Integrated control system for virtual power plant and integrated control method thereof

Abstract

To further ensure the balance between the supply and demand of electric power by efficiently utilizing various energy resources to form a virtual power plant, regardless of an urban area and the peripheral area.SOLUTION: A virtual power plant integration control system that makes a plurality of energy resources function as a single power plant, comprises: a first attribute storage unit that stores first attribute information which includes information indicating power use situations of a plurality of consumers; a formation control unit that selectively integrates energy resources from among the plurality of energy resources to form a plurality of first virtual power plants; a second attribute storage unit that stores second attribute information which includes information indicating power use situations of the plurality of first virtual power plants; and an integration control unit that selectively integrates the first virtual power plants from among the plurality of first virtual power plants to form and control a second virtual power plant.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an integrated control system for a virtual power plant and an integrated control method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, in order to realize a more stable and less wasteful power system, development has been progressing on virtual power plants (VPPs) that integrate and control various energy resources owned by consumers, such as distributed power sources and power storage facilities, and function as if they were a single power plant (see Patent Document 1). By forming a virtual power plant, it becomes possible to adjust the balance of supply and demand for electricity through demand response such as up DR (Demand Response) and down DR, instead of adjusting the output of large-scale power plants such as thermal power plants as has been done in the past. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-108301 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Comparing the formation of a virtual power plant in an urban area with the formation of a virtual power plant in a surrounding area surrounding the urban area, urban areas are often able to form a virtual power plant efficiently because they are rich in various types of energy resources such as power generation facilities and storage facilities, whereas surrounding areas are often biased toward certain types of energy resources (such as solar power generation facilities), making it difficult to form a virtual power plant. As a result, the current situation is that energy resources available in the surrounding area are not being effectively utilized as targets for virtual power plants.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an integrated control system and an integrated control method for a virtual power plant that forms a virtual power plant by efficiently utilizing various energy resources that are ubiquitous, regardless of whether it is an urban area or a surrounding area, and that further ensures the balance between power supply and demand. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention, which is the main object of solving the above-mentioned problems, is an integrated control system for a virtual power plant that integrates and controls a plurality of energy resources owned by a plurality of consumers and distributed in various locations via a network, and functions as if they were a single power plant, and information indicating a power grid to which the plurality of energy resources are connected, and information indicating a geographical location of the plurality of energy resources a first attribute storage unit that stores first attribute information including the first attribute information; a formation control unit that selectively integrates energy resources from among the plurality of energy resources based on the first attribute information to form a plurality of first virtual power plants; and information indicating power usage status of the plurality of first virtual power plants. information indicating a power grid to which the plurality of first virtual power plants are connected, and information indicating geographical locations of the plurality of first virtual power plants. and an integration control unit that selectively integrates first virtual power plants from among the plurality of first virtual power plants based on the second attribute information to form a second virtual power plant larger in scale than the first virtual power plants, and controls the second virtual power plant in response to a demand response. The formation control unit selectively integrates the energy resources to form the plurality of first virtual power plants by prioritizing, among the first attribute information, information indicating power usage conditions of the plurality of consumers and information on a power system to which the plurality of energy resources are connected, over information indicating geographical positions of the plurality of energy resources, and the integration control unit forms the second virtual power plant by prioritizing, among the second attribute information, information indicating power usage conditions of the plurality of first virtual power plants and information on a power system to which the plurality of first virtual power plants are connected, over information indicating geographical positions of the plurality of first virtual power plants. . Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the accompanying drawings and the description of this specification. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to form a virtual power plant by efficiently utilizing various energy resources that are ubiquitous, regardless of whether they are in an urban area or a surrounding area, and to more reliably balance the supply and demand of electricity. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an overall view for explaining the formation of a virtual power plant according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functions of an aggregator server. [Figure 3A] 4 is a diagram showing an example of table data of first attribute information A stored in a first attribute storage unit. FIG. [Figure 3B] 13 is a diagram showing an example of table data of first attribute information B stored in a first attribute storage unit. FIG. [Figure 3C] 13 is a diagram showing an example of table data of first attribute information C stored in a first attribute storage unit. FIG. [Figure 3D] 13 is a diagram showing an example of table data of second attribute information D stored in a second attribute storage unit. FIG. [Figure 3E] 13 is a diagram showing an example of table data of second attribute information E stored in a second attribute storage unit. FIG. [Figure 3F] 13 is a diagram showing an example of table data of second attribute information F stored in a second attribute storage unit. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a power system. [Diagram 5] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a formation control unit and an integrated control unit when forming first and second virtual power plants. [Figure 6] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of an automated demand response flow. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] At least the following will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0010] FIG. 1 is an overall diagram for explaining the formation of a virtual power plant according to this embodiment. The virtual power plant is operated by an aggregator. In this embodiment, the aggregator is a general term for a resource aggregator and an aggregation coordinator, and may refer to either the resource aggregator or the aggregation coordinator, or both. The resource aggregator controls the energy resources based on a contract with each consumer who owns the energy resources. The aggregation coordinator bundles the amount of power controlled by each resource aggregator, and trades power with a general power transmission and distribution business operator and a retail electricity business operator. In this embodiment, the general power transmission and distribution business operator and the retail electricity business operator are collectively referred to as an electricity business operator. Therefore, the electricity business operator may refer to either the general power transmission and distribution business operator and the retail electricity business operator, or both. In this embodiment, for example, it is assumed that a management area 10 in which a virtual power plant is to be formed is determined by an aggregator. In this management area 10, a variety of energy resources, such as energy generation, energy storage, and energy saving, owned by a plurality of consumers are distributed and installed. The scale of the management area 10 may be a relatively small one, such as a city, ward, town, or village, or a relatively large one, such as one spanning prefectures.

