Power supply management system, fuel cell device and charging / discharging device

Abstract

To provide a power supply management system capable of appropriately controlling power reception point power of a facility using a plurality of power supply devices installed in the same facility.SOLUTION: A power supply management system comprises a management device 30 that to respective power supply devices 10, 50, can transmit output control commands that are determined by command determination processing and specify output power of the power supply devices 10, 50 in a predetermined control object period. The management device 30 is configured to previously divide the plurality of power supply devices 10, 50 installed in a facility 20 into at least two groups of power supply devices 10, 50 belonging to a first group and power supply devices 10, 50 belonging to a second group and, in the case of changing power reception point power of the facility 20 by a predetermined value in the control object period, use the command determination processing to preferentially determine an output control command for changing the total of output power of the power supply devices 10, 50 belonging to the first group by the predetermined value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply management system that includes a plurality of power supply devices installed in a facility and a management device that can communicate between the plurality of power supply devices, and a fuel cell device and a charge / discharge device as power supply devices used in the power supply management system. [Background technology]

[0002] In addition to conventional large-scale power plants, power supply devices such as power generation devices and charge / discharge devices installed in facilities such as homes and offices are also connected to the power system. Power load devices installed in the facilities are also connected to the power system. The power supply devices and power load devices can be used to increase or decrease the power at the receiving point of the facility, thereby contributing to the adjustment of the balance of power supply and demand in the power system. In recent years, under the concept of a virtual power plant (VPP), attempts have been made to provide functions equivalent to those of a power plant by controlling the operation of consumer-side energy resources such as the above-mentioned power supply devices and power load devices installed in the consumer's facility. The power at the receiving point of a facility includes both the power received from the power system to the facility and the reverse flow power from the facility to the power system.

[0003] Patent Document 1 (JP 2018-125907 A) describes a power management system that includes power supply devices (power resources 101) installed in each of a plurality of facilities, and a management device (virtual power generation central device 103) that can communicate with the plurality of power supply devices. The management device selects a power supply device to be the target of an operation command based on evaluation criteria such as economic efficiency, the degree of impact on consumers in reducing the power load, reliability in starting up the power supply device, the possibility of failure and the extension of the operating life of the power supply device, the speed at which the power supply device responds to a control command, and the communication performance of the power supply device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-125907 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When multiple power supply devices are installed in the same facility, the management device issues output control commands to each power supply device so that the facility's power receiving point power becomes the target power receiving point power, for example, at each set timing. In this case, depending on the command content of each power supply device, it may be difficult to make the facility's power receiving point power the target power receiving point power.

[0006] For example, if the multiple power supply devices installed in a facility are composed of one power generation device and one charging / discharging device, if the charging / discharging device charges and discharges so that the facility's receiving point power is zero, i.e., the power received from the power grid to the facility is zero and the reverse flow power from the facility to the power grid is zero, then even if the power generation device increases its output power, the increase in output power will be charged by the charging / discharging device.

[0007] In addition, after an output control command is issued to each power supply device, it may take a long time for the actual output power of each power supply device to reach the target output power. In this case, during the time it takes for the power supply device that received the command to increase its output power to actually increase its output power, the management device may issue a command to increase the output power of other power supply devices, resulting in the total output power of the multiple power supply devices becoming larger than necessary.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a power management system that can appropriately control the power at the power receiving point of a facility by using multiple power supply devices installed in the same facility, and a fuel cell device and a charge / discharge device as power supply devices used in the power management system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A characteristic configuration of a power supply management system according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a power supply management system including a plurality of power supply devices installed in a facility and a management device capable of communicating with the plurality of power supply devices, The power supply device includes a power supply unit connected to a power grid, a power load device installed in the facility can receive power supply from at least one of the plurality of power supply devices and the power system installed in the facility; The management device can transmit, to each of the power supply devices, an output control command that determines an output power of the power supply device during a predetermined control target period, the output control command being determined by the command determination process; The power supply device is configured to operate in a first operation mode during the controlled period in which the output power becomes a target output power determined based on the output control command when the power supply device receives the output control command from the management device, and to operate in a second operation mode different from the first operation mode during a non-controlled period outside the controlled period; The management device is configured to pre-divide the multiple power supply devices installed in the facility into at least two groups, the power supply devices belonging to a first group and the power supply devices belonging to a second group, and in the command determination process, when the power receiving point power of the facility is changed by a predetermined value during the control period, to give priority to determining the output control command that changes the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group by the predetermined value. Here, the management device may be provided outside the facility and may remotely communicate with the power supply devices provided in a plurality of the facilities. The management device may be provided in the facility.

