Emergency power management system and power management method

Abstract

To provide a technique that is related to emergency power supply and can ensure fairness of supplied power between dwelling units.SOLUTION: An emergency power management device monitors, for every dwelling unit, a state of usage of power supplied to one or more dwelling units from a power supply facility of an emergency power management system. When power is stopped, the emergency power management device sets an upper limit of current of power supplied to every dwelling unit to a power measuring instrument that is provided for every dwelling unit and has a communication function, the power measuring instrument connected with an electric power system and the power supply facility, starting or stopping supply of power supplied from the electric power system or the power supply facility into the dwelling unit or setting the upper limit of current that can be supplied into the dwelling unit, and measuring an amount of power used in the dwelling unit, and temporarily reduces the amount of usage of power supplied from the power supply facility, and when the power supplied to the one or more dwelling units from the electric power system returns from the stop, cancels the setting of the upper limit of current.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an emergency power management system and a power management method for managing the use of emergency power supplied to each dwelling unit of an apartment building or the like during a power outage or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, digital power meters (hereinafter also referred to as smart meters) equipped with communication functions have become widespread. In smart meters, it is possible to measure the amount of power consumed (kWh) by a consumer, and to perform operations such as stopping and restarting the supply of power, via the communication function. Power companies that supply power to consumers and management companies entrusted with the power companies are now able to use smart meters to manage the amount of power used by each consumer or by the area where the consumer is located. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a power management system that executes power control using information related to power measurement received from a smart meter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-22339 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The facilities of consumers who use electric power include, for example, rental collective housing such as condominiums and apartments equipped with emergency power supply devices. Examples of emergency power supply devices include distributed power supply devices equipped with power storage devices and solar power generation devices and linked to a commercial power system. In collective housing equipped with emergency power supply devices, for example, in the event of an emergency such as a power outage, electric power stored in a power storage device is supplied to each dwelling unit constituting the collective housing through a power conditioner instead of the commercial power system to which the collective housing is connected.

[0005] The amount of power (kWh) used in each dwelling unit and the average number of amperes over a given period of time vary depending on the load in the dwelling unit of home appliances and the like used immediately before a power outage or the like occurred, the power usage contract for each dwelling unit, and the like. When the power supplied from the emergency power supply device is limited by an upper limit on the amount of power stored in a power storage device or the like, the time during which power can be supplied to the apartment building is limited, and the time during which power can be supplied varies depending on the relative level of power usage in the entire apartment building. When the power supplied from the power supply device is supplied according to a power usage contract concluded for each dwelling unit, the higher the maximum contracted number of amperes, the larger the amount of power supplied in an emergency will be, which may cause a sense of unfairness in power usage between dwelling units.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has as its object to provide technology that can ensure fairness in the supply of electricity between dwelling units in an emergency power supply. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the disclosed technique for solving the above problem is to An emergency power management system that manages the amount of power supply from a power source facility that temporarily supplies power to one or more dwelling units when a power supply interruption occurs to the one or more dwelling units, A power meter having a communication function is provided for each dwelling unit, and is connected to the power grid and the power supply equipment, and transmits the power supplied from the power grid or the power supply equipment to the dwelling unit. a power meter that starts or stops the power supply to the dwelling unit, sets an upper limit of the current that can be supplied to the dwelling unit, and measures the amount of power used in the dwelling unit; and an emergency power management device that monitors, for each of the dwelling units, a usage status of the power supplied from the power supply equipment to the one or more dwelling units when the power is interrupted; The emergency power management device includes a control unit that sets a current upper limit value of the power supplied to each of the dwelling units to the power meter when an interruption in the power occurs, temporarily suppresses the usage of the power supplied from the power supply equipment, and cancels the setting of the current upper limit value when the power supplied from the power system to the one or more dwelling units is restored from the interruption in the power. It is characterized by:

[0008] As a result, when a power outage or the like of the power supplied from the power system 2 to each dwelling unit is detected, the emergency power management device 10 can limit the usage of power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit through the smart meter 31 provided for each dwelling unit. For example, the emergency power management device 10 can set an upper limit value (e.g., 5A) for the use of power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit in the smart meter 31. The emergency power management system ensures a certain amount of time for power supply to the apartment building regarding power usage in an emergency, and ensures fairness between the dwelling units in the power supplied to each unit.

[0009] In one embodiment of the disclosed technology, the system further includes a management device that is connected to the power meter via a communication function, and that instructs the power meter to set an upper limit value for the current of the power supplied from the power system of the dwelling unit in which the power meter is installed and to start or stop power supply, and that manages the amount of power usage measured by the power meter, The control unit may set an upper limit value of the current of the power supplied to each dwelling unit and cancel the setting of the upper limit value of the current through the management device. Even in this configuration, the emergency power management device 10 can set, for example, an upper limit value (e.g., 5 A) for use of the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit in the smart meter 31 through the smart meter management system 3, which is a management device.

[0010] In one embodiment of the disclosed technology, the control unit may set the current upper limit value differently depending on a specific situation for each dwelling unit, which makes it possible to respond to situations such as a situation in which a caregiver who needs to use an electrically-powered device is included among the residents, and enables emergency power to be supplied according to the power usage situation for each dwelling unit.

[0011] In one embodiment of the disclosed technology, the control unit may obtain the current upper limit through the amount of power used in the dwelling unit after the current upper limit is set, and may temporarily stop power supply to the dwelling unit when the total amount of power used in the dwelling unit exceeds the upper limit. As a result, power supply is stopped (the number of amperes used drops to "0 amperes") in a dwelling unit 30 whose total amount of power used reaches the upper limit, and power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to the dwelling unit 30 whose total amount of power used is less than the upper limit can continue to be used, making it possible to reduce a sense of unfairness due to the relative amounts of power used in an emergency, for example.

[0012] In one embodiment of the disclosed technology, the control unit may change the upper limit on the total amount of power usage in accordance with a specific situation for each dwelling unit. This enables emergency power to be supplied in accordance with the power usage situation for each dwelling unit, thereby improving convenience.

[0013] In one embodiment of the disclosed technology, the control unit may acquire the amount of power supplied from the power supply facility to the one or more dwelling units at a predetermined periodic interval, and release the temporary suspension of power supply to the dwelling units whose total amount of power usage exceeds an upper limit based on the acquired amount of power supply. This will enable flexible power supply according to the amount of electricity and stored power.

[0014] In one embodiment of the disclosed technology, a first upper current limit is set in the power meter before the power is stopped, and the control unit sets a second upper current limit lower than the first upper limit for the power meter through the management device when the power is stopped, temporarily suppressing the amount of power used from the power supply equipment, and cancels the second upper current limit when the power supplied from the power system to the one or more dwelling units is restored from the power stop. In this way, the emergency power management device 10 can, for example, reduce the number of amperes (such as 30A) that is the first upper limit based on the power use contract concluded for each dwelling unit and set in the smart meter 31 to a second upper limit (for example, about 5A), and restore it to the first upper limit based on the power use contract after the power is restored. Even in this embodiment, it is possible to ensure a certain amount of power supply time for which power can be supplied to the collective housing in an emergency, and ensure fairness between the dwelling units in the power supplied to each dwelling unit.

[0015] In addition, another aspect of the disclosed technology is A power management method executed by an emergency power management system that manages a power supply amount of a power source facility that temporarily supplies power to one or more dwelling units when a power supply interruption occurs to the one or more dwelling units from a power grid, comprising: The emergency power management system includes: a power meter having a communication function provided for each dwelling unit, the power meter being connected to the power grid and the power supply equipment, and configured to start or stop the supply of power from the power grid or the power supply equipment to the dwelling unit, set an upper limit of the current that can be supplied to the dwelling unit, and measure the amount of power used within the dwelling unit; and an emergency power management device that monitors, for each of the dwelling units, a usage status of the power supplied from the power supply equipment to the one or more dwelling units when the power is interrupted; the emergency power management device sets a current upper limit value of the power supplied to the power meter for each of the dwelling units when an interruption in the power occurs, temporarily suppresses the usage of the power supplied from the power supply equipment, and cancels the setting of the current upper limit value when the power supplied from the power system to the one or more dwelling units is restored from the interruption in the power; Make the following happen.

