sends the obtained score data to the score setting unit 110. In this embodiment, the score calculation and transmission process is performed by the score calculation unit (second calculation unit) 109, but it may also be performed by the calculation unit (first calculation unit) 106.

[0087] The score setting unit 110 sets a score (assigns a score) for each load device provided by the facility, based on the score calculated by the score calculation unit 109, according to predetermined conditions. The aforementioned conditions can include, for example, the operating conditions of the load device, or the selection of a rotation that rotates the load devices within a group of load devices. Specifically, the operating time (running time) of the load device can be selected as one of the conditions. In this case, for example, the load devices can be sorted in descending order by the length of their operating time, and the score can be set so that the shorter the operating time, the higher the score. If there are load devices that meet the same conditions (e.g., have the same operating time), the higher score may be assigned to the one with the smaller pre-defined facility number or load device number. Furthermore, if the rotation of the load device is selected as one of the conditions, the score may be set based on the rotation when the load device is started up (started), and then the score may be set again based on the operating conditions of the load device, such as the operating time. The score setting unit 110 performs the score setting (assignment) process for all facilities (or equipment) and sends the score setting results (data) to the priority determination unit 111.

[0088] For example, if the score setting unit 110 sets scores so that the shorter the operating time of a load device, and a particular facility F has three load devices A to C (three units or three systems), and the operating times are A < B < C, and the scores calculated by the score calculation unit 109 are T × (1 / 3), T × (2 / 3), and T × (3 / 3), then the score setting unit 110 sets (assigns) T × (3 / 3) to load device A, T × (2 / 3) to load device B, and T × (1 / 3) to load device C. The score setting unit 110 performs the above score setting process for all facilities (or equipment) and sends the score setting results (data) to the priority determination unit 111.

[0089] The priority determination unit 111 determines the priority of each load device based on the scores set by the score setting unit 110. For example, the priority determination unit 111 sorts each load device in ascending order of score (sorting each load device by score) based on all the scores set by the score setting unit 110, defining that a higher score indicates a higher priority, or sorts each load device in descending order of score (sorting each load device by score in descending order), defining that a lower score indicates a lower priority. In this case, if there are load devices with the same score, the one with the smaller pre-set facility number or load device number may be given higher priority.

[0090] Furthermore, in the operation control system 1, if the load devices constituting the load device group 80 are installed in multiple facilities, regardless of which facility they are installed in, all installed load devices can be sorted in ascending order by score (each load device is sorted in ascending order by score) based on all the scores set by the score setting unit 110, and it can be determined that the higher the score, the higher the priority.

[0091] After performing the priority determination process, the priority determination unit 111 sends the priority determination result (data) to the operation control unit 104 or the operation control instruction unit 107.

[0092] Based on the determination result by the operating condition determination unit 103, the operation control unit 104 controls the operation of each load device constituting the load device group 80 according to the priority determined by the priority determination unit 111. Furthermore, the operation control by the operation control unit 104 may be performed after a certain period of time has elapsed (after a certain period of waiting). In this case, the operation, that is, the operation control instruction operation by the operation control instruction unit 107, is as described above and can be easily implemented by referring to this description.

[0093] The priority determination unit 111 determines the priority order, and after a certain period of time has elapsed, the priority order may be reviewed, i.e., the priority determination process may be performed again. In this case, the operation control device 100 further includes a priority review processing unit 112. The priority review processing unit 112 performs a review process on the priority determined by the priority determination unit 111 after a certain period of time (or period). When reviewing the priority, the series of processes up to the determination of the priority can be repeated after a certain period of time (or period) has elapsed.

[0094] The procedure for determining priority by the operation control device 100 and controlling the operation or performance of each load device based on the determined priority, namely calculating a score that can be assigned to each load device, assigning scores, determining priority based on these scores, and controlling the operation or performance of each load device based on these priority, can be carried out, for example, as follows.

[0095] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow for determining priority levels by the operation control device 100 and for controlling operations based on the determined priority levels.

[0096] In the process shown in Figure 7, the data storage unit 108 stores, at least, data (information) for calculating the score, including data related to the facility (or equipment) and data related to the load device group, specifically the load devices constituting the load device group, in relation to or associated with the data (information) related to the facility. The data related to the load devices includes data on the configuration of the load devices and the operating conditions of the load devices (operating time or running time, etc.), and all of this data is stored in relation to or associated with the data related to the facility (step S401). In this embodiment, the data storage unit 108 stores the following data: the facility consists of a first facility F1 and a second facility F2; the first facility F1 is equipped with two load devices, load devices 81 and 82; the second facility F2 is equipped with three load devices, load devices 83, 84 and 85; each of the load devices 81 to 85 is composed of a single system consisting of an outdoor unit (refrigeration unit) and an indoor unit (cooler); and the length of the operating time (operating time) of each load device is: load device 83 < load device 81 < load device 84 < load device 82 < load device 85.

[0097] Furthermore, the storage unit 105 stores data of the set temperature of each facility (a set temperature set for each facility) that has been input by an input means such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel, and this data is associated with or linked to information about the facility (or equipment) (step S402). In other words, the set temperature data is stored in the storage unit 105 for each facility. In this embodiment, the set temperature inside both the first facility F1 and the second facility F2 is -25°C. Furthermore, as mentioned above, known or future-developed input means may be used as the input means.

