Power Management System

Abstract

To provide a power management system that allows power to be supplied from one building with surplus power to another building with power shortage and allows the time until power is supplied from the one building to the other building to be shortened.SOLUTION: A power management system 10 includes a data server 16. The data server 16 is capable of acquiring a travel route that is estimated to have the shortest travel time between buildings 12. Therefore, the data server 16 can obtain a travel route that is estimated to have the shortest travel time between one building 12 with surplus power and another building 12 with power shortage. Then, travel route information including this travel route is transmitted from the data server 16 to an electric vehicle parked within the premises of the one building 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power management system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses an invention related to a home energy management system. In this home energy management system, if there is surplus power generated by a solar power generation system, this power is stored in a storage battery connected to the building's distribution board or in a vehicle storage battery of an electric vehicle. The power stored in the storage battery or vehicle storage battery is supplied to loads within the building during times such as nighttime when the solar power generation system cannot generate power. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-20488 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when the solar power generation device is unable to generate power, it may be difficult to supply enough power to the loads within the building even if the power from both the storage battery and the vehicle storage battery is used.

[0005] On the other hand, depending on the state of power consumption due to loads within the building, it is conceivable that part of the power stored in the storage battery and the vehicle storage battery will become surplus power.

[0006] In this regard, from the viewpoint of efficient use of power, it is preferable that one building with surplus power can supply power to another building with a power shortage, and it is also preferable that power be supplied from one building to the other as quickly as possible.

[0007] Taking the above facts into consideration, the present invention aims to provide a power management system that enables one building with surplus power to supply power to another building with a power shortage, while shortening the time it takes for power to be supplied from one building to the other. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A first aspect of the power management system includes: solar power generation devices installed in a plurality of buildings and capable of generating electricity using solar light; power storage devices installed in the plurality of buildings and capable of storing electricity generated by the solar power generation devices; power storage units mounted on electric vehicles parked within the premises of each of the plurality of buildings under normal circumstances; charging and discharging devices installed in the plurality of buildings and interposed between the electric vehicles and the buildings and capable of supplying power from the buildings to the power storage units or from the power storage units to the buildings; charging devices installed in the plurality of buildings and capable of supplying power from one of the power storage units to another of the power storage units; and a data server capable of obtaining a driving route estimated to have the shortest driving time between the buildings and capable of transmitting driving route information including the driving route to the electric vehicles.

[0009] In the power management system according to the first aspect, solar power generation devices capable of generating electricity using sunlight are installed in a plurality of buildings, and therefore, in these buildings, the power generated by the solar power generation devices can be supplied to loads within the buildings during times when the solar power generation devices can generate electricity, such as during the daytime.

[0010] In this aspect, a power storage device is installed in each building, and if there is surplus power generated by the solar power generation device during a time period when the solar power generation device is capable of generating power, i.e., if the surplus power exceeds the power consumed by the load in the building, a portion of the surplus power can be stored in the power storage device. Therefore, during times when the solar power generation device cannot generate power, such as at night, the power stored in the power storage device can be supplied to the load in the building.

[0011] Furthermore, in this aspect, electric vehicles are parked within the premises of each of the multiple buildings under normal circumstances, and a charging / discharging device is interposed between the electric vehicles and the buildings. The charging / discharging device is capable of supplying power from the building to a power storage unit installed in the electric vehicle or from the power storage unit to the building. Therefore, if there is surplus power generated by the solar power generation device during a time period when the solar power generation device is capable of generating power, a portion of that power can be stored in the power storage unit. Then, during a time period when the solar power generation device is unable to generate power, the power stored in the power storage unit can be supplied to loads within the building.

[0012] However, when the solar power generation device is unable to generate power, it may be difficult to supply enough power to the loads in the building even if the power from both the power storage device and the power storage unit is used.

[0013] On the other hand, depending on the state of power consumption due to loads within the building, it is conceivable that part of the power stored in the power storage device and the power storage unit will become surplus power.

[0014] In this regard, from the viewpoint of efficient use of power, it is preferable that one building with surplus power can supply power to another building with a power shortage, and it is also preferable that power be supplied from one building to the other as quickly as possible.