[0016] Even in this configuration, when a power outage or the like of the power supplied from the power system 2 to each dwelling unit is detected, the emergency power management device 10 can limit the usage of power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit through the smart meter 31 provided for each dwelling unit. For example, the emergency power management device 10 uniformly reduces the number of amperes based on the power usage contract concluded for each dwelling unit to a predetermined capacity value set in the smart meter 31. The emergency power management system ensures a certain amount of time for power supply to the apartment building regarding power usage in an emergency, and ensures fairness between the dwelling units in the power supplied to each unit. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology that can ensure fairness in the supply of power among dwelling units in relation to the supply of emergency power. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an emergency power management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an emergency power management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] A figure showing an example of dwelling unit management information registered in a dwelling unit management DB in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 11 is a diagram showing an example of information registered in a power management DB according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of information registered in a power usage DB according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a power management process according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] [Application example] Hereinafter, application examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an emergency power management system 1 according to an application example of the present invention. The emergency power management system 1 according to this application example is a system that manages power supplied from an emergency power supply device in a customer facility equipped with an emergency power supply device when a power supply stoppage occurs from the power system, such as a power outage. As shown in FIG. 1, the emergency power management system 1 according to this application example includes a power system 2, a smart meter management system 3, an apartment building 20, and an emergency power management device 10. The power system 2 is, for example, a power supply network operated by a power company that supplies power to customers in a jurisdiction area, or an organization that is entrusted by the power company to manage the amount of power supplied to customers. The smart meter management system 3 is a computer system including a server or the like that manages the power usage of the power supplied to the customer facility in the jurisdiction area via the power system 2. The apartment building 20 is a representative example of a customer facility that uses the power supplied from the power system 2. The apartment building 20 is configured to include a plurality of dwelling units (30a to 30n) in which residents can live.

[0020] The apartment building 20 includes a distribution board 21, a dwelling unit 30, and an emergency power supply device 50. The dwelling unit 30 includes smart meters (31a to 31n) and in-dwelling loads (32a to 32n). The smart meters (31a to 31n) are provided for each of the dwelling units 30 that constitute the apartment building 20. The distribution board 21 is a common distribution board for the entire apartment building 20, and includes a power outage detector 21a and a smart meter 21b. The distribution board 21 and the power system 2 are connected via a power line, and the power receiving end of the distribution board is provided with a power outage detector 21a that detects a stoppage of the power supplied from the power system 2. The power supplied from the power system 2 is passed through the power outage detector 21a to each dwelling unit and the smart meter 21b. The power failure detector 21a and the power storage power conditioner 51 constituting the emergency power supply device 50 are connected, and a detection signal indicating a power stop state detected by the detector is output to the power storage power conditioner 51. Furthermore, power supplied from the power system 2 through the smart meter 21b is supplied to a common area (common space) of the apartment building 20. The common area is, for example, an entrance, a corridor, a staircase, etc. of the apartment building 20. The common area is provided with shared loads such as lighting fixtures such as outdoor lights and corridor lights, emergency equipment such as fire alarms, air conditioners, and common area outlets. Power is supplied to the shared loads connected to the distribution board 21 via power lines via the smart meter 21b.

[0021] The distribution board 21 is constantly energized with power supplied from the power system 2 through a power line. The distribution board 21 and a smart meter 31 installed in each dwelling are connected via indoor wiring, and the power supplied from the power system 2 through the distribution board is distributed to each dwelling. The smart meter 31 and a load 32 in the dwelling are connected via indoor wiring, and the power supplied from the power system 2 through the smart meter is supplied to the load 32 in the dwelling. The load 32 in the dwelling is, for example, an air conditioning device such as an air conditioner, a lighting device in the dwelling, an outlet in the dwelling, etc. The load 32 in the dwelling includes various electric devices such as home appliances and chargers for mobile devices used by a resident M who lives in the dwelling. A current value (ampere number) of power is supplied to the dwelling 30 through the smart meter 31 based on a power usage contract concluded between the resident M and the power company 2, and power supply through the smart meter 31 is stopped when the power usage contract is terminated.

[0022] The smart meter 31 is a digital power meter equipped with a communication function. The smart meter 31 is assigned a unique identification information (ID) in advance. The smart meter 31 is connected to a network N. The smart meter management system 3, the emergency power management device 10, and the emergency power supply device 50 are connected to the network N. A plurality of smart meters 31 provided for each dwelling unit, a plurality of emergency power management devices 10 provided for each jurisdiction that governs the power use of consumers, the emergency power supply devices 50, and a plurality of terminals 40 may be connected to the network N. For example, when a power usage contract for a dwelling unit 30 is established, the smart meter management system 3 controls the smart meter 31 of the dwelling unit through the network N to start supplying power to the dwelling unit. Similarly, when a power usage contract is terminated, the smart meter management system 3 controls the smart meter 31 to stop supplying power to the dwelling unit 30.

[0023] The smart meter 31 measures the amount of power (kWh) consumed by the dwelling load 32 of the dwelling unit 30 to which power supply has started. The amount of power consumed by the dwelling load 32 is measured at intervals of a predetermined unit time (e.g., 30 minutes, 60 minutes, etc.). The current value of the power consumed by the dwelling load 32 is also measured. The smart meter 31 transmits the power consumption amount, current value, etc., to which individual identification information (hereinafter also referred to as "unique ID") is added, to the smart meter management system 3 connected to the network N. The smart meter management system 3 manages the power consumption of a resident M residing in the dwelling unit based on the power consumption amount and current value for each dwelling unit acquired via the network N.

[0024] The emergency power supply device 50 is a power supply facility provided within the premises of the apartment house 20, and supplies power to each dwelling unit 30 when a power supply interruption occurs, such as a power outage. The emergency power supply device 50 includes a power conditioner (PCS) 51 for power storage, a solar panel 52, a storage battery 53, a local controller 54, and a repeater 55. The emergency power supply device 50 according to this application example is a hybrid distributed power supply system including a solar panel 52 as a power generation device and a storage battery 53 as a power storage device. The power storage PCS 51 and the smart meter 31 provided in each dwelling unit constituting the apartment house 20 are connected through the indoor wiring of the apartment house 20. When the power outage detector 21a detects a stop of the power supplied from the power system 2, the power storage PCS 51 supplies AC power converted based on the power generated by the solar panel 52 and the discharged power of the storage battery 53 to the smart meter 31 of each dwelling unit connected through the indoor wiring. Even if the power supply from the power grid 2 is stopped, power from the emergency power supply device 50 supplied via the smart meter 31 is supplied to each dwelling unit.

[0025] The local controller 54 is connected to the power storage PCS 51 via a communication line, and is a manual controller for controlling the operation of the emergency power supply device 50 during a power outage or the like. Identification information (management ID) that uniquely identifies the apartment building 20 equipped with the emergency power supply device 50 is assigned to the local controller 54. The repeater 55 is a communication interface device such as a router that connects the local controller 54 to the network N. The local controller 54 and the repeater 55 are connected via a wired or wireless LAN or the like constructed in the apartment building 20.

[0026] In the emergency power management system 1 according to this application example, the emergency power management device 10 includes in its functional configuration a control unit 11, a dwelling unit management DB 12, a power supply management DB 13, and a power usage DB 14, and manages the usage of power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit during a power outage or the like. Specifically, when the emergency power management device 10 according to this application example receives a management request for emergency power from an apartment building 20 in which a power outage or the like has been detected via the network N, it limits the usage of power supplied to each dwelling unit via the smart meter 31. The usage limit is, for example, changed to a uniform number of amperes based on a power usage contract concluded for each dwelling unit, which is set in the smart meter 31, to about 5A. The emergency power management device 10 then The emergency power management device 10 monitors the remaining battery charge and power generation amount of the emergency power supply device 50, and monitors the usage status of the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit via the smart meter 31. For example, when the power consumption (kWh) used in the dwelling unit reaches an upper limit, the emergency power management device 10 further temporarily reduces the ampere number in the dwelling unit to 0A. Note that, with regard to the power supplied to each dwelling unit from the emergency power supply device 50, if a certain amount of generated power can be secured, the emergency power management device 10 restores the ampere number of the dwelling unit that was reduced to 0A to about 5A. Even in a dwelling unit 30 that has reached the upper limit, if a certain amount of generated power can be secured, the generated power can be used.