[0010] According to the above characteristic configuration, when the management device changes the power at the receiving point of the facility by a predetermined value, the management device determines the output control command to change the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group by a predetermined value with priority. In other words, the power supply devices belonging to the first group take the role of changing the power at the receiving point of the facility by a predetermined value with priority, and the power supply devices belonging to the second group do not take the role with priority. As a result, the number of power supply devices that take the role of changing the power at the receiving point of the facility is reduced, so that the management device issues a command to increase the output power to other power supply devices before the power supply device that has received a command to increase its output power actually increases its output power, and as a result, the total output power of the multiple power supply devices is less likely to be greater than necessary. In addition, when the multiple power supply devices installed in the facility are composed of one power generation device and one charge / discharge device, the problem of the increase in output power by the power generation device being charged by the charge / discharge device is less likely to occur. Therefore, it is possible to provide a power supply management system that can appropriately control the power at the power receiving point of the facility using a plurality of power supply devices installed in the same facility.

[0011] Another characteristic configuration of the power management system of the present invention is that, in the command determination process, when the management device determines, based on information regarding the range of possible changes in the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group, that the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group cannot be changed by the specified value, the management device determines the output control command to change the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the second group.

[0012] According to the above characteristic configuration, even if the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group cannot be changed by a predetermined value, the facility receiving point power can be changed by a predetermined value by changing the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the second group.

[0013] Another characteristic configuration of the power management system of the present invention is that, when the management device determines, in the command determination process, based on information regarding the range of possible changes in the sum of the output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group, that the sum of the output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group cannot be changed by the specified value, the management device determines the output control command to change the sum of the output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group and the output power of the power supply devices belonging to the second group.

[0014] According to the above characteristic configuration, even if it is not possible to change the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group by a predetermined value, the facility receiving point power can be changed by a predetermined value by changing the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group and the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the second group.

[0015] A characteristic feature of a fuel cell device according to the present invention for achieving the above object is that it has the functions of the power supply device used in the above power supply management system, and the power supply section includes a fuel cell.

[0016] According to the above characteristic configuration, it is possible to provide a fuel cell device having the functions of a power supply device used in a power management system that can provide both an adjustment capability for increasing the power receiving point power and an adjustment capability for decreasing the power receiving point power.

[0017] A characteristic configuration of a charge / discharge device according to the present invention for achieving the above object is that it has the functions of the power supply device used in the above power supply management system, and the power supply unit has a charge / discharge unit.

[0018] According to the above characteristic configuration, it is possible to provide a charge / discharge device having the functions of a power supply device used in a power management system that can provide both an adjustment capability for increasing the power receiving point power and an adjustment capability for decreasing the power receiving point power. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between facilities, a management device, and an aggregation coordinator. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a facility configuration. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a control period and a non-control period. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a facility configuration. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a facility configuration. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the relationship between a facility 20 in which a fuel cell device 10, a charge / discharge device 50, and a power load device 4 are provided, a resource aggregator 30, and an aggregation coordinator 40. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example configuration of the facility 20. The power management system comprises a plurality of power supply devices installed in the facility 20, i.e., the fuel cell device 10 and the charge / discharge device 50, and a resource aggregator 30 capable of communicating between the fuel cell device 10 and the charge / discharge device 50. The number of resource aggregators 30 and the number of facilities 20 shown in Fig. 1 can be changed as appropriate. In this embodiment, the fuel cell device 10 and the charge / discharge device 50 correspond to the "power supply device" of the present invention, and the resource aggregator 30 corresponds to the "management device" of the present invention.