[0098] When the operation control is started, as shown in Figure 7, the acquisition unit 102 acquires the internal temperature values ​​of each facility measured by the temperature measuring means 90, and sends the acquired temperature data to the score calculation unit 109, associating it with the facility where the measurement was performed (step S403). In this embodiment, the temperature measured by the temperature measuring means 91 in the first facility F1 was -22.5°C, and the temperature measured by the temperature measuring means 92 in the second facility F2 was -22°C.

[0099] Next, in step S404, the score calculation unit 109 reads the set temperature for each facility from the storage unit 105, and using the temperatures acquired for each facility in step S403, calculates the difference between the set temperature and the acquired temperature (measured value) as the maximum score for each facility. In this embodiment, the maximum score value for the first facility F1 is 2.5, and the maximum score value for the second facility F2 is 3.

[0100] Furthermore, in step S405, the score calculation unit 109 reads data related to the facilities from the data storage unit 108, in particular data related to the total number of load devices provided by each facility, and uses the maximum score calculated in step S404 to calculate the score that can be assigned to each load device for each facility. Specifically, the score calculation unit 109 calculates T × (N / n) for a particular facility F when the total number of load devices provided by that facility F is n and the maximum score calculated for that facility F is T, by varying N from 1 to n, and calculates each as a score that can be assigned to each load device, and performs this calculation process for all facilities. In this embodiment, the scores calculated for the first facility F1 are 2.5 and 1.25, and the scores calculated for the second facility F2 are 3, 2, and 1. The calculated score (score calculation result) is then sent to the score setting unit 110. In this embodiment, the score calculation and transmission process is performed by the score calculation unit 109, but the score calculation and transmission process may also be performed by the calculation unit 106.

[0101] The process then proceeds to step S406, where the score setting unit 110 uses the score calculated in step S405 to set a score based on predetermined conditions. Specifically, the score setting unit 110 sets a score for each load device installed at each facility, according to predetermined conditions. In this embodiment, for each facility, the load devices are sorted in descending order by the length of their operating time, and the scores are set so that the shorter the operating time of a load device, the higher its score. Therefore, for facility F1, load device 81 is assigned a score of 2.5 and load device 82 is assigned a score of 1.25. For the second facility F2, load device 83 is assigned a score of 3, load device 84 is assigned a score of 2, and load device 85 is assigned a score of 1. The result of the score setting process described above is sent to the priority determination unit 111.

[0102] Next, in step S407, the priority determination unit 111 determines the priority based on the score set in step S406. Specifically, the priority determination unit 111 determines the priority by either arranging all load devices in descending order of score and defining higher scores as indicating higher priority, or arranging all load devices in descending order of score and defining lower scores as indicating lower priority. In the case of load devices with the same score, the one with the smaller pre-set load device number is given higher priority. In this embodiment, the priority order is as follows: load device 83 (score 3), load device 81 (score 2.5), load device 84 (score 2), load device 82 (score 1.25), and load device 85 (score 1). The result of the score setting process described above is sent to the priority determination unit 111.

[0103] Furthermore, in step S408, the priority determination unit 111 sends information regarding the priority determination result to the operation control unit 104 or the operation control instruction unit 107, and instructs them to execute operation control or issue an instruction to execute operation control for each load device according to this priority determination result. The operation of the operation control unit 104 for controlling the operation of each load device, or the operation control instruction unit 107 for issuing instructions to control the operation of each load device, is as described above.

[0104] The priority order determined by the priority determination unit 111 may be reviewed after a certain period of time has elapsed since the instruction to control the operation of each load device or to execute the operation control was issued in step S408 (step S409). In this case, in step S409, the priority review processing unit 112 may determine whether a predetermined time has elapsed. Specifically, when the priority review processing unit 112 determines that the predetermined time has elapsed, the decision in step S409 becomes "Yes". After that, the process returns to step S403, and the processes from step S403 to step S408 are repeated. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has not elapsed, the determination in step S409 will be "No", and the process returns to step S409 to determine again whether the predetermined time has elapsed.

[0105] The priority determination process can be performed at any time, as long as it is before the execution of operation control or the instruction to execute operation control for each load device. For example, the priority determination process can be performed immediately before S202 or immediately before S206 in Figure 3.

[0106] In an operation control device with such a configuration, it is possible to control the operation of all load devices constituting the load device group 80 according to the determined priority order, for example, stopping the operation or reducing the operating capacity of the load devices in order from the lowest priority, and it is not necessary for all load devices to be installed in the same facility or equipment. Therefore, according to this invention, even when multiple load devices are installed in one facility or equipment, or when one or more load devices are installed in multiple facilities or equipment, it is possible to operate the load devices efficiently. As a result, it becomes possible to operate the facility or equipment equipped with the load devices efficiently.