[0027] In the emergency power management device 10 according to this application example, the number of amperes related to the power usage of each dwelling unit can be uniformly reduced via the smart meter 31, so that the use of power supplied from the emergency power supply unit 50 to each dwelling unit can be uniformly restricted. In addition, the emergency power management device 10 can monitor the usage status of the power supplied from the emergency power supply unit 50 to each dwelling unit via the smart meter 31, so that, for example, when the power consumption (kWh) used in the dwelling unit reaches an upper limit, the number of amperes in the dwelling unit can be temporarily reduced to 0A to suppress the use of power that exceeds the upper limit. When the emergency power supply unit 50 can secure a certain amount of generated power, the emergency power management device 10 can resume the power supply to the dwelling unit 30 for which the power usage has been temporarily suppressed. According to the emergency power management device 10 according to this application example, regarding the power usage in an emergency, the power supply time during which power can be supplied to the apartment building can be secured to a certain extent, and fairness between the dwelling units can be secured.

[0028] Example 1 Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[0029] <System configuration> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an emergency power management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The emergency power management system 1 according to the present embodiment is a system that manages power supplied from an emergency power supply device when a power supply stoppage such as a power outage occurs in a facility of a customer equipped with an emergency power supply device. The emergency power management system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a power system 2, a smart meter management system 3, an apartment building 20, and an emergency power management device 10. The power system 2 is, for example, a power supply network operated by a power company that supplies power to customers in a jurisdiction, or an organization that is entrusted by the power company to manage the amount of power supplied to customers. The power system 2 may include, for example, power generation facilities such as thermal power generation, hydroelectric power generation, nuclear power generation, solar power generation, wind power generation, geothermal power generation, and fuel cells, as well as substation facilities, power transmission facilities, and power distribution facilities.

[0030] The smart meter management system 3 is a computer system including a server and the like that manages the use of power supplied to consumer facilities in the jurisdiction area via the power grid 2. The smart meter management system 3 is operated, for example, by a power utility that supplies power to consumers in the jurisdiction area, or an organization that is entrusted by the power utility to manage the amount of power supplied to consumers. The smart meter management system 3 may be composed of a single computer or may be composed of multiple computers. A cloud form in which multiple computers are connected via a network and function as an integrated unit may also be used. The smart meter management system 3 is connected to information processing terminals (hereinafter also simply referred to as "terminals") (40a to 40n) such as smartphones, tablet terminals, and PCs owned by residents (M1 to Mn) of each dwelling unit 30 (30a to 30n) constituting the apartment building 20 through a network N described later. Information on the power outage situation in the jurisdiction area and information on power outage recovery are provided to the terminals (40a to 40n) owned by the residents (M1 to Mn) through the smart meter management system 3. Hereinafter, the residents (M1 to Mn) are collectively referred to as "resident M", and the terminals (40a to 40n) are collectively referred to as "terminal 40". The "management device" corresponds to an example of a "management device."

[0031] The apartment building 20 is a representative example of a consumer facility that uses power supplied from the power system 2. Other examples of consumer facilities include office buildings and commercial buildings in which multiple tenants reside, and commercial facilities such as shopping centers and industrial facilities. The apartment building 20 includes multiple dwelling units (30a to 30n) in which residents can live. The apartment building 20 can take various forms, such as condominiums, apartments, and mezzotines. Hereinafter, the dwelling units (30a to 30n) constituting the apartment building 20 are also collectively referred to as "dwelling units 30." In this embodiment, power based on a power usage contract concluded with each resident (consumer) residing in each dwelling unit of the apartment building 20 is supplied to each dwelling unit through the power system 2.

[0032] The apartment building 20 includes a distribution board 21, a dwelling unit 30, and an emergency power supply device 50. The dwelling unit 30 includes smart meters (31a to 31n) and in-dwelling loads (32a to 32n). The smart meters (31a to 31n) are provided for each dwelling unit 30 constituting the apartment building 20. Electricity used within the dwelling unit is supplied to the in-dwelling loads (32a to 32n) through the smart meters (31a to 31n). Hereinafter, the smart meters (31a to 31n) provided for each dwelling unit 30 and the in-dwelling loads (32a to 32n) used within the dwelling units are collectively referred to as the "smart meter 31" and the "in-dwelling loads 32," respectively.

[0033] The distribution board 21 is a common distribution board for the entire apartment building 20. The distribution board 21 includes a power failure detector 21a and a smart meter 21b. The distribution board 21 and the power system 2 are connected via a power line, and a power failure detector 21a that detects a stop state of the power supplied from the power system 2 is provided at the power receiving end of the distribution board. The power supplied from the power system 2 is supplied to each dwelling unit and the smart meter 21b through the power failure detector 21a. The power failure detector 21a and the power storage power conditioner 51 constituting the emergency power supply device 50 are connected, and a detection signal indicating a power stop state detected by the detector is output to the power storage power conditioner 51. The distribution board 21 is constantly energized with the power supplied from the power system 2 through the power line. The distribution board 21 and the smart meter 31 provided in each dwelling unit are connected via indoor wiring, and the power supplied from the power system 2 through the distribution board is distributed to each dwelling unit. Furthermore, power supplied from the power system 2 through the smart meter 21b is supplied to a common area (common space) of the apartment building 20. The common area is, for example, an entrance, a hallway, or a staircase of the apartment building 20. The common area is provided with shared loads, for example, lighting fixtures such as outdoor lights and hallway lights, emergency equipment such as a fire alarm, air conditioners, and common area outlets. Power is supplied to the shared loads connected to the distribution board 21 via a power line via the smart meter 21b.

[0034] The smart meter 31 is a digital power meter equipped with a communication function. A unique identification information (ID) is assigned to the smart meter 31 in advance. The smart meter 31 is connected to a network N. The network N includes a public network such as the Internet, a wireless network such as a mobile phone network, a dedicated network such as a PLC (Power Line Communication) or a VPN (Virtual Private Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), and other networks. The network N includes a smart meter management system, A smart meter 31 provided for each dwelling unit, an emergency power management device 10, and an emergency power supply device 50 are connected to the network N. A terminal 40 carried by a resident M is also connected to the network N. The network N may be connected to a plurality of smart meters 31 provided for each dwelling unit, a plurality of emergency power management devices 10 provided for each jurisdiction that governs the power usage of consumers, the emergency power supply device 50, and a plurality of terminals 40. In this embodiment, the "smart meter 31" corresponds to an example of a "power meter."

[0035] The smart meter 31 and the dwelling load 32 are connected via indoor wiring, and the electric power supplied from the power system 2 is passed through the smart meter. The dwelling load 32 is, for example, These include air conditioning equipment such as air conditioners, lighting in the residence, and electrical outlets in the residence. The residence loads 32 include various electrical equipment such as home appliances and chargers for mobile devices used by a resident M living in the residence. A current value (ampere number) of power is supplied to the residence 30 through the smart meter 31 based on a power usage contract concluded between the resident M and the power company 2, and power supply through the smart meter 31 is stopped when the power usage contract is terminated. For example, the smart meter management system 3 controls the smart meter 31 of the residence through the network N when a power usage contract is established for the residence 30, and starts supplying power to the residence. Similarly, the smart meter management system 3 controls the smart meter 31 when a power usage contract is terminated, and stops supplying power to the residence 30.

[0036] The smart meter 31 measures the amount of power (kWh) consumed by the dwelling load 32 of the dwelling unit 30 to which power supply has started. The amount of power consumed by the dwelling load 32 is measured at intervals of a predetermined unit time (e.g., 30 minutes, 60 minutes, etc.). The current value of the power consumed by the dwelling load 32 is also measured. The smart meter 31 transmits the power consumption amount, current value, etc., to which individual identification information (hereinafter also referred to as "unique ID") is added, to the smart meter management system 3 connected to the network N. The smart meter management system 3 manages the power consumption of a resident M residing in the dwelling unit based on the power consumption amount and current value for each dwelling unit acquired via the network N.