[0021] The resource aggregator 30 is a business operator that controls consumer-side energy resources by transmitting control information to the fuel cell device 10 and the power load device 4 as consumer-side energy resources to the facility 20 that has concluded a VPP (Virtual Power Plant) service contract. The aggregation coordinator 40 is a business operator that bundles the amount of power controlled by each resource aggregator 30 and trades power with general electricity transmission and distribution business operators and electricity retailers in the electricity trading market, etc.

[0022] The resource aggregator 30 sequentially collects and stores power information such as the output power of the fuel cell device 10, the output power (i.e., discharge power and charge power) of the charge / discharge device 50, the load power of the power load device 4, and the power at the power receiving point of the facility 20 from multiple facilities 20. In this embodiment, the term "load power of the power load device 4" refers to the total load power of all the power load devices 4 installed in the facility 20. The resource aggregator 30 then predicts the power that can be supplied from each facility 20 in a specified time period in the future, and transmits this to the aggregation coordinator 40. This supplyable power is the adjustment margin, such as the ability to increase or decrease the power at the power receiving point of the facility 20. In this embodiment, "increasing the power at the receiving point" means increasing the power received from power system 1 to power line 2, or decreasing the reverse flow power from power line 2 to power system 1, and "lowering the power at the receiving point" means decreasing the power received from power system 1 to power line 2, or increasing the reverse flow power from power line 2 to power system 1.

[0023] For example, in order to increase the receiving point power of the facility 20, it is sufficient to at least one of the following: lowering the output power of the fuel cell device 10, lowering the discharge power or increasing the charging power of the charging / discharging device 50, and increasing the load power of the power load device 4. Therefore, the upward adjustment margin when increasing the receiving point power of the facility 20 indicates how much margin there is for lowering the output power of the fuel cell device 10, how much margin there is for lowering the discharge power or increasing the charging power of the charging / discharging device 50, and how much margin there is for increasing the load power of the power load device 4. In addition, in order to lower the receiving point power of the facility 20, it is sufficient to at least one of increasing the output power of the fuel cell device 10, increasing the discharge power or decreasing the charging power of the charging / discharging device 50, and decreasing the load power of the power load device 4.Therefore, when lowering the receiving point power of the facility 20, the downward adjustment margin indicates how much margin there is for increasing the output power of the fuel cell device 10, how much margin there is for increasing the discharge power or decreasing the charging power of the charging / discharging device 50, and how much margin there is for decreasing the load power of the power load device 4.

[0024] The resource aggregator 30 also determines baseline power receiving point power for the facilities 20 that it manages. This baseline power receiving point power corresponds to the total of the power receiving point power of each facility 20 predicted in the case where each facility 20 is not allowed to provide adjustment capacity, etc. (i.e., adjustment capacity provided to the power transmission and distribution company and supply capacity provided to retailers, etc.).

[0025] The aggregation coordinator 40 aggregates the available power received from each resource aggregator 30, and trades power with general electricity transmission and distribution companies and electricity retailers by bidding on trading markets such as the supply and demand adjustment market, the wholesale electricity market, and the capacity market. When the aggregation coordinator 40 receives a supply command for adjustment capacity or the like for a future predetermined control period from the general electricity transmission and distribution company or the electricity retailer with which it has traded, it distributes and transmits the adjustment capacity or the like specified in the supply command to each resource aggregator 30.

[0026] When the resource aggregator 30 receives a supply command from the aggregation coordinator 40, it distributes and transmits the adjustment power and the like specified in the supply command to each facility 20. As a result, in each facility 20, the fuel cell device 10, the charge / discharge device 50, and the power load device 4 as consumer-side energy resources are controlled during a predetermined future control period, and thus adjustment power and the like are supplied such that the power at the receiving point of the facility 20 increases or decreases compared to the case where the control is not performed.

[0027] The facility 20 is provided with a fuel cell device 10 and a charge / discharge device 50 as power supply devices, and a power load device 4. The fuel cell device 10, the charge / discharge device 50, and the power load device 4 are connected to a power line 2 that is linked to a power system 1. Specifically, the charge / discharge device 50 is connected to a first connection point P1 of the power line 2, and the fuel cell device 10 is connected to a second connection point P2 of the power line 2. In FIG. 1, the first connection point P1 is located upstream of the second connection point P2, i.e., closer to the power system 1. A power meter 3 that measures the power at the receiving point of the facility 20 is installed on the power line 2. Although FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example in which two power supply devices (the fuel cell device 10 and the charge / discharge device 50) are installed, three or more power supply devices may be installed.

