Building power supply system

Abstract

To provide a building power supply system capable of suppressing wasteful consumption of a power storage device during a power failure.SOLUTION: A power supply system for a building 10 includes a power storage device 17 and a controller 40. When a power outage occurs in the building 10, the controller 40 supplies the stored power stored in the power storage device 17 to an LDK circuit 22 including electric devices 24 to 26 provided in the LDK 21 of the building 10. The building 10 is provided with a switching device 13 that switches between executing and stopping the supply of electric power from the power storage device 17 to the LDK circuit 22. The controller 40 determines whether a resident exists in the LDK 21 when a power outage occurs in the building 10. Then, when the controller 40 determines that the resident does not exist in the LDK 21, even though the power failure has occurred, the switching device 13 is controlled to stop the supply of stored power from the power storage device 17 to the LDK circuit 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to building power supply systems. [Background technology]

[0002] A system is known that can continue to supply power to various electrical loads (such as home appliances and lighting fixtures) within a building even if the supply of grid power (commercial power) to the building is stopped due to a power outage.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, a power storage device is installed in a building, and when a power outage is detected in the building, the power source for electrical equipment in the building is automatically switched from the grid power supply to the power storage device. As a result, even if a power outage occurs in the building, power can be continuously supplied to the electrical equipment using power from the power storage device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-153337 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It is desirable to conserve as much electricity stored in a power storage device as possible in the event of a prolonged power outage. However, if the building's power source is switched to a power storage device, even if no residents are in the building during a power outage, the power stored in the power storage device will be consumed at least by standby power of electrical appliances. This raises concerns that the power stored in the power storage device will be wasted.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its main object to provide a power supply system for a building that can suppress unnecessary consumption of a power storage device during a power outage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the building power supply system of the first invention is a building power supply system that includes a storage device for storing electricity, and in the event of a power outage in the building, supplies the stored electricity stored in the storage device to a specific circuit including a plurality of electrical appliances installed in the building, and is characterized by including: a switching means that switches between continuing or stopping the supply of stored electricity from the storage device to the specific circuit; a determination means that, in the event of a power outage in the building, determines whether or not an occupant is present in the building; and, if the determination means determines that no occupant is present in the building, a control means that controls the switching means to stop the supply of stored electricity from the storage device to the specific circuit despite the occurrence of a power outage.

[0008] According to the present invention, if there is no resident in the building during a power outage in the building, the supply of stored power from the power storage device to the specific circuit is stopped despite the power outage, thereby making it possible to prevent unnecessary consumption of stored power in the power storage device during a power outage in the building.

[0009] The second invention is a building power supply system according to the first invention, characterized in that all of the plurality of electrical devices are installed in a specified room within the building, the determination means determines whether or not an occupant is present in the specified room, and the control means controls the switching means to stop the supply of stored power from the storage device when the determination means determines that no occupant is present in the specified room.

[0010] In the present invention, a plurality of electrical devices that receive power from a power storage device during a power outage are installed in a specific room in a building. In such a configuration, even if a resident is present in the building, it is considered that there is little need to supply power to the electrical devices when the resident is not present in the specific room. Therefore, in the present invention, it is determined whether or not a resident is present in the specific room, and if the determination indicates that the resident is not present in the specific room, the power supply from the power storage device is stopped. This more effectively prevents the stored power in the power storage device from being wasted.

[0011] The building power supply system of the third invention is the second invention, and comprises a notification means for, when the determination means determines that a resident is not present in the building, notifying the resident requesting an instruction as to whether or not to stop the supply of stored power from the storage device to the specific circuit, and an instruction determination means for, when the resident gives an instruction in response to the notification by the notification means, determining whether the instruction is a power supply stop instruction to stop the supply of stored power or a power supply implementation instruction to implement the supply of stored power, wherein the control means controls the switching means to stop the supply of stored power from the storage device to the specific circuit when the instruction determination means determines that the instruction from the resident is the power supply stop instruction, and to implement the supply of stored power from the storage device to the specific circuit when the instruction determination means determines that the instruction from the resident is the power supply implementation instruction.