[0015] In this aspect, charging devices are installed in a plurality of buildings, and the charging devices can supply power from the power storage unit of one electric vehicle to the power storage unit of another electric vehicle.

[0016] In this aspect, a data server is provided, and the data server is capable of acquiring a driving route estimated to have the shortest driving time between buildings. Therefore, the data server can acquire a driving route estimated to have the shortest driving time between one building with surplus power and another building with a power shortage. The data server then transmits driving route information including the acquired driving route to an electric vehicle parked within the premises of one of the buildings.

[0017] As a result, in this aspect, an electric vehicle in one building with surplus power can be driven along the above-mentioned driving route from the other building with a power shortage. Then, power can be supplied from the power storage unit of the electric vehicle in the one building via a charging device to the power storage unit of the electric vehicle in the other building, and power can be supplied from the power storage unit to the other building.

[0018] A power supply system according to a second aspect is the power management system according to the first aspect, wherein the data server is capable of acquiring the shortest route between the buildings as the travel route information.

[0019] In the power management system according to the second aspect, a data server obtains the shortest route between one building with surplus power and another building with a power shortage, and an electric vehicle transporting power from one building to the other can travel along this shortest route.

[0020] The power management system of the third aspect is the power management system of the first aspect, wherein the data server is capable of acquiring congestion information on multiple routes between the buildings as the driving route information, and is capable of acquiring the route with the lowest traffic density.

[0021] In the energy management system according to the third aspect, the data server can acquire congestion information for multiple routes between one building with surplus energy and another building with insufficient energy, and the data server can acquire the route with the lowest traffic density from among these routes.

[0022] Therefore, in this aspect, an electric vehicle transporting power from one building to another can be made to travel along a route with a relatively low traffic density.

[0023] A power supply system according to a fourth aspect is a power management system according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the electric vehicle is equipped with an automatic driving control device, and the automatic driving control device is capable of acquiring the driving route information transmitted from the data server and setting a driving route along which the electric vehicle will travel.

[0024] In a fourth aspect of the power management system, electric vehicles parked within the grounds of multiple buildings under normal circumstances are each equipped with an automatic driving control device. The automatic driving control device can acquire driving route information from a data server and set a driving route for the electric vehicles. This allows power to be transported by the automatic driving of the electric vehicles from one building with surplus power to another building with a power shortage. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] As described above, the power management system according to the first aspect has the excellent effect of enabling one building with surplus power to supply power to another building with a power shortage, while also shortening the time it takes for power to be supplied from one building to the other.

[0026] The power management system according to the second aspect has the excellent effect of shortening the travel distance of an electric vehicle transporting power from one building with surplus power to another building with a power shortage.

[0027] The power management system according to the third aspect has the excellent effect of preventing electric vehicles transporting power from one building with surplus power to another building with a power shortage from getting caught in traffic congestion.

[0028] The power management system according to the fourth aspect has the excellent effect of being able to transport power from one building with surplus power to another building with a power shortage without the residents of one building having to drive an electric vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a power management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which power is supplied between electric vehicles in a power management system according to the present embodiment; [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a building control device and its relationship with peripheral devices in a power management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a vehicle control device and its relationship with peripheral devices in a power management system according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a data server in the power management system according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a power management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] The power management system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 6. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the "power management system 10" according to this embodiment is configured to include various devices installed in a plurality of "buildings 12," various devices installed in an "electric vehicle 14" parked within the premises of the buildings 12, and a "data server 16."

[0031] Specifically, the equipment that constitutes part of the power management system 10 on the building 12 side includes a "solar power generation device 18" installed in the building 12, a power distribution device 20, a "power storage device 22", a "charging / discharging device 24" located near the building 12, and a "charging device 28" used to exchange power between "battery packs 26" that serve as power storage units mounted on the electric vehicles 14.

[0032] The solar power generation device 18 is installed on the roof surface of the building 12 and is capable of generating electricity when exposed to sunlight. The power generated by the solar power generation device 18 is supplied via a power distribution device 20 to a power storage device 22, a battery pack 26, and a plurality of loads 30 within the building 12. Examples of the loads 30 include various home appliances.