[0011] The management area 10 is roughly divided into, for example, an urban area 10A and a surrounding area 10B surrounding the urban area 10A. In the urban area 10A, commercial facilities and industrial facilities for economic activities tend to be concentrated, and many energy resources 20 are installed in a concentrated manner. On the other hand, in the surrounding area 10B, there tend to be more houses than facilities for economic activities, and the energy resources 20 are installed in a smaller number than in the urban area 10A. Note that a plurality of energy resources distributed in the urban area 10A is referred to as 20A, and a plurality of energy resources distributed in the surrounding area 10B is referred to as 20B. These energy resources 20A and 20B are connected to a power grid, but are selectively integrated to be communicable via a network 30 such as IoT according to an instruction from an aggregator server 50 described later.

[0012] The virtual power plant is formed by integrating, via a network 30, the energy resources 20A and 20B (e.g., within the bold frame marked "VPP" in FIG. 1) that correspond to predetermined attributes of multiple consumers and the energy resources 20A and 20B from among the energy resources 20A and 20B in the management area 10, regardless of whether it is an urban area 10A or a surrounding area 10B. The virtual power plant formed in this way operates to intentionally increase or decrease the amount of demand for electricity in response to demand responses such as up-DR and down-DR that occur according to the amount of electricity supply at that time, so as to contribute to balancing the amount of electricity demand by consumers with the amount of electricity supply. In other words, the virtual power plant functions as a virtual power plant.

[0013] The energy resources 20A, 20B are connected to a relay system 40 (also called a power management system) that relays communications between a GW (gateway), HEMS (Home Energy Management System), BEMS (Building Energy Management System), FEMS (Factory Energy Management System), etc. so that a virtual power plant can be formed through a network 30. Furthermore, the energy resources 20A, 20B are communicatively connected to an aggregator server 50 via the relay system 40 and the network 30 to integrate the energy resources 20A, 20B and thereby form a virtual power plant.

[0014] Demand response is a demand response command for changing the power demand pattern by controlling the power demand by the multiple energy resources 20A and 20B forming the virtual power plant so that the power supply and the power demand by the consumer are balanced. There are two types of demand response: up DR and down DR. Up DR is a command for increasing the power demand (consumption) by the multiple energy resources 20A and 20B in the virtual power plant when the power demand is less than the power supply. For example, when there is a risk that the power supply by a photovoltaic power generation system connected to the power grid will be oversupplied due to the influence of fine weather, an up DR is generated. For example, when the energy resources 20A and 20B forming the virtual power plant include a storage battery (storage energy resource), the demand for the storage battery is increased to charge the storage battery with the amount of power that would be oversupplied. On the other hand, down DR is a command for decreasing the power demand by the multiple energy resources 20A and 20B in the virtual power plant when the power demand is greater than the power supply. For example, when there is a high demand for air conditioners and the like during a heatwave and there is a risk of a shortage in the supply of electricity, a down DR is generated to reduce the demand for any of the energy resources 20A, 20B in the virtual power plant. In this way, changing the demand pattern of the multiple energy resources 20A, 20B in the virtual power plant can contribute to balancing the supply and demand of electricity.

[0015] The energy generating resource, which is one type of the energy resources 20A and 20B, is a resource that generates electricity, and examples thereof include a photovoltaic power generation system, a cogeneration system, a system that utilizes renewable energy heat (geothermal heat, solar heat, snow and ice heat, etc.), and a fuel cell vehicle. The energy storage resource, which is another type of the energy resources 20A and 20B, is a resource that stores electric energy, and examples thereof include a home storage battery, a system storage battery, and a heat pump water heater. The energy saving resource, which is another type of the energy resources 20A and 20B, is a resource that saves electricity, and examples thereof include a business / industrial EMS (Energy Management System), IoT-based lighting fixtures, air conditioning equipment, and refrigeration equipment. The virtual power plant is formed by selectively integrating the energy generating resource, the energy storage resource, and the energy saving resource included in these multiple energy resources 20A and 20B based on the attributes of multiple consumers and the multiple energy resources 20A and 20B.

[0016] The aggregator server 50 is a server managed by an aggregator. As described above, the aggregator is a general term for a resource aggregator and an aggregation coordinator, so there are servers managed by resource aggregators (also referred to as resource aggregator servers) and servers managed by aggregation coordinators (also referred to as aggregation coordinator servers), but in this embodiment, the resource aggregator servers and aggregation coordinator servers are collectively referred to as the aggregator server 50. The aggregator server 50 is configured by a computer as hardware, and various functions as the aggregator server 50 are realized by software processing of the computer.

[0017] The electric utility server 60 is a server managed by an electric utility. As described above, the electric utility is a general term for a general electricity transmission and distribution utility and a retail electricity utility, and therefore includes a server managed by the general electricity transmission and distribution utility (also referred to as a general electricity transmission and distribution utility server) and a server managed by a retail electricity utility (also referred to as a retail electricity utility server). In this embodiment, the general electricity transmission and distribution utility server and the retail electricity utility server are collectively referred to as the electric utility server 60. The electric utility server 60 generates a demand response to the aggregator server 50, and receives the result of controlling the operation of the energy resources 20A and 20B according to the demand response from the aggregator server 50. The electric utility server 60 is configured by a computer as hardware, and realizes various functions as the electric utility server 60 by software processing of the computer.