[0012] However, even when a resident is absent from a building during a power outage, it is conceivable that power supply to an electrical appliance (e.g., a refrigerator) may be necessary. Therefore, in the present invention, when a resident is absent, a notification is sent to the resident requesting an instruction on whether or not to stop the supply of stored power to the electrical appliance (specific circuit). The system then determines whether the instruction from the resident in response to the notification is a power supply stop instruction to stop the supply of stored power or a power supply instruction to start the supply of stored power. If the instruction is a power supply stop instruction, the supply of stored power is stopped. If the instruction is a power supply instruction, the supply of stored power is started. With this configuration, even when a resident is absent, stored power can be supplied based on the resident's instruction when it is necessary. Therefore, it is possible to ensure power supply to electrical appliances that require power supply while suppressing wasteful consumption of stored power in the power storage device.

[0013] The building power supply system of the fourth invention is characterized in that, in the third invention, the control means controls the switching means to supply stored power from the storage device to the specific circuit when no instruction is received from the resident even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the notification by the notification means.

[0014] According to the present invention, if no instruction is given by the resident even after a predetermined time has passed since the notification by the notification means, stored power is supplied from the power storage device to the electrical device (specific circuit). This ensures that power supply to the electrical device is ensured when power is needed during a power outage. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an outline of a power supply system. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart showing power supply processing during a power outage in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing a power supply process during a power outage in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] (First embodiment) As shown in Fig. 1, commercial power is supplied from a commercial power source to a building 10. The building 10 is provided with a switching device 13 connected to the commercial power source via a power line 12, and a distribution board 14 connected to the switching device 13 via a power line 15. This allows commercial power to be supplied from the commercial power source to the distribution board 14 via the power lines 12, 15 and the switching device 13.

[0018] An electric storage device 17 is provided on the outdoor side of the building 10. The electric storage device 17 is connected to the distribution board 14 via a power line 19. Commercial power is supplied to the electric storage device 17 from the distribution board 14 via the power line 19. Therefore, the electric storage device 17 is charged by the commercial power.

[0019] The power storage device 17 is connected to the switching device 13 via a power line 18. The power (stored power) stored in the power storage device 17 is supplied to the distribution board 14 via the power lines 15, 18 and the switching device 13. The power storage device 17 is intended to be used as an emergency power source in the event of a power outage due to a disaster or the like.

[0020] The switching device 13 switches the source of power supplied to the distribution board 14. Specifically, the switching device 13 can be switched among a first position where commercial power from a commercial power source is supplied to the distribution board 14, a second position where stored power in the power storage device 17 is supplied to the distribution board 14, and a third position where neither commercial power nor stored power is supplied to the distribution board 14. In normal times when no power outage occurs, the power storage device 17 is in the first position to supply power from the commercial power source to the distribution board 14. In an emergency when a power outage occurs, the switching device 13 can be switched to the second position to supply power from the power storage device 17 to the distribution board 14. The switching device 13 corresponds to a switching means.

[0021] Electric power supplied to the distribution board 14 is distributed from the distribution board 14 to multiple circuits (branch circuits) within the building 10. The building 10 has multiple rooms. The multiple rooms include an LDK (living, dining, and kitchen) 21, which is a continuous area consisting of a living room, dining room, and kitchen. The LDK 21 is equipped with electrical appliances such as a light 24, an air conditioner 25, and a refrigerator 26 (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "electrical appliances 24-26"). The LDK circuit 22 includes the electrical appliances 24-26 and a unit cable 23 connected to the electrical appliances 24-26. The distribution board 14 and the LDK circuit 22 are connected via a power line 29, and either commercial power or stored power is supplied from the distribution board 14 to the LDK circuit 22 via the power line 29. For convenience, FIG. 1 omits illustration of circuits within the building 10 other than the LDK circuit 22. The LDK 21 corresponds to a specific room, and the LDK circuit 22 corresponds to a specific circuit.

[0022] The power line 12 is provided with a power failure detection sensor 31 that detects whether or not power is being supplied from a commercial power source to the building 10.

[0023] The living / dining / kitchen area 21 is provided with an infrared sensor 32 that detects whether or not a resident is present in the living / dining / kitchen area 21.

[0024] In building 10, even in an emergency such as a power outage, switching device 13 from the first position to the second position allows power to be supplied from power storage device 17 to living / dining / kitchen area circuit 22 via power lines 18, 15, and 29, switching device 13, and distribution board 14. Because living / dining / kitchen area circuit 22 is thus capable of supplying power even in an emergency, it can also be called an emergency power supply circuit. Furthermore, the emergency power supply circuit does not necessarily have to be living / dining / kitchen area circuit 22, but may be another circuit, such as a bedroom circuit for a bedroom. Multiple emergency power supply circuits may also be set up.