[0107] Furthermore, in this invention, if solar energy is selected as the renewable energy source, that is, if the renewable energy generation is solar power generation, the operation control system 1 may be configured to include solar radiation intensity measuring means 70, and the operation control device 100 may be configured to start / stop operation control according to the value of solar radiation intensity measured by the solar radiation intensity measuring means 70.

[0108] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing another example of a detailed configuration of the driving control system of this invention. In Figure 8, the operation control system 1 is configured to include a solar radiation intensity measuring means 70 and an operation control start / end execution instruction means 500 for instructing the operation control device 100 to start / end operation control according to the value of the solar radiation intensity measured by the solar radiation intensity measuring means 70.

[0109] There are no particular restrictions on the solar radiation intensity measuring means 70; it is acceptable as long as it can measure or analyze solar radiation intensity at predetermined intervals. As the solar radiation intensity measuring means 70, for example, a known solar radiation intensity measuring means such as a solar radiation meter can be selected. In this embodiment, the solar radiation intensity measuring means 70 is a solar radiation meter, and measures the solar radiation intensity [W / m²] every 5 seconds. 2 It is configured to be able to measure or measure ].

[0110] In Figure 8, the operation control start / end execution instruction means 500 includes a threshold input unit 501, an acquisition unit (solar radiation intensity acquisition unit) 502, a storage unit (solar radiation intensity storage unit) 503, a moving average calculation unit 504, an operation control execution determination unit 505, and an operation control execution instruction unit 506.

[0111] The threshold input unit 501 consists of input means such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel, and receives input of a preset solar radiation intensity threshold and transmits information (data) about that threshold. In this embodiment, the threshold data is transmitted to the operation control execution determination unit 505. Furthermore, known or future-developed input means can be used as the input means. There are no particular restrictions on the threshold value. In this embodiment, the threshold value is 200 W / m². 2 It is set to a certain degree.

[0112] The acquisition unit (solar radiation intensity acquisition unit) 502 acquires the solar radiation intensity measured by the solar radiation intensity measuring means 70. The acquired solar radiation intensity information (data) can be transmitted to the storage unit 503 or the operation control execution determination unit 505.

[0113] The storage unit 503 stores the solar radiation intensity data acquired by the acquisition unit 502, and can be configured as a storage medium such as a hard disk, DVD, or semiconductor memory, or as external storage in a server connected via a communication network such as the Internet. Furthermore, the solar radiation intensity data acquired by the acquisition unit 502 can be sent from the acquisition unit 502 to the operation control execution determination unit 505 as an instantaneous value. In this case, the operation control start / end execution instruction means 500 does not need to include the storage unit 503.

[0114] The moving average calculation unit 504 reads solar radiation intensity data from the storage unit 503, uses the solar radiation intensity data to calculate a moving average value, that is, the average value of solar radiation intensity over a predetermined period of time, and sends the obtained average value data to the operation control execution determination unit 505. In this embodiment, the moving average calculation unit 504 constantly acquires solar radiation intensity information from the storage unit 503 and uses this solar radiation intensity information to calculate the solar radiation intensity [W / m²] at predetermined time intervals (every 15 minutes in this embodiment). 2 It is configured to calculate the average value of ].

[0115] The operation control execution determination unit 505 determines whether to start or end (or stop) the operation control of the load device group 80, more specifically, whether to execute the operation control of each load device constituting the load device group 80, and more specifically, based on the threshold value input from the input unit 501 and the moving average value calculated by the moving average calculation unit 504.

[0116] More specifically, the operation control execution determination unit 505 determines whether to start operation control if the moving average value calculated by the moving average calculation unit 504 is equal to or greater than the input threshold, and determines whether to end (or stop) operation control if the moving average value falls below the input threshold. This configuration makes it possible to smooth out excessive fluctuations in solar radiation intensity.

[0117] Based on the determination result from the operation control execution determination unit 505, the operation control device 100 issues an instruction to start or end the operation control of the load device group 80.

[0118] The instruction from the operation control execution instruction unit 506 to the operation control device 100 to start or end operation control may be made after a certain period of time has elapsed (after a certain period of waiting). Furthermore, the operation of issuing an instruction to start or end the operation control after the predetermined time has elapsed is the same as the operation control instruction (operation control execution instruction by the operation control instruction unit 107) described above, and can be easily carried out by referring to this description. With this configuration, the start or end of operation control by the operation control device 100 is performed after a certain period of time has elapsed, so that time can be secured for the power to stabilize when the load device is started (operation started) / stopped. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent malfunctions and a decrease in energy efficiency caused by excessively starting / stopping the load device in a short period of time.

[0119] An example of a procedure for issuing an instruction to start or end (or stop) operation control by the operation control device 100 using the operation control start / end execution instruction means 500 will be explained with reference to Figure 9.

[0120] As shown in Figure 9, first, from the input unit 501, solar radiation intensity (in this embodiment, unit: [W / m²]) is input. 2 A threshold value is input, and the input threshold data is sent to the operation control execution determination unit 505 (step S601).

[0121] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 502 acquires the solar radiation intensity (actual value) measured or measured by the solar radiation intensity measuring means 70 (step S602). In this embodiment, solar radiation intensity [W / m 2 This is measured or measured every 5 seconds by the solar radiation intensity measuring means 70.