[0018] In the following description, the virtual power plant collectively refers to the first virtual power plant and the second virtual power plant that is larger in scale than the first virtual power plant. The first virtual power plant and the second virtual power plant are common in that they are both composed of a plurality of energy resources 20A, 20B, but are different in that the first virtual power plant is formed by integrating a plurality of energy resources 20A, 20B that do not belong to any virtual power plant, whereas the second virtual power plant is formed by integrating a plurality of virtual power plants.

[0019] The aggregator server 50 selectively integrates the multiple energy resources 20A, 20B installed in the management area 10, regardless of whether it is an urban area 10A or a surrounding area 10B, via the network 30 based on the multiple consumers who own the energy resources 20A, 20B and on predetermined attributes of the multiple energy resources 20A, 20B, thereby forming a first virtual power plant. Furthermore, when there is a risk that the demand of the first virtual power plant is insufficient to respond to a demand response generated by the electric utility server 60, for example, the aggregator server 50 selectively integrates the multiple first virtual power plants in the management area 10 via the network 30 based on the attributes of the multiple first virtual power plants that have already been formed, thereby forming a second virtual power plant that is larger in scale than the first virtual power plant.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functions of the aggregator server 50. As shown in FIG. The aggregator server 50 has a first attribute storage unit 510 and a formation control unit 530 as means for forming a first virtual power plant, and also has a second attribute storage unit 520 and an integrated control unit 540 as means for forming a second virtual power plant. The aggregator server 50 is configured as hardware by a computer similar to the electric utility server 60, and realizes the functions of the first and second attribute storage units 510, 520, the formation control unit 530, and the integrated control unit 540 through software processing of the computer.

[0021] The first attribute storage unit 510 stores in advance attribute information that is the basis for the selective integration of the energy resources 20A and 20B by the formation control unit 530. The attribute information includes, for example, first attribute information A indicating the power usage status of the consumers who own the energy resources 20A and 20B, first attribute information B indicating the power system to which the energy resources 20A and 20B are connected, and first attribute information C indicating the geographical positions of the energy resources 20A and 20B, for the energy resources 20A and 20B that are distributed and installed in the management area 10. The first attribute storage unit 510 is configured using hardware such as a hard disk or a semiconductor nonvolatile memory, and is capable of functions such as referring to and updating the first attribute information A to C by software processing.

[0022] Fig. 3A shows an example of table data of first attribute information A stored in first attribute storage unit 510. Fig. 3B shows an example of table data of first attribute information B stored in first attribute storage unit 510. Fig. 3C shows an example of table data of first attribute information C stored in first attribute storage unit 510.

[0023] The first attribute information A is, for example, information that captures the power consumption (power consumption curve) for each predetermined time in one day of each of the multiple consumers who own the energy resources 20A and 20B as the power usage status. The predetermined time may be, for example, 15 minutes or one hour. Furthermore, this one day may be divided into, for example, weekdays and weekends and holidays. In this case, the power consumption for each predetermined time on weekdays may be, for example, the average value of the power consumption from Monday to Friday for each predetermined time, while the power consumption for each predetermined time on weekends and holidays may be, for example, the average value of the power demand for Saturday, Sunday, and holiday for each predetermined time. When the power consumption for each predetermined time in one day is divided into weekdays and weekends and holidays, this information may be updated, for example, on a weekly basis and stored in the first attribute storage unit 510. This makes it possible to effectively use information indicating the latest power usage status of the multiple consumers in forming the first virtual power plant. For example, assume that multiple consumers are X1 to Xn, information indicating the power usage status of each of the consumers X1 to Xn on weekdays is W11 to W1n, and information indicating the power usage status of each of the consumers X1 to Xn on holidays and weekends is W21 to W2n.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a power system, and for example, all areas shown in FIG. 4 correspond to the management area 10. FIG. 4 shows, for example, two substations H1 and H2, buses K1 and K2 connected to the substations H1 and H2, distribution lines F1 and F2 branching off from the bus K1, and distribution lines F3 and F4 branching off from the bus K2. For example, the distribution lines F1 and F2 are formed so as to span an urban area 10A, and a plurality of energy resources 20A (white circles) are installed in a dispersed and dense manner within this urban area 10A. Furthermore, the distribution lines F2 to F4 are formed so as to span a peripheral area 10B, and a plurality of energy resources 20B (white triangles) are installed in a dispersed manner within this peripheral area 10B.