[0025] Next, the electrical configuration of the power supply system will be described.

[0026] This power supply system includes a controller 40 as a control means. The controller 40 is configured with a well-known microcomputer having a CPU and the like. The controller 40 includes a communication unit 42 capable of communicating via the Internet 47, a memory unit 43 for storing various information, and a timer 44 for measuring time. The controller 40 is attached to a wall in the living / dining / kitchen area 21, for example.

[0027] A power outage detection sensor 31 is connected to the controller 40. Detection results are sequentially input to the controller 40 from the power outage detection sensor 31. Based on the detection results of the power outage detection sensor 31, the controller 40 determines whether or not a power outage has occurred in the building 10.

[0028] The controller 40 is connected to an infrared sensor 32. Detection results are sequentially input to the controller 40 from the infrared sensor 32. The controller 40 determines whether or not a resident is present in the living / dining / kitchen kitchen 21 based on the detection results of the infrared sensor 32. In other words, the controller 40 functions as a determination means.

[0029] The switching device 13 is connected to the controller 40. The controller 40 controls the switching device 13 based on the determination results based on the detection results of the sensors 31 and 32. In other words, the controller 40 functions as a control means.

[0030] The resident owns a mobile terminal 45. The controller 40 and the mobile terminal 45 can communicate with each other via the Internet 47. By operating the mobile terminal 45, the resident can transmit to the controller 40 an instruction as to whether or not to stop the supply of power (stored power) from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining kitchen circuit 22 (to the electrical appliances 24-26). Specifically, the resident can transmit a "power supply stop instruction" to stop the supply of power from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining kitchen circuit 22, and a "power supply execution instruction" to start the supply of power from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining kitchen circuit 22. Upon receiving an instruction transmitted from the resident (mobile terminal 45), the controller 40 determines whether the received instruction is a power supply stop instruction or a power supply execution instruction. In other words, the controller 40 functions as an instruction determination means. The controller 40 then controls the switching device 13 based on the determination result as to whether the received instruction is a power supply stop instruction or a power supply execution instruction.

[0031] The controller 40 can transmit a notification to the mobile terminal 45 of the resident requesting an instruction as to whether or not to stop the supply of power from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen circuit 22 (i.e., an instruction to stop power supply or an instruction to start power supply). In other words, the controller 40 functions as a notification means.

[0032] However, it is also possible that, for example, if a power outage occurs in building 10 while the resident is out, the resident will not be in LDK 21 at the time the power outage occurs. In this case, the resident who uses electrical appliances 24-26 will not be in LDK 21, and therefore there is little need to supply power to LDK circuit 22. Nevertheless, if power storage device 17 were to supply power to LDK circuit 22 even when the resident is not in LDK 21 during a power outage, there is a concern that the stored power of power storage device 17 will be wasted due to standby power of electrical appliances 24-26, etc.

[0033] Therefore, in this power supply system, when a power outage occurs in the building 10, that is, when commercial power cannot be supplied to the electrical appliances 24 to 26 in the building 10, the controller 40 executes a power outage power supply process that controls the power supply from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen circuit 22 to prevent unnecessary consumption of the stored power in the power storage device 17. The power outage power supply process will be described below with reference to FIG. 2.

[0034] The power outage power supply process is started when a power outage occurs in the building 10. More specifically, the controller 40 starts the power outage power supply process when it determines that a power outage has occurred in the building 10 based on the detection result of the power outage detection sensor 31. The power outage power supply process is executed repeatedly at a predetermined cycle during the power outage and ends when the power is restored.

[0035] In step S11, it is determined whether a "power supply stop flag" described below is set. If the power supply stop flag is set, a YES determination is made and the process proceeds to step S13. If the power supply stop flag is not set, a NO determination is made and the process proceeds to step S12. Note that, when it is determined that a power outage has occurred in the building 10, the power supply stop flag is not set, and therefore, when step S11 is executed for the first time after the start of the power outage start process, a YES determination is made.

[0036] In step S12, the switching device 13 is switched from the first position to the second position, and power is supplied from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen circuit 22. Then, the process proceeds to step S13. As a result, if a power outage occurs in the building 10, power is immediately supplied from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen circuit 22.