[0033] The power distribution device 20 includes a control device 32 , a measurement unit 34 , a switching unit 36 ​​, a power conversion unit 38 , and a distribution board 40 .

[0034] 3, the control device 32 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 32A, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 32B, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 32C, a storage 32D, a communication I / F (Interface) 32E, and an input / output I / F 32F. The CPU 32A, ROM 32B, RAM 32C, storage 32D, communication I / F 32E, and input / output I / F 32F are connected to each other via a bus 32G so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0035] The CPU 32A is a central processing unit that controls various devices by executing various programs and is capable of controlling the distribution of power generated by the solar power generation device 18. Specifically, the CPU 32A reads programs from the ROM 32B and executes the programs using the RAM 32C as a work area. The CPU 32A reads and executes the execution programs stored in the ROM 32B, enabling the control device 32 to perform various functions, as will be described later.

[0036] The storage 32D includes a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD) and stores various programs including an operating system and various data. The storage 32D also stores location information of the building 12 and measurement results from the measurement unit 34.

[0037] The communication I / F 32E is an interface used to connect the control device 32 to the network N, and is capable of communicating with the data server 16 and the like. This interface uses communication standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), FDDI, and Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The communication I / F 32E may also include a wireless device.

[0038] The input / output I / F 32F is an interface for the control device 32 to communicate with the measurement unit 34, the switching unit 36, and the power conversion unit 38.

[0039] The measurement unit 34 measures the power generated by the solar power generation device 18, the power consumed by multiple loads 30 via the distribution board 40, and the power stored in the storage device 22, and is capable of transmitting these measurement results to the control device 32 as a measurement signal.

[0040] The switching unit 36 ​​is configured to include multiple relays (not shown), and is capable of switching the connection state between the solar power generation device 18 and the distribution board 40, the connection state between the solar power generation device 18 and the storage device 22, the connection state between the solar power generation device 18 and the charging / discharging device 24, the connection state between the storage device 22 and the distribution board 40, and the connection state between the charging / discharging device 24 and the distribution board 40 based on the control by the control device 32.

[0041] The power conversion unit 38 includes a DC / DC converter (not shown) that can convert the DC power supplied from the solar power generation device 18 into DC power that can be supplied to the storage device 22, a DC / DC converter (not shown) that can convert the DC power supplied from the solar power generation device 18 into DC power that can be supplied to the charging / discharging device 24, and an inverter (not shown) that can convert the DC power supplied from the solar power generation device 18 or the storage device 22 into AC power that can be supplied to the load 30.

[0042] The distribution board 40 is interposed between the multiple loads 30 and the power conversion unit 38, and the power supplied from the solar power generation device 18 is supplied to each load 30 via the distribution board 40.

[0043] The power storage device 22 is configured to include a plurality of battery modules (not shown), and is capable of storing power supplied from the solar power generation device 18 via the switching unit 36 ​​and the power conversion unit 38. Furthermore, the power stored in the power storage device 22 is supplied to each load 30 via the power conversion unit 38 and the distribution board 40 when the solar power generation device 18 is unable to generate power.

[0044] The charging / discharging device 24 includes a control device 42 and a power conversion unit 44. When charging the battery pack 26 of the electric vehicle 14, the control device 42 controls a DC / DC converter (not shown) of the power conversion unit 44 to convert the DC power supplied from the power distribution device 20 into DC power that can be supplied to the battery pack 26.

[0045] In addition, when supplying power from the battery pack 26 to the power distribution device 20, the control device 42 controls the DC / DC converter of the power conversion unit 44 to convert the DC power supplied from the battery pack 26 into DC power that can be supplied to the power distribution device 20.

[0046] Furthermore, the control device 42 is capable of communicating with the control device 32 of the power distribution device 20 and a "vehicle control device 52" of the electric vehicle 14, which will be described later, and is capable of acquiring remaining power information of the battery pack 26 from the vehicle control device 52 and transmitting a remaining power signal based on this remaining power information to the control device 32 at predetermined time intervals.