[0028] Information about the power receiving point power measured by the power meter 3 is transmitted to the resource aggregator 30 via the gateway 5 and the router 6. For example, the information about the power receiving point power is transmitted to the resource aggregator 30 at a predetermined timing, such as every 10 seconds.

[0029] The power load device 4 is various devices such as a lighting device, an air conditioner, etc., and can receive power supply from at least one of the fuel cell device 10 , the charge / discharge device 50 , and the power system 1 installed in the facility 20 .

[0030] The fuel cell device 10 includes a fuel cell unit 12 as a power source unit connected to the power system 1, a power conversion unit 11 that converts the power generated by the fuel cell unit 12 to a predetermined voltage, frequency, and phase and supplies it to the power line 2, a fuel cell control unit 13 that controls the operation of the fuel cell unit 12 and the power conversion unit 11, and a storage unit 14 that stores information handled by the fuel cell device 10. The fuel cell control unit 13 can adjust the output power from the fuel cell device 10 to the power line 2 between a predetermined upper limit output power and a predetermined lower limit output power. The fuel cell device 10 may also include a fuel reformer that generates hydrogen, which is the fuel gas for the fuel cell unit 12.

[0031] In this way, a fuel cell device 10 having the functions of a power supply device used in a power supply management system and a power supply section including the fuel cell section 12 can be realized.

[0032] The charging / discharging device 50 includes a charging / discharging unit 52 as a power supply unit connected to the power system 1, a power conversion unit 51 that adjusts the charging power to the charging / discharging unit 52 and the discharging power from the charging / discharging unit 52, a charging / discharging control unit 53 that controls the operation of the power conversion unit 51, and a storage unit 54 that stores information handled by the charging / discharging device 50. The charging / discharging unit 52 includes, for example, a storage battery. The charging / discharging control unit 53 can adjust the discharging power and charging power to the power line 2 between a predetermined upper limit discharging power and an upper limit charging power.

[0033] In this manner, a charging / discharging device 50 having the functions of a power supply device used in a power supply management system and a power supply unit including a charging / discharging unit 52 can be realized.

[0034] As described above, the resource aggregator 30 is provided outside the facility 20, and can communicate from a remote location with power supply devices such as the fuel cell device 10 and the charge / discharge device 50, which are installed in multiple locations in each of the multiple facilities 20. The resource aggregator 30 can transmit, to the fuel cell device 10 and the charge / discharge device 50, an output control command that determines the output power of the fuel cell device 10 and an output control command that determines the charge / discharge power of the charge / discharge device 50. When the fuel cell device 10 and the charge / discharge device 50 receive an output control command from the resource aggregator 30, they operate in a first operation mode that aims to supply output power determined based on the output control command during a control period that is the subject of the output control command, and operate in a second operation mode different from the first operation mode during a non-control period that is outside the control period.

[0035] The second operating mode is an operating mode that is preset in the fuel cell device 10 and the charging / discharging device 50. Alternatively, the resource aggregator 30 can transmit an operating mode control command that determines the second operating mode to the fuel cell device 10 and the charging / discharging device 50, and the fuel cell device 10 and the charging / discharging device 50 determine the second operating mode in accordance with the operating mode control command received from the resource aggregator 30.

[0036] Fig. 3 is a diagram that illustrates a controlled period and a non-controlled period. In the example shown in Fig. 3, the control information (output control command) specifies the period from 12:00 to 15:00 as the controlled period. Therefore, the fuel cell device 10 and the charge / discharge device 50 operate in the first operation mode during the controlled period from 12:00 to 15:00, and operate in the second operation mode during the other non-controlled periods.