[0122] Next, in step S603, the acquisition unit 502 sends the solar radiation intensity data acquired in step S602 to the storage unit 503. In this embodiment, the memory unit 503 is configured to store up to 180 solar radiation intensity data points.

[0123] In step S604, the moving average calculation unit 504 reads solar radiation intensity data from the storage unit 503, uses the solar radiation intensity data to calculate the average value (moving average value) of solar radiation intensity within a predetermined time period, and sends it to the operation control execution determination unit 505. In this embodiment, the moving average calculation unit 504 constantly calculates the solar radiation intensity [W / m²] every 15 minutes. 2 Calculate the average value of ].

[0124] Furthermore, proceeding to step S605, the operation control execution determination unit 505 determines whether the moving average value calculated in step S604 is equal to or greater than the threshold input from the input unit 501 in step S601.

[0125] In step S605, if the operation control execution determination unit 505 determines that the moving average value obtained in step S604 is greater than or equal to the threshold input from the input unit 501 in step S601, the determination in step S605 becomes "Yes". If the determination in step S605 is "Yes", the process proceeds to step S606, where the operation control execution instruction unit 506 instructs the operation control device 100 to start operation control.

[0126] On the other hand, in step S605, if the operation control execution determination unit 505 determines that the moving average value obtained in step S604 is less than the threshold input from the input unit 501 in step S601, the determination in step S605 will be "No". After that, the process returns to step S602, where solar radiation intensity (measured value) is acquired again. Furthermore, the solar radiation intensity data is stored in step S603, the moving average value is calculated in step S604, and the judgment is made in step S605.

[0127] Furthermore, with respect to the operation control system 1, if the renewable energy generation is solar power generation, it may be configured so that at least a portion of the electricity generated and supplied by the solar power generation device 10 from the electricity received by the power receiving equipment 40 is supplied to the commercial power source or the commercial power grid (sold).

[0128] The operation control device 100 constituting the operation control system 1 with the above configuration can be applied without particular limitation to any load device or group of load devices installed in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy for power generation, especially solar power generation (solar power generation device or system), and is suitable as an operation control device for such a load device.

[0129] The load device control method according to this invention is an operation control method performed by an operation control system that controls the operation of multiple load devices provided in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy for power generation, particularly solar power generation. The process involves setting upper and lower limits for the amount of electricity purchased in advance, as pre-set values ​​for the amount of electricity purchased. A process of measuring the amount of purchased electricity used by an electricity consumption measuring device, Based on the measured electricity usage information and the set upper and lower limits of the electricity usage, if the measured electricity usage falls below the set lower limit, a determination is made to increase the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity; if it exceeds the set upper limit, a determination is made to decrease the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity; and if it is determined to be between the set lower limit and the set upper limit, the current number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity is maintained. A step of controlling the operating rotation speed and / or operating capacity of the load device based on the determination result, including It is characterized by the following:

[0130] Such a control method can be easily implemented by referring to the description of the operation control system.

[0131] Next, the operation control program according to this invention will be described. A program for a control device such as a computer to perform the processing based on the aforementioned actions constitutes the program of this invention.

[0132] Optical discs, semiconductor memory, magnetic recording media, etc., can be used as storage media for recording this program, and these may be configured and used as ROM, RAM, memory cards, etc.