[0047] The charging device 28 is portable by the user and can be electrically connected to two electric vehicles 14 via a cable 28A. The charging device 28 also includes a DC / DC converter (not shown) that can convert DC power supplied from the battery pack 26 of one electric vehicle 14 into DC power that can be supplied to the battery pack 26 of the other electric vehicle 14. By operating the charging device 28 while electrically connected to one electric vehicle 14 and the other electric vehicle 14, it becomes possible to supply power from one battery pack 26 to the other battery pack 26.

[0048] Next, the functional configuration of the control device 32 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The control device 32 functions as a collection of a communication unit 46, a power status information generation unit 48, and a charge / discharge switching unit 50 by the CPU 32A reading and executing an execution program stored in the ROM 32B.

[0049] The communication unit 46 is capable of communicating with various devices via the network N, and as shown in FIG. 1, is capable of transmitting and receiving various information to and from the data server 16 and a vehicle control device 52 of the electric vehicle 14.

[0050] The power status information generating unit 48 is capable of acquiring information on the remaining amount of power stored in the power storage device 22 based on the measurement signal transmitted from the measuring unit 34, and is also capable of acquiring information on the remaining amount of power in the battery pack 26 and the average amount of power used per day in the electric vehicle 14 from the vehicle control device 52, as will be described later.

[0051] The power status information generation unit 48 is also capable of calculating the average daily power usage of the building 12 based on the measurement results from the measurement unit 34. The power status information generation unit 48 is also capable of generating power status information that associates the location of the building 12, the remaining power amount of the power storage device 22, the remaining power amount of the battery pack 26, the average daily power usage of the electric vehicle 14, and the average daily power usage of the building 12. The power status information generation unit 48 is also configured to transmit this power status information to the data server 16 at predetermined time intervals.

[0052] The charge / discharge switching unit 50 is configured to compare the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 18 with the amount of power consumed by the plurality of loads 30 based on the measurement signal. When the charge / discharge switching unit 50 determines that the power generated by the solar power generation device 18 is greater than the power consumed by the plurality of loads 30, the charge / discharge switching unit 50 controls the switching unit 36 ​​to supply the surplus power to the power storage device 22 or the charge / discharge device 24.

[0053] In detail, the charge / discharge switching unit 50 is capable of switching between a first state in which the solar power generation device 18 and the storage device 22 are connected, and a second connection state in which the solar power generation device 18 and the charge / discharge device 24 are connected.

[0054] When the charge / discharge switching unit 50 determines that the power storage device 22 is not fully charged based on the measurement signal transmitted from the measurement unit 34, it controls the switching unit 36 ​​to switch to the first state.

[0055] Furthermore, when the charge / discharge switching unit 50 determines that the power storage device 22 is fully charged based on the measurement signal, the charge / discharge switching unit 50 switches to the second state by controlling the switching unit 36. That is, in this embodiment, charging of the power storage device 22 is given priority over charging of the battery pack 26.

[0056] On the other hand, when the charge / discharge switching unit 50 determines based on the measurement signal that the power generated by the solar power generation device 18 is smaller than the power consumed by the plurality of loads 30, the charge / discharge switching unit 50 controls the switching unit 36 ​​to supply the power stored in the power storage device 22 or the power stored in the battery pack 26 to the load 30. Note that in this embodiment, the charge / discharge switching unit 50 prioritizes the supply of power from the battery pack 26 to the load 30 over the supply of power from the power storage device 22 to the load 30.

[0057] 1, the electric vehicle 14 is equipped with a power unit (not shown) that includes a motor and the like, and this power unit is driven by power supplied from the battery pack 26. The electric vehicle 14 is also equipped with a vehicle control device 52.

[0058] The battery pack 26 is configured to include a plurality of battery modules (not shown), and its capacity is greater than that of the power storage device 22. The battery pack 26 is electrically connected to a connection portion provided on the electric vehicle 14 and to the charging / discharging device 24 via a cable 24A (see FIG. 2) to this connection portion, thereby enabling the transfer of power to and from the building 12.

[0059] 4, the vehicle control device 52 includes a CPU 52A, a ROM 52B, a RAM 52C, a storage 52D, a communication I / F 52E, and an input / output I / F 52F. The CPU 52A, the ROM 52B, the RAM 52C, the storage 52D, the communication I / F 52E, and the input / output I / F 52F are connected to each other via a bus 52G so as to be able to communicate with each other. The CPU 52A, the ROM 52B, the RAM 52C, the storage 52D, the communication I / F 52E, and the input / output I / F 52F basically have the same functions as those constituting the control device 32 described above. The execution programs stored in the ROM 52B are read and executed by the CPU 52A, thereby enabling the vehicle control device 52 to perform various functions.

