Electrical Supply System

The electricity supply system addresses uneven power distribution during outages by using a control device to manage and distribute electricity through connectors and circuits, ensuring fair access and preventing waste.

JP7746104B2Active Publication Date: 2025-09-30TOKYO GAS CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2021164305
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-10-05
Publication Date
2025-09-30
Estimated Expiration
2041-10-05

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing electricity distribution systems in apartment buildings during power outages fail to distribute the limited amount of electricity evenly among multiple residences.

Method used

An electricity supply system that includes a control device to manage and distribute electricity during outages by measuring usage and limiting supply, using a power outage connector and circuit, and considering factors like bid prices and surplus electricity.

Benefits of technology

Ensures equitable distribution of electricity among residences during outages, preventing waste and ensuring fair access to available power.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide an electricity supply system capable of evenly distributing the amount of electricity that can be used during power outage to a plurality of residences.SOLUTION: An electricity supply system 1 for supplying electricity to residences of a multiple dwelling house comprises: a contact 33b installed in a residence 110 to limit the supply of electricity during power outage; a measuring unit 33a for measuring an amount of electricity used in a residence during power outage; and a control device 10 for controlling the contact 33b. The control device 10 determines an amount of electricity that can be used in a residence during power outage, and, when the amount of electricity measured by the measuring unit 33a reaches the determined amount of electricity, controls the contact 33b so as to limit the usage of electricity supplied to the residence 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical supply system. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, techniques have been proposed for effectively utilizing generated power in apartment buildings. For example, the power supply system for an apartment building described in Patent Document 1 controls the power generated by the solar power generation device during the daytime (when solar power is being generated) so that it is supplied in the order of priority: stores, common areas, and each residence. Also, when the time period changes to nighttime (sunset to sunrise), the power from the storage battery is controlled so that it is supplied in the order of priority: common areas, each residence, and stores. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-239260 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the system described in Patent Document 1, there is room for further improvement in how the limited amount of electricity available in a residence during a power outage is distributed among multiple residences. An object of the present invention is to provide an electricity supply system that can distribute the amount of electricity available during a power outage among a plurality of residences in an equitable manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention, which was completed with this objective in mind, is an electricity supply system that supplies electricity to dwellings in an apartment building, and comprises: a limiting means that is installed in the dwelling and limits the supply of electricity during a power outage; a measuring means that measures the amount of electricity used in the dwelling during the power outage; and a control means that controls the limiting means, wherein the control means determines the amount of electricity that can be used in the dwelling during a power outage, and when the amount of electricity measured by the measuring means reaches the determined amount of electricity, controls the limiting means to limit the use of electricity supplied to the dwelling. Here, the residence may have a power outage connector capable of supplying electricity to electrical equipment during a power outage, and a power outage electrical circuit capable of supplying electricity to the power outage connector during a power outage, the limiting means being arranged on the power outage electrical circuit, and the control means may control the limiting means to cut off the power outage electrical circuit when the amount of electricity measured by the measuring means reaches a determined amount of electricity. Alternatively, the residence may have a power outage connector capable of supplying electricity to electrical equipment during a power outage, and a power outage circuit capable of supplying electricity to the power outage connector during a power outage, and the limiting means may cut off the power outage circuit when the amount of electricity measured by the measuring means reaches a predetermined specified amount of electricity, and the control means may set the amount of electricity determined as the specified amount of electricity. The residence may also have a connector capable of supplying electricity from the power grid and an electrical circuit capable of supplying electricity to the connector, and some of the multiple connectors may also serve as the power outage connectors. The control means may also determine the amount of electricity available for use in the residences by dividing the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery when a power outage occurs by the number of residences. The control means may also determine the amount of electricity available to the residence based on a bid price for electricity to be used during a power outage. The control means may also determine the amount of electricity that can be used in the residence during a power outage, taking into account the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery when a power outage occurs and the amount of surplus electricity generated by the power generation device that is not used in the apartment building. Also, from another perspective, the present invention is an electricity supply system that supplies electricity to dwellings in an apartment building, comprising a storage battery capable of storing electricity, a connector capable of supplying electricity from a power grid and an electrical circuit capable of supplying electricity to the connector, which are provided in each of the multiple dwellings in the apartment building, and a power outage connector that is provided in a dwelling among the multiple dwellings for which a special fee is paid and is capable of supplying electricity to electrical equipment in the event of a power outage, and a power outage electrical circuit that can supply electricity from the storage battery to the power outage connector. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, the amount of electricity available during a power outage can be distributed evenly among a plurality of residences. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an electricity supply system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a control device. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a process in which a determination unit determines the available capacity of each residence through a determination process according to a first modified example. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a process in which a determination unit determines the available capacity of each residence through a determination process according to a second modified example. [Figure 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a process in which a determination unit determines the available capacity of each residence through a determination process according to a third modified example. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a process in which a determination unit determines the available capacity of each residence through a determination process according to a fourth modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a process in which a determination unit determines available time slots for each residence through a determination process according to a fifth modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an electricity supply system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an electricity supply system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an electricity supply system according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an electricity supply system 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the control device 10. As shown in FIG. The electricity supply system 1 according to this embodiment is installed in an apartment building 100 having a plurality of dwellings 110, and is a system for controlling the supply of electricity to the apartment building 100. Fig. 1 illustrates an apartment building 100 having eight dwellings 110: a first dwelling 111, a second dwelling 112, a third dwelling 113, a fourth dwelling 114, a fifth dwelling 115, a sixth dwelling 116, a seventh dwelling 117, and an eighth dwelling 118.