[0133] [Configurations included in embodiments of the present invention] This embodiment includes the following configuration. (Configuration 1) An operation control system that controls the operation of multiple load devices equipped in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy generation, The aforementioned operation control system comprises a renewable energy power generation device, an energy measurement means, a group of load devices composed of the plurality of load devices, and an operation control device for controlling the operation of the load devices. The aforementioned operation control device is At a minimum, a setting value input unit configured to allow input of a pre-set value for the amount of electricity used, At a minimum, the system includes an acquisition unit that acquires the amount of purchased electricity used measured by the electricity consumption measurement means, An operating condition determination unit is configured to determine whether or not to increase or decrease the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices constituting the load device group, and whether or not to maintain the current number of operating devices and / or operating capacity, based on the information on the amount of purchased electricity used acquired by the acquisition unit and the information on the set value input unit. The system includes an operation control unit that controls the operation of the load device so as to increase, decrease, or maintain the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity based on the determination result of the operation condition determination unit. A driving control system characterized by the following. (Configuration 2) The operation control device further comprises a storage unit that stores information on the amount of electricity purchased acquired by the acquisition unit, and a first calculation unit that reads the information on the amount of electricity purchased from the storage unit and calculates an average value or predicted value of the amount of electricity purchased over a predetermined period of time based on the information on the amount of electricity purchased. The operation control system according to Configuration 1, wherein the operation condition determination unit is configured to determine whether it is necessary to increase or decrease the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity of the load device group, and whether to maintain the current number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity, based on the average value or predicted value information calculated by the first calculation unit and the set value information input by the set value input unit. (Configuration 3) The above-mentioned set values ​​are the upper and lower limits of the set value for the amount of electricity purchased and used. The operation control system according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the operation condition determination unit is configured to determine whether to increase the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity if the amount of purchased electricity used, the average value, or the predicted value acquired by the acquisition unit falls below the set lower limit, whether to decrease the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity if it exceeds the set upper limit, and whether to maintain the current number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity if it determines that the value is between the set lower limit and the set upper limit. (Configuration 4) The multiple load devices may all be installed in one facility or equipment, or they may be installed in multiple facilities or equipment. Each facility or piece of equipment shall be equipped with a means for measuring temperature, The acquisition unit is further configured to acquire the temperature measured by the temperature measuring means, or the operation control device further includes a second acquisition unit configured to acquire the temperature measured by the temperature measuring means. The storage unit is configured to store data of the set temperature inside the facility or equipment in relation to or associated with information about the facility or equipment. The aforementioned operation control device further includes a data storage unit that stores at least information relating to the facility or equipment and information relating to load devices provided in the facility or equipment, in association with or corresponding to the information relating to the facility or equipment. The first calculation unit calculates the difference between the set temperature inside the facility or equipment and the measured temperature as the maximum score for each facility or equipment. Furthermore, using the calculated maximum score and the total number of load devices stored in the data storage unit in association with each facility or equipment, and with T being the maximum score of the facility or equipment and n being the total number of load devices provided by the facility or equipment, the calculation is performed for each facility or equipment as T × (N / n), varying N from 1 to n, and the obtained value is calculated as a score that can be set for each load device. Alternatively, the operation control device further includes a second calculation unit which calculates the difference between the set temperature and the measured temperature inside the facility or equipment as the maximum score for each facility or equipment, and further calculates the obtained value as a score that can be set for each load device, using the calculated maximum score and the total number of load devices stored in the data storage unit associated with or corresponding to each facility or equipment, where T is the maximum score of the facility or equipment and n is the total number of load devices provided by the facility or equipment, and calculates T × (N / n) for each facility or equipment while varying N from 1 to n, and calculates the obtained value as a score that can be set for each load device. The operation control system according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, further comprising: a score setting unit that sets a score calculated by the first or second calculation unit for each of the load devices provided by the facility or equipment, according to predetermined conditions for each of the facilities or equipment; and a priority determination unit that determines the priority of the load devices based on the scores set by the score setting unit. (Configuration 5) The operation control system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, wherein the acquisition unit is configured to acquire the amount of purchased electricity used measured by the power consumption measuring means again after a certain period of time has elapsed since the operation control unit performed operation control of the load device. (Configuration 6) The renewable energy is sunlight, The operation control system includes a solar radiation intensity measuring means for measuring solar radiation intensity, and an operation control start / end execution instruction means for instructing the operation control device to start / end operation control according to the value of solar radiation intensity measured by the solar radiation intensity measuring means. The operation control system according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the operation control start / end execution instruction means comprises: a threshold input unit configured to accept a preset threshold for solar radiation intensity; a solar radiation intensity acquisition unit that acquires solar radiation intensity measured by the solar radiation intensity measurement means; a solar radiation intensity storage unit that stores the solar radiation intensity acquired by the solar radiation intensity acquisition unit; a moving average calculation unit that reads solar radiation intensity data from the solar radiation intensity storage unit and calculates the average value of solar radiation intensity within a predetermined time period using the solar radiation intensity data; an operation control execution determination unit that determines whether to start operation control if the average value of solar radiation intensity calculated by the moving average calculation unit is equal to or greater than the threshold, and determines whether to end or stop operation control if it falls below the threshold; and an operation control execution instruction unit that, based on the determination result by the operation control execution determination unit, instructs the operation control device to start or end operation control of the load device. (Configuration 7) An operation control method performed by an operation control system that controls the operation of multiple load devices provided in a facility or equipment utilizing renewable energy generation, The process involves setting upper and lower limits for the amount of electricity purchased in advance, as pre-set values ​​for the amount of electricity purchased. A process of measuring the amount of purchased electricity used by an electricity consumption measuring device, Based on the measured electricity usage information and the set upper and lower limits of the electricity usage, if the measured electricity usage falls below the set lower limit, a determination is made to increase the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity; if it exceeds the set upper limit, a determination is made to decrease the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity; and if it is determined to be between the set lower limit and the set upper limit, the current number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity is maintained. A step of controlling the operating rotation speed and / or operating capacity of the load device based on the determination result, A method for controlling the operation of a load device, characterized by including the following: (Configuration 8) An operation control program that controls the operation of multiple load devices provided in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy generation, On the computer, An input step in which the upper and lower limits of the set value for purchased electricity usage are entered as set values, A step of acquiring purchased electricity usage, which involves acquiring the amount of purchased electricity usage measured by an electricity usage measurement means, A determination step in which, using the set value entered in the input step and the value of purchased electricity usage obtained in the purchased electricity usage acquisition step, a determination is made to increase the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity if the value of purchased electricity usage falls below the set lower limit, a determination is made to decrease the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity if it exceeds the set upper limit, and a determination is made to maintain the current number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity if it is determined to be between the set lower limit and the set upper limit. A control step that controls the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load device based on the result determined in the determination step, Make it happen A driving control program characterized by the following. (Configuration 9) An operation control program that controls the operation of multiple load devices provided in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy generation, On the computer, An input step in which the upper and lower limits of the set value for purchased electricity usage are entered as set values, A step of acquiring purchased electricity usage, which involves acquiring the amount of purchased electricity usage measured by an electricity usage measurement means, A purchased electricity usage storage step, which involves storing the amount of purchased electricity usage acquired in the purchased electricity usage acquisition step in a storage unit, A step of reading purchased electricity usage data, which reads purchased electricity usage data from the storage unit, The average value or predicted value calculation step calculates the average value or predicted value of purchased electricity usage over a predetermined period of time using the purchased electricity usage values ​​read in the purchased electricity usage data reading step, A determination step is performed using the set upper limit and set lower limit values ​​input in the input step and the average or predicted value of purchased electricity usage calculated in the average or predicted value calculation step, and if the value of purchased electricity usage falls below the set lower limit, it is determined to increase the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices; if it exceeds the set upper limit, it is determined to decrease the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices; and if it is determined to be between the set lower limit and the set upper limit, it is determined to maintain the current number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices. A control step that controls the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load device based on the result determined in the determination step, Make it happen A driving control program characterized by the following. (Configuration 10) The plurality of load devices may all be installed in one facility or equipment, or they may be installed in multiple facilities or equipment. Each facility or piece of equipment shall be equipped with a means for measuring temperature, The aforementioned driving control program is A temperature acquisition step of acquiring the internal temperature of the facility or equipment measured by a temperature measuring means, A storage step of storing data of the set temperature inside the facility or equipment in a storage unit in relation to or associated with information about the facility or equipment, A storage step of storing information relating to the facility or equipment and information relating to the load device provided in the facility or equipment in a data storage unit in relation to or associated with the information relating to the facility or equipment, A set temperature data reading step of reading data of the set temperature inside the facility or equipment from the storage unit, A maximum score calculation step is performed to calculate the difference between the internal temperature value of the facility or equipment obtained in the temperature acquisition step and the set temperature value of the facility or equipment read out in the set temperature data reading step as the maximum score for each facility or equipment. A data reading step for reading data relating to the total number of load devices installed in the facility or equipment from the data storage unit, A setting score calculation step is performed using the maximum score obtained in the maximum score calculation step and the total number of load devices installed in the facility or equipment read out in the total number of load devices data reading step, where T is the maximum score of the facility or equipment and n is the total number of load devices installed in the facility or equipment, and for each facility or equipment, T × (N / n) is calculated while varying N from 1 to n, and the obtained value is calculated as the score that can be set for each load device. A score setting step involves setting the scores calculated in the setting score calculation step to the load device according to predetermined conditions, A priority determination step, which determines the priority based on the score set in the score setting step, A control step that controls the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load device based on the result determined in the determination step and the priority determined in the priority determination step, A driving control system according to either configuration 8 or 9, which causes the following to be performed. (Configuration 11) An operation control device that controls the operation of multiple load devices provided in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy generation, The aforementioned operation control device is At a minimum, a setting value input unit configured to allow input of a pre-set value for the amount of electricity used, At a minimum, the system includes an acquisition unit that acquires the amount of purchased electricity used measured by the electricity consumption measurement means, An operating condition determination unit is configured to determine whether or not to increase or decrease the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices constituting the load device group, and whether or not to maintain the current number of operating devices and / or operating capacity, based on the information on the amount of purchased electricity used acquired by the acquisition unit and the information on the set value input unit. The system includes an operation control unit that controls the operation of the load device so as to increase, decrease, or maintain the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity based on the determination result of the operation condition determination unit. A driving control device characterized by the following. [Industrial applicability]

