Power control system and method

The power control system aggregates solar power generation and storage batteries at the block level, optimizing energy utilization and power trading through a centralized server, addressing the challenge of local production and consumption and stabilizing energy supply.

JP7714360B2Active Publication Date: 2025-07-29ENERES
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2021054114
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-03-26
Publication Date
2025-07-29
Estimated Expiration
2041-03-26

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing power control systems struggle to effectively utilize solar power generation and storage batteries at the regional level, leading to challenges in achieving local production and consumption of electricity, and difficulty in managing power fluctuations due to weather changes.

Method used

A power control system that connects solar power generation and storage batteries installed in households to a network, enabling comprehensive control of energy utilization at the block level through a power control server that aggregates data and creates charging and discharging schedules based on consumption predictions and control patterns.

Benefits of technology

Enables effective utilization of solar power generation and storage batteries within a specific block, prioritizing local consumption and power trading, thereby stabilizing energy supply and reducing CO2 emissions.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide a power control system and method capable of performing area control and power interchange of energy use in an entire city block to achieve local production and local consumption of solar power generation for each dwelling unit in the entire city block.SOLUTION: A power control system 1 includes: a plurality of storage batteries connected to a power system and installed for each power demand unit H1 to H3; a plurality of HEMS provided for each demand unit and performing control of charging each storage battery and discharging from the storage battery to a load in each demand unit; a management database of a power control server that stores information relating to the HEMS by classifying each HEMS into groups for each block Z1 according to the attributes; a mode setting unit of the HEMS that sets a control pattern for setting the ratio of charging and discharging to demand per group unit; and a group control unit for the power control server that refers to the management database according to the control pattern selected by the mode setting unit, creates a schedule of charging and discharging the storage battery in a predetermined group unit, and performs control according to the schedule.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power control system and a power control method that supply power through a power grid in a predetermined area connected to power receiving and transforming facilities, and perform power management for consumers in that area by group control.

Background Art

[0002] Triggered by the severe disasters such as the Great East Japan Earthquake and recent large typhoons, the constraints on energy supply and the vulnerability of centralized energy systems have become apparent. In response to such situations, there is a growing movement to optimally utilize a variety of supply capabilities (renewable energy, cogeneration, etc.) in combination, taking into account the characteristics of the region, in order to achieve risk dispersion of energy supply and reduction of CO2 emissions.

[0003] The realization of such a "decentralized energy society" is significant not only from the perspective of ensuring the stable supply of lifelines during disasters, but also in terms of the efficient utilization of energy and the activation of the region. As one of the efforts towards its realization, "municipal new power" established through the joint investment of local governments and energy companies has been set up in various places.

[0004] Moreover, the fact that consumers, who have hitherto been only energy users, can participate in the supply of electricity generated from renewable energy is considered to not only bring flexibility to the energy supply-demand structure, but also attract attention from a new perspective of "local production for local consumption" of electricity, in which consumers participate in and contribute to the activation of their own residential areas by choosing municipal new power as an option for selling electricity.

[0005] On one hand, a system that effectively utilizes a conventional power transmission network and enables the planned and efficient control of the power flow in smart cities and smart communities from both the supply and demand sides is becoming widespread. Conventionally, a power trading system that allows surplus power in each consumer's home to be shared among multiple users through such smart cities and smart communities has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such smart cities and smart communities, through smart meters that measure power consumption and power generation at each consumer's home, the monthly meter reading operation is automated, and the electricity usage status in HEMS (Home Energy Management System) and the like is managed.

[0006] In the above-mentioned conventional power transmission systems, smart cities, and smart communities, systems have been developed that can link to consumers' power-saving behaviors by predicting the future amount of electricity consumed in homes and business facilities and visualizing the predicted power consumption on a monitor, or that can optimize the usage status by automatically controlling electrical equipment such as home appliances.