[0037] In step S13, it is determined whether or not a resident is present in the living / dining / kitchen kitchen 21 based on the detection result of the infrared sensor 32. If a resident is present (in the room) in the living / dining / kitchen kitchen 21, a YES determination is made and the process proceeds to step S21. If a resident is not present in the living / dining / kitchen kitchen 21, a NO determination is made and the process proceeds to step S14.

[0038] In step S14, it is determined whether or not the notification process described below has been executed. If the notification process has been executed, the determination is YES and the process proceeds to step S16. If the notification process has not been executed, the determination is NO and the process proceeds to step S15.

[0039] In step S15, a notification process is executed. The notification process is a process of sending a notification to the resident (mobile terminal 45) requesting an instruction as to whether or not to stop the power supply from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining kitchen circuit 22. The resident who received the notification determines whether or not to stop the power supply from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining kitchen circuit 22, and then transmits either a power supply stop instruction or a power supply execution instruction from the mobile terminal 45 to the controller 40. Next, the process proceeds to step S16.

[0040] In step S16, it is determined whether a power supply stop instruction or a power supply execution instruction has been received. If a power supply stop instruction or a power supply execution instruction has been received, a YES determination is made and the process proceeds to step S17. If neither a power supply stop instruction nor a power supply execution instruction has been received, a NO determination is made and the process ends. As a result, if neither a power supply stop instruction nor a power supply execution instruction has been received from the resident, power supply from power storage device 17 to electrical appliances 24-26 continues.

[0041] In step S17, it is determined whether the instruction received from the resident is an instruction to stop power supply. If it is an instruction to stop power supply, the determination is YES and the process proceeds to step S18. If it is not an instruction to stop power supply, i.e., if it is an instruction to start power supply, the determination is NO and the process proceeds to step S20.

[0042] In step S18, the switching device 13 is switched from the second position to the third position to stop the supply of power from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen circuit 22. Then, the process proceeds to step S19. That is, if the resident determines that the supply of power from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen circuit 22 should be stopped, the resident can stop the supply of power from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen circuit 22 by transmitting a power supply stop instruction.

[0043] In step S19, the power supply stop flag is set, and then this process ends.

[0044] In step S20, the switching device 13 is set to the second position, and power is supplied from the power storage device 17 to the living room / living room circuit 22. After that, this process ends.

[0045] In step S21 after the determination of YES in step S13, the power supply stop flag is cleared. Then, this process ends. Therefore, when a resident is present in the living / dining kitchen 21, the supply of power from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining kitchen circuit 22 continues.

[0046] It is anticipated that there will be some cases where it is necessary to continue supplying power to electrical appliances 24 to 26 even when the resident is not present in living, dining, and kitchen 21. For example, in the summer, a resident who is out may want to continue operating air conditioner 25 to maintain a good room temperature in living, dining, and kitchen 21, or may want to continue operating refrigerator 26 to prevent food and other items in refrigerator 26 from spoiling. In such cases, the resident can send a power supply instruction (or send no instruction at all) from mobile terminal 45 while away from home, thereby causing power storage device 17 to supply power to air conditioner 25 and refrigerator 26.

[0047] 2, when the controller 40 determines that the power outage has been restored in the building 10 based on the detection result of the power outage detection sensor 31, the controller 40 switches the switching device 13 to the first position to start supplying commercial power from the commercial power source to the electrical devices 24 to 26. If the stop flag is set, the controller 40 clears the stop flag based on the restoration of the power outage.

[0048] The switching device 13 can also be manually switched by a resident. Therefore, when a resident is in the building 10, the resident can manually switch the switching device 13 without necessarily operating the mobile terminal 45.

[0049] According to the configuration of the first embodiment described above in detail, the following excellent effects can be obtained.

[0050] According to the first embodiment, when a power outage occurs in the building 10 and there are no residents in the building 10 (specifically, the living / dining / kitchen area 21), the controller 40 stops the supply of stored power from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen area circuit 22, even though a power outage has occurred. This makes it possible to prevent the stored power of the power storage device 17 from being wasted when a power outage occurs in the building 10.

[0051] In the first embodiment, the electrical appliances 24 to 26 that receive power from the power storage device 17 during a power outage are provided in the living / dining kitchen 21. In this configuration, even if a resident is present in the building 10, it is considered that there is little need to supply power to the electrical appliances 24 to 26 when the resident is not present in the living / dining kitchen 21. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the controller 40 determines whether or not a resident is present in the living / dining kitchen 21 based on the detection result of the infrared sensor 32, and if the determination indicates that the resident is not present in the living / dining kitchen 21, the controller 40 stops the power supply from the power storage device 17. This more effectively prevents the stored power of the power storage device 17 from being wasted.