[0134] In the operation control system, operation control method, and operation control program according to this invention, the amount of electricity used on the electricity purchase side, i.e., the amount of electricity purchased (amount of electricity used purchased), is measured to determine the amount of renewable energy generation, especially solar power generation, and the amount of electricity that can be generated is controlled so that this amount of electricity purchased stays within a certain range, particularly the number of operating devices (number of load devices in operation) and / or the operating capacity of load devices. Therefore, the aforementioned operation control system, operation control method, and operation control program enable efficient operation of load devices, particularly multiple load devices, such as equipment and machinery, in facilities and equipment utilizing renewable energy generation, especially solar power generation (such as solar power generation devices or solar power generation systems). As such, these devices are likely to be widely used in industries that utilize facilities and equipment using this type of power generation method. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0135] 1 Operation control system, 10 Renewable energy power generation equipment (photovoltaic power generation equipment), 20 Junction box, 30 Power conditioner, 40 Power receiving equipment, 41 Power receiving section, 42 Power quantity measuring means, 50 Power supply and demand meter transformer, 60 External power generation equipment (commercial power supply), 70 Solar radiation intensity measuring means, 80 Load device group, 90 Temperature measuring means, 100 Operation control device, 500 Operation control start / end execution instruction means, F1 First facility, F2 Second facility

Claims

1. An operation control system for controlling the operation of multiple load devices equipped in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy generation, The aforementioned operation control system comprises a renewable energy power generation device, an energy measurement means, a group of load devices composed of the plurality of load devices, and an operation control device for controlling the operation of the load devices. The aforementioned operation control device is At a minimum, a setting value input unit configured to allow input of a pre-set value for the amount of electricity used, At a minimum, the system includes an acquisition unit that acquires the amount of purchased electricity used measured by the electricity consumption measurement means, Based on the information on electricity usage acquired by the acquisition unit and the information on the set value input unit, the operating condition determination unit is configured to determine whether it is necessary to increase or decrease the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices constituting the load device group, and whether to maintain the current number of operating devices and / or operating capacity. The system includes an operation control unit that controls the operation of the load device so as to increase, decrease, or maintain the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity based on the determination result of the operation condition determination unit. A driving control system characterized by the following.