[0009] The electricity supply system 1 includes a power generation device 21 that generates electricity using solar light, a power conditioner 22 that converts the DC power generated by the power generation device 21 into AC power, and a watt-hour meter 23 that measures the amount of electricity generated by the power generation device 21. The electricity supply system 1 also includes a storage battery 25 that stores the electricity generated by the power generation device 21 and electricity from a power grid 120, and a control device 10 that controls the supply of electricity from the storage battery 25 to the residence 110. The electricity supply system 1 also includes a watt-hour meter 27 that measures the amount of electricity supplied from the power grid 120 to the apartment building 100 and the amount of electricity generated by the power generation device 21 that is supplied to the power grid 120.

[0010] Although the power generation device 21 is exemplified as a device that generates electricity using sunlight as natural energy, the power generation device 21 may also be a device that generates electricity using wind power, hydropower, geothermal power, or biomass as natural energy. Also, the electricity supply system 1 does not necessarily have to include the power generation device 21.

[0011] The storage battery 25 stores, for example, the electricity generated by the power generation device 21 during the daytime when the sun is out, but not used by the apartment building 100 (hereinafter, this may be referred to as "surplus electricity"). The storage battery 25 also stores electricity from the power grid 120, for example, during the night. Then, the storage battery 25 supplies the stored electricity to each residence 110 in the event of a power outage when the supply of electricity from the power grid 120 is stopped.

[0012] In addition, the electricity supply system 1 is equipped in each residence 110 with a connector 31 that has a plug socket into which the plug of the electrical appliance can be inserted and that can supply electricity to the electrical appliance, a distribution board 32 that distributes electricity to the multiple connectors 31, and an electricity meter 33 that accumulates and measures the electricity used in the residence 110.

[0013] The watt-hour meter 33 has a measuring unit 33a that calculates and measures the amount of electricity used in the residence 110, and a contact 33b that enables the supply of electricity when closed and disables the supply of electricity when opened. The opening and closing of the contact 33b is controlled by the control device 10, which will be described later.

[0014] (Control device 10) The control device 10 includes a control unit 15 that controls the entire device, a memory unit 16 used to store data, etc., a display unit 17 used to display operation reception screens and images, an operation unit 18 that accepts user input operations, and a communication unit 19 used to communicate with external devices.

[0015] The control unit 15 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown), a ROM (Read Only Memory) (not shown), a RAM (Random Access Memory) (not shown), etc. The ROM of the control unit 15 stores a basic program (operating system) executed by the CPU, various settings, etc. The CPU uses the RAM as a working area and executes application programs read from the ROM or the storage unit 16. The functions of the control device 10 described below are realized by the CPU executing the programs.

[0016] The storage unit 16 can be exemplified by a storage device such as a semiconductor memory or a hard disk drive (HDD). The display unit 17 can be exemplified by a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The operation unit 18 is an input device that accepts operations from the user, and examples of the operation unit 18 include buttons, switches, and a touch panel. The communication unit 19 can be exemplified as a communication interface.

[0017] The control device 10 is capable of communicating with the watt-hour meter 23, the storage battery 25, the watt-hour meter 27, the watt-hour meter 33, etc. via a network 50. The network 50 is not particularly limited as long as it is a communication network used for data communication between the control device 10 and the watt-hour meter 23, etc., and examples thereof include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. The communication line used for data communication may be either wired or wireless, and a combination of these may be used.

[0018] The control device 10 can be, for example, a server, a desktop PC, a notebook PC, a tablet PC, etc. The control device 10 may be disposed inside the apartment building 100 or outside the apartment building 100.

[0019] 2, the control unit 15 has a receiving unit 151 that receives the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 25, a determining unit 152 that determines the amount of electricity that can be used in the residence 110 during a power outage, and an opening / closing unit 153 that opens and closes the contact 33b of the watt-hour meter 33 of the residence 110. The control device 10 also has a notifying unit 154 that notifies the resident of the residence 110 of information.

[0020] The receiving unit 151 receives the battery capacity Es, which is the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 25, from the storage battery 25. The receiving unit 151 also receives the amount of electricity generated by the power generation device 21 from the watt-hour meter 23. The receiving unit 151 also receives the amount of electricity used in the apartment building 100 and the amount of electricity generated by the power generation device 21 that is supplied to the power grid 120 from the watt-hour meter 27.