[0052] Incidentally, even when a resident is absent from the building 10 during a power outage, it is conceivable that power supply to electrical appliances (e.g., the air conditioner 25 and the refrigerator 26) may be necessary. Therefore, in the first embodiment, when a resident is absent, the controller 40 notifies the resident requesting an instruction on whether or not to stop the supply of stored power to the electrical appliances 24-26 (the living / dining / kitchen circuit 22). The controller 40 then determines whether the instruction from the resident in response to the notification is a power supply stop instruction to stop the supply of stored power or a power supply execution instruction to start the supply of stored power. If the instruction is a power supply stop instruction, the supply of stored power is stopped. If the instruction is a power supply execution instruction, the supply of stored power is started. With this configuration, even when a resident is absent, stored power can be supplied based on the resident's instruction when stored power is needed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unnecessary consumption of stored power in the power storage device 17 while ensuring power supply to electrical appliances requiring power supply.

[0053] In the first embodiment, if neither a power supply instruction nor a power supply stop instruction is received from the resident, the supply of power from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen circuit 22 continues. This ensures the supply of power to the electrical appliances that require stored power even when the resident does not send an instruction, even though there are electrical appliances that require stored power when the resident is away.

[0054] If a resident is present in the living / dining kitchen 21 during a power outage, it is likely that the resident will use the electrical appliances 24 to 26. Therefore, in the first embodiment, if it is determined that a resident is present in the living / dining kitchen 21 during a power outage, power is supplied from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining kitchen circuit 22. This allows the resident to use the electrical appliances 24 to 26 even during a power outage, thereby improving convenience.

[0055] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0056] The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the power supply process during a power outage. In the power supply process during a power outage in the first embodiment, power is immediately supplied from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen area circuit 22 when a power outage occurs in the building 10. However, in the power supply process during a power outage in the second embodiment, power is not immediately supplied from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen area circuit 22 even when a power outage occurs in the building 10. If the elapsed time since the notification was sent to the resident exceeds a first standby time T1 (corresponding to a predetermined time) and no instruction is received from the resident, power is supplied from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen area circuit 22. An example of the power supply process during a power outage in the second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 3. The first standby time T1 is pre-stored in the storage unit 43. The first standby time T1 is set to, for example, 30 minutes.

[0057] As in the first embodiment, the controller 40 executes the power supply process during a power outage when it is determined that a power outage has occurred in the building 10 based on the detection result of the power outage detection sensor 31. The power supply process during a power outage is executed repeatedly at a predetermined cycle during the power outage and ends when the power is restored.

[0058] In step S31, it is determined whether or not a "power supply execution flag" (described later) is set. If the power supply execution flag is set, the determination is YES and the process proceeds to step S33. If the power supply execution flag is not set, the process proceeds to step S32.

[0059] In step S32, the switching device 13 is switched to the third position, thereby stopping the supply of power from the power storage device 17 to the LDK circuit 22. After that, the process proceeds to step S33.

[0060] In step S33, similar to step S13, it is determined whether or not a resident is present in the living / dining kitchen 21 based on the detection result of the infrared sensor 32. If it is determined that a resident is present in the living / dining kitchen 21, a YES determination is made and the process proceeds to step S46. If it is determined that a resident is not present in the living / dining kitchen 21, a NO determination is made and the process proceeds to step S34.

[0061] In step S34, similarly to step S14, it is determined whether or not the notification process has been executed. If the notification process has been executed, a YES determination is made and the process proceeds to step S37. If the notification process has not been executed, a NO determination is made and the process proceeds to step S35.

[0062] In step S35, the same notification process as in step S15 is executed, followed by step S36.

[0063] In step S36, the timer 44 is set. Then, the process proceeds to step S37.

[0064] In step S37, similarly to step S16, it is determined whether a power supply stop instruction or a power supply execution instruction has been received. If a power supply stop instruction or a power supply execution instruction has been received, the determination is YES and the process proceeds to step S51. If neither a power supply stop instruction nor a power supply execution instruction has been received, the determination is NO and the process proceeds to step S41.

[0065] In step S41, it is determined whether the timer 44 is running. If the timer 44 is running, a YES determination is made and the process proceeds to step S42. If the timer 44 is not running, a NO determination is made and the process ends.