[0025] The first attribute information B is, for example, information indicating the power distribution lines F1-F4 to which the multiple energy resources 20A, 20B are connected. For example, if the multiple energy resources distributed in the urban area 10A across the power distribution lines F1, F2 are 20A1-20An, the multiple energy resources 20A1-20An are associated with information on the power distribution lines F1, F2 to which they are connected and information indicating the consumers X1-Xn who own the corresponding energy resources 20A1-20An, and are stored in the first attribute storage unit 510 as the first attribute information B. Furthermore, assuming that the multiple energy resources distributed in the surrounding area 10B spanning the power distribution lines F2-F4 are 20B1-20Bn, the multiple energy resources 20B1-20Bn are associated with information on the power distribution lines F2-F4 to which they are connected and information indicating the consumers X1-Xn who own the corresponding energy resources 20B1-20Bn, and are stored in the first attribute storage unit 510 as the first attribute information B. Here, the information indicating the consumers X1-Xn may be the same information as the consumers X1-Xn in the first attribute information A, or may be information corresponding to the consumers X1-Xn in the first attribute information A. In other words, any information may be used as long as the consumers X1-Xn in the first attribute information A and B match.

[0026] The first attribute information C is information indicating the geographical positions where the multiple energy resources 20A, 20B are installed in the urban area 10A and the surrounding area 10B, respectively. The multiple energy resources 20A1-20An distributed in the urban area 10A in Fig. 4 are associated with information indicating the geographical positions of the multiple energy resources 20A1-20An and information indicating the consumers X1-Xn who own the corresponding multiple energy resources 20A1-20An, and are stored in the first attribute storage unit 510 as the first attribute information C. Similarly, the multiple energy resources 20B1-20Bn distributed in the surrounding area 10B in Fig. 4 are associated with information indicating the geographical positions of the multiple energy resources 20B1-20Bn and information indicating the consumers X1-Xn who own the corresponding multiple energy resources 20B1-20Bn, and are stored in the first attribute storage unit 510 as the first attribute information C. Here, the information indicating the consumers X1-Xn may be the same as the consumers X1-Xn in the first attribute information A, or may be information corresponding to the consumers X1-Xn in the first attribute information A. In other words, any information may be used as long as the consumers X1-Xn in the first attribute information A and C match. In addition, the information indicating the geographical positions of the multiple energy resources 20A and 20B may be, for example, address information or longitude and latitude information indicating the installation positions of the corresponding energy resources 20A and 20B, but in this embodiment, it is address information. For example, the address information of the energy resources 20A1-20An is AD11-AD1n, and the address information of the energy resources 20B1-20Bn is AD21-AD2n.

[0027] The formation control unit 530 selectively integrates, via the network 30, a plurality of energy resources 20A, 20B determined to be optimal when responding to a demand response from a plurality of energy resources 20A distributed within the urban area 10A and a plurality of energy resources 20B distributed in the surrounding area 10B, by referring to table data of the first attribute information A to C stored in the first attribute memory unit 510, to form a first virtual power plant.

[0028] The formation control unit 530 uses the first attribute information A and B with priority over the first attribute information C to selectively integrate the multiple energy resources 20A and 20B.

[0029] Here, the first attribute information A includes information indicating the power consumption of each of the consumers X1 to Xn for each predetermined time in one day. Therefore, the formation control unit 530 selects the consumers X1 to Xn that consume similar power from the first attribute information A, and integrates the energy resources 20A and 20B owned by the selected consumers X1 to Xn via the network 30. As an example, when it is necessary to reduce the power demand from 12:00 to 15:00 on weekdays by a downward DR, the formation control unit 530 selects only the information W11 to W1n indicating the power usage status in which the power consumption from 12:00 to 15:00 on weekdays becomes larger than a certain amount from the first attribute information A, and integrates the energy resources 20A and 20B owned by the consumers X1 to Xn corresponding to the information W11 to W1n indicating the selected power usage status via the network 30. In the first virtual power plant formed in this way, it is possible to efficiently reduce the power consumption by the energy resources 20A and 20B from 12:00 to 15:00 on weekdays in accordance with the downward DR. In this way, the first attribute information A is useful information for predicting demand regarding how to control the demand of the energy resources 20A, 20B constituting the first virtual power plant in response to demand response. Moreover, since the consumers X1 to Xn selected from the first attribute information A have similar power usage conditions, the first attribute information A has high priority as information used for efficient operation of the first virtual power plant in one demand response.

[0030] The first attribute information B is information indicating which of the power distribution lines F1 to F4 the multiple energy resources 20A and 20B are connected to. The power distribution lines F1 and F2 are power lines branching off from a common bus K1, so they are strongly correlated, and the distance between the power distribution lines F1 and F2 is relatively short compared to other power systems (for example, the power distribution lines F3 and F4). Similarly, the power distribution lines F3 and F4 are power lines branching off from a common bus K2, so they are strongly correlated, and the distance between the power distribution lines F3 and F4 is relatively short compared to other power systems (for example, the power distribution lines F1 and F2). For this reason, the multiple energy resources 20A and 20B connected to the power distribution lines F1 and F2 (or the power distribution lines F3 and F4) are highly likely to be affected by the same natural environment (weather, disasters, etc.). The same can be said about the energy resources 20A and 20B commonly connected to any one of the power distribution lines F1 to F4. Therefore, since the energy resources 20A, 20B connected to at least one of the distribution lines F1, F2 and at least one of the distribution lines F3, F4 are likely to have similar power usage conditions, the information has a high priority for use by the first virtual power plant to operate efficiently in a single demand response.

[0031] The first attribute information C is information indicating the geographical positions of the energy resources 20A and 20B, and depending on the demand response conditions, the energy resources 20A and 20B distributed in geographically close positions (e.g., the energy resources 20A and 20B connected to the distribution lines F1 and F2) or the energy resources 20A and 20B distributed in geographically distant positions (e.g., the energy resources 20A and 20B connected to the distribution lines F1 and F4) can be used as information for forming the first virtual power plant. In order to balance the demand amount of power consumed by consumers against the supply amount of power, the first attribute information A and B are used preferentially over the first attribute information C in this embodiment.