2. The operation control device further includes a storage unit that stores information on the amount of electricity purchased acquired by the acquisition unit, and a first calculation unit that reads the information on the amount of electricity purchased from the storage unit and calculates an average value or predicted value of the amount of electricity purchased over a predetermined period of time based on the information on the amount of electricity purchased. The operating condition determination unit is configured to determine whether it is necessary to increase or decrease the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices constituting the load device group, and whether to maintain the current number of operating devices and / or operating capacity, based on the average value or predicted value information calculated by the first calculation unit and the set value information input by the set value input unit. The driving control system according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

3. The aforementioned set values ​​are the upper and lower limits for the amount of electricity purchased and used. The operating condition determination unit is configured to determine whether to increase the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices if the amount of purchased electricity used, the average value, or the predicted value acquired by the acquisition unit falls below the set lower limit, whether to decrease the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices if it exceeds the set upper limit, and whether to maintain the current number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices if it determines that the value is between the set lower limit and the set upper limit. The driving control system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the following:

4. The aforementioned multiple load devices may all be installed in one facility or equipment, or they may be installed in multiple facilities or equipment. Each facility or piece of equipment shall be equipped with a means for measuring temperature, The acquisition unit is further configured to acquire the temperature measured by the temperature measuring means, or the operation control device further includes a second acquisition unit configured to acquire the temperature measured by the temperature measuring means. The storage unit is configured to store data of the set temperature inside the facility or equipment in relation to or associated with information about the facility or equipment. The aforementioned operation control device further includes a data storage unit that stores at least information relating to the facility or equipment and information relating to load devices provided in the facility or equipment, in association with or corresponding to the information relating to the facility or equipment. The first calculation unit calculates the difference between the set temperature inside the facility or equipment and the measured temperature as the maximum score for each facility or equipment. Furthermore, using the calculated maximum score and the total number of load devices stored in the data storage unit in association with each facility or equipment, and with T being the maximum score of the facility or equipment and n being the total number of load devices provided by the facility or equipment, the calculation is performed for each facility or equipment as T × (N / n), varying N from 1 to n, and the obtained value is calculated as a score that can be set for each load device. Alternatively, the operation control device further includes a second calculation unit which calculates the difference between the set temperature and the measured temperature inside the facility or equipment as the maximum score for each facility or equipment, and further calculates the obtained value as a score that can be set for each load device, using the calculated maximum score and the total number of load devices stored in the data storage unit in association with each facility or equipment, where T is the maximum score of the facility or equipment and n is the total number of load devices provided by the facility or equipment, and calculates T × (N / n) for each facility or equipment while varying N from 1 to n, and calculates the obtained value as a score that can be set for each load device. The operation control device further includes a score setting unit that sets a score calculated by the first or second calculation unit for each of the load devices provided by the facility or equipment, according to predetermined conditions, and a priority determination unit that determines the priority of the load devices based on the scores set by the score setting unit. The driving control system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the following:

5. The acquisition unit is configured to acquire the amount of purchased electricity used, measured again by the power consumption measuring means, after a certain period of time has elapsed since the operation control unit performed the operation control of the load device. The driving control system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the following:

6. The aforementioned renewable energy source is solar energy, The operation control system includes a solar radiation intensity measuring means for measuring solar radiation intensity, and an operation control start / end execution instruction means for instructing the operation control device to start / end operation control according to the value of solar radiation intensity measured by the solar radiation intensity measuring means. The operation control start / end execution instruction means comprises: a threshold input unit configured to accept a preset threshold for solar radiation intensity; a solar radiation intensity acquisition unit that acquires solar radiation intensity measured by the solar radiation intensity measurement means; a solar radiation intensity storage unit that stores the solar radiation intensity acquired by the solar radiation intensity acquisition unit; a moving average calculation unit that reads solar radiation intensity data from the solar radiation intensity storage unit and calculates the average value of solar radiation intensity within a predetermined time period using the solar radiation intensity data; an operation control execution determination unit that determines whether to start operation control if the average value of solar radiation intensity calculated by the moving average calculation unit is equal to or greater than the threshold, and determines whether to end or stop operation control if it falls below the threshold; and an operation control execution instruction unit that, based on the determination result by the operation control execution determination unit, instructs the operation control device to start or end operation control of the load device. The driving control system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the following:

7. An operation control method performed by an operation control system that controls the operation of multiple load devices in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy generation, The process involves setting upper and lower limits for the amount of electricity purchased in advance, as pre-set values ​​for the amount of electricity purchased. A process of measuring the amount of purchased electricity used by an electricity consumption measuring device, Based on the measured electricity usage information and the set upper and lower limits of the electricity usage, if the measured electricity usage falls below the set lower limit, a determination is made to increase the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity; if it exceeds the set upper limit, a determination is made to decrease the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity; and if it is determined to be between the set lower limit and the set upper limit, the current number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity is maintained. A step of controlling the operating rotation speed and / or operating capacity of the load device based on the determination result, including A method for controlling the operation of a load device, characterized by the following.