[0021] The determination unit 152 determines the amount of electricity usable in the residences 110 during a power outage as the value obtained by dividing the storage battery capacity Es stored in the storage battery 25 at the time the power outage occurs by the number of residences 110. In other words, when the number of residences 110 in the apartment building 100 is n, the determination unit 152 determines the usable capacity Er, which is the amount of electricity usable in each residence 110, using the following formula (1): Er = Es / n (1) For example, if the storage battery capacity Es is 12 (kWh) and n is 8 households, the available capacity Er is determined as 12 / 8=1.5 (kWh).

[0022] Note that the determination unit 152 may, for example, make the determination when a power outage occurs. Alternatively, the determination unit 152 may make the determination when a predetermined time (for example, five minutes) has elapsed since the power outage occurred.

[0023] When the amount of electricity usage in the residence 110, accumulated since the power outage occurred as measured by the measuring unit 33a of the electricity meter 33 installed in each residence 110, reaches the available capacity Er determined by the determining unit 152, the opening / closing unit 153 opens the contact 33b of the electricity meter 33 and cuts off the supply of electricity from the storage battery 25 to the residence 110.

[0024] The notification unit 154 notifies the resident of the residence 110, for example, that a power outage has occurred. The notification unit 154 also notifies the resident of the residence 110 of the available capacity Er of the residence 110 determined by the determination unit 152. The means of notification is not particularly limited. For example, the notification may be displayed on a monitor installed in a common area of ​​the apartment building 100 or on the display of a remote control installed in the residence 110. Alternatively, the notification unit 154 may send an email to the resident of the residence 110.

[0025] As described above, the electricity supply system 1 is provided in each residence 110 in the apartment building 100, and includes contact 33b as an example of limiting means for limiting the supply of electricity during a power outage. The electricity supply system 1 also includes measurement unit 33a as an example of measurement means for measuring the amount of electricity used in residence 110 during a power outage, and control device 10 as an example of control means for controlling the opening and closing of contact 33b. The control device 10 determines the amount of electricity available to residence 110 during a power outage, and when the amount of electricity measured by measurement unit 33a reaches the determined amount of electricity, opens contact 33b to stop the use of electricity supplied to residence 110.

[0026] According to the electricity supply system 1 configured in this manner, the amount of electricity available to the multiple residences 110 during a power outage is distributed equally among the multiple residences 110, allowing each residence 110 to use the same amount of electricity as the other residences 110. In other words, the electricity supply system 1 allows a limited amount of electricity to be distributed fairly among the multiple residences.

[0027] The determination unit 152 may determine the usable capacity Er that can be used in the residences 110 by dividing the amount of electricity obtained by subtracting the amount of electricity used in common areas such as elevators from the storage battery capacity Es stored in the storage battery 25 at the time the power outage occurred by the number n of residences 110. That is, the determination unit 152 may determine the usable capacity Er using the following formula (2): Er = (Es - amount of electricity used in common areas) / n (2)

[0028] The notification unit 154 notifies the resident of the residence 110 that, for example, a power outage has occurred. The notification unit 154 also notifies the resident of the residence 110 of the available capacity Er in the residence 110 determined by the determination unit 152. Furthermore, if a power outage occurs during the daytime when the sun is out and there is surplus power, the notification unit 154 may notify the resident of the residence 110 to use the surplus power. This reduces the amount of electricity used that is supplied from the storage battery 25, even if the power outage continues into the night when the sun has set. The notification unit 154 may issue a notification encouraging the use of surplus power when there is no power outage. If the generation of surplus power is predicted based on a weather forecast or a charging rate, the notification unit 154 may issue a notification encouraging the use of surplus power before the surplus power is generated. The notification unit 154 may also issue a notification when the storage battery 25 is fully charged.

[0029] (First Modification of Determination Process by Determination Unit 152) The determination unit 152 may determine the amount of electricity available for use in the residence 110 based on the bid price from the resident of the residence 110. More specifically, the receiving unit 151 receives a bid for the price of electricity to be used during a power outage from the resident of the residence 110. Then, the determination unit 152 determines the amount of electricity available for use in the residence 110 based on the bid price received by the receiving unit 151. For example, the determination unit 152 may predetermine the minimum amount of electricity that can be used in each residence 110 during a power outage (hereinafter, this may be referred to as the "minimum amount Em"), and allocate the amount of electricity (hereinafter, this may be referred to as the "allocated amount of electricity") obtained by subtracting the minimum amount Em for all residences 110 from the storage battery capacity Es to the residence 110 with the highest bid price.

[0030] In other words, the determination unit 152 determines the available capacity Erh of the residence 110 with the highest bid price using the following equation (3), and determines the available capacity Erl of the residence 110 with the lowest bid price or the residence 110 that did not make a bid as the minimum amount Em. Erh = Em + (Es - Em × n) (3) Erl=Em

[0031] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a process in which the determining unit 152 determines the available capacity Er of each residence 110 through the determination process according to the first modified example. For example, consider a case where the storage battery capacity Es is 12 (kWh), n is 8 households, and the minimum amount Em is 1 (kWh). 3(a), if the bid prices of each residence 110 are as follows: first residence 111 5,000 yen, second residence 112 10,000 yen, third residence 113 and fourth residence 114 no bids, fifth residence 115 6,000 yen, sixth residence 116 3,000 yen, seventh residence 117 8,000 yen, and eighth residence 118 1,000 yen, the determination unit 152 determines the residence 110 with the highest bid price as the second residence 112. Then, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the usable capacity Erh of the second residence 112 is determined to be Erh = 1 + (12 - 8) = 5 (kWh), and the usable capacity Erl of the residences 110 other than the second residence 112 is determined to be the minimum amount Em = 1 (kWh).