[0032] In this embodiment, the first attribute information A to C is used, but the attribute information is not limited to this. In addition to the first attribute information A to C, for example, weather forecast information, event information, hazard information, etc. of the area where the energy resources 20A, 20B are separated may be used as appropriate to integrate the multiple energy resources 20A, 20B.

[0033] The second attribute storage unit 520 stores in advance attribute information that is the basis for the integration control unit 540 to select a plurality of first virtual power plants to be integrated as a second virtual power plant from a plurality of first virtual power plants already formed by the formation control unit 530. The attribute information includes, for example, second attribute information D indicating the power usage status of each of the plurality of first virtual power plants formed in the management area 10, second attribute information E indicating the power system to which the plurality of first virtual power plants are connected, and second attribute information F indicating the geographical positions of the plurality of first virtual power plants. Note that, like the first attribute storage unit 510, the second attribute storage unit 520 is configured using hardware such as a hard disk or a semiconductor nonvolatile memory, and is capable of functions such as referring to and updating the second attribute information D to F by software processing. Note that the first and second attribute storage units 510 and 520 may be configured to have separate address spaces in the same hard disk or the same semiconductor nonvolatile memory.

[0034] Fig. 3D shows an example of table data of second attribute information D stored in the second attribute storage unit 520. Fig. 3E shows an example of table data of second attribute information E stored in the second attribute storage unit 520. Fig. 3F shows an example of table data of second attribute information F stored in the second attribute storage unit 520. Note that the second attribute information D to F is generated by, for example, having the integrated control unit 540 tally and edit the first attribute information A to C relating to all of the energy resources 20A, 20B forming each of the first virtual power plants after a plurality of first virtual power plants are formed.

[0035] The second attribute information D is, for example, information that captures the power consumption (power consumption curve) for each predetermined time in one day of each of the multiple first virtual power plants formed by the formation control unit 530 as the power usage status. The predetermined time may be, for example, 15 minutes or one hour. Furthermore, this one day may be divided into, for example, weekdays and weekends and holidays. In this case, the power consumption for each predetermined time on weekdays may be, for example, the average value of the power consumption from Monday to Friday for each predetermined time, while the power consumption for each predetermined time on weekends and holidays may be, for example, the average value of the power demand for Saturday, Sunday, and holiday for each predetermined time. When the power consumption for each predetermined time in one day is divided into weekdays and weekends and holidays, this information may be updated, for example, on a weekly basis and stored in the second attribute storage unit 520. This makes it possible to effectively use information indicating the latest power usage status of the multiple first virtual power plants in forming the second virtual power plant. For example, multiple first virtual power plants are designated as VPP11 to VPP1n, information indicating the power usage status of each of the first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n on weekdays is designated as W31 to W3n, and information indicating the power usage status of each of the first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n on holidays and public holidays is designated as W41 to W4n.

[0036] The second attribute information E is, for example, information indicating the power distribution lines F1-F4 to which the multiple first virtual power plants VPP11-VPP1n are respectively connected. For example, the multiple first virtual power plants VPP11-VPP1n are associated with information on the power distribution lines F1-F4 to which they are connected, and are stored as the second attribute information E in the second attribute storage unit 520.

[0037] The second attribute information F is information indicating the geographical positions in the management area 10 in which the first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n are formed. Here, since each of the first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n includes a plurality of energy resources 20A, 20B, it is preferable to regard the information indicating the geographical positions of each of the first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n as information indicating the area of ​​each of the first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n. Therefore, the integrated control unit 540 extracts address information of the energy resources 20A, 20B that are closest to each of the eight directions (south, southeast, east, northeast, north, northwest, west, southeast) in each of the first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n from the first attribute information C, and generates octagonal area information AREA1 to AREAn. Then, the multiple first virtual power plants VPP11-VPP1n are associated with octagonal area information AREA1-AREAn, respectively, and stored in the second attribute storage unit 520 as second attribute information F. When generating the area information AREA1-AREAn, more than eight directions (for example, 16 directions) may be used to generate the area information AREA1-AREAn with higher accuracy.

[0038] The integrated control unit 540 selectively integrates, via the network 30, a plurality of first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n that are determined to be optimal when responding to demand response from among a plurality of first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n formed within the management area 10, by referring to table data of second attribute information D to F stored in the second attribute memory unit 520, to form a second virtual power plant.

[0039] The integrated control unit 540 uses the second attribute information D and E preferentially over the second attribute information F to selectively integrate the multiple first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n.