8. An operation control program for controlling the operation of multiple load devices in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy generation, On the computer, An input step in which the upper and lower limits of the set value for purchased electricity usage are entered as set values, A step of acquiring purchased electricity usage, which involves acquiring the amount of purchased electricity usage measured by an electricity usage measurement means, A determination step in which, using the set value entered in the input step and the value of purchased electricity usage obtained in the purchased electricity usage acquisition step, a determination is made to increase the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity if the value of purchased electricity usage falls below the set lower limit, a determination is made to decrease the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity if it exceeds the set upper limit, and a determination is made to maintain the current number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity if it is determined to be between the set lower limit and the set upper limit. A control step that controls the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load device based on the result determined in the determination step, Make it happen A driving control program characterized by the following.

9. An operation control program for controlling the operation of multiple load devices in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy generation, On the computer, An input step in which the upper and lower limits of the set value for purchased electricity usage are entered as set values, A step of acquiring purchased electricity usage, which involves acquiring the amount of purchased electricity usage measured by an electricity usage measurement means, A purchased electricity usage storage step, which involves storing the amount of purchased electricity usage acquired in the purchased electricity usage acquisition step in a storage unit, A step of reading purchased electricity usage data, which reads purchased electricity usage data from the storage unit, The average value or predicted value calculation step calculates the average value or predicted value of purchased electricity usage over a predetermined period of time using the purchased electricity usage values ​​read in the purchased electricity usage data reading step, A determination step is performed using the set upper limit and set lower limit values ​​input in the input step and the average or predicted value of purchased electricity usage calculated in the average or predicted value calculation step, and if the value of purchased electricity usage falls below the set lower limit, it is determined to increase the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity, if it exceeds the set upper limit, it is determined to decrease the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity, and if it is determined to be between the set lower limit and the set upper limit, it is determined to maintain the current number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity. A control step that controls the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load device based on the result determined in the determination step, Make it happen A driving control program characterized by the following.

10. The aforementioned multiple load devices may all be installed in one facility or equipment, or they may be installed in multiple facilities or equipment. Each facility or piece of equipment shall be equipped with a means for measuring temperature, The aforementioned driving control program is A temperature acquisition step of acquiring the internal temperature of the facility or equipment measured by a temperature measuring means, A storage step of storing data of the set temperature inside the facility or equipment in a storage unit in relation to or associated with information about the facility or equipment, A storage step of storing information relating to the facility or equipment and information relating to the load device provided in the facility or equipment in a data storage unit in relation to or associated with the information relating to the facility or equipment, A set temperature data reading step of reading data of the set temperature inside the facility or equipment from the storage unit, A maximum score calculation step is performed to calculate the difference between the internal temperature value of the facility or equipment obtained in the temperature acquisition step and the set temperature value of the facility or equipment read out in the set temperature data reading step as the maximum score for each facility or equipment. A data reading step for reading data relating to the total number of load devices installed in the facility or equipment from the data storage unit, A setting score calculation step is performed using the maximum score obtained in the maximum score calculation step and the total number of load devices installed in the facility or equipment read out in the total number of load devices data reading step, where T is the maximum score of the facility or equipment and n is the total number of load devices installed in the facility or equipment, and for each facility or equipment, T × (N / n) is calculated while varying N from 1 to n, and the obtained value is calculated as the score that can be set for each load device. A score setting step involves setting the scores calculated in the setting score calculation step to the load device according to predetermined conditions, A priority determination step, which determines the priority based on the score set in the score setting step, A control step that controls the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load device based on the result determined in the determination step and the priority determined in the priority determination step, Make it happen The driving control program according to claim 8 or 9, characterized by the above.

11. An operation control device for controlling the operation of multiple load devices equipped in a facility or equipment that utilizes renewable energy generation, The aforementioned operation control device is At a minimum, a setting value input unit configured to allow input of a pre-set value for the amount of electricity used, At a minimum, the system includes an acquisition unit that acquires the amount of purchased electricity used measured by the electricity consumption measurement means, Based on the information on electricity usage acquired by the acquisition unit and the information on the set value input unit, the operating condition determination unit is configured to determine whether it is necessary to increase or decrease the number of operating devices and / or operating capacity of the load devices constituting the load device group, and whether to maintain the current number of operating devices and / or operating capacity. The system includes an operation control unit that controls the operation of the load device so as to increase, decrease, or maintain the number of operating load devices and / or operating capacity based on the determination result of the operation condition determination unit. A driving control device characterized by the following.

Images