[0032] For example, the receiving unit 151 may start receiving bids when a predetermined time (e.g., 30 minutes) has elapsed after a power outage occurs, and stop receiving bids when a predetermined time (e.g., 60 minutes) has elapsed. The notifying unit 154 may notify the resident of the residence 110 of the timing to start receiving bids. The notifying unit 154 may also notify the available capacity Er determined based on the bid price.

[0033] Furthermore, if the power outage continues even after the date changes, the receiving unit 151 may, for example, start receiving bids from the next day onwards at a predetermined start time (for example, 5:00 PM) and end receiving at a predetermined end time (for example, 6:00 PM).The determining unit 152 may then determine the available capacity Er for one day from a predetermined switching time (for example, 7:00 PM) to the switching time of the following day, based on the bid price at the end time.

[0034] The determination unit 152 may set the minimum amount Em to 0 (kWh) and the allocated amount of electricity to the storage battery capacity Es. In other words, the determination unit 152 may set the usable capacity Erh of the residence 110 with the highest bid price as the storage battery capacity Es, and may set the usable capacity Erl of the residence 110 with the lowest bid price or the residence 110 that did not make a bid to 0 (kWh). In addition, the determination unit 152 may allocate to each residence 110 the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 25 at the time of the power outage, minus the amount of electricity used in the common area, from the storage battery capacity Es stored in the storage battery 25, and may determine the usable capacity Er of each residence 110 based on the bid price.

[0035] In this way, in the determination process according to the first modification, the determination unit 152 determines the amount of electricity available to the residence 110 based on the bid price for electricity to be used during a power outage. Therefore, the limited amount of electricity available during a power outage can be distributed fairly among the multiple residences 110.

[0036] (Second modified example of the determination process by the determination unit 152) FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a process in which the determining unit 152 determines the available capacity Er of each residence 110 through the determination process according to the second modified example. When determining the amount of electricity available for use in the residence 110 based on the bid price, the determination unit 152 may determine the amount of available capacity Er so that the higher the bid price, the larger the available capacity Er.

[0037] For example, the determination unit 152 may allocate the amount of electricity to be allocated, which is the storage battery capacity Es minus the minimum amount Em of all residences 110, in proportion to the bid price of the residence 110. More specifically, the determination unit 152 sets the available capacity Er(k) of the kth residence 11k to the minimum amount Em plus the amount of electricity corresponding to the ratio of the bid price B(k) of the kth residence 11k to the total price Bt of the bid prices of all residences 110. In other words, the determination unit 152 makes the determination using the following formula (4): Er(k)=Em+(Es-Em×n)×B(k) / Bt...(4) Here, k is an integer between 1 and n.

[0038] For example, if the bid prices for each residence 110 are as shown in Figure 4(a), with the first residence 111 at 10,000 yen, the second residence 112 at 6,000 yen, the third residence 113 at 4,000 yen, and the fourth residence 114 to the eighth residence 118 making no bids (B(k) = 0 yen), the determination unit 152 determines the usable capacity Er(k) for the kth residence 11k as follows (see Figure 4(b)): Note that, as in the first modified example, the storage battery capacity Es is 12 (kWh), n is 8 households, and the minimum amount Em is 1 (kWh). Er(1)=1+4×1 / 2=3(kWh) Er(2) = 1 + 4 × 0.6 / 2 = 2.2 (kWh) Er(3)=1+4×0.4 / 2=1.8(kWh) Er(4)~Er(8)=1(kWh)

[0039] In the determination process according to the second modification, the determination unit 152 may also set the minimum amount Em to 0 (kWh). In addition, the determination unit 152 may allocate to each residence 110 the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 25 at the time of the power outage, minus the amount of electricity used in the common area, from the storage battery capacity Es stored in the storage battery 25, and may determine that the higher the bid price, the greater the usable capacity Er.

[0040] (Third modified example of the determination process by the determination unit 152) FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a process in which the determining unit 152 determines the available capacity Er of each residence 110 through the determination process according to the third modified example. The determination unit 152 predetermines that D(m)% of the allocated electricity amount will be allocated to the residence 110 with the mth highest bid price, and determines the value obtained by multiplying the allocated electricity amount by a predetermine ratio according to the ranking of the bid price and adding the value obtained to the minimum amount Em as the available capacity Er.