[0040] Here, the second attribute information D includes information indicating the power consumption amount for each predetermined time in one day of each of the first virtual power plants VPP11-VPP1n. Therefore, the integration control unit 540 selects the first virtual power plants VPP11-VPP1n that have similar power consumption from the second attribute information D, and integrates the selected first virtual power plants VPP11-VPP1n via the network 30. As an example, when it is necessary to reduce the demand for electricity from 12:00 to 15:00 on weekdays by a downward DR, but it is difficult for the first virtual power plant formed by the formation control unit 530 to secure the demand corresponding to the downward DR by itself, the integration control unit 540 selects from the second attribute information D any one of the information W32 to W3n (for example, the first virtual power plant VPP12) indicating the power usage state in which the power consumption between 12:00 to 15:00 on weekdays becomes larger than a certain amount other than the already selected first virtual power plant (for example, VPP11), and forms a second virtual power plant by integrating these selected first virtual power units VPP11 and VPP12 via the network 30. In the second virtual power plant formed in this way, it becomes possible to efficiently reduce the power consumption by the energy resources 20A and 20B so as to secure the demand corresponding to the downward DR between 12:00 to 15:00 on weekdays. In this way, the second attribute information D is useful information for predicting demand regarding how to control the demand of the energy resources 20A, 20B constituting the second virtual power plant in response to demand response. Moreover, since the first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n selected from the second attribute information D have similar power usage conditions, the second attribute information D is high priority information used for efficient operation of the second virtual power plant in one demand response.

[0041] The second attribute information E is information indicating which of the distribution lines F1 to F4 the multiple first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n are connected to. As with the first attribute information B, the multiple first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n connected to the distribution lines F1 and F2 (or the distribution lines F3 and F4) are likely to be affected by the same natural environment (weather, disasters, etc.). The same can be said about the first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n commonly connected to any one of the distribution lines F1 to F4. Therefore, the first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n connected to at least one of the distribution lines F1 and F2 or at least one of the distribution lines F3 and F4 are likely to have similar power usage conditions, and therefore are high priority information used by the second virtual power plant to operate efficiently in one demand response.

[0042] The second attribute information F is information indicating the geographical positions of the multiple first virtual power plants VPP11-VPP1n, and depending on the demand response conditions, the first virtual power plants VPP11-VPP1n formed in a geographically close position (for example, the first virtual power plants VPP11-VPP1n connected to the distribution lines F1 and F2) or the first virtual power plants VPP11-VPP1n distributed in a geographically distant position (for example, the first virtual power plants VPP11-VPP1n connected to the distribution lines F1 and F4) can be used as information for forming the second virtual power plant. In order to balance the demand amount of power consumed by consumers against the supply amount of power, in the present embodiment, the second attribute information D and E are used preferentially over the second attribute information F.

[0043] In this embodiment, the second attribute information D to F is used, but the attribute information is not limited to this. As in the case of the first attribute information A to C, in addition to the second attribute information D to F, for example, weather forecast information, event information, hazard information, etc. of the region in which the first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n are formed may be appropriately used to selectively integrate the multiple first virtual power plants VPP11 to VPP1n.

[0044] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a series of operations of the formation control unit 530 when forming the first virtual power plant and the integrated control unit 540 when forming the second virtual power plant. For convenience of explanation, the first attribute information A and B stored in the first attribute storage unit 510 is used when forming the first virtual power plant, and the second attribute information D and E stored in the second attribute storage unit 520 is used when forming the second virtual power plant. The demand response is, for example, a downward DR, which is a command to reduce the power consumption by a certain amount from 12:00 to 15:00 on weekdays as described above.

[0045] First, the formation control unit 530 judges whether or not a demand response has been received from the electric utility server 60 (step S10). If the formation control unit 530 has not received a demand response (step S10: NO), the formation control unit 530 repeats the judgment operation of step S10 until a demand response is received. On the other hand, if the formation control unit 530 has received a demand response (step S10: YES), the formation control unit 530 refers to the table data of the first attribute information A stored in the first attribute storage unit 510, and selects information in which the amount of power consumption between 12:00 and 15:00 has increased by a certain amount or more from the information W11 to W1n indicating the power usage situation on weekdays (step S20).

[0046] Next, the formation control unit 530 refers to the table data of the first attribute information B stored in the first attribute memory unit 510, and roughly classifies the energy resources 20A, 20B corresponding to information W11 to W1n selected from the first attribute information A, in which the power consumption between 12:00 and 15:00 on weekdays increases by more than a certain amount, into groups connected to each of the distribution lines F1 to F4 (step S30).

[0047] Next, the formation control unit 530 connects the energy resources 20A, 20B in each of the roughly divided groups via the network 30 to form a plurality of first virtual power plants (step S40). Note that in Fig. 4, only a first virtual power plant VPP11 consisting of one group connected to the distribution line F2, a first virtual power plant VPP12 consisting of another group connected to the distribution line F2, and a first virtual power plant VPP13 consisting of yet another group connected to the distribution line F1 are shown in bold frames.

[0048] Next, the integrated control unit 540 selects, as a final candidate, a first virtual power plant (e.g., VPP11) having the largest total number of energy resources 20A and 20B from among the multiple first virtual power plants (step S50). The reason for selecting the first virtual power plant VPP11 having the largest total number of energy resources 20A and 20B is that the possibility of a large reduction in power consumption in the energy resources 20A and 20B in response to one downward DR is high. In addition, since the power consumption required in one downward DR is, for example, on the order of megawatts, the greater the total number of the energy resources 20A and 20B, the higher the possibility of responding to the downward DR.

[0049] Next, the integrated control unit 540 judges whether or not the demand amount of the energy resources 20A, 20B forming the virtual power plant (first virtual power plant VPP11) selected as the final candidate is insufficient for the lowering DR (step S60). If the demand amount of the energy resources 20A, 20B forming the selected virtual power plant is not insufficient for the lowering DR (step S60: NO), the integrated control unit 540 sets this virtual power plant (virtual power plant VPP11) as one that responds to the lowering DR (step S70).