[0007] However, in these smart cities and smart communities, since renewable power sources are distributed power sources, for example, output fluctuations occur due to weather changes in a short period of time. As one of the power supply and demand adjustment technologies for compensating for the fluctuations in the power supply and demand balance caused by these output fluctuations, there is a technology that utilizes distributed energy storage such as "batteries" connected to the distribution network of the power system (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0008]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0009] However, in the system disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, since it collects and analyzes changes in the state of the power system in each customer and outputs the operation schedule (control information) in each customer, it is difficult to perform self - contained power trading at the regional unit level. There was a problem that the solar power generation of each household could not be effectively utilized throughout the block, and it was impossible to achieve local production and consumption of electricity.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention solves the above - mentioned problems. It connects solar power generation and storage batteries installed in households belonging to a specific block unit to a network and performs overall control of energy utilization in the entire block. It can not only effectively utilize the solar power generation of each household through local production and consumption in the entire block, but also enables a planned demand plan based on consumption prediction and a detailed and waste - free power generation plan. The purpose is to provide a power control system and a power control method.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention supplies power to a specific block unit through the power receiving and transforming equipment in the conventional power system, and is a power control system that comprehensively controls power generation and charging, discharging, or power transmission and reception in each demand unit at the specific block unit level. It includes a plurality of energy storage devices connected to the power system and installed for each demand unit of power, a plurality of control devices provided for each demand unit to control the charging of each energy storage device or the discharging from the energy storage device to the load in each demand unit, a management database that classifies and stores information about the plurality of control devices according to the control patterns of power generation and discharging in each demand unit into groups for each region, a mode setting unit that sets a control pattern for setting the ratio of charge - discharge for the demand in each group unit, and a group management unit that creates a charging or discharging schedule for a predetermined group unit by referring to the management database according to the control pattern selected by the mode setting unit and performs control according to the schedule. Power storage device and is provided with a group management unit that creates a charging or discharging schedule for a predetermined group unit by referring to the management database according to the control pattern selected by the mode setting unit and performs control according to the schedule.

[0012] In addition, the present invention is a power control method that supplies power to a specific block unit through substation and transformation equipment in a conventional power system, and comprehensively controls power generation and charging, discharging, or power transmission and reception in each demand unit at the specific block unit level. (1) A step of connecting a plurality of energy storage devices installed for each demand unit of power to the power system, and installing a control device for controlling charging of each energy storage device or discharging from the energy storage device to a load in each demand unit for each demand unit. (2) A step of classifying information on a plurality of control devices into predetermined groups according to control patterns of power generation and discharging in each demand unit, and storing the classified information in a management database. (3) A mode selection step in which a mode setting unit selects a control pattern for setting the ratio of charge and discharge to demand in units of groups, and a group management unit refers to the management database according to the control pattern selected in the mode selection step, and Power storage device creates a charging or discharging schedule in a predetermined group unit and performs control according to the schedule.

[0013] In the above invention, the control device further has a function of notifying the group management unit of the charging and discharging status of each energy storage device provided in each demand unit as performance information, and the group management unit accumulates the performance information from the control device in the management database, and preferably performs control in a predetermined group unit based on the aggregated performance information.

[0014] In the above invention, in the management database, Regarding the control patterns of power generation and discharge priority is assigned to each group, and the group management unit preferably has a recalculation function of re-executing aggregation based on performance information and performing control in group units. Regarding which to prioritize: completion within the network of a specific block unit, power sales to other systems, or completion within each demand unit

[0015] In the above invention, the attribute includes a category corresponding to the charge and discharge speed capacity of each energy storage device, and the group management unit preferably performs control based on the charge and discharge amount per unit time of each energy storage device.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] As described above, according to these inventions, not only the accommodation between individual houses is carried out, but also the data of each individual house belonging to a specific block is aggregated in block units, and an overall control plan is created to issue a group control instruction from the cloud. Specifically, in the present invention, not only the accommodation between individual houses is carried out, but also the data of each individual house belonging to a specific block is aggregated in block units, and an overall control plan is created to issue a group control instruction from a power control server such as a cloud server, for example.

[0017] For this control, a control schedule is created by combining demand performance, power generation / demand prediction, remaining battery level, and the previous operating status. There are multiple control patterns in this control schedule, and selection is possible as needed. As a result, solar power generation and batteries installed in households belonging to a specific block unit are connected to the network, and after selecting a control pattern for energy utilization in the entire block, overall control and power accommodation are performed. For example, the solar power generation of each household is given priority to local consumption or power selling in the entire block, and based on the overall policy of the entire block, the effective utilization of electric power in that area can be achieved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the power control system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiments shown below illustrate devices and the like for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the technical idea of the present invention does not specify the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements, etc. of each component part as those described below. The technical idea of the present invention can be variously modified within the scope of the claims.

[0020] (Overview of the Power Control System) FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the overall configuration of the power control system according to this embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the power control system according to this embodiment is a power control system that supplies power to each demand unit through a power grid connected to the substation equipment 50 at the high-voltage power receiving point 5. Further, in this embodiment, demand units H1 to H3 such as general houses equipped with residential solar power generation and power storage systems are included as demand units.

[0021] Also, in this embodiment, the substation equipment 50 operated by the power generation company is arranged at the high-voltage power receiving point 5, and at the high-voltage power receiving point 5, power is supplied to each demand unit H1 to H3 by the power company operating the power plant. Note that the power company is equipped with a power server, and the power generation by the power generation company is managed by this power server.

[0022] In this embodiment, an energy management service that integrally manages each demand unit H1 to H3 is provided by the power control server 2. Through the energy management service provided by this power control server 2, control plans, demand forecasts, power generation forecasts, and management / settings for each demand unit H1 to H3 belonging to the block Z1 are executed. While referring to external factors such as weather data, the actual performance database is used to predict the future (for example, the next day) power consumption and generate a control schedule. According to the content of the generated schedule, the power control server 2 controls the storage batteries within the block Z1 to be discharged in advance to ensure that they can absorb the power generation amount by sunlight the next day.