[0041] For example, the residence 110 with the highest bid price is allocated 60% (= D(1)%) of the amount of electricity, the residence 110 with the second highest bid price is allocated 30% (= D(2)%) of the amount of electricity, the residence 110 with the second highest bid price is allocated 10% (= D(3)%) of the amount of electricity, and the residences 110 with the third highest bid price are allocated 10% (= D(3)%) of the amount of electricity, and 0% for the fourth and subsequent bidders. If the bid prices of the residences 110 are as shown in FIG. 5(a), for the first residence 111, 10,000 yen, the second residence 112, 6,000 yen, the third residence 113, 4,000 yen, and the fourth residence 114 to the eighth residence 118, no bids (B(k) = 0 yen), the determination unit 152 determines the usable capacity Er(k) of the k-th residence 11k as follows (see FIG. 5(b)): As in the first modification, the storage battery capacity Es is 12 (kWh), n is 8, and the minimum amount Em is 1 (kWh). Also, D(1) = 60, D(2) = 30, D(3) = 10, and D(4) to D(8) = 0. Er(1) = 1 + 4 × 60 / 100 = 3.4 (kWh) Er(2)=1+4×30 / 100=2.2(kWh) Er(3)=1+4×10 / 100=1.4(kWh) Er(4)~Er(8)=1(kWh)

[0042] In the determination process according to the third modified example, the determination unit 152 may also set the minimum amount Em to 0 (kWh). In addition, the determination unit 152 may allocate to each residence 110 the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 25 at the time of the power outage, minus the amount of electricity used in the common area, from the storage battery capacity Es stored in the storage battery 25, and determine the ratio of the allocated amount of electricity according to the ranking of the bid price, thereby determining the usable capacity Er of each residence 110.

[0043] (Fourth Modification of Determination Process by Determination Unit 152) FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a process in which the determining unit 152 determines the available capacity Er of each residence 110 through the determination process according to the fourth modification. The determination unit 152 may allocate the allocated electricity amount equally (100 / m%) to the residences 110 with the first to m-th highest bid prices. m is an integer smaller than n, and can be, for example, 4. Then, if the bid prices for each residence 110 are as shown in FIG. 6(a), first residence 111 is 4,000 yen, second residence 112 is 6,000 yen, third residence 113 is 10,000 yen, fourth residence 114 is 3,000 yen, fifth residence 115 is 2,000 yen, sixth residence 116 is 1,000 yen, and seventh residence 117 and eighth residence 118 have no bids (B(k) = 0 yen), the determination unit 152 determines the usable capacity Er(k) for the kth residence 11k as follows (see FIG. 6(b)). Note that, as in the first modified example, storage battery capacity Es is 12 (kWh), n is 8, and minimum amount Em is 1 (kWh). Also, m is 4. Er(1) = 1 + 4 × 25 / 100 = 2 (kWh) Er(2)=1+4×25 / 100=2(kWh) Er(3)=1+4×25 / 100=2(kWh) Er(4)=1+4×25 / 100=2(kWh) Er(5)~Er(8)=1(kWh)

[0044] In the determination process according to the fourth modification, the determination unit 152 may also set the minimum amount Em to 0 (kWh). In addition, the determination unit 152 may allocate to each residence 110 the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 25 at the time of the power outage, minus the amount of electricity used in the common area, from the storage battery capacity Es stored in the storage battery 25, and may determine the usable capacity Er of each residence 110 based on the ranking of the bid prices.

[0045] (Fifth Modification of Determination Process by Determination Unit 152) The determination unit 152 may determine the time periods that are available for use with priority, instead of the available capacity Er. For example, the residences 110 that are available for use with priority are switched every time period calculated by dividing the period from 6 PM to 6 AM, when it becomes difficult for the power generation device 21 to generate electricity, by the number n of residences 110 (for example, 12 hours / 8=1.5 hours). The determination unit 152 may then determine the order of the available time periods according to the ranking of the bid prices.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a process in which the determination unit 152 determines the available time slots for each residence 110 through the determination process according to the fifth modified example. If the bid prices for each residence 110 are, as shown in Figure 7(a), 5,000 yen for the first residence 111, 10,000 yen for the second residence 112, 7,000 yen for the third residence 113, 2,000 yen for the fourth residence 114, 6,000 yen for the fifth residence 115, 3,000 yen for the sixth residence 116, 8,000 yen for the seventh residence 117, and 1,000 yen for the eighth residence 118, the determination unit 152 determines the ranking of the bid prices as follows: second residence 112, seventh residence 117, third residence 113, fifth residence 115, first residence 111, sixth residence 116, fourth residence 114, and eighth residence 118. Then, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the determination unit 152 determines the time periods that can be used preferentially by the second residence 112, the seventh residence 117, the third residence 113, the fifth residence 115, the first residence 111, the sixth residence 116, the fourth residence 114, and the eighth residence 118 as 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM, 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM, 9:00 PM to 10:30 PM, 10:30 PM to 12:00 PM, midnight to 1:30 AM, 1:30 AM to 3:00 AM, 3:00 AM to 4:30 AM, and 4:30 AM to 6:00 AM, respectively, so that the second residence 112, the seventh residence 117, the third residence 113, the fifth residence 115, the first residence 111, the sixth residence 116, the fourth residence 114, and the eighth residence 118 can use the facilities in the order of their bid prices.