[0050] On the other hand, if the demand from the energy resources 20A, 20B that form this virtual power plant is insufficient for the lowering DR, that is, if it is difficult to respond to the lowering DR (step S60: YES), the integrated control unit 540 integrates the first virtual power plant VPP12, which has the largest total number of energy resources 20A, 20B, excluding this virtual power plant (virtual power plant VPP11), via the network 30 to form a second virtual power plant, and sets this as a new final candidate (step S80).

[0051] Then, returning to step S60, it is determined whether the demand amount of the energy resources 20A, 20B forming the virtual power plant integrated as a new final candidate is insufficient for the lowering DR. If the demand amount of the energy resources 20A, 20B forming this virtual power plant is not insufficient for the lowering DR (step S60: NO), the integrated control unit 540 sets this virtual power plant as one that responds to the lowering DR (step S70).

[0052] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of an automated demand response flow. Here, a case is illustrated in which a second virtual power plant is formed to respond to a downward DR because it is difficult to respond to the downward DR using only the energy resources 20A and 20B that form the first virtual power plant.

[0053] First, a demand response indicating the above-mentioned lowered DR is generated from the electric utility server 60 (step S100).

[0054] Next, when the aggregator server 50 receives the lowered DR on a weekday (step S110), it forms a plurality of first virtual power plants VPP11-VPP1n based on the first attribute information A and B in the procedure shown in FIG. 5, and integrates the plurality of first virtual power plants VPP11-VPP1n capable of responding to the lowered DR via the network 30 based on the second attribute information D and E to form a second virtual power plant (step S120). Here, in FIG. 5, the procedure using the first attribute information A and B is shown when forming the first virtual power plant, but depending on the conditions of the lowered DR, the first attribute information C may be used in addition to the first attribute information A and B in order to more reliably respond to the lowered DR. For example, the first attribute information C is useful information when it is desired to further narrow down the first virtual power plant geographically. In this way, the aggregator server 50 forms the first virtual power plant using at least one of the first attribute information A, B, and C. For example, depending on the DR conditions, the aggregator server 50 may form a first virtual power plant using only the first attribute information A without using the first attribute information B, or may form a first virtual power plant using the first attribute information A and C. Similarly, when forming a second virtual power plant, the second attribute information F may be used in addition to the second attribute information D and E.

[0055] When the formation of the second virtual power plant is completed, the integrated control unit 540 instructs the multiple energy resources 20A, 20B forming the second virtual power plant to reduce their power consumption by a certain amount between 12:00 and 15:00 on weekdays in accordance with the lowering DR. This instruction is given to the relay system 40 connected to the energy resources 20A, 20B, which controls the reduction in the power consumption by the energy resources 20A, 20B to reach the certain amount (step S130). For example, if the energy resources 20A, 20B are lighting equipment or air conditioning equipment, control to suppress the output of these equipment is automatically performed.

[0056] When the period for reducing power consumption in the second virtual power plant (12:00-15:00 on weekdays) has elapsed, the integrated control unit 540 acquires and compiles actual data indicating the amount of reduction in power consumption from the relay systems 40 connected to the energy resources 20A, 20B that have reduced their power consumption in the second virtual power plant, and transmits this compiled data to the electric utility server 60 (step S140).

[0057] When the electric utility server 60 acquires the aggregated data from the integrated control unit 540, it performs a process to pay the aggregator server 50 a remuneration according to the amount of reduction in power consumption indicated by the aggregated data (step S150). After confirming through the aggregator server 50 that the process of receiving the remuneration according to the amount of reduction in power consumption has been completed, the aggregator pays the remuneration to the consumer who owns the energy resources 20A and 20B in the second virtual power plant, thereby completing a series of negawatt transactions. Of course, whether or not a remuneration is paid to the consumer in response to a demand response depends on the contents of the consumer's contract, and this embodiment is merely an example.

[0058] As described above, the integrated control system for virtual power plants controls a plurality of energy resources 20A, 20B owned by a plurality of consumers X1 to Xn and distributed in various locations via the network 30 to function as if they were a single power plant, and includes a first attribute storage unit 510 in which first attribute information including information A indicating the power usage status of the plurality of consumers X1 to Xn is stored, a formation control unit 530 that selectively integrates the energy resources 20A, 20B from among the plurality of energy resources 20A, 20B based on the first attribute information to form a plurality of first virtual power plants, a second attribute storage unit 520 in which second attribute information including information D indicating the power usage status of the plurality of first virtual power plants is stored, and an integration control unit 540 that selectively integrates the first virtual power plants from among the plurality of first virtual power plants based on the second attribute information to form a second virtual power plant larger in scale than the first virtual power plant, and controls the second virtual power plant in accordance with demand response.

[0059] Moreover, the first attribute information further includes information B indicating the power system to which the multiple energy resources 20A and 20B are connected.

[0060] Moreover, the first attribute information further includes information C indicating the geographical positions of the multiple energy resources 20A and 20B.

[0061] Moreover, the second attribute information further includes information E that indicates the power grid to which the multiple first virtual power plants are connected.

[0062] Moreover, the second attribute information further includes information F indicating geographical positions of the plurality of first virtual power plants.