[0023] The power control server 2 is connected to the control devices (HEMS) of each demand unit H1 to H3 through the communication network 3. Each demand unit H1 to H3 is connected to the power grid from the high-voltage power receiving point 5, and power is supplied to each demand unit H1 to H3 by the power generation company. Also, data related to control is transmitted from the power control server 2 to the HEMS0 of each demand unit H1 to H3, and the actual performance data (solar power, storage battery, power data) from the user system 4 on the demand unit H1 to H3 side is integrated into the power control server 2.

[0024] Specifically, the power control system 1 is a system that manages and controls power generation, discharging, or power transmission and reception in the power control server 2 and a plurality of user systems 4, 4... that control and manage power for each demand unit H1 to H3 of power. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, it is roughly composed of a smart meter 41, which is an actual performance data generation unit installed in each user system 4, 4... etc., and a power control server 2 connected to the smart meter 41 via the Internet, a telephone line, a dedicated line, or the like.

[0025] In the power control system 1, each smart meter 41 measures the amount of power generated or consumed during each power usage period in each user system for each consumer, generates performance data D1, and the power control server 2 manages the power consumption within the user systems 4, 4... based on the performance data D1. In this embodiment, the power management performance and prediction results in each user system 4, 4... can be utilized on the side of the power control server 2. In the power control system 1, the power control server 2 and the HEMS 40, which is a power control device for demand units H1 to H3, are interconnected via the communication network 3. In each consumer H1 to H3, the smart meter 41 of each user system 4 is connected to the external power grid.

[0026] The HEMS 40 is a power control terminal that manages the energy used in a home (consumer), called "Home Energy Management System". It is interconnected with home appliances and electrical equipment within the consumer via communication such as Wifi, and can "visualize" the usage amounts of electricity, gas, etc. on a monitor screen and "automatically control" home appliances. Specifically, the HEMS 40 is composed of, for example, an information processing terminal equipped with a CPU and a communication function. In addition to each consumer, it can comprehensively control the power facilities of each facility such as power plants, PPSs, power prosumers, and aggregators, and is also communicably connected to the smart meter 41, distribution board 45, etc. within the user system. The target facilities controlled by this HEMS 40 include devices such as the smart meter 41, storage battery 42, PV (Photovoltaics) 43, etc. included in the user system 4 deployed in facilities such as consumers and power prosumers, which manage power generation, power storage, and power consumption.

[0027] Note that various devices controlled by this HEMS 40 can be omitted as necessary. For example, in the user systems 4, 4..., their power consumption is measured by the smart meter 41. However, some consumers may have power generation facilities and energy storage facilities, while some may have only one of the power generation facility or the energy storage facility, or some may have neither and only have the smart meter 41 and only consume power. Also, power prosumers are in the position of consuming power, but can also be located on the side of supplying power with solar power generation or equipped with a battery.

[0028] The communication network 3 is an IP network using a communication protocol TCP / IP such as the Internet, and is a distributed communication network constructed by interconnecting various communication lines (public lines such as telephone lines, ISDN lines, ADSL lines, optical lines, dedicated lines, third-generation (3G) communication methods such as WCDMA (registered trademark) and CDMA2000, fourth-generation (4G) communication methods such as LTE, and communication methods after the fifth generation (5G), etc., as well as wireless communication networks such as Wifi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark)). This IP network also includes LANs such as intranets (corporate internal networks) and home networks using 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, etc.

[0029] (Configuration of each device) Next, the configuration of each device will be described. Note that the "module" used in the description refers to a functional unit configured by hardware such as devices and equipment, software having its function, or a combination thereof, and achieving a predetermined operation.

[0030] (1) User system 4 The user system 4 encompasses all power facilities owned by consumers and prosumers and is also a unit that consumes electricity. A consumer refers to a contractual unit related to the power facilities that receive and use power supply, including high-voltage large customers with a contract power of 500 kW or more, high-voltage small customers with a contract power of 50 kW or more and less than 500 kW, and low-voltage customers with a contract power of less than 50 kW such as ordinary households. In addition, the user system 4 may be equipped with power generation and energy storage facilities. Examples of power generation facilities include solar power generation and wind power generation. This user system 4 includes a HEMS 40 and a smart meter 41 as a performance data generation unit. Moreover, the facilities that consume electricity include not only various household appliances, factory facilities, and office equipment, but also all control devices such as power control devices (IoT devices).