[0047] As a result, the residence 110 with a higher bid price can use the battery at an earlier time slot. As a result, the battery becomes unusable when the storage battery capacity Es reaches 0 (kWh), so the residence 110 with a higher bid price can use the battery with a higher probability. Alternatively, available time slots may be selected in order of bid price. Furthermore, the time when the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 25 starts to be used is not limited to 6:00 PM. It is preferable to set it to a time when it is expected that the amount of electricity used in the apartment building 100 will be greater than the amount of electricity generated by the power generation device 21. For example, it may be set to 5:00 PM, 7:00 PM, or the like depending on the season or region. Furthermore, when it rains, it becomes difficult for the power generation device 21 to generate electricity even during the daytime, and therefore, if a power outage occurs during rainy weather, the amount of electricity used in the apartment building 100 may be greater than the amount of electricity generated by the power generation device 21, even during the daytime, and the amount of electricity generated by the power generation device 21 may not be sufficient. Therefore, when it rains, in order to start using the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 25 early, even during the daytime, the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 25 may be set to start being used, for example, one hour after the occurrence of a power outage.

[0048] The determination unit 152 may also determine that the residence 110 with the higher bid price is given a longer available time period as a priority. The determination unit 152 may also determine that the residence 110 with the higher bid price is given a longer available time period as a priority as well as allow the residence 110 to select available time periods in order of bid price.

[0049] Second Embodiment FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an electricity supply system 2 according to the second embodiment. The electricity supply system 2 differs from the electricity supply system 1 according to the first embodiment in that, in addition to an electric circuit 51 which is a path for supplying current from the power grid 120 to the residence 110 of the apartment building 100, the electricity supply system 2 also includes a power outage electric circuit 52 which is a path for supplying current from the storage battery 25 and is capable of supplying current to the residence 110 even during a power outage. The following describes the differences from the first embodiment. The same components in the first and second embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0050] The electricity supply system 2 is provided in the residence 110 and includes a power outage connector 231 that can supply electricity supplied from the power outage electric circuit 52 to electrical equipment, and a watt-hour meter 233 that calculates and measures the electricity used via the power outage connector 231. The electricity supply system 2 also includes a circuit breaker 234 having contacts 234b that, when closed, allow electricity to be supplied via the power outage electric circuit 52, and, when opened, prevent electricity from being supplied via the power outage electric circuit 52.

[0051] The electricity supply system 2 also includes a control device 210 that controls the supply of electricity to the residence 110 via the electric circuit 52 in the event of a power outage. The control device 210 includes a receiving unit 151, a determining unit 152, a switching unit 253 that opens and closes the contact 234b of the circuit breaker 234, and a notifying unit 154.

[0052] In the electricity supply system 2 configured as described above, when there is no power outage, electricity is supplied from the power grid 120 to the residence 110 via the electric circuit 51. On the other hand, when there is a power outage, electricity is supplied from the storage battery 25 to the residence 110 via the power outage electric circuit 52. A user can connect devices that the user wants to operate even during a power outage, such as a refrigerator or a light fixture, to the power outage connector 231, thereby enabling the devices connected to the power outage connector 231 to operate even during a power outage. When the amount of electricity usage at each residence 110 measured by the watt-hour meter 233 installed in the residence 110 and accumulated since the power outage occurred reaches the available capacity Er determined by the determination unit 152, the opening / closing unit 253 of the control device 210 opens the contact 234b of the circuit breaker 234 to cut off the supply of electricity from the storage battery 25 to the residence 110.

[0053] As described above, the electricity supply system 2 includes a power outage connector 231 capable of supplying electricity to electrical appliances during a power outage, and a power outage electric circuit 52 capable of supplying electricity to the power outage connector 231 during a power outage, in the residence 110. The circuit breaker 234 has a contact 234b that allows electricity to flow through the power outage electric circuit 52 when closed and cuts off the power outage electric circuit 52 when opened, preventing electricity from flowing through. The control device 210 controls the contact 234b to cut off the power outage electric circuit 52 when the amount of electricity measured by the watt-hour meter 233 reaches a determined amount of electricity. Even with this configuration, the limited amount of electricity available during a power outage can be distributed fairly among the multiple residences 110.

[0054] In the electricity supply system 2, a power outage connector 231 capable of supplying electricity from the storage battery 25 to devices during a power outage is provided in addition to the connector 31 that can supply electricity from the power grid but does not receive electricity from the power grid during a power outage, and the power outage connector 231 is used during a power outage. For example, in the electricity supply system 1 according to the first embodiment, electricity from the storage battery 25 is supplied to devices connected to the connector 31 during a power outage, so there is a risk that electricity from the storage battery 25 will be unintentionally used for standby power, etc. of the devices connected to the connector 31. In contrast, in the electricity supply system 2, the power outage connector 231 is provided in addition to the connector 31, so that it is possible to prevent the electricity from the storage battery 25 from being wasted due to standby power, etc. of unintended devices, etc.