[0063] In addition, the formation control unit 530 prioritizes, among the first attribute information, information A indicating the power usage status of multiple consumers and information B of the power grid to which the multiple energy resources 20A, 20B are connected, over information C indicating the geographical locations of the multiple energy resources 20A, 20B, and selectively integrates the energy resources 20A, 20B to form multiple first virtual power plants.

[0064] In addition, the integrated control unit 540 forms the second virtual power plant by prioritizing, among the second attribute information, information D indicating the power usage status of the multiple first virtual power plants and information E of the power grid to which the multiple first virtual power plants are connected, over information C indicating the geographical locations of the multiple first virtual power plants.

[0065] In this way, according to this embodiment, regardless of whether it is the urban area 10A or the surrounding area 10B, various energy resources 20A, 20B that are ubiquitous are efficiently utilized to form a first virtual power plant, and depending on the size of the demand required by demand response, a second virtual power plant that is larger in scale than the first virtual power plant is formed, making it possible to more reliably balance the supply and demand of electricity.

[0066] The above-described embodiment is for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and equivalents thereof are also included in the present invention.

[0067] In the present embodiment, the second virtual power plant operates to reduce the amount of power consumption according to the lowering DR, but is not limited thereto. The second virtual power plant can also operate to increase the amount of power consumption according to the increasing DR. In other words, the aggregator server 50 can form and control the second virtual power plant so as to efficiently respond to both the increasing DR and the decreasing DR.

[0068] In the present embodiment, a virtual power plant capable of responding to a demand response is formed in a so-called two-stage manner, in which a plurality of first virtual power plants are formed in a first stage, and a second virtual power plant is formed by integrating the plurality of first virtual power plants in a second stage, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in the flowchart of Fig. 5, when forming a second virtual power plant, it is sufficient to perform a multi-stage integration of two or more stages, in which a plurality of first virtual power plants are repeatedly integrated until a demand amount capable of responding to a demand response can be secured.

[0069] In addition, in the present embodiment, a case where one second virtual power plant is formed has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of second virtual power plants formed as described above may be formed, and a wide-ranging virtual power plant may be formed by integrating the plurality of second virtual power plants in multiple stages based on the attributes described above. In this case, it becomes possible to perform control using virtual power plants of various scales, from the scale of a city, town, or village to the scale of a prefecture. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 10. Administration Area 10A Urban Area 10B Surrounding area 20A, 20B Energy Resources 30 Network 40 Relay System 50 Aggregator Server 60 Electricity supplier server 510 1st attribute storage section 520 2nd attribute storage section 530 Formation Control Department 540 Integrated Control Unit

Claims

1. An integrated control system for a virtual power plant that integrates and controls multiple energy resources owned by multiple consumers and distributed in various locations via a network, and functions as if they were a single power plant, a first attribute storage unit that stores first attribute information including information indicating power usage statuses of the plurality of consumers, information indicating a power grid to which the plurality of energy resources are connected, and information indicating geographical positions of the plurality of energy resources; a formation control unit that selectively integrates energy resources from among the plurality of energy resources based on the first attribute information to form a plurality of first virtual power plants; a second attribute storage unit for storing second attribute information including information indicating power usage statuses of the plurality of first virtual power plants, information indicating a power grid to which the plurality of first virtual power plants are connected, and information indicating geographical positions of the plurality of first virtual power plants; an integrated control unit that selectively integrates first virtual power plants from among the plurality of first virtual power plants based on the second attribute information to form a second virtual power plant that is larger in scale than the first virtual power plants, and controls the second virtual power plant in response to demand response; Equipped with the formation control unit selectively integrates the energy resources to form the plurality of first virtual power plants by prioritizing information indicating power usage conditions of the plurality of consumers and information on a power grid to which the plurality of energy resources are connected over information indicating geographical locations of the plurality of energy resources among the first attribute information; The integrated control unit forms the second virtual power plant by prioritizing, among the second attribute information, information indicating power usage statuses of the first virtual power plants and information on a power grid to which the first virtual power plants are connected, over information indicating geographical positions of the first virtual power plants. Integrated control system for virtual power plants.

2. A method for controlling a virtual power plant that controls a plurality of energy resources owned by a plurality of consumers and distributed in various locations via a network and functions as if they were a single power plant, comprising the steps of: a first step of selectively integrating energy resources from among the plurality of energy resources based on first attribute information including information indicating power usage conditions of the plurality of consumers, information indicating a power grid to which the plurality of energy resources are connected, and information indicating geographical positions of the plurality of energy resources to form a plurality of first virtual power plants; a second step of selectively integrating first virtual power plants from among the plurality of first virtual power plants based on second attribute information including information indicating power usage statuses of the plurality of first virtual power plants, information indicating a power grid to which the plurality of first virtual power plants are connected, and information indicating geographical positions of the plurality of first virtual power plants to form a second virtual power plant larger in scale than the first virtual power plants, and controlling the second virtual power plant in response to demand response; having In the first step, the energy resources are selectively integrated to form the plurality of first virtual power plants by prioritizing information indicating power usage conditions of the plurality of consumers and information on a power grid to which the plurality of energy resources are connected over information indicating geographical locations of the plurality of energy resources among the first attribute information; In the second step, the second virtual power plant is formed by giving priority to information indicating power usage statuses of the first virtual power plants and information on a power grid to which the first virtual power plants are connected, over information indicating geographical positions of the first virtual power plants, among the second attribute information. An integrated control method for a virtual power plant.

Images