[0037] In the second operation mode, the fuel cell control unit 13 can maintain the output power of the fuel cell device 10 at the upper limit output power and operate it continuously. In addition, in the second operation mode, the fuel cell control unit 13 can also operate the fuel cell device 10 so that the output power of the fuel cell device 10 follows the load power of the power load device 4. For example, the fuel cell control unit 13 can operate the fuel cell device 10 so that the output power of the fuel cell device 10 follows the load power of the power load device 4 by adjusting the output power of the fuel cell device 10 so that the power measured by the power measurement unit 8 (i.e., the power supplied from the power system 1) becomes zero or close to zero.

[0038] The fuel cell control unit 13 has information about the output power supplied from the power conversion unit 11 to the power line 2 and information about the power measured by the power measurement unit 8, and is therefore able to derive the load power (=output power+measured power) of the power load device 4. When the sign of the power measured by the power measurement unit 8 is positive, this means that the load power is greater than the output power of the fuel cell device 10, and when the sign of the power measured by the power measurement unit 8 is negative, this means that the output power of the fuel cell device 10 is greater than the load power.

[0039] The fuel cell device 10 is connected to a remote control 7 that is operated by a user of the facility 20 when issuing commands to the fuel cell device 10. Information about the output power and load power of the fuel cell device 10 is transmitted to the resource aggregator 30 via the remote control 7 and the router 6. For example, information about the output power and load power of the fuel cell device 10 is transmitted to the resource aggregator 30 at a predetermined timing, such as once a minute.

[0040] The charge / discharge control unit 53 can operate in a second operation mode in which the discharge power and the charge power are controlled so that the power supplied from the power grid 1 to the first connection point P1, measured by the power measurement unit 9, becomes zero or close to zero. Also, the charge / discharge control unit 53 can operate in a second operation mode in which a time period (e.g., a nighttime time period, etc.) during which charging is performed to the charge / discharge unit 52 and a time period (e.g., a daytime time period, etc.) during which discharging is performed from the charge / discharge unit 52 are set in advance, and charging is performed until the battery is fully charged during the charging time period, and only discharging is performed during the discharging time period so that the power supplied from the power grid 1 to the first connection point P1 becomes zero or close to zero.

[0041] The charging / discharging device 50 is connected to a remote control 7. Information on the discharge power and charge power, information on the load power, and the like that the charging / discharging device 50 possesses is transmitted to the resource aggregator 30 via the remote control 7 and the router 6. For example, the information on the discharge power and charge power, information on the load power, and the like that the charging / discharging device 50 possesses is transmitted to the resource aggregator 30 at a predetermined timing, such as every minute.

[0042] The resource aggregator 30 is configured to divide in advance a plurality of power supply devices, such as the fuel cell device 10 and the charging / discharging device 50, installed in the facility 20 into at least two groups, namely, power supply devices belonging to a first group and power supply devices belonging to a second group, and to perform a command determination process to determine, with priority, an output control command that changes the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group by a predetermined value when the receiving point power of the facility 20 is to be changed by a predetermined value during a control period.

[0043] For example, a power supply device belonging to the first group has the priority of changing its output power when operating in the first operating mode during the control period, and a power supply device belonging to the second group has the priority of not changing its output power when operating in the first operating mode during the control period. Below, with reference to Table 1, a first operational example of the fuel cell device 10 and the charge / discharge device 50 will be described.

[0044] [Example 1] During the non-control period, i.e., before the start of the control period, the fuel cell device 10 operates in a second operation mode in which the output power is maintained at the upper limit output power (700 W). During the non-control period, the charge / discharge device 50 operates in a second operation mode in which the discharge power and the charge power are controlled so that the power supplied from the power system 1 to the first connection point P1, measured by the power measurement unit 9, becomes zero or close to zero. In other words, at least a part of the power shortage that occurs when the load power of the power load device 4 is greater than 700 W, which is the output power of the fuel cell device 10, is covered by the discharge power of the charge / discharge device 50, and at least a part of the surplus power that occurs when the load power of the power load device 4 is less than 700 W, which is the output power of the fuel cell device 10, is charged by the charge / discharge device 50. In the example shown in Table 1, the load power is 400 W and the output power of the fuel cell device 10 is 700 W, so that the surplus power of 300 W is charged to the charge / discharge device 50. As a result, the receiving point power measured by power meter 3 is zero.