[0060] In detail, the CPU 52A is capable of reading out various programs relating to the automatic driving of the electric vehicle 14 and the charging and discharging of the battery pack 26 from the ROM 52B and executing the programs using the RAM 52C as a working area.

[0061] The communication I / F 52E is an interface used to connect the vehicle control device 52 to the network N, and is capable of communicating with the data server 16, the control device 32, etc. Various information received by the communication I / F 52E is stored in the storage 52D.

[0062] The input / output I / F 54F is an interface that allows the vehicle control device 52 to communicate with each device mounted on the electric vehicle 14. The vehicle control device 52 is connected to each device described below via the input / output I / F 54F so that they can communicate with each other.

[0063] The devices connected to the vehicle control device 52 include a control device (not shown) of the battery pack 26 described above, a GPS (Global Positioning System) device 54 , an external sensor 56 , an internal sensor 58 , and an actuator 60 .

[0064] The GPS device 54 is equipped with an antenna (not shown) that receives signals from GPS satellites (not shown), and is capable of measuring the current position of the electric vehicle 14. The position information of the electric vehicle 14 measured by the GPS device 54 is temporarily stored in the storage 52D.

[0065] The external sensors 56 are a group of sensors used to detect the surrounding environment of the electric vehicle 14. The external sensors 56 include, for example, a camera that captures an image of a predetermined range, a millimeter wave radar that transmits a search wave to a predetermined range, and a LIDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) that scans a predetermined range. Data acquired by the external sensors 56 is temporarily stored in the storage 52D.

[0066] The internal sensors 58 are a group of sensors used to detect the traveling state of the electric vehicle 14, and include, for example, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a yaw rate sensor. Data acquired by the internal sensors 58 is temporarily stored in the storage 52D.

[0067] The actuator 60 includes a throttle actuator, a brake actuator, and a steering actuator, all of which are not shown, and is capable of controlling drive devices, all of which are not shown, including an accelerator device, a brake device, and a steering device.

[0068] Next, the functional configuration of the vehicle control device 52 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The vehicle control device 52 functions as a collection of a communication unit 62, an autonomous driving information acquisition unit 64, an autonomous driving control unit 66, and a power supply information control unit 68 by the CPU 52A reading and executing an execution program stored in the ROM 52B.

[0069] The communication unit 62 is capable of transmitting and receiving various signals to and from the data server 16 and the control device 32, and as will be described later, is capable of transmitting information relating to the transport of electricity and the like to and from these devices.

[0070] The autonomous driving information acquisition unit 64 is capable of acquiring data necessary for autonomous driving of the electric vehicle 14. The information acquired by this autonomous driving information acquisition unit 64 includes position information of the electric vehicle 14 measured by the GPS device 54, data related to the surrounding environment of the electric vehicle 14 acquired by the external sensor 56, data related to the driving state of the electric vehicle 14 acquired by the internal sensor 58, and driving route information of the electric vehicle 14 acquired from the data server 16. The above data acquired by the autonomous driving information acquisition unit 64 is then transmitted to the autonomous driving control unit 66.

[0071] The automatic driving control unit 66 controls the actuator 60 based on the information acquired by the automatic driving information acquisition unit 84 to drive the electric vehicle 14 from one building 12 with surplus power to the other building 12 with a power shortage. In other words, the vehicle control device 52 also functions as an automatic driving control device.

[0072] The power supply information control unit 68 is capable of controlling the control device of the battery pack 26, and is also capable of communicating with the control device 32 of the building 12 via the charge / discharge device 24. The power supply information control unit 68 is also capable of acquiring remaining power information of the battery pack 26 by receiving a remaining power signal transmitted from the battery pack 26 based on the remaining power stored in the battery pack 26.