[0037] The emergency power supply device 50 is a power supply facility provided within the housing complex 20, which temporarily supplies power to each dwelling unit 30 when a power supply interruption occurs, such as a power outage. The emergency power supply device 50 includes a power conditioner 51 for storage, a solar panel 52, a storage battery 53, a local controller 54, and a repeater 55. The emergency power supply device 50 according to the present embodiment is a hybrid distributed power supply system including a solar panel 52 as a power generation device and a storage battery 53 as a power storage device. In the present embodiment, the embodiment will be described as including a solar power generation device as a power generation device, but a power generation mechanism of a type other than solar power generation may be adopted. Examples of the power generation mechanism of a type other than solar power generation include a power generation mechanism using natural energy such as wind power or hydraulic power, and a private power generation system using fuel (including hydrogen). In the present embodiment, the "emergency power supply device 50" corresponds to an example of a "power supply facility".

[0038] In the emergency power supply device 50, the power conditioner for storage 51 and the solar panel 52 are connected via a predetermined power line (for example, a DC power bus). Similarly, the power conditioner for storage (hereinafter also referred to as "PCS") 51 and the storage battery 53 are connected via a predetermined power line. The PCS for storage 51 includes, for example, a DC / DC converter that boosts the DC power generated by the solar panel 52 and outputs it to the power line to which the storage battery 53 is connected, and an AC / DC converter that converts the AC power supplied from the power system 2 into DC power and outputs it to the power line to which the storage battery 53 is connected. The PCS for storage 51 also includes a DC / AC converter that converts the DC power generated by the solar panel 52 and the DC power discharged from the storage battery 53 into AC power of the interconnected power system 2. The PCS for storage 51 and the smart meter 31 provided in each dwelling unit constituting the apartment house 20 are connected through indoor wiring of the apartment house 20. When the power failure detector 21a detects that the power supplied from the power grid 2 has stopped, the power storage PCS 51 supplies AC power converted based on the power generated by the solar panel 52 and the discharged power of the storage battery 53 to the smart meter 31 of each dwelling connected through the indoor wiring. Even if the power supplied from the power grid 2 is stopped, the power of the emergency power supply device 50 supplied through the smart meter 31 is supplied to the dwelling.

[0039] The local controller 54 is connected to the battery PCS 51 via a communication line, and is a manual controller for controlling the operation of the emergency power supply device 50 during a power outage or the like. The local controller 54 is provided in, for example, a management room of the apartment house 20. The local controller 54 is assigned with identification information (management ID) that uniquely identifies the apartment house 20 equipped with the emergency power supply device 50. A display panel such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) equipped in the local controller 54 displays information indicating the remaining battery level of the storage battery 53 and the amount of power generated by the solar panel 52 through the power storage PCS 51. The repeater 55 is a communication interface device such as a router that connects the local controller 54 and the network N. The local controller 54 and the repeater 55 are connected via a wired or wireless LAN or the like constructed in the apartment house 20.

[0040] The emergency power management device 10 according to this embodiment is a computer such as a server that manages the usage of power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit during a power outage or the like. The emergency power management device 10 may be composed of a single computer or multiple computers. It may be a cloud-based configuration in which multiple computers are connected via a network and function as an integrated unit. In the emergency power management system 1 according to this embodiment, the emergency power management device 10 includes a control unit 11, a dwelling unit management DB 12, a power supply management DB 13, and a power usage DB 14 in its functional configuration. The functional components of the emergency power management device 10 will be described later.

[0041] The emergency power management device 10 according to the present embodiment limits the amount of power used by each dwelling unit through the smart meter 31 when a management request for emergency power is received from the apartment house 20 in which a power outage or the like has been detected. The limit on the amount of power used is, for example, changed to about 5A uniformly based on the power usage contract concluded for each dwelling unit, which is set in the smart meter 31. The emergency power management device 10 monitors the remaining battery charge and the amount of power generated in the emergency power supply device 50, and monitors the usage status of the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit through the smart meter 31. For example, when the power consumption (kWh) used in the dwelling unit reaches an upper limit, the emergency power management device 10, which monitors the usage status of the power, further temporarily reduces the number of amperes in the dwelling unit to 0A. Note that, when a certain amount of generated power can be secured with respect to the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit, the emergency power management device 10 restores the number of amperes of the dwelling unit, which has been reduced to 0A, to about 5A. Even in a dwelling unit 30 that has reached the upper limit, if a certain amount of generated power can be secured, the dwelling unit 30 is able to use the generated power.

[0042] In the following description, it is assumed that the smart meter 31 of each dwelling unit before the power outage has a usage ampere number set based on the power usage contract, but a contract form in which the usage ampere number is not set and the amount of power used in the dwelling unit (kWh) is charged is also assumed. In such a case, the emergency power management device 10 may set a current upper limit value of the ampere number (e.g., 5A, etc.) as the upper limit value of the amount of power usage to be supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit after the power outage for the smart meter 31 for which the usage ampere number is not set based on the power usage contract. Setting this upper limit value makes it possible to limit the amount of power usage to be supplied to each dwelling unit through the smart meter 31.

[0043] In the emergency power management device 10 according to this embodiment, the number of amperes related to the power usage of each dwelling unit can be uniformly reduced via the smart meter 31, so that the use of power supplied from the emergency power supply unit 50 to each dwelling unit can be uniformly restricted. In addition, the emergency power management device 10 can monitor the usage of power supplied from the emergency power supply unit 50 to each dwelling unit via the smart meter 31, so that, for example, when the power consumption (kWh) used in a dwelling unit reaches an upper limit, the number of amperes in that dwelling unit can be temporarily reduced to 0A to restrict the use of power that exceeds the upper limit. When the emergency power supply unit 50 can secure a certain amount of generated power, the emergency power management device 10 can resume the supply of power to the dwelling unit 30 for which power usage has been temporarily restricted. According to the emergency power management device 10 according to this embodiment, the number of amperes related to the power usage in an emergency can be uniformly restricted. This will ensure a certain amount of time for power supply to shared housing, while also ensuring fairness between units.

[0044] Hereinafter, the management procedure of the emergency power management device 10 will be described on the assumption that the power supplied from the power system 2 to the apartment house 20 is stopped due to a power outage that occurs in the jurisdiction area. In FIG. 1, the power storage PCS 51 constituting the emergency power supply device 50 detects a power outage at the power receiving end of the distribution board 21 through a power outage detector 21a provided in the distribution board 21 of the apartment house 20 (FIG. 1, circled 1). The power storage PCS 51 notifies a local controller 54 provided in a management room or the like of the apartment house 20 of the power outage detected through the power outage detector 21a. In addition, upon detection of a power outage, the power storage PCS 51 notifies the local controller 54 of information indicating the current remaining battery level of the storage battery 53 and the amount of power generated by the solar panel 52. The power storage PCS 51 and the local controller 54 are supplied in advance with power stored in the storage battery 53.

[0045] The manager who manages the emergency power supply device 50, for example, operates the local controller 54 to start the power supply by the emergency power supply device 50. For example, the power storage PCS 51 is notified of a discharge instruction from the storage battery 53 input through the local controller 54 (FIG. 1, circled 2). The power storage PCS 51 starts supplying AC power converted based on the discharged power of the storage battery 53 to each dwelling unit. As shown by the thick dashed arrow in FIG. 1, the smart meter 31 of each dwelling unit where the power supply from the power system 2 has been stopped due to a power outage is supplied with power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50. Similarly, the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 is also supplied to the repeater 55 that connects the local controller 54 and the network N. Note that, when power generation by the solar panel 52 is possible, the power generated by the solar panel 52 may also be supplied to each dwelling unit. The manager who operates the local controller 54 may give an appropriate instruction to include the generated power based on the information indicating the amount of power generated by the solar panel 52 notified upon detection of a power outage.