[0031] The HEMS 40 installed in each consumer is connected to the distribution board 45 and can acquire the current, voltage, power waveform, frequency, etc. of the power flowing within the user system 4. It is also a device that actually controls the power generation and charge / discharge of each electrical appliance, PV 43, and battery 42 arranged within the user system 4 (consumer). Specifically, the HEMS 40 is an information processing terminal equipped with a communication function and a CPU, and various functions can be implemented by installing an OS or firmware and various application software. In this embodiment, it functions as a power management unit by installing and running an application. As this information processing terminal, in addition to a personal computer, it can be realized by, for example, a smartphone or a dedicated device with specialized functions, and includes a tablet PC, a mobile computer, and a mobile phone.

[0032] The smart meter 41 is a performance data generation unit that comprehensively manages power generation, power storage, and power consumption within a user system that is a demand unit. In the user system 4 of the consumer, in addition to measuring the power consumption of each consumer, it also controls and manages other facilities within the user system, such as power storage and power generation by batteries and solar power generation, measures the amount of power generated, stored, or consumed during each power usage period of the consumer, generates performance data D1, and periodically sends it to the power control server 2 via the HEMS 40 and the gateway terminal 46. The transmission of this performance data D1 is performed to the power control server 2 through the communication network 3, telephone line, dedicated line, etc.

[0033] In addition, in this embodiment, the smart meter 41 is used as the performance data generation unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it includes all electronic devices having a function of transmitting the state of the self-device as performance data to the communication network by providing a control device such as a power control device (IoT device) such as the HEMS 40, various home appliances, factory facilities, office equipment, etc. arranged in the consumer's home.

[0034] (2) Configuration of the power control server 2 The power control server 2 is a server device managed and operated by a provider of a power management service. As shown in FIG. 6, it includes a communication interface 23, an authentication unit 22, a group management unit 25, an external information database 21a, a user database 21b, a performance management database 21c, a control schedule database 21d, an external information management unit 24, and a data management unit 26.

[0035] The communication interface 23 is a module that transmits and receives data with other communication devices through the communication network 3. In this embodiment, it is connected to each HEMS 40, smart meter 41, and external information source to provide this service.

[0036] The authentication unit 22 is a computer or software with such a function that verifies the legitimacy of an accessor related to power management, and executes an authentication process based on a user ID that identifies a user. In this embodiment, the user ID and password are acquired from the terminal device of the accessor through the communication network 3, and by collating with the user database 21b, it is confirmed whether the accessor has the right, whether the accessor is a contractor, etc.

[0037] The group management unit 25 is a module that creates a control schedule for charging or discharging the storage battery in a predetermined group unit and performs control according to this control schedule. Specifically, the group management unit 25 includes a schedule generation unit 25a and a control planning unit 25b. The schedule generation unit 25a is a module that generates a control schedule by referring to the performance management database 21c according to the control pattern selected by the control planning unit 25b.

[0038] Also, the control planning unit 25b is a module that selects a control mode according to the control plan for a control pattern that sets the ratio of charge and discharge to the demand in the group unit. More specifically, in this embodiment, instead of simply making accommodations between individual houses, data of each individual house belonging to a specific block is aggregated in the block unit, and a control pattern corresponding to the control plan for the entire block is selected. The schedule generation unit 25a generates a control schedule, which is a group control instruction according to the control pattern based on this control plan. Generate.

[0039] This control schedule is a control instruction that combines demand performance, power generation / demand prediction, the remaining amount of the storage battery, and the previous operation status. There are multiple control patterns, and selection is possible as needed.

[0040] As this control pattern, the following three patterns can be mentioned. Note that the control pattern can be added or modified as needed. (a) "Local production and local consumption" pattern This is a control pattern that prioritizes completing power generation and discharge within a specific block unit network and aims to avoid trading with other grids as much as possible. (b) "Power Selling Priority" Pattern This is a control pattern that aims to sell PV-generated electricity to other grids as much as possible. (c) "Self-Consumption Priority" Pattern This is a control pattern that prioritizes completing power generation and discharge within each individual household.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, as this control instruction, modes such as "Discharge", "Auto(c): Charge in Auto", or "Auto(d): Discharge in Auto" are set for each individual household belonging to the area. For the entire area, the power consumption (Forward Flow) is set to 1.3 kW or 0.6 kW, and a control plan is made to realize "local production and local consumption" where the electricity generated within the area is used within the area, and a control pattern based on this is selected.

[0042] Note that the group management unit 25 according to this embodiment includes a system cooperation unit 25c. This system cooperation unit 25c is a module that proceeds with the execution process of the control schedule in cooperation with the HEMS 40 on the side of each user system 4.

[0043] The external information management unit 24 is a module that collects information from each external information source distributed on the communication network 3. Specifically, the external information management unit 24 includes an information collection unit 24a, a correlation extraction unit 24b, and a correlation information providing unit 24c.

[0044] The external information database 21a is a storage device that classifies and stores the collected external information, and stores each external information in association with additional information such as its type, time information, and keywords. The user database 21b is a storage device that stores information about each customer's users and operators such as aggregators.