[0045] [Table 1]

[0046] When the resource aggregator 30 provides adjustment power or the like by operating the fuel cell device 10 and the charge / discharge device 50 in the first operation mode during a predetermined control period, the resource aggregator 30 prepares for the start of the control period prior to the start of the control period. For example, the resource aggregator 30 changes the output power of the fuel cell device 10 belonging to the first group and the output power of the charge / discharge device 50 belonging to the second group to predetermined values ​​while maintaining the power receiving point power of the facility 20.

[0047] In the example shown in Table 1, the fuel cell device 10 is set to take on the role of changing the output power with priority, and the charge / discharge device 50 is set to take on the role of not changing the output power with priority. Therefore, the resource aggregator 30 causes the fuel cell control unit 13 of the fuel cell device 10 to adjust the output power to 350 W, which is approximately halfway between the upper limit output power and the lower limit output power, so as to ensure sufficient margin for increasing and decreasing the output power during the subsequent control target period. The resource aggregator 30 also causes the charge / discharge control unit 53 of the charge / discharge device 50 to set the discharge power to 50 W so as to maintain the power at the power receiving point at that time.

[0048] At the start of the control period, the resource aggregator 30 causes the fuel cell device 10 and the charge / discharge device 50 to execute a "command to reduce the power at the receiving point by 200 W." In the example of the adjustment power provision step 1 shown in Table 1, when the power at the receiving point of the facility 20 is to be reduced by 200 W, the resource aggregator 30 performs a command determination process to determine, with priority, an output control command to increase the output power of the fuel cell device 10 belonging to the first group by 200 W. Specifically, the resource aggregator 30 transmits a command to the fuel cell device 10, which has the role of changing the output power with priority, to increase the output power by 200 W to 550 W output. The resource aggregator 30 maintains the output of the charge / discharge device 50, which has the role of not changing the output power with priority, without changing it.

[0049] After that, midway through the control period, the resource aggregator 30 causes the fuel cell device 10 and the charge / discharge device 50 to additionally execute a "command to reduce the power at the power receiving point by 100 W." In this case, in step 2 of providing adjustment power, etc. in the example shown in Table 1, the resource aggregator 30 transmits a command to the fuel cell device 10 to increase the output power of the fuel cell device 10, which has priority in changing the output power, by an additional 100 W to change it to an output of 650 W. The resource aggregator 30 maintains the output of the charge / discharge device 50, which has priority in not changing the output power, without changing it.

[0050] In this way, the resource aggregator 30 achieves the "command to reduce the power at the power receiving point by 100 W" by changing only the output power of the fuel cell device 10 while maintaining the output power of the charge / discharge device 50.

[0051] In addition, when the resource aggregator 30 determines in the command determination process that the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group cannot be changed by a predetermined value based on information on the variable range of the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group, the resource aggregator 30 determines an output control command for changing the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the second group. The resource aggregator 30 can determine whether the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group can be changed by a predetermined value as follows.

[0052] When the resource aggregator 30 decreases the power at the receiving point of the facility 20 by a predetermined value, i.e., when the resource aggregator 30 increases the total output power of the power supply devices, if the sum of the differences between the maximum reference power and the current output power for each of the power supply devices belonging to the first group is equal to or greater than the predetermined value. When the resource aggregator 30 increases the power at the receiving point of the facility 20 by a predetermined value, i.e., when the resource aggregator 30 decreases the total output power of the power supply devices, if the sum of the differences between the current output power and the minimum reference power for each of the power supply devices belonging to the first group is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

[0053] The maximum reference power and minimum reference power of the power supply device described above can be determined appropriately. For example, the maximum reference power may be an upper limit output power (e.g., 700 W in the fuel cell device 10 of this embodiment) that is the maximum output power that the power supply device can continuously and stably output, or an output power that is smaller than the upper limit output power by a first set value. The minimum reference power may be a lower limit output power (e.g., 50 W in the fuel cell device 10 of this embodiment) that is the minimum output power that the power supply device can continuously and stably output, or an output power that is larger than the lower limit output power by a second set value.