[0066] In step S42, it is determined whether the time elapsed since the notification process (step S35) has exceeded the second waiting time T2. If the elapsed time has exceeded the second waiting time T2, a YES determination is made and the process proceeds to step S43. If the elapsed time has not exceeded the second waiting time T2, a NO determination is made and the process ends. The second waiting time T2 is stored in advance in the storage unit 43. The second waiting time T2 is set to a time shorter than the first waiting time T1, for example, 20 minutes.

[0067] In step S43, it is determined whether or not the re-notification process described below has been executed. If the re-notification process has been executed, the determination is YES and the process proceeds to step S45. If the re-notification process has not been executed, the determination is NO and the process proceeds to step S44.

[0068] In step S44, a re-notification process is executed. The re-notification process is a process of resending a notification to the resident similar to that in step S35. Then, the process proceeds to step S45. In other words, if the time elapsed since the notification exceeds the second waiting time T2 and there is no instruction from the resident, the notification is sent again.

[0069] In step S45, it is determined whether the time elapsed since the notification process (step S35) has exceeded the first waiting time T1. If the time elapsed has exceeded the first waiting time T1, a YES determination is made and the process proceeds to step S46. If the time elapsed has not exceeded the first waiting time T1, a NO determination is made and the process ends.

[0070] In step S46, the switching device 13 is switched to the second position to supply power from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen circuit 22. That is, in the second embodiment, as described above, if there is no instruction from the resident even when the time elapsed since the notification process (step S35) exceeds the first standby time T1, power is supplied from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen circuit 22. This makes it possible to reliably ensure the supply of power to the electrical appliances 24-26 when power needs to be supplied to the electrical appliances 24-26 during a power outage.

[0071] In step S47, the power supply execution flag is set, and then the process proceeds to step S48.

[0072] In step S48, the timer 44 is reset (stopped), and then the process ends.

[0073] In step S51 after the previous step S37 has been judged as YES, it is judged whether the received instruction was an instruction to perform power feeding. If it is an instruction to perform power feeding, the judgement is YES and the process proceeds to step S46. In step S46, the switching device 13 is switched to the second position, and power is supplied from the power storage device 17 to the living room / living room circuit 22. If the received instruction was not an instruction to perform power feeding, i.e., if it was an instruction to stop power feeding, the process proceeds to step S52.

[0074] In step S52, the switching device 13 is set to the third position, and the supply of power from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen circuit 22 is stopped. Then, the process proceeds to step S48, the timer 44 is reset (stopped), and the process ends. That is, in the second embodiment, when a power supply stop command is received from the resident, the supply of power from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining / kitchen circuit 22 is stopped. This makes it possible to prevent the stored power of the power storage device 17 from being wasted.

[0075] According to the configuration of the second embodiment described above in detail, the following excellent effects can be obtained.

[0076] According to the second embodiment, if there is no instruction from the resident even when the time elapsed since the notification process exceeds the first standby time T1, stored power is supplied from the power storage device 17 to the electrical appliances 24 to 26 (LDK circuit 22). This makes it possible to reliably ensure the supply of power to the electrical appliances 24 to 26 when power is needed to be supplied to those electrical appliances during a power outage.

[0077] According to the second embodiment, even if the controller 40 determines that a power outage has occurred in the building 10 based on the detection result of the power outage detection sensor 31 and determines that no resident is present in the living / dining kitchen 21 based on the detection result of the infrared sensor 32, the controller 40 does not immediately supply power from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining kitchen circuit 22. If the resident issues a power supply stop instruction before the elapsed time from the notification process (step S35) exceeds the first standby time T1, the controller 40 never supplies power from the power storage device 17 to the living / dining kitchen circuit 22. This makes it possible to effectively prevent the stored power of the power storage device 17 from being wasted.

[0078] According to the second embodiment, if there is no instruction from the resident even when the time elapsed since the notification process exceeds the second standby time T2, the re-notification process is executed. This allows the resident to more reliably issue instructions to the controller 40, thereby more effectively preventing the stored power of the power storage device 17 from being wasted.

[0079] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented, for example, as follows.

[0080] (1) In the first and second embodiments, power is supplied from the power storage device 17 to the LDK circuit 22. However, power may be supplied from the power storage device 17 to all circuits in the building 10.