[0073] The power supply information control unit 68 is also capable of calculating the average amount of power used per day in the electric vehicle 14 based on the driving data of the electric vehicle 14 acquired from the internal sensors 58, etc., and the remaining power information of the battery pack 26. The power supply information control unit 68 is also capable of transmitting data including the remaining power information of the battery pack 26 and the average amount of power used per day in the electric vehicle 14 to the control device 42 of the charging / discharging device 24.

[0074] Next, the configuration of the data server 16 will be described mainly with reference to Figures 5 and 6. The data server 16 includes a CPU 16A, a ROM 16B, a RAM 16C, a storage 16D, and a communication I / F 16E. The CPU 16A, the ROM 16B, the RAM 16C, the storage 16D, and the communication I / F 16E are connected to each other via a bus 16F so as to be able to communicate with each other. The CPU 16A, the ROM 16B, the RAM 16C, the storage 16D, and the communication I / F 16E basically have the same functions as those constituting the control device 32 described above. The execution programs stored in the ROM 16B are read and executed by the CPU 16A, thereby enabling the data server 16 to perform various functions.

[0075] The storage 16D is configured to store various information acquired from the control device 32 of the building 12, etc. The storage 16D also stores map information, specifically road position information, road shape information (e.g., number of lanes, type of lane, etc.), traffic light position information, and position information of utility poles located near the road. The position information here includes not only two-dimensional (planar) position information but also three-dimensional (stereoscopic) position information. The map information is updated at predetermined intervals.

[0076] In detail, the data server 16 functions as a collection of a communication unit 70, a distribution unit 72, a supply side information acquisition unit 74, a supply side information acquisition unit 76, a traffic route acquisition unit 78, a traffic information acquisition unit 80, and a selection unit 82 by the CPU 16A reading and executing the execution program stored in the ROM 16B.

[0077] The communication unit 70 is capable of communicating with various devices via the network N, and is capable of sending and receiving various information with the control device 32, the vehicle control device 52, the VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) (registered trademark) center, etc.

[0078] The allocating unit 72 allocates the plurality of buildings 12 to supply-side buildings and supply-side buildings based on the power status information acquired from the power status information generating unit 48.

[0079] Specifically, the allocating unit 72 compares the remaining available power, which is the sum of the remaining power in the power storage device 22 and the remaining power in the battery pack 26, with the estimated amount of available power, which is the sum of the average daily power consumption of the electric vehicle 14 and the average daily power consumption of the building 12. Then, the allocating unit 72 transmits power status information of the building 12 whose estimated amount of available power is greater than the remaining available power to the supplied-side information acquiring unit 74 as information of the supplied-side building, and transmits power status information of the building 12 whose estimated amount of available power is less than the remaining available power to the supply-side information acquiring unit 76 as information of the supplying-side building.

[0080] The supply-side information acquisition unit 74 stores the power status information of the supply-side building acquired from the distribution unit 72, and transmits this power status information as supply-side information to the traffic route acquisition unit 78, the traffic information acquisition unit 80, and the selection unit 82.

[0081] The supply side information acquisition unit 76 stores the power status information of the supply side building acquired from the distribution unit 72, and transmits this power status information to the traffic route acquisition unit 78, the traffic information acquisition unit 80, and the selection unit 82 as supply side information.

[0082] The traffic route acquisition unit 78 acquires routes between a plurality of supplied-side buildings and a plurality of supply-side buildings in a predetermined area for all combinations of the supplied-side buildings and the supply-side buildings based on the map information and the supply-side information and information acquired from the supply-side information acquisition unit 74, and acquires the route between the buildings 12 that results in the shortest route. The shortest route information between the buildings 12 acquired in this way is transmitted to the selection unit 82 and the traffic information acquisition unit 80.

[0083] The traffic information acquisition unit 80 acquires the traffic density of each route between the buildings 12 based on various traffic information including congestion information acquired from the VICS center and shortest route information acquired from the traffic route acquisition unit 78, and transmits the traffic density information to the selection unit 82.

[0084] The selection unit 82 selects a combination of a building 12 to which power is to be supplied and a building 12 that will supply power to this building 12, based on the supplied-side information acquired from the supplied-side information acquisition unit 74, the supply-side information acquired from the supply-side information acquisition unit 76, the shortest route information acquired from the traffic route acquisition unit 78, and the traffic density information acquired from the traffic information acquisition unit 80.