[0054] For example, as shown in Table 1, in the case of step 3 of providing adjustment power, etc., in which the resource aggregator 30 further instructs the fuel cell device 10 and the charge / discharge device 50 to execute an "instruction to reduce the power at the power receiving point by 200 W" in the middle of the control period, the output power of the fuel cell device 10 at that time is 650 W, but the upper limit output power (i.e., the maximum reference power in this example) is 700 W. Therefore, the resource aggregator 30 determines that the output power of the fuel cell device 10 cannot be increased by 200 W. Therefore, the resource aggregator 30 decides to change the discharge power of the charge / discharge device 50 to 450 W. In addition, the resource aggregator 30 decides to change the output power of the fuel cell device 10 to 450 W. Alternatively, in this adjustment power providing step 3, the resource aggregator 30 may determine an output control command that causes the discharge power of the charge / discharge device 50 to be 250 W and the output power of the fuel cell device 10 to be 650 W. In this case, the resource aggregator 30 appears to have determined an output control command that changes the discharge power of the charge / discharge device 50 and does not change the output power of the fuel cell device 10.

[0055] In other words, when the resource aggregator 30 determines in the command determination process that the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group cannot be changed by a predetermined value based on information about the allowable range of change in the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group, the resource aggregator 30 determines an output control command for changing the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group and the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the second group. In the example shown in Table 1, the resource aggregator 30 transmits an output control command to the fuel cell device 10 to set the output power to 450 W, and transmits an output control command to the charging / discharging device 50 to set the discharge power to 450 W.

[0056] Thereafter, when the controlled period ends, i.e., when the non-controlled period begins, the fuel cell device 10 operates in the second operation mode in which the output power is maintained at the upper limit output power (700 W). Also, the charge / discharge device 50 operates in the second operation mode in which the discharge power and the charge power are controlled so that the power supplied from the power system 1 to the first connection point P1, as measured by the power measurement unit 9, becomes zero or close to zero.

[0057] Although not described here, the charge / discharge device 50 may be set to give priority to changing the output power, and the fuel cell device 10 may be set to give priority to not changing the output power.

[0058] As described above, when the resource aggregator 30 changes the power at the receiving point of the facility 20 by a predetermined value, it determines with priority the output control command to change the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group by a predetermined value. In other words, the power supply devices belonging to the first group take on the role of changing the power at the receiving point of the facility 20 by a predetermined value with priority, and the power supply devices belonging to the second group do not take on that role with priority. As a result, the number of power supply devices that take on the role of changing the power at the receiving point of the facility 20 is reduced, so that the resource aggregator 30 issues a command to increase the output power to other power supply devices before the power supply device that has received a command to increase its output power actually increases its output power, and as a result, problems such as the total output power of a plurality of power supply devices becoming larger than necessary are less likely to occur. In addition, when the multiple power supply devices installed in facility 20 are composed of one power generation device and one charge / discharge device, problems such as an increase in output power from the power generation device being charged by the charge / discharge device, or an increase in output power (discharge power) from the charge / discharge device being offset by a decrease in output power of the power generation device are less likely to occur.

[0059] <Second embodiment> The power management system of the second embodiment differs from the above-mentioned embodiments in that a HEMS controller 21 is provided in a facility 20. The power management system of the second embodiment will be described below, but a description of the same configuration as the above-mentioned embodiments will be omitted.

[0060] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the facility 20. In this embodiment, a Home Energy Management System (HEMS) controller 21 that can be connected to a communication network of the facility 20 via a router 6 is provided. The HEMS controller 21 corresponds to the "management device" of the present invention.

[0061] The HEMS controller 21 can communicate with the resource aggregator 30, the power meter 3, the charge / discharge device 50, and the fuel cell device 10. The HEMS controller 21 sequentially collects and stores power information such as the output power of the fuel cell device 10, the load power of the power load device 4, and the power receiving point power of the facility 20.

[0062] When the resource aggregator 30 receives a supply command from the aggregation coordinator 40, it distributes the adjustment power specified in the supply command and transmits control information including the supply command to the HEMS controller 21 of each facility 20. Then, based on the power supply command transmitted from the resource aggregator 30, the HEMS controller 21 transmits to the fuel cell device 10 and the charge / discharge device 50 an output control command that determines the output power of the fuel cell device 10 and an output control command that determines the charge / discharge power of the charge / discharge device 50, i.e., control information. Then, when the fuel cell device 10 and the charge / discharge device 50 receive an output control command from the HEMS controller 21, they operate in a first operation mode that aims to supply output power determined based on the output control command during a control period that is the target of the output control command, and operate in a second operation mode different from the first operation mode during a non-control period that is outside the control period.