[0055] Unlike the connector 31, the power outage connector 231 does not supply electricity when there is no power outage, and so it is preferable that the connectors 31 and 231 be different colors so that the user can easily distinguish between them. For example, the color around the socket of the connector 31 can be white, and the color around the socket of the power outage connector 231 can be red. It is also preferable to display a notice around the socket of the power outage connector 231 stating that electricity is supplied only when there is a power outage.

[0056] Furthermore, when notifying the resident of residence 110 that a power outage has occurred, notification unit 154 may notify the location where power outage connector 231 is installed (for example, the kitchen, etc.), that it is a different color from connector 31, and that a notice is attached stating that electricity will be supplied only when a power outage occurs. This prevents the owner or resident of residence 110 from not using power outage connector 231 without realizing its existence.

[0057] Note that any one of the multiple connectors 31 provided in the residence 110 may be the power failure connector 231. That is, any one of the multiple connectors 31 may be connected to the electric circuit 51 and also to the power failure electric circuit 52. In other words, the connector 31 may have a first connector (not shown) connected to the electric circuit 51 and the power failure electric circuit 52, and a second connector (not shown) connected only to the electric circuit 51, and the first connector may be the power failure connector 231. As a result, during a power failure, electricity is supplied to a specific connector 31 among the multiple connectors 31. As a result, a user can operate appliances, such as a refrigerator or a light, that the user wants to operate even during a power failure by connecting these appliances to the first connector.

[0058] Furthermore, in the electricity supply system 2 according to the second embodiment, when a power outage occurs during the daytime when electricity is being generated by the power generation device 21, the determination unit 152 may determine the usable capacity Er of each residence 110 by taking into consideration not only the battery capacity Es stored in the storage battery 25 at the time the power outage occurred, but also the amount of surplus electricity.

[0059] For example, when distributing equally among a plurality of residences 110, the determination unit 152 may make the determination using the following formula (5) instead of the above formula (1). Er = (Es + surplus energy) / n (5) The amount of surplus power in formula (5) is the amount on the day when the power outage occurs. The determination unit 152 can predict the amount of surplus power using the weather forecast for the day, the charging rate until the power outage occurs, and the like.

[0060] Similarly, in the determination processes relating to the first to fourth variants, if a power outage occurs during the daytime when electricity is being generated by the power generation device 21, the determination unit 152 may determine the usable capacity Er of each residence 110 by taking into account not only the battery capacity Es stored in the storage battery 25 at the time the power outage occurred but also the amount of surplus electricity.

[0061] <Third embodiment> FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an electricity supply system 3 according to the third embodiment. The electricity supply system 3 of the third embodiment differs from the electricity supply system 2 of the second embodiment in that it has a circuit breaker 334 instead of the electricity meter 233 and the circuit breaker 234, and in that it has a control device 310 instead of the control device 210.

[0062] The circuit breaker 334 has a measuring unit 334a that calculates and measures the amount of electricity used in the residence 110, and a contact 334b ​​that allows the supply of electricity when closed and prevents the supply of electricity when opened. When the measuring unit 334a measures that a predetermined amount of electricity has passed through the power outage electric circuit 52, the circuit breaker 334 opens the contact 334b ​​to cut off the power outage electric circuit 52.

[0063] The control device 310 includes a receiving unit 151, a determining unit 152, a setting unit 355 that sets a predetermined amount of electricity for the circuit breaker 334, and a notifying unit 154. The setting unit 355 sets the available capacity Er determined by the determining unit 152 as the predetermined amount of electricity.

[0064] In the electricity supply system 3 configured as described above, when a power outage occurs, electricity is supplied from the storage battery 25 to the residence 110 via the power outage electric circuit 52. Then, when the amount of electricity supplied to the residence 110 reaches a predetermined amount of electricity set by the setting unit 355 of the control device 310, in other words, the available capacity Er, the circuit breaker 334 interrupts the power outage electric circuit 52 and cuts off the supply of electricity from the storage battery 25 to the residence 110. Therefore, even with this configuration, the limited amount of electricity available during a power outage can be distributed evenly among the multiple residences 110.

[0065] In the electricity supply system 3 according to the third embodiment described above, the setting unit 355 of the control device 310 can set the predetermined amount of electricity, but this is not particularly limited to this configuration. The predetermined amount of electricity may be manually set. Furthermore, the predetermined amount of electricity may be a fixed value (for example, 2 (kWh)) that was set when the circuit breaker 334 was installed in the residence 110. If the control device 310 is configured not to set the available capacity Er, there is no need to include the control device 310, and the system can be realized at low cost. Furthermore, the circuit breaker 334 may be configured so that the contacts are automatically returned to a closed state when a certain time (for example, one day) has passed after the measuring unit 334a measures that a predetermined amount of electricity has passed through the power outage electric circuit 52 and the contacts 334b ​​are opened. This allows the circuit breaker 334 to be easily returned to the original state even if the control device 310 is not configured to remotely control it.