[0046] An administrator who manages the emergency power supply 50 requests the emergency power supply management device 10 to manage the usage status of the power supplied from the emergency power supply 50 to each dwelling unit through the operation of the local controller 54. The request from the local controller 54 is notified to the emergency power supply management device 10 connected to the network N via the powered repeater 55 together with a management ID assigned to the local controller 54. The emergency power management device 10 accepts the request notified from the local controller 54 together with the management ID, and starts managing the usage status of the power supplied from the emergency power supply 50 to each dwelling unit. After making the management request, the local controller 54 periodically (for example, every minute) obtains information indicating the operating status of the emergency power supply 50 from the power storage PCS 51 (remaining battery level of the storage battery 53, whether power can be generated by the solar panel 52, the amount of power generated, etc.) and transmits the information to the emergency power supply management device 10. The emergency power management device 10 accumulates information indicating the operating status of the emergency power supply device 50 notified from the local controller 54 in a database (power supply management DB 13) and manages it.

[0047] The emergency power management device 10, for example, identifies the identification information (unique ID) of the smart meter 31 provided for each dwelling unit constituting the managed apartment complex 20 based on the management ID. The unique ID of the smart meter 31 for each dwelling unit is determined, for example, by referring to a database (DB) managed by the emergency power management device 10. The emergency power management device 10 notifies the smart meter management system 3 via the network N of the unique ID of the identified smart meter 31 and of the change of the setting of the usage ampere number of the smart meter 31 to a predetermined ampere number. The smart meter management system 3 receives the notification from the emergency power management device 10 and issues an instruction to uniformly lower the setting of the usage ampere number to the predetermined ampere number for the smart meter 31 with the unique ID included in the notification. The smart meter 31 of each dwelling unit connected to the network N temporarily and uniformly lowers the usage ampere number in accordance with the instruction from the smart meter management system 3. (FIG. 1, circled 3). For example, when the predetermined ampere number is 5 amperes, is reduced from "30 amperes", which is the number of amperes used, set based on the power usage contract, to "5 amperes". Since the number of amperes used is reduced from the number of amperes in the power usage contract, the instantaneous power used in the dwelling unit can be restricted so as not to exceed the number of amperes, and the time during which the emergency power supply device 50 can supply power to each dwelling unit can be relatively extended. Furthermore, if the number of amperes used is not set in the smart meter 31 before the power outage, the upper limit (e.g., 5A, etc.) of the amount of power used to be supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit after the power outage is set uniformly. Even in this case, the instantaneous power used in the dwelling unit can be restricted so as not to exceed the number of amperes, and the time during which the emergency power supply device 50 can supply power can be relatively extended.

[0048] Furthermore, the smart meter management system 3 instructs the smart meter 31 of the unique ID notified by the emergency power management device 10 to transmit the amount of power usage (kWh) measured at periodic intervals different from the normal intervals (for example, every 1 minute, every 3 minutes, etc.). In each dwelling unit of the apartment building 20 where the power supply from the power grid 2 has been stopped due to a power outage, the amount of power usage supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 is measured at periodic intervals different from the normal intervals, and the measured amount of power usage is transmitted to the smart meter management system 3 via the network N (FIG. 1, circled 4).

[0049] The emergency power management device 10 periodically acquires the amount of power usage acquired from each dwelling unit by the smart meter management system 3. The interval for acquiring the amount of power usage may be, for example, the periodic interval at which the smart meter 31 measures the power usage, or may be a periodic interval based on a unit time such as 3 minutes or 5 minutes. The emergency power management device 10 accumulates the amount of power usage for each dwelling unit acquired through the smart meter management system 3 in a database. The amount of power usage for each dwelling unit in which the number of amperes of power usage has been changed through the smart meter management system 3 is managed for each dwelling unit until the power outage state of the power supplied from the power grid 2 is lifted (FIG. 1, circled 5).

[0050] The emergency power management device 10 monitors the usage of power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit based on the amount of power used by each dwelling unit stored in the database. Specifically, it monitors whether the total amount of power used by each dwelling unit reaches a predetermined upper limit. When the total amount of power used reaches a predetermined upper limit as the power usage by each dwelling unit, the emergency power management device 10 stops the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to the dwelling unit. For example, the emergency power management device 10 designates the unique ID of the smart meter 31 of the dwelling unit 30 that has reached the upper limit, and notifies the smart meter management system 3 that the number of amperes used by the smart meter is to be reduced to "0 amperes". The smart meter management system 3 receives the notification from the emergency power management device 10 and issues an instruction to reduce the setting of the number of amperes used to "0 amperes" for the smart meter 31 with the unique ID designated in the notification. The smart meter 31 designated by the unique ID further reduces the usage amperage, which has been changed to the specified amperage, to "0 amperes" in accordance with instructions from the smart meter management system 3 (FIG. 1, circled 6).

[0051] In a dwelling unit 30 whose total power usage has reached the upper limit, the number of amperes used is reduced to "0 amperes," and the use of power supplied to that unit from the emergency power supply unit 50 is temporarily stopped. On the other hand, in a dwelling unit 30 whose total power usage is below the upper limit, the power supplied to that unit from the emergency power supply unit 50 can continue to be used, which makes it possible to reduce a sense of unfairness due to the relative amounts of power usage during an emergency, for example.

[0052] When a certain amount of generated power is secured in the emergency power supply device 50, the emergency power management device 10, for example, reduces the ampere usage to "0 amperes" and restores the ampere usage of the dwelling unit 30 where the power usage has been temporarily stopped to "5 amperes." The emergency power management device 10 uses the unique An ID is specified and the smart meter management system 3 is notified to restore the setting to "5 amperes." The smart meter management system 3 receives the notification from the emergency power management device 10 and restores the setting of the number of amperes used of the smart meter 31 with the unique ID specified in the notification to "5 amperes." In the dwelling unit 30 where the use of power supplied from the emergency power supply unit 50 has been temporarily stopped, power is again supplied to the dwelling unit loads 32 within the dwelling unit through the smart meter 31, and the use of the power is resumed.

[0053] When the power grid 2 recovers from the power outage, the power supply from the power grid to each dwelling unit is started through the distribution board 21. For example, information on the recovery from the power outage is provided to the terminal 40 held by the resident M in the dwelling unit and the terminal 40 held by the manager through the smart meter management system 3. The manager who manages the emergency power supply device 50, for example, operates the local controller 54 to stop the power supply from the emergency power supply device 50 and requests the emergency power supply management device 10 to cancel the management of the usage status of the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit. The emergency power management device 10 accepts the cancellation request notified from the local controller 54 and identifies the unique ID of the smart meter 31 for each dwelling unit to be managed. Then, the emergency power management device 10 notifies the smart meter management system 3 through the network N of the unique ID of the identified smart meter 31 and an instruction to restore the setting of the usage ampere of the smart meter 31 to the usage ampere based on the power usage contract. The smart meter management system 3 receives a notification from the emergency power management device 10, and issues an instruction to restore the setting of the amperage usage to the amperage usage based on the power usage contract for the smart meter 31 with the unique ID included in the notification. The smart meter 31 restores the temporarily reduced amperage usage to the amperage usage based on the power usage contract for the dwelling unit in accordance with the instruction from the smart meter management system 3. After the restoration, the dwelling unit 30 resumes using power at the amperage usage based on the power usage contract. Note that if the amperage usage was not set for the smart meter 31 before the power outage, the emergency power management device 10 may issue an instruction to cancel the setting of the upper limit value (e.g., 5A) of the power usage amount supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit.