[0081] (2) In the first and second embodiments, the infrared sensor 32 is used as a sensor for detecting whether or not a person is present in the living / dining kitchen 21. However, this is not limiting. For example, a lighting sensor may be used that detects whether or not the lighting 24 is on in the living / dining kitchen 21. In this case, the controller 40 can determine that a resident is absent from the living / dining kitchen 21 based on the lighting 24 being off.

[0082] (3) In the first and second embodiments, a notification is sent to the mobile terminal 45 to prompt the resident to give instructions, but this is not limiting. For example, a speaker may be used to notify the resident by voice that a power outage has occurred in the building 10. This allows the resident to be prompted to take action in the event of a power outage when the resident is at home in the building 10 without having to take the trouble of sending a notification to the mobile terminal 45. Furthermore, even if the resident is asleep and does not notice the occurrence of a power outage, the voice from the speaker can make the resident aware of the occurrence of a power outage.

[0083] (4) In the first and second embodiments, in the power outage power supply process, the determination process in steps S13 and S33 is performed based on whether or not a resident is present in the living / dining / kitchen kitchen 21. However, the determination process may be performed based on whether or not a resident is present in the building 10. In this case, for example, the determination in steps S13 and S33 will be YES not only when the resident is present in the living / dining / kitchen kitchen 21, but also when the resident is present in any of the rooms in the building 10.

[0084] As a method of determining whether a resident is present in the building 10, for example, a lock / unlock detection sensor may be provided on the exterior side of the entrance door (not shown) of the building 10, and the controller 40 may determine that no resident is present in the building 10 based on the most recent detection result by the lock / unlock detection sensor being that the entrance door has been locked from the exterior side of the building 10. Another possible method is for the controller 40 to acquire location information of the resident's mobile terminal 45 and determine whether the resident is present in the building 10 based on the acquired location information.

[0085] (5) The power supply system is capable of executing the power supply process during a power outage of the first embodiment described above and the power supply process during a power outage of the second embodiment described above, and may execute either of the power supply processes during a power outage based on the selection of the resident, etc.

[0086] (6) The resident can send an instruction from the mobile terminal 45 not only when the mobile terminal 45 receives a notification from the controller 40. For this reason, for example, if the resident himself / herself notices that a power outage has occurred, he / she can voluntarily send an instruction from the mobile terminal 45 to the controller 40 to cause the controller 40 to control the switching device 13.

[0087] (7) The length of each waiting time T1, T2 is not limited to that in the second embodiment. Residents can set the length of each waiting time T1, T2 as they see fit. However, the second waiting time T2 is set to a length shorter than the first waiting time T1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 10...building, 13...switching device as switching means, 17...storage device, 21...living room / dining / kitchen area as a specified room, 22...living room / dining / kitchen area circuit as a specific circuit, 24...lighting as electrical equipment, 25...air conditioner as electrical equipment, 26...refrigerator as electrical equipment, 40...controller as determination means, control means, notification means and instruction determination means.

Claims

1. Equipped with a power storage device that stores electricity, A power supply system for a building that, when a power outage occurs in the building, supplies stored power stored in the power storage device to a specific circuit including a plurality of electrical devices installed in a predetermined room in the building, a switching unit that switches between supplying and stopping stored power from the power storage device to the specific circuit; a determination means for determining whether or not a resident is present in the predetermined room when a power outage occurs in the building; a control means for controlling the switching means to stop the supply of stored power from the power storage device to the specific circuit when the determination means determines that no occupant is present in the specified room, even though a power outage has occurred; moreover, a notification means for, when the determination means determines that the occupant is not present in the predetermined room, issuing a notification to the occupant requesting an instruction as to whether or not the supply of stored power from the power storage device to the specific circuit should be stopped; an instruction determination means for determining, when an instruction is given by a resident in response to the notification by the notification means, whether the instruction is a power supply stop instruction to stop the supply of stored power or a power supply execution instruction to execute the supply of stored power; The control means controls the switching means to stop the supply of stored power from the storage device to the specific circuit when the instruction determination means determines that the instruction from the resident is the power supply stop instruction, and to start the supply of stored power from the storage device to the specific circuit when the instruction determination means determines that the instruction from the resident is the power supply execution instruction.

2. 2. The building power supply system of claim 1, wherein the control means controls the switching means to supply stored power from the storage device to the specific circuit if no instruction is given by the resident even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the notification by the notification means.

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