[0085] Specifically, the selection unit 82 inputs the difference between the remaining available power of the supply-received building and the expected amount of power to be used (power shortage), the difference between the remaining available power of the supply-side building and the expected amount of power to be used (power surplus), the length of the shortest route between the supply-received building and the supply-side building, and the traffic density of this shortest route into a predetermined evaluation function, thereby selecting the optimal combination of supply-received building and supply-side building that is estimated to be capable of stably supplying power to the building 12 that is short of power and that will minimize the traveling time of the electric vehicle 14.

[0086] In the present embodiment, as an example, the selection unit 82 is configured to select a combination of buildings 12 for which the product of the length of the shortest route between the buildings 12 and the square of the traffic density of this shortest route is smallest, among combinations of buildings 12 for which the value obtained by dividing the amount of surplus energy by the amount of energy shortage in a predetermined area is 0.8 to 1.2. Then, driving route information including the driving route between the buildings 12 in the combination of buildings 12 selected as described above is transmitted from the selection unit 82 to the vehicle control device 52 via the communication unit 70.

[0087] <Actions and Effects of This Embodiment> Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0088] 1, photovoltaic power generation devices 18 capable of generating electricity using sunlight are installed in a plurality of buildings 12. Therefore, in these buildings 12, during times when the photovoltaic power generation devices 18 can generate electricity, such as daytime, the electricity generated by the photovoltaic power generation devices 18 can be supplied to loads 30 within the buildings 12.

[0089] In this embodiment, a power storage device 22 is installed in each of these buildings 12, and if there is surplus power generated by the solar power generation device 18 during a time period when the solar power generation device 18 is capable of generating power, that is, if the surplus power exceeds the power consumption of the load 30 in the building 12, part of the power can be stored in the power storage device 22. Therefore, during a time period when the solar power generation device 18 is unable to generate power, such as at night, the power stored in the power storage device 22 can be supplied to the load in the building 12.

[0090] Furthermore, in this embodiment, electric vehicles 14 are normally parked within the premises of each of the multiple buildings 12, and a charging / discharging device 24 is interposed between the electric vehicles 14 and the buildings 12. The charging / discharging device 24 is capable of supplying power from the buildings 12 to battery packs 26 mounted on the electric vehicles 14, or supplying power from the battery packs 26 to the buildings 12. Therefore, if there is surplus power generated by the solar power generation device 18 during a time period when the solar power generation device 18 is capable of generating power, part of the surplus power can be stored in the battery packs 26. During a time period when the solar power generation device 18 is unable to generate power, the power stored in the battery packs 26 can be supplied to a load 30 within the buildings 12.

[0091] However, when the solar power generation device 18 is unable to generate power, it may be difficult to supply enough power to the load 30 in the building 12 even if the power of both the power storage device 22 and the battery pack 26 is used.

[0092] On the other hand, depending on the state of power consumption by the load 30 in the building 12, it is conceivable that part of the power stored in the power storage device 22 and the battery pack 26 will become surplus power.

[0093] In this regard, from the viewpoint of effective use of power, it is preferable that one building 12 with surplus power can supply power to another building 12 that is short of power. It is also preferable that power be supplied from one building 12 to the other building 12 as quickly as possible.

[0094] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, charging devices 28 are installed in multiple buildings 12, and these charging devices 28 can supply power from the battery pack 26 of one electric vehicle 14 to the battery pack 26 of another electric vehicle 14.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a data server 16 is provided, and this data server 16 is capable of acquiring a driving route that is estimated to have the shortest driving time between the buildings 12. Therefore, the data server 16 can acquire a driving route that is estimated to have the shortest driving time between one building 12 that has surplus power and another building 12 that is short of power. Then, driving route information including this driving route is transmitted from the data server 16 to an electric vehicle parked within the premises of one of the buildings 12.

[0096] As a result, in this embodiment, an electric vehicle 14 on one side of a building 12 having surplus power can be driven via the above-mentioned driving route from one building 12 to the other building 12 having a power shortage. Then, power can be supplied from the battery pack 26 of the electric vehicle 14 on one side of the building 12 via the charging device 28 to the battery pack 26 of the electric vehicle 14 on the other side of the building 12, and from this battery pack 26 to the other building 12.