[0054] <Device configuration> FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the emergency power management device 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the emergency power management device 10 is a computer including a processor 101, a main memory device 102, an auxiliary memory device 103, a communication IF 104, and an input / output IF 105, which are connected to each other by a connection bus 106. The main memory device 102 and the auxiliary memory device 103 are recording media that can be read by the emergency power management device 10. The main memory device 102 and the auxiliary memory device 103 constitute the memory of the emergency power management device 10. Each of the above components may be provided in a plurality of units, or some of the components may not be provided. The configurations of the computers such as a server, the terminal 40, the local controller 54, the repeater 55, etc. that constitute the smart meter management system 3 are substantially equivalent to the hardware configuration of the emergency power management device 10, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0055] The processor 101 is a central processing unit that controls the entire emergency power management device 10. The processor 101 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP). The processor 101 is, for example, stored in the auxiliary storage device 103. The stored program is deployed in an executable manner in the working area of ​​the main memory device 102, and peripheral devices are controlled through the execution of the program, thereby providing functions that meet a specific purpose. In this embodiment, the functions of the control unit 11, dwelling unit management DB 12, power supply management DB 13, and power usage DB 14 are provided through the execution of the program. Each DB is, for example, a relational database constructed by a database management system (DBMS) program executed by the processor 101 of the emergency power management device 10 managing data stored in the auxiliary memory device 103, etc. Note that some or all of the functions may be implemented using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Specific Integrated Circuit (GPU), Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), etc. Similarly, some or all of the functions may be provided by FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), numerical processors, vector processors, image processors, etc. Even if it is realized by dedicated LSI (large scale integration) or other hardware circuits, In addition, the emergency power management device 10 may be realized by a single physical configuration, or may be realized by a configuration of multiple computers that work together.

[0056] The main memory device 102 stores the programs executed by the processor 101, the data processed by the processor, etc. The main memory device 102 includes a flash memory, a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The auxiliary memory device 103 stores various programs and various data in a readable and writable recording medium. The auxiliary memory device 103 is also called an external memory device. For example, an OS (Operating System), various programs, various tables, etc. are stored in the auxiliary memory device 103. The OS includes, for example, a communication interface program that transfers data to and from an external device, etc. connected via the communication IF 104. The external device, etc. is, for example, a computer such as a server constituting the smart meter management system 3 connected to the network N, an external memory device, etc.

[0057] The auxiliary storage device 103 is used as a storage area that supports the main storage device 102, and stores programs executed by the processor 101, data processed by the processor 101, etc. The auxiliary storage device 103 is a non-volatile semiconductor memory (flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) Silicon disks, solid state drive devices, hard disks, Hard disk drives (HDDs) and other storage devices. Examples of the drive device 03 include a drive device for a removable recording medium such as a CD drive device, a DVD drive device, and a BD drive device. Examples of the removable recording medium include a CD, a DVD, a BD, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, and an SD (Secure Digital) memory card.

[0058] The communication IF 104 is an interface for connecting the emergency power management device 10 to the network N. In the emergency power management device 10 and the computer such as a server constituting the smart meter management system 3, the terminal 40, the local controller 54, the repeater 55, and the like, the communication IF 104 can adopt an appropriate configuration according to a connection method with the network N.

[0059] The input / output IF 105 is an interface for inputting and outputting data between devices connected to the emergency power management device 10. Input devices such as a keyboard, a touch panel, a pointing device such as a mouse, and a microphone are connected to the input / output IF 105. The emergency power management device 10 receives operation instructions and the like from an operator who operates the input device via the input / output IF 105. The input / output IF 105 also receives input devices such as a display device such as an LCD, an EL (Electroluminescence) panel, or an organic EL panel, a printer, a speaker, and the like. The emergency power management device 10 outputs, via the input / output IF 105, data and information processed by the processor 101, and data and information stored in the main storage device 102 and the auxiliary storage device 103.

[0060] <Functional configuration> The control unit 11 of the emergency power management device 10 receives requests from the local controller 54 via the network N and manages the usage of the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit. The control unit 11 uniformly reduces the number of amperes used by the smart meters 31 provided for each dwelling unit under management to a predetermined number of amperes via the smart meter management system 3, thereby limiting the usage of power supplied to each dwelling unit. The control unit 11 also monitors the remaining battery charge and power generation amount of the emergency power supply device 50, and controls the amount of power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit. The control unit 11 monitors the usage of the supplied electricity through the smart meter 31. When the electricity usage for each dwelling unit reaches a predetermined upper limit of the total electricity usage, for example, the control unit 11 temporarily reduces the number of amperes used by the dwelling unit 30 that has reached the upper limit to "0 amperes" through the smart meter management system 3, and stops the use of electricity supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to that dwelling unit. When a certain amount of generated electricity is secured in the emergency power supply device 50, the control unit 11 restores the number of amperes used by the dwelling unit 30 for which electricity usage has been temporarily stopped to a predetermined number of amperes.

[0061] Furthermore, when the state of power supplied from the power system 2 recovers from the power outage, the control unit 11 of the emergency power management device 10 receives a request to cancel management from the local controller 54 via the network N, and cancels management of the usage of power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit. The control unit 11 restores the number of amperes used of the smart meter 31 provided for each dwelling unit to be managed, via the smart meter management system 3, to the number of amperes used based on the power usage contract. After the restoration, the dwelling unit 30 can resume using the power supplied from the power system 2 at the number of amperes used based on the power usage contract. Note that if the number of amperes used was not set for the smart meter 31 before the power outage, the emergency power management device 10 is instructed to cancel the setting of the upper limit value (e.g., 5A) of the amount of power used to be supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit.

[0062] Next, the dwelling unit management DB 12, the power supply management DB 13, and the power usage DB 14 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of dwelling unit management information registered in the dwelling unit management DB 12. The dwelling unit management DB 12 has a table in which dwelling unit management information is stored for each management ID assigned to the apartment building 20. The dwelling unit management DB 12 illustrated in FIG. 3 has the following items: dwelling unit ID, smart meter ID, contract type, resident name, family composition, and usage upper limit value. The dwelling unit ID stores information (dwelling unit ID) that identifies the dwelling unit that uses the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50. The dwelling unit ID may be, for example, the room number of the dwelling unit 30 in the apartment building 20. The smart meter ID stores information indicating the unique ID of the smart meter 31. The contract type stores information indicating the number of amperes used that was concluded at the time of the power usage contract. The resident name stores information indicating the name of the contractor with whom the power usage contract was concluded. The allowable number of amperes stores the number of amperes used when using the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit. The allowable ampere number is assigned uniformly in advance. However, it may be assigned depending on circumstances, such as whether the resident is a caregiver who requires the use of electrically-powered equipment ("10A" in the example of FIG. 3). If the allowable ampere number is a uniformly assigned number of amperes (e.g., 5A, etc.), information indicating that it is uniform (e.g., blank or "---") is stored. The upper limit value stores information indicating the upper limit value (kWh) of the amount of power used when monitoring the usage of power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit. The upper limit value may be assigned uniformly in advance, or may be assigned according to circumstances, such as whether the resident is a caregiver who needs to use an electric device. The upper limit value may also be assigned in advance, or may be set according to a request from a resident when a power outage occurs. When the upper limit value is increased, a fee corresponding to the rate of increase may be reflected in management fees, etc. By making the upper limit value variable according to the situation when a power outage occurs, it is possible to supply power according to the resident's circumstances, thereby improving convenience. The subscriber information registered in the dwelling unit management DB 12 can be appropriately added, changed, or deleted.

[0063] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of information indicating the operating status of the emergency power supply device 50, which is registered in the power supply management DB 13. It is possible to add, change, or delete items from the information registered in the power supply management DB 13 as appropriate. The power supply management DB 13 shown in the example of FIG. 4 has items such as time information, charging state, power generation state, and usage state. The time information stores information indicating the time when information indicating the operating status of the emergency power supply device 50 was acquired. The time information stores information indicating, for example, the year, month, day, hour, and minute. It is noted that the information managed in the power supply management DB 13 has the latest time information. The charging status stores information indicating the status of the power stored in the storage battery 53. Examples of such information include the charging rate of the storage battery 53. The power generation status stores information indicating the power generation status of the power generation device provided in the emergency power supply device 50. For example, the power generated (kW) by the solar panel 52 is stored. Note that, if the power generated by the power generation device cannot be secured, information indicating that the power cannot be secured (for example, blank or "---") is stored. The usage status stores the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50, Information indicating the power usage status is stored. Examples of such information include the usage rate of the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 (the ratio of the total power usage to the amount of power that can be supplied), the number of dwelling units that use the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50, etc.