[0045] The performance management database 21c is a storage device that collects, accumulates, and manages performance data by parties related to the transfer of electric power, such as power plants, consumers, and aggregators. Each performance data received from each smart meter is accumulated in this performance management database and provided for the schedule generation process in the schedule generation unit 25a of the group management unit 25. The control schedule database 21d is a storage device that records the control schedule for each consumer and its execution results.

[0046] The data management unit 26 is a module that generates teacher data for learning by collecting and analyzing the performance data D1 and the estimated history D2 from each consumer. The analysis result by this data management unit 26 is input to the group management unit 25 together with the correlation information analyzed by the external information management unit 24 and used for generating the control schedule. Specifically, the data management unit 26 includes a performance data collection unit 26a and an estimated history collection unit 26b.

[0047] (3)HEMS40 Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the HEMS 40 includes a CPU 402, a memory 403, an input interface 404, a storage 401, an output interface 405, and a communication interface 406. In this embodiment, these devices are connected via a CPU bus 400, enabling mutual data transfer.

[0048] The memory 403 and the storage 401 are storage devices that store data in a recording medium and read out the stored data in response to requests from each device. For example, they can be configured by a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a memory card, or the like. In particular, in the present embodiment, the storage 401 functions as a data recording unit that records the estimation history information D2 in which the power state of the individual device is recorded in time series based on the estimation result by the operating electrical equipment identification unit 402d, which is an individual device estimation unit, and also functions as an actual power consumption accumulation unit that accumulates the actual power consumption information D5 regarding the power actually consumed in the customer's home on the customer's home side.

[0049] The input interface 404 is a module that receives a control signal from each facility installed in the user system, and the received control signal is transmitted to the CPU 402 and processed by the OS and each application. On the other hand, the output interface 405 is a module that outputs a control signal to each facility installed in the user system. Each facility installed in such a user system varies depending on the form of the customer or prosumer, etc. For example, in the case of a customer, power consumption is measured by the smart meter 41, and for power generation and power storage, some have both solar power generation and power storage facilities, some have either solar power generation or a storage battery facility, and some have neither power generation nor power storage facilities. Also, in the case of a prosumer, power consumption is measured by the smart meter 41, and control signals for the solar power generation (PV) 42 and the storage battery 42 are input and output.

[0050] The communication interface 406 is a module that transmits and receives data to and from other communication devices. As communication methods, for example, public lines such as telephone lines, ISDN lines, ADSL lines, optical lines, dedicated lines, third-generation (3G) communication methods such as WCDMA (registered trademark) and CDMA2000, fourth-generation (4G) communication methods such as LTE, and communication methods after the fifth-generation (5G), as well as wireless communication networks such as Wifi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark) are included.

[0051] The CPU 402 is a device that performs various arithmetic operations necessary for controlling each part. By executing various programs, various modules are virtually constructed on the CPU 11. On this CPU 402, an OS (Operating System) is started and executed, and the basic functions of each HEMS 40 are managed and controlled by this OS. Also, various applications can be executed on this OS. When the OS program is executed by the CPU 402, various functional modules are virtually constructed on the CPU.

[0052] In this embodiment, by executing browser software on the CPU 402, it becomes possible to view and input information on the system through this browser software. More specifically, this browser software is a module for viewing web pages, and it downloads HTML (HyperText Markup Language) files, image files, music files, etc. from the power control server 2 through the communication network 3, analyzes the layout, and displays and plays them. With this browser software, it is also possible for the user to send data to the web server using a form or operate application software described in JavaScript, Flash, and Java (registered trademark), etc. Through this browser software, each user can utilize the power management service provided by the power control server 2.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 5, on the CPU 402, as an actual power consumption management module for detecting the operating status of loads 441 to 44n in the customer's home through the input interface 404, it is equipped with a total power consumption acquisition unit 402a, a power waveform information acquisition unit 402b, and a time variation calculation unit 402c. Also, as a module for identifying the electrical equipment operating in the customer's home and predicting the power consumption, it is equipped with an operating electrical equipment identification unit 402d, a likelihood estimation unit 402e, and a power prediction unit 402f. Further, it has a mode setting unit 402g as a module for causing the power prediction unit 402f to perform machine learning. And it is equipped with a charge / discharge control unit 402h as a module for actually controlling the power generation and charge / discharge of the PV 43 and the storage battery 42 arranged in the customer's home.