[0066] <Fourth embodiment> FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an electricity supply system 4 according to the fourth embodiment. The electricity supply system 4 according to the fourth embodiment differs from the electricity supply system 2 according to the second embodiment in that, of the multiple residences 110 in the apartment building 100, only the residence 110 that has made a contract in advance with the owner of the electricity supply system 4 (the fifth residence 115 in FIG. 10) has a power outage electric circuit 52 and a power outage connector 231. The following describes the differences from the second embodiment. The same reference numerals are used for the same elements in the second and fourth embodiments, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0067] For example, the owner or resident of the residence 110 may enter into a contract with the owner of the electricity supply system 4 to receive electricity from the storage battery 25 via the power outage circuit 52 during a power outage, on the condition that a special fee is paid. In other words, the residence 110 where the contractor resides is equipped with the power outage circuit 52, which receives electricity from the storage battery 25, in addition to the power outage circuit 51, which receives electricity from the power grid 120, and the power outage connector 231. The contractor can receive electricity from the storage battery 25 during a power outage via the power outage circuit 52 and the power outage connector 231. In exchange, the contractor pays a special fee in addition to the electricity charges (e.g., a basic fee based on the contract current plus a power usage fee) paid by the owner or resident of the residence 110 who does not have a contract. The special fee may be, for example, a monthly fee (e.g., 5,000 yen). Alternatively, the special fee may be a fee paid annually or every two years, or a lump sum fee, for example, upon moving in.

[0068] As described above, the electricity supply system 4 includes a storage battery 25 capable of storing electricity, a connector 31 capable of supplying electricity from the power grid 120, and an electric circuit 51 capable of supplying electricity to the connector 31, which are provided in each of the multiple residences 110 in the apartment building 100. The electricity supply system 4 also includes a power outage connector 231 capable of supplying electricity to electrical appliances during a power outage, which is provided in a residence 110 that pays a special fee among the multiple residences 110, and a power outage electric circuit 52 capable of supplying electricity from the storage battery 25 to the power outage connector 231.

[0069] In this electricity supply system 4, the right to use electricity from the storage battery 25 during a power outage is granted at a special rate to residences 110 that pay high monthly electricity bills, for example. Therefore, the limited amount of electricity available during a power outage can be distributed fairly among multiple residences 110.

[0070] If there are multiple residences 110 equipped with power outage electric circuits 52 and power outage connectors 231, the determination unit 152 determines the usable capacity Er that can be used in these residences 110 during a power outage. When the amount of electricity used in each residence 110, measured by the watt-hour meters 233 installed in each residence 110 and accumulated since the power outage occurred, reaches the usable capacity Er determined by the determination unit 152, the opening / closing unit 253 of the control device 210 opens the contacts 234b of the circuit breaker 234 to cut off the supply of electricity from the storage battery 25 to the residence 110. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1, 2, 3, 4... Electricity supply system, 10, 110, 210... Control device, 15... Control unit, 21... Power generation device, 25... Storage battery, 31... Connector, 32... Distribution board, 33, 233... Watt-hour meter, 33a, 334a... Measurement unit, 33b, 234b, 334b... Contact, 51... Electric circuit, 52... Power outage electric circuit, 100... Apartment building, 110... Residence, 120... Power system, 152... Determination unit, 153... Switching unit, 154... Notification unit, 231... Power outage connector

Claims

1. An electrical supply system for supplying electricity to dwellings in an apartment building, comprising: a limiting means provided in the residence for limiting the supply of electricity during a power outage; a measuring means for measuring the amount of electricity used in the residence during a power outage; a control means for controlling the limiting means; Equipped with The control means determines the amount of electricity that can be used in the residence during a power outage based on the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery when the power outage occurs, and when the amount of electricity measured by the metering means reaches the determined amount of electricity, controls the limiting means to limit the use of electricity supplied to the residence. Electrical supply system.

2. The residence has a power outage connector capable of supplying electricity to electrical equipment during a power outage and a power outage electric circuit capable of supplying electricity to the power outage connector during a power outage, The limiting means is disposed on the power failure electric circuit, The control means controls the limiting means to cut off the power line when the amount of electricity measured by the measuring means reaches the determined amount of electricity. The electrical supply system according to claim 1 .

3. The residence has a power outage connector capable of supplying electricity to electrical equipment during a power outage and a power outage electric circuit capable of supplying electricity to the power outage connector during a power outage, The limiting means cuts off the power failure electric circuit when the amount of electricity measured by the measuring means reaches a predetermined amount of electricity, the control means sets the determined amount of electricity as the predetermined amount of electricity. The electrical supply system according to claim 1 .

4. The residence has a connector capable of supplying electricity from a power grid and an electric circuit capable of supplying electricity to the connector, Some of the multiple connectors also serve as the power outage connectors.

4. The electrical supply system according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The control means determines the amount of electricity available for use in the residences by dividing the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery when a power outage occurs by the number of the residences. An electrical supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The control means determines the amount of electricity available to the residence based on a bid price for electricity to be used during a power outage. An electrical supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The control means determines the amount of electricity available to the residence during a power outage, taking into consideration the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery at the time of the power outage and the amount of surplus electricity generated by the power generation device that is not used in the apartment building. An electrical supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Citation Information

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