[0064] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of information indicating the amount of power consumption from the emergency power supply device 50 registered in the power consumption DB 14. The power consumption DB 14 has a table in which information indicating the amount of power consumption for each dwelling unit is stored. The information registered in the power consumption DB 14 can have items added, changed, or deleted as appropriate. The information managed in the power consumption DB 14 is updated with information having the latest time information. The power consumption DB 14 shown in FIG. 5 has items of time information, amount of power consumption (kWh), and remaining amount of usage (kWh). The time information stores time information (year, month, day, hour, and minute) at which the amount of power consumption was measured through the smart meter 31 of the management target. The amount of power consumption (kWh) stores the amount of power consumed at each periodic interval measured through the smart meter 31 of the management target. The remaining amount of usage (kWh) stores information indicating the difference between the upper limit of the amount of power consumption allocated to the dwelling unit 30 of the management target and the total amount of power consumption used from the start of power consumption to the current time. In addition, in the managed dwelling unit 30, once the total amount of electricity used from the start of electricity usage to the current time reaches the upper limit, information indicating that the upper limit has been reached (such as a blank field or "0A") is stored.

[0065] <Processing flow> FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a power management process provided by the emergency power management device 10 according to the present embodiment. In the flow of FIG. 6, the usage status of the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit is managed based on a request to the emergency power management device 10. In the power management process of this flow, the number of amperes used by each dwelling unit is reduced through the smart meter 31 provided for each dwelling unit to be managed, and the amount of power used by the dwelling unit is limited. When the amount of power used by the dwelling unit reaches an upper limit, the number of amperes used by the dwelling unit 30 that has reached the upper limit is temporarily reduced to "0 amperes" and the use of the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to the dwelling unit is stopped. The restriction on the amount of power used is continued until the power state supplied from the power system 2 is restored from the power outage state. The power management process shown in the flow of FIG. 6 is executed each time a management request is received via the network N from the local controller 54 constituting the emergency power supply device 50.

[0066] After the process starts, in step S101, when the management ID included in the management request received from the local controller 54 is acquired, the process proceeds to step S102. In step S102, identification information (unique ID) of the smart meter 31 for each dwelling unit constituting the managed apartment building 20 associated with the management ID is specified. The local controller 54 is assigned a management ID that is identification information that uniquely identifies the apartment building 20 equipped with the emergency power supply device 50. The emergency power management device 10 searches the dwelling unit management DB 12 using the management ID as a search key, and specifies a table specified by the management ID. The specified table stores dwelling unit management information of the apartment building 20 that has received the management request. When the emergency power management device 10 specifies the unique ID of the smart meter 31 for each dwelling unit stored in the table, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0067] In step S103, the smart meter management system 3 is notified via the network N of the number of amperes used that was set at the time of the power usage contract of the identified smart meter 31. The emergency power management device 10 extracts the unique ID and the allowable ampere number of the smart meter 31 stored in the dwelling unit management DB 12 in association with each dwelling unit. The emergency power management device 10 then designates the extracted allowable ampere number as the usage ampere number after reduction of the smart meter 31 identified by the unique ID, and notifies the smart meter management system 3. The smart meter 31 identified by the unique ID is uniformly reduced to a usage ampere number (e.g., 5 amperes, etc.) designated in advance through the smart meter management system 3. In a dwelling unit where a caregiver who needs to use an electric device is included in the resident, the usage ampere number permitted in consideration of the situation (e.g., 10 amperes, etc.) may be set. After the process of step S103, the process proceeds to step S104.

[0068] In step S104, the dwelling unit management DB 12 is referenced to acquire an upper limit value (kWh) of the amount of power usage for monitoring the usage of the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit. Such an upper limit value may be assigned uniformly in advance, or may be assigned according to circumstances such as the need to use an electrically-powered device. Furthermore, it may be set according to a request from a resident when a power outage occurs. The emergency power management device 10 associates the acquired upper limit value of the amount of power usage with the unique ID of the slave mart meter 31, and temporarily stores it in a predetermined area of ​​the main device 102. After the processing of step S104, the processing proceeds to step S105.

[0069] In step S105, the amount of power usage for each dwelling unit is acquired. The emergency power management device 10 periodically acquires the amount of power usage acquired from each dwelling unit by the smart meter management system 3. The interval for acquiring the amount of power usage may be, for example, a periodic interval at which the power usage of the smart meter 31 is measured, or may be a periodic interval based on a unit time such as 3 minutes or 5 minutes. The amount of power usage acquired for each dwelling unit is stored in the power usage DB 14 in association with time information. In addition, the remaining amount of usage, which is the difference between the upper limit value and the total amount of power usage, which is the sum of the amounts of power usage already acquired, is calculated, and the remaining amount of usage is stored together with the amount of power usage for each dwelling unit. After processing in step S105, the process proceeds to step S106.

[0070] In step S106, it is determined for each dwelling unit whether the amount of power usage of the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 has reached the upper limit. In step S106, if the amount of power usage of the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 has reached the upper limit (step S106, "Yes"), the process proceeds to step S107, and if not (step S106, "No"), the process proceeds to step S110.

[0071] In step S107, the smart meter management system 3 is notified that power usage will be stopped for the dwelling unit that has reached the upper limit. The emergency power supply management device 10 designates the unique ID of the smart meter 31 of the dwelling unit 30 that has reached the upper limit and the changed ampere usage of the meter to "0 amperes" and notifies the smart meter management system 3. In the smart meter 31 identified by the unique ID, the ampere usage is changed to "0 amperes" via the smart meter management system 3, and the use of power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to the dwelling unit is temporarily stopped. After processing in step S107, the process proceeds to step S108.

[0072] In step S108, it is determined whether the emergency power supply device 50 has secured a certain amount of generated power. The emergency power management device 10 refers to the power supply management DB 13 and determines whether a certain amount of generated power has been secured based on information indicating the most recent operating status of the emergency power supply device 50 (remaining battery charge of the storage battery 53, whether power can be generated by the solar panel 52, amount of power generated, etc.). For example, if power generated by the solar panel 52 is usable, it can be determined that a certain amount of generated power has been secured. In step S108, if it is determined that the emergency power supply device 50 has secured a certain amount of generated power (step S108, "Yes"), the process proceeds to step S109, and if not (step S108, "No"), the process Proceed to step S110.

[0073] In step S109, the smart meter management system 3 is notified to lift the suspension of power usage for the dwelling unit that has reached the upper limit. The emergency power supply management device 10 designates the unique ID of the smart meter 31 of the dwelling unit 30 that has reached the upper limit and the changed number of amperes used for the meter to "5 amperes", and notifies the smart meter management system 3. In the smart meter 31 identified by the unique ID, the number of amperes used is changed to "5 amperes" via the smart meter management system 3, and the temporary suspension of power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to the dwelling unit is lifted. After processing in step S109, the process proceeds to step S110.

[0074] In step S110, it is determined whether or not there is a request to cancel management of the usage status of power supplied from the emergency power supply 50 to each dwelling unit. When the power supplied from the power system 2 returns to a normal state from a power outage state, the emergency power supply management device 10 requests cancellation of management of the power usage status via the local controller 54 constituting the emergency power supply 50. In step S110, if cancellation of management of the power usage status is requested (step S110, "Yes"), the process proceeds to step S111, and if not (step S110, "No"), the process returns to step S105, and the processes from step S106 to step S110 are repeated based on the amount of power usage for each dwelling unit acquired at the next periodic interval.

[0075] In step S111, the smart meter management system 3 is notified that the ampere usage of the smart meter 31 for each dwelling unit that was under management will be restored to the ampere usage based on the power usage contract. The emergency power management device 10 extracts the unique ID of the smart meter 31 stored in the dwelling unit management DB 12 and the information stored in the contract type in association with each dwelling unit, and notifies the extracted information through the network N. In the smart meter 31 identified by the unique ID, the ampere usage is restored to the ampere usage set at the time of the power usage contract through the smart meter management system 3. In the dwelling unit 30 after the restoration, the use of power supplied from the power system 2 that has recovered from a power outage state is resumed at the ampere usage based on the power usage contract. After the processing of step S111 is completed, this routine is temporarily terminated.