[0054] The total power consumption acquisition unit 402a is a module that measures and acquires the current, voltage, etc. of the power related to the power flowing in the user system 4 connected to the distribution board 45 via the input interface 404. The power waveform information acquisition unit 402b is a module that measures and acquires the waveform and frequency of the power related to the power flowing in the user system 4 through the distribution board 45. The time variation calculation unit 402c is a module that calculates the time variation of the total power consumption measured by the total power consumption acquisition unit 402a. The total power consumption acquisition unit 402a, the power waveform information acquisition unit 402b, and the time variation calculation unit 402c constitute an actual power consumption management module that is an actual power consumption storage unit. The various information obtained by the total power consumption acquisition unit 402a, the power waveform information acquisition unit 402b, and the time variation calculation unit 402c is stored in the storage 401 as actual power consumption information D5 related to the actually consumed power. This actual power consumption information D5 is used as teacher data for training the artificial intelligence of the power prediction unit 402f together with the estimated history information D2.

[0055] The operating electrical equipment identification unit 402d is installed on the electrical equipment (load) side closer to the electrical equipment than the smart meter 41 which is a performance data generation unit in the customer's home. It analyzes the temporal variation of the total power consumption measured in customer units by the smart meter 41 and calculated by the temporal variation calculation unit 402c, and functions as an individual equipment estimation unit that estimates the individual equipment operating in the customer's home and its individual power consumption. Further, the operating electrical equipment identification unit 402d stores the estimation history D2, which is the history of the generated estimation results, in the storage 401 in association with information representing a specific period. The likelihood of the estimation by this operating electrical equipment identification unit 402d is verified by the likelihood estimation unit 402e.

[0056] Here, the virtual individual equipment may be each of the electrical equipment actually existing in the house, or may be a virtual electrical equipment corresponding to the magnitude of the estimated disaggregated power. For example, when the total power consumption measured by the total power measurement device 300 increases by 50 W in a certain cycle, it is analyzed that an electrical equipment having a power consumption of 50 W (it is not necessary to specify a specific equipment) has started operating. Also, when the total power consumption measured by the smart meter 41 decreases by 100 W in a certain cycle, it is analyzed that an electrical equipment having a power consumption of 100 W has stopped operating. That is, the virtual individual equipment in this case refers to an electrical equipment with an estimated disaggregated power of 50 W and an electrical equipment with an estimated disaggregated power of 100 W (hereinafter, these are denoted as individual equipment [50 W], individual equipment [100 W], etc.).

[0057] In addition, the specific period to be analyzed is a period that covers the usage patterns of electrical appliances in individual houses (such as daily usage patterns, weekly usage patterns, etc.), and examples include a cycle of 3 to 7 days for each season. Also, the predetermined time unit for calculating the power state parameters is obtained by dividing one day into a plurality of time zones. For example, considering the daily power usage pattern within a household, it is possible to set four time zones: morning, noon, evening, and night. Note that this is just an example. For example, the predetermined time unit may be one hour, or a shorter time unit. Alternatively, the predetermined time unit may be a unit longer than one day, such as several days. In short, the predetermined time unit can be determined according to the desired granularity for predicting future total power consumption.

[0058] Furthermore, the operating electrical appliance identification unit 402d estimates the power-on state of each individual device using the device list T1 stored in the storage 401 for the total power consumption obtained by the total power consumption acquisition unit 402a. Also, the operating electrical appliance identification unit 402d estimates the number of operating individual devices at the prediction start time from the real-time total power consumption by applying the device list T1 to the total power consumption obtained by the total power consumption acquisition unit 402a.

[0059] The power prediction unit 402f is a module that predicts the power consumption of individual devices (hereinafter referred to as individual power consumption) in a future period to be predicted (prediction period) using a control pattern corresponding to the control mode set by the mode setting unit 402g. Specifically, the power prediction unit 402f refers to the control pattern corresponding to the control mode, obtains the device list T1 by estimating the virtual individual devices and their individual power consumption, estimates the number of operating individual devices using this device list T1, and calculates the power state parameters representing the power state of the individual devices in a predetermined time unit based on this estimation result, thereby generating prediction data regarding the power consumption of individual devices.

[0060] Also, while referring to the control pattern corresponding to the control mode, the power prediction unit 402f uses the estimated history information D2 recorded in the storage 401 to estimate the number of operating units of individual devices at the prediction start time from the total power consumption measured in real time, and also functions as an individual power prediction unit that predicts the transition of individual power consumption during the prediction period from the prediction start time using the power state parameters for the period corresponding to the prediction period.

[0061] Furthermore, the power prediction unit 402f causes the time variation calculation unit 402c to calculate the time variations of the total power consumption and the power waveform etc. measured in real time by the total power consumption acquisition unit 402a and the power waveform information acquisition unit 402b. Then, according to the control pattern corresponding to the control mode, by applying the device list (virtual individual devices and their individual power consumptions) stored in the storage 401 for the period corresponding to the prediction period, the number of operating units of individual devices at the prediction start time is estimated from the total power consumption in real time. And the power prediction unit 402f predicts the transition of individual power consumption during the prediction period from the prediction start time using the power state parameters for the period corresponding to the prediction period.