[0097] Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to supply power from one building 12 that has surplus power to another building 12 that is short of power, and it is also possible to shorten the time it takes for power to be supplied from one building 12 to the other building 12.

[0098] In addition, in this embodiment, the data server 16 obtains the shortest route between one building 12 that has surplus power and another building 12 that is short of power, and an electric vehicle 14 that transports power from one building 12 to the other building 12 can travel this shortest route.

[0099] Therefore, the travel distance of the electric vehicle 14 transporting power from one building 12 having surplus power to another building 12 having a power shortage can be shortened.

[0100] In this embodiment, the data server 16 can obtain congestion information for multiple routes between one building 12 that has surplus power and another building 12 that is short of power. The data server 16 can then obtain the route with the lowest traffic density from among these routes.

[0101] For this reason, in this embodiment, the electric vehicle 14 transporting power from one building 12 to another building 12 can be made to travel on a route with a relatively low traffic density. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the electric vehicle 14 transporting power from one building 12 with surplus power to the other building 12 with a power shortage from getting caught in traffic congestion.

[0102] Additionally, in this embodiment, the electric vehicles 14 parked within the grounds of the multiple buildings 12 under normal circumstances are each equipped with a vehicle control device 52. The vehicle control device 52 can acquire driving route information from the data server 16 and set a driving route for the electric vehicles 14. Therefore, electric power can be transported by the automatic driving of the electric vehicles 14 from one building 12 having surplus power to another building 12 having a power shortage. Therefore, in this embodiment, electric power can be transported from one building 12 having surplus power to another building 12 having a power shortage without the resident of one building 12 driving the electric vehicle 14.

[0103] <Supplementary explanation of the above embodiment> (1) In the above-described embodiment, the electric vehicle 14 travels by autonomous driving, but this is not limited to this. For example, driving route information may be transmitted from the data server 16 to the car navigation system of the electric vehicle 14, and a resident of the building 12 with surplus power may drive the electric vehicle 14 based on the driving route displayed on the car navigation system. Furthermore, depending on the surrounding environment of the building 12, either the length of the route between the supply-side building and the supply-side building or the traffic density on this route may be used to set the driving route.

[0104] (2) In the above-described embodiment, the supplying building is set based on the estimated amount of power usage and the remaining amount of available power of the building 12, but this is not limited to this. For example, the data server 16 may determine whether or not the occupants of the building 12 are absent based on the data acquired by the measurement unit 34, and set the building 12 in which the occupants are absent as the supplying building. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 10 Power Management System 12 Buildings 14 Electric Vehicles 16 Data Server 18. Solar power generation equipment 22 Energy storage device 24 Charge / discharge device 26 Battery pack (power storage unit) 28 Charging device 52 Vehicle control device (automatic driving control device)

Claims

1. a solar power generation device that is installed in a plurality of buildings and is capable of generating electricity using sunlight; a power storage device that is installed in the plurality of buildings and that is capable of storing the power generated by the solar power generation device; a power storage unit mounted on an electric vehicle that is normally parked within the grounds of each of the plurality of buildings; a charging / discharging device that is installed in each of the buildings and is interposed between the electric vehicle and the building, and that is capable of supplying power from the building to the power storage unit or supplying power from the power storage unit to the building; a charging device installed in each of the buildings and capable of supplying power from one of the power storage units to another of the power storage units; a data server that is capable of acquiring a travel route that is estimated to have the shortest travel time between the buildings and transmitting travel route information including the acquired travel route to the electric vehicle; A power management system having:

2. The data server is capable of acquiring the shortest route between the buildings as the travel route information. The power management system of claim 1 .

3. the data server is capable of acquiring, as the driving route information, congestion information on a plurality of routes between the buildings and acquiring the route with the lowest traffic density; The power management system of claim 1 .

4. The electric vehicle is equipped with an automatic driving control device, and the automatic driving control device is capable of acquiring the driving route information transmitted from the data server and setting a driving route along which the electric vehicle will travel. The power management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images