[0076] As described above, the emergency power management device 10 of the emergency power management system 1 according to the present embodiment can manage the usage of power supplied from the emergency power supply device to each dwelling unit when a power supply stoppage occurs in an apartment house equipped with an emergency power supply device, such as a power outage. The emergency power management device 10 receives a request from the local controller 54 constituting the emergency power supply device 50 via the network N, and identifies the unique ID of the smart meter 31 provided for each dwelling unit to which power is supplied from the emergency power supply device 50. The emergency power management device 10 can then limit the usage of power supplied to each dwelling unit by uniformly lowering the usage ampere number of the smart meter 31 provided for each dwelling unit to a predetermined ampere number via the smart meter management system 3. In addition, when the usage ampere number is not set, the emergency power management device 10 can uniformly set the upper limit value of the usage ampere number for the smart meter 31 provided for each dwelling unit to be managed via the smart meter management system 3, thereby limiting the usage of power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit.

[0077] Furthermore, the emergency power management device 10 can monitor the remaining battery charge and power generation amount of the emergency power supply device 50, and can monitor the usage of the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit through the smart meter 31. When the total power usage of each dwelling unit reaches a predetermined upper limit, the emergency power management device 10 can temporarily reduce the number of amperes used by the dwelling unit 30 that has reached the upper limit to "0 amperes" through the smart meter management system 3, thereby stopping the use of the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to that dwelling unit. When a certain amount of generated power is secured in the emergency power supply device 50, the number of amperes used by the dwelling unit 30 that has temporarily stopped using power can be restored to a predetermined number of amperes through the smart meter management system 3. The emergency power management device 10 then receives a management release request from the local controller 54 accompanying the restoration of the power state supplied from the power grid 2 from a power outage, and can restore the number of amperes used by the smart meter 31 to the number of amperes used based on the power usage contract through the smart meter management system 3. When the number of amperes used has not been set, the emergency power management device 10 releases the upper limit value (e.g., 5A, etc.) of the amount of power used that was set when using the power supplied from the emergency power supply device 50 to each dwelling unit through the smart meter management system 3. According to this embodiment, with regard to power usage in an emergency, a certain amount of power supply time for power supply to the apartment house can be secured, and fairness between the dwelling units can be secured.

[0078] (others) The above embodiment is merely an example, and the disclosure of the present embodiment may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. The processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0079] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Or, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration for implementing each function can be flexibly changed.

[0080] <Computer-readable recording medium> A program for causing an information processing device or other machine or device (hereinafter, computer, etc.) to realize any of the above functions can be recorded on a recording medium readable by the computer, etc. Then, the computer, etc. can provide the function by reading and executing the program from the recording medium.

[0081] Here, a computer-readable recording medium refers to a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs through electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action and can be read by a computer, etc. Among such recording media, those that can be removed from a computer, etc. include, for example, flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-R / Ws, DVDs, Blu-ray disks, DATs, 8mm tapes, memory cards such as flash memory, etc. Furthermore, examples of recording media that are fixed to a computer, etc. include hard disks and ROMs.

[0082] In the following, the components of the present invention will be described with reference to the reference numerals in the drawings in order to make it possible to compare the components of the present invention with the configurations of the embodiments. <Invention 1> An emergency power management system (1) for managing an amount of power supply from a power source facility (50) that temporarily supplies power to one or more dwelling units (30) when a power supply interruption occurs from a power grid (2) to the one or more dwelling units (30), comprising: a power meter (31) having a communication function provided for each of the dwelling units (30), the power meter (31) being connected to the power system (2) and the power supply equipment (50), and configured to start or stop the supply of power from the power system (2) or the power supply equipment (50) to the dwelling unit (30), set an upper limit of a current that can be supplied to the dwelling unit (30), and measure the amount of power used within the dwelling unit (30); an emergency power management device (10) that monitors, for each of the dwelling units (30), a usage status of the power supplied from the power supply facility (50) to the one or more dwelling units (30) when an interruption in the power supply occurs; The emergency power management device (10) includes a control unit (11) that, when an interruption of the power occurs, sets a current upper limit value for the power meter (31) during power supply and temporarily suppresses the amount of power used that is supplied from the power supply facility (50), and cancels the setting of the current upper limit value when power supplied from the power system (2) to the one or more dwelling units (30) is restored from the interruption of the power. An emergency power management system (1). [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1 Emergency power management system 2 Power system 3. Smart Meter Management System 10 Emergency power management device 11 Control section 12 Residence management database 13 Power management DB 14 Power usage DB 20 Apartment complex 21a Power failure detector panel 30 dwelling units 31 Smart Meter 40 Information processing terminal 50 Emergency power supply 101 Processor 102 Main storage 103 Auxiliary storage device 104 Communication Interface 105 Input / Output Interface 106 Connection Bus

Claims

1. An emergency power management system that manages a power supply amount of a power source facility that temporarily supplies power to one or more dwelling units when a power supply interruption occurs to the one or more dwelling units from a power grid, comprising: a power meter having a communication function provided for each dwelling unit, the power meter being connected to the power grid and the power supply equipment, and configured to start or stop the supply of power from the power grid or the power supply equipment to the dwelling unit, set an upper limit of the current that can be supplied to the dwelling unit, and measure the amount of power used within the dwelling unit; and an emergency power management device that monitors, for each of the dwelling units, a usage status of the power supplied from the power supply equipment to the one or more dwelling units when the power is interrupted; the emergency power management device includes a control unit that, when an interruption in the power occurs, sets a current upper limit value of the power supplied to the power meter for each of the dwelling units, temporarily suppresses the usage of the power supplied from the power supply equipment, and cancels the setting of the current upper limit value when the power supplied from the power system to the one or more dwelling units is restored from the interruption in the power; The control unit acquires the amount of power used in the dwelling unit after the current upper limit value is set, and when the total amount of power used in the dwelling unit exceeds the upper limit value, temporarily stops power supply to the dwelling unit. An emergency power management system comprising:

2. a management device that is connected to the power meter via a communication function, and that instructs the power meter to set an upper limit value of a current of the power supplied from the power system of the dwelling unit in which the power meter is installed and to start or stop power supply, and that manages the amount of power usage measured by the power meter; The emergency power management system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets an upper limit value of a current of the power supplied to each of the dwelling units and cancels the setting of the upper limit value of the current through the management device.

3. The control unit sets different current upper limit values ​​according to predetermined circumstances for each of the dwelling units.

3. The emergency power management system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. 4. The emergency power management system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes an upper limit value related to the total amount of power usage in accordance with a predetermined condition of each of the dwelling units.

5. 5. The emergency power management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the control unit acquires the amount of power supply supplied from the power supply equipment to the one or more plurality of dwelling units at a predetermined periodic interval, and releases the temporary suspension of power supply to dwelling units whose total amount of power usage has exceeded an upper limit value based on the acquired amount of power supply.

6. a first upper current limit value is set in the power meter before the power is stopped; 6. The emergency power management system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, when an interruption in the power supply occurs, sets a second current upper limit value for the power meter that is lower than the first upper limit value, and temporarily suppresses the usage of power supplied from the power supply equipment, and when power supplied from the power system to the one or more plurality of dwelling units is restored from the power interruption, releases the second current upper limit value.

7. A power management method executed by an emergency power management system that manages a power supply amount of a power source facility that temporarily supplies power to one or more dwelling units when a power supply interruption occurs to the one or more dwelling units from a power grid, comprising: The emergency power management system includes: a power meter having a communication function provided for each dwelling unit, the power meter being connected to the power grid and the power supply equipment, and configured to start or stop the supply of power from the power grid or the power supply equipment to the dwelling unit, set an upper limit of the current that can be supplied to the dwelling unit, and measure the amount of power used within the dwelling unit; an emergency power management device that monitors, for each of the dwelling units, a usage status of the power supplied from the power supply equipment to the one or more dwelling units when the power is stopped; The emergency power management device includes: When the power is interrupted, a current upper limit value of the power supplied to each of the dwelling units is set to the power meter, and the amount of power supplied from the power supply equipment is temporarily restricted. acquiring an amount of power usage in the dwelling unit after the current upper limit value is set, and when a total amount of power usage in the dwelling unit exceeds the upper limit value, temporarily stopping power supply to the dwelling unit; canceling the setting of the current upper limit value when the power supplied from the power grid to the one or more dwelling units is restored from the power interruption; A power management method that allows

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