[0063] <Another embodiment> <1> In the above embodiment, specific examples of the configurations of the power supply management system, the fuel cell device 10, and the charge / discharge device 50 of the present invention have been given and explained, but the configurations can be modified as appropriate. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the power supply unit may be another device capable of outputting electric power, such as a device including an engine and a generator driven by the engine. In addition, although Figures 2, 4, and 5 show an example in which one remote control 7 is provided in the facility 20, multiple remote controls 7 may be provided, such as a remote control for the fuel cell device 10 and a remote control for the charging / discharging device 50.

[0064] <2> In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the charge / discharge device 50 is connected to the first connection point P1 of the power line 2, and the fuel cell device 10 is connected to the second connection point P2 of the power line 2, but this embodiment is not limited to such a configuration. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the charge / discharge device 50 may be connected to the second connection point P2 of the power line 2, and the fuel cell device 10 may be connected to the first connection point P1 of the power line 2.

[0065] <3> The configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, provided that no contradiction arises. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are illustrative, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and can be appropriately modified within the scope that does not deviate from the purpose of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0066] The present invention can be used in a power supply management system that can appropriately control the power at the power receiving point of a facility using multiple power supply devices installed in the same facility, and in a fuel cell device and a charge / discharge device as power supply devices used in the power supply management system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1 Power system 2. Power Lines 3. Power Meter 4 Power load device 5. Gateway 6. Router 7. Remote Control 8 Power measurement section 9 Power measurement section 10 Fuel cell device (power supply device) 11 Power conversion section 12 Fuel cell section (power supply section) 13 Fuel cell control unit 14 Storage section 20 Facilities 21 HEMS controller (management device) 30 Resource aggregator (management device) 40 Aggregation Coordinator 50 Charge / discharge device (power supply device) 51 Power conversion section 52 Charge / discharge section (power supply section) 53 Charge / discharge control unit 54 Storage section

Claims

1. A power management system including a plurality of power supply devices installed in a facility and a management device capable of communicating with the plurality of power supply devices, The power supply device includes a power supply unit connected to a power grid, a power load device installed in the facility can receive power supply from at least one of the plurality of power supply devices and the power system installed in the facility; The management device can transmit, to each of the power supply devices, an output control command that determines an output power of the power supply device during a predetermined control target period, the output control command being determined by the command determination process; The power supply device is configured to operate in a first operation mode during the controlled period in which the output power becomes a target output power determined based on the output control command when the power supply device receives the output control command from the management device, and to operate in a second operation mode different from the first operation mode during a non-controlled period outside the controlled period; The management device is a power management system configured to pre-divide the multiple power supply devices installed in the facility into at least two groups, the power supply devices belonging to a first group and the power supply devices belonging to a second group, and in the command determination process, when the power receiving point power of the facility is changed by a predetermined value during the control period, prioritize the output control command that changes the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group by the predetermined value.

2. 2. A power management system as described in claim 1, wherein, in the command determination process, when the management device determines, based on information regarding the range of variation in the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group, that the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group cannot be changed by the specified value, the management device determines the output control command to change the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the second group.

3. 2. The power management system of claim 1, wherein, when the management device determines, in the command determination process, based on information regarding the range of variation of the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group, that the total output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group cannot be changed by the specified value, the management device determines the output control command to change the sum of the output power of the power supply devices belonging to the first group and the output power of the power supply devices belonging to the second group.

4. The power management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the management device is provided outside the facility and communicates remotely with the power supply devices installed in each of the facilities.

5. 4. The power management system according to claim 1, wherein the management device is provided in the facility.

6. 6. A fuel cell device comprising the functions of the power supply device used in the power supply management system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply unit comprises a fuel cell.

7. A charge / discharge device having the functions of the power supply device used in the power supply management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the power supply unit includes a charge / discharge unit.

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