[0062] Also, in this embodiment, the power prediction unit 402f predicts the transition of the total power consumption during the prediction period while referring to the control pattern corresponding to the control mode based on the transition of the individual power consumption during the prediction period predicted by the operating electrical device identification unit 402d. Specifically, the power prediction unit 402f predicts the transition of the total power consumption during the prediction period by summing up the individual power consumptions at each time in the prediction period predicted by the operating electrical device identification unit 402d for each time.

[0063] The charge / discharge control unit 402h controls power generation and charge / discharge of the PV 43 and the storage battery 42 through the output interface 405. In addition, for example, it also has a function of notifying the user of the total power consumption predicted by the power prediction unit 402f. Or, when the total power consumption predicted by the power prediction unit 402f exceeds a threshold value, a warning message may be notified including information on which time period exceeds the threshold value and by how much.

[0064] (Operation of the power control system) By operating the power control system described above, the power management method of the present invention can be implemented. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the power control system. Note that the processing procedures described below are merely examples, and each process may be changed as much as possible. Also, regarding the processing procedures described below, steps can be omitted, replaced, and added as appropriate according to the embodiments.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 8, in the user system 4 on the consumer side, the power generated, stored, or consumed within the system is constantly measured (S101). In this power measurement, the temporal variation of the power waveform is also measured and recorded at any time. On the other hand, on the management server side, in conjunction with the power consumption measurement on the consumer side, the collection and classification of external information are constantly performed (S201). Then, periodically, or as soon as a predetermined amount of information is accumulated, the collected and classified external information is provided to the HEMS 40 on each consumer side (S202). Receiving this provision of external information, on the consumer side, the analysis of the total power consumption and the estimation of the individual power consumption are performed (S102).

[0066] Specifically, the operating electrical equipment identification unit 402d analyzes the temporal variation of the total power consumption measured for each consumer, and estimates the individual equipment operating within the user system 4 and its individual power consumption. Using this estimated history information, for the total power consumption measured in real time, the number of operating units of individual equipment at the prediction start time is estimated from the real-time total power consumption. At this time, the operating electrical equipment identification unit 402d analyzes the power waveform measured by the smart meter 41 and its temporal change, and extracts the characteristics of the frequency components and the power fluctuation pattern, thereby estimating the individual equipment in operation, its individual power consumption, and its duration.

[0067] Next, using the power state parameters for the period corresponding to the prediction period, the transition of the individual power consumption in the prediction period from the prediction start time is predicted, and the transition of the total power consumption in the prediction period is predicted based on the transition of the individual power consumption in the prediction period predicted by the operating electrical equipment identification unit 402d (S103). Also, based on the estimation result by this operating electrical equipment identification unit 402d, the estimated history information recording the state of the power supply of individual equipment in time series is recorded (S104).

[0068] Based on the transition of the total power consumption predicted in this way, DR control for controlling power generation and charge / discharge of the storage battery within the user system is executed (S105). In this power control, based on the estimated characteristics of individual equipment and past usage patterns, the charge / discharge of the storage battery is controlled based on a detailed power prediction based on how much power each equipment consumes for how long. Also, in this power control, so-called "peak cut" control is performed to avoid instantaneously exceeding the so-called contract power consumption. Depending on the type of estimated individual equipment, it is predicted how long and how much power each equipment will continuously use, and if a peak is likely to occur, charging of the storage battery is stopped or the stored power is discharged, etc., to avoid an instantaneous increase in the power consumption.

[0069] Also, as part of this power control, for example, when it is estimated that an electrical appliance is in use and a peak in the contract power is likely to occur, a recommendation message may be output to, for example, discourage the use of the device or recommend changing the start time of use. The output of this recommendation message can be achieved by methods such as displaying it on a display in the customer's home or outputting it as voice from a smart speaker. Also, peak shaving can be achieved by using a power control terminal to perform automatic control using a storage battery.

[0070] This control result is collected by the smart meter 41 as performance data D1, and the estimated history information is stored in the storage 401 (S106). These performance data and estimated history information are transmitted from each user system to the power control server 2 respectively (S107) and collected by the power control server 2 (S203). Regarding the performance data and estimated history information collected here, they are compared with external information to extract their correlation relationships and generate correlation information (S204).

[0071] Then, based on the collected performance data, estimated history information, correlation information, and external information, a control schedule is generated (S206). At this time, the mode (control pattern) is referred to (S205), and according to the control pattern, a control schedule reflecting the priority of charge and discharge is generated, and the mode is set according to this control schedule (S108).

[0072] (Function and effect) According to the embodiment described above, the solar power generation and storage batteries installed in households belonging to a specific block unit are connected to the network, and after selecting the control pattern of energy utilization for the entire block, overall control and power trading are performed, and the solar power generation of each household can be effectively utilized through local production and local consumption in the entire block.

[0073] Also, according to the present embodiment, the time variation of the total power consumption and the power waveform (frequency) of a user system of a consumer are measured and analyzed, the individual devices operating in the user system and their power consumption are estimated, and based on the characteristics of each individual device, the subsequent total power consumption is predicted. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, power control using a smart city or a smart community and prediction of future power consumption in a small unit facility such as an individual house or a small building can cover the state changes specific to each consumer that occur individually and in the short term for each consumer.

[0074] In addition, regarding the estimation history of individual devices and the prediction of total power consumption, the correlation with external information is also analyzed, and by extracting the characteristics of the frequency components and the power fluctuation patterns, the individual devices in operation and their individual power consumption, which is the individual power consumption, are estimated and reflected in the next prediction process through machine learning. Therefore, individual power control can be realized according to the power consumption pattern specific to each consumer, and the prediction accuracy can be further improved.

[0075] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and at the implementation stage, the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the gist. Also, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0076] D1… Performance Data D2… Estimation History D3… External Information D4… Correlation Information D77… Judgment Result 1… Power Control System 2… Power Control Server 3… Communication Network 4… User System 5… External Information Source 11… CPU 21a… External Information Database 21b… User database 21c… Performance management database 21d… Control schedule database 22… Authentication unit 23… Communication interface 24… External information management unit 24a… Information collection unit 24b… Correlation extraction unit 24c… Correlation information providing unit 25… Group control unit 25a… Schedule generation unit 25b… Control planning unit 25c… System cooperation unit 26… Data management unit 26a… Performance data collection unit 26b… Estimated history collection unit 40… HEMS 41… Smart meter 42… Storage battery 43… PV 45… Distribution board 46… Gateway terminal 400… CPU bus 401… Storage 402… CPU 402a… Total power consumption acquisition unit 402b… Power waveform information acquisition unit 402c… Time variation calculation unit 402d… Operating electrical equipment identification unit 402e… Likelihood estimation unit 402f… Power prediction unit 402g… Mode setting unit 402h… Charge and discharge control unit 403… Memory 404… Input interface 405… Output interface 406… Communication interface 441~44n… Load

Claims

1. A power control system that supplies power to each demand unit through a power system connected to a substation and controls power generation, power discharge, or power transmission and reception in each demand unit, comprising: a plurality of energy storage devices connected to the power system and installed for each demand unit of power; a plurality of control devices provided for each demand unit to control charging of each energy storage device or discharging from the energy storage device to a load in each demand unit; a management database that accumulates information on the plurality of control devices by classifying each control device into a group for each region according to a control pattern of power generation and power discharge in each demand unit; a mode setting unit that sets a control pattern for setting a ratio of charge and discharge to demand in each group unit; a group management unit that refers to the management database according to the control pattern selected by the mode setting unit, creates a schedule for charging or discharging the energy storage device in the predetermined group unit, and performs control according to the schedule A power control system characterized by comprising.

2. The control device further has a function of notifying the group management unit of the charging and discharging status of each energy storage device provided in each demand unit as performance information, The group management unit accumulates the performance information from the control device in the management database and performs control in the predetermined group unit based on the aggregated performance information The power control system according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. In the management database, for the control patterns of power generation and power discharge, a priority is assigned to each group as to which of completion within the network of a specific block unit, power sales to other power systems, or completion within each demand unit is to be prioritized, The group management unit has a recalculation function of re-executing the aggregation based on the performance information and performing control in the group unit The power control system according to claim 2, characterized in that.

4. A power control method that supplies power to each demand unit through a power system connected to a substation and controls power generation, power discharge, or power transmission and reception in each demand unit, comprising: a step of connecting a plurality of energy storage devices installed for each demand unit of power to the power system and installing a control device for controlling charging of each energy storage device or discharging from the energy storage device to a load in each demand unit for each demand unit; A step of classifying information on the plurality of control devices into predetermined groups according to power generation and discharge control patterns in each demand unit and storing the classified information in a management database; A mode selection step in which a mode setting unit selects a control pattern for setting a charge / discharge ratio for demand in each group unit; A step in which a group management unit refers to the management database according to the control pattern selected in the mode selection step, creates a charge or discharge schedule for the power storage device in the predetermined group unit, and performs control according to the schedule; A power control method characterized by including the above steps.

5. The control device further has a function of notifying the group management unit of the charging and discharging status of each power storage device provided in each demand unit as performance information; The group management unit stores the performance information from the control device in the management database and performs control in the predetermined group unit based on the aggregated performance information. The power control method according to claim 4, characterized by the above.

6. In the management database, for power generation and discharge control patterns, for each group, a priority is assigned as to which of completion within the network in a specific block unit, power sales to other systems, or completion within each demand unit is to be prioritized; The group management unit has a recalculation function of re-executing the aggregation based on performance information and performing control in the group unit. The power control method according to claim 5, characterized by the above.

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