Discharge amount distribution system, discharge amount distribution method, and discharge amount distribution program

Abstract

To reduce the possibility of a sense of unfairness arising among owners of storage batteries. [Solution] A discharge amount distribution system is configured that includes: a dischargeable amount acquisition unit that acquires a dischargeable amount indicating the amount of power that can be discharged from N storage batteries (N is an integer of 2 or more); a target power amount acquisition unit that acquires a target power amount indicating the total amount of power to be discharged from the N storage batteries; and a distribution unit that designates the storage batteries in order of smallest dischargeable amount as the nth storage battery (n is an integer from 1 to N), designates the dischargeable amount of the nth storage battery as the nth dischargeable amount, and if the first dischargeable amount x N is smaller than the target power amount, extracts the first dischargeable amount x N from the target power amount and distributes the first dischargeable amount to all storage batteries, and distributes the remainder of the target power amount after distribution to the second storage battery to the Nth storage battery, and sets the sum of the power amounts distributed to each of the storage batteries as the discharge amount of each of the storage batteries.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a discharge amount distribution system, a discharge amount distribution method, and a discharge amount distribution program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, businesses such as aggregators have aggregated the electricity stored in multiple storage batteries and provided it to consumers who need it, thereby controlling the balance between supply and demand of electricity and utilizing the energy stored in the storage batteries. Note that, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are known as technologies for aggregating the electricity stored in distributed power sources such as storage batteries and providing it to others. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-198696 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-88059 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When electricity stored in a storage battery is supplied to another party, a fee is usually charged. Therefore, if electricity is supplied frequently from a particular storage battery and infrequently from another storage battery, the owner of the former storage battery will receive a higher fee and the owner of the latter storage battery will receive a lower fee. This can lead to a sense of unfairness among owners of storage batteries. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to reduce the possibility that a sense of unfairness will arise among owners of storage batteries. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the discharge amount distribution system includes: a dischargeable amount acquisition unit that acquires a dischargeable amount indicating the amount of power that can be discharged from N storage batteries (N is an integer of 2 or more); a target power amount acquisition unit that acquires a target power amount indicating the total amount of power to be discharged from the N storage batteries; and a distribution unit that designates the storage batteries in order of smallest dischargeable amount as the nth storage battery (n is an integer from 1 to N), designates the dischargeable amount of the nth storage battery as the nth dischargeable amount, and if a first dischargeable amount x N is equal to or greater than the target power amount, distributes the target power amount evenly to all of the storage batteries; and if a first dischargeable amount x N is smaller than the target power amount, extracts the first dischargeable amount x N from the target power amount and distributes the first dischargeable amount to all of the storage batteries, and distributes the remainder of the target power amount after distribution to the second storage battery to the Nth storage battery, and sets the sum of the power amounts distributed to each of the storage batteries as the discharge amount of each of the storage batteries.

[0006] That is, in the discharge amount distribution system, when the first dischargeable amount × N is smaller than the target power amount, all storage batteries are configured to discharge the first dischargeable amount. Therefore, distribution is determined so that all storage batteries discharge power equal to or greater than the first dischargeable amount. And, since the first dischargeable amount is the smallest dischargeable amount among the dischargeable amounts of the multiple storage batteries, the maximum amount of dischargeable power is distributed to the storage battery whose charge amount is the first dischargeable amount.

[0007] According to the above configuration, among the plurality of storage batteries, the storage battery with the smallest dischargeable capacity discharges the first dischargeable capacity, and the storage battery with a dischargeable capacity greater than the first dischargeable capacity discharges power equal to or greater than the first dischargeable capacity. Therefore, there is no storage battery that is not discharged even though it is dischargeable, and the amount of power is distributed according to the dischargeable capacity. This reduces the possibility of a sense of unfairness among storage battery owners. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a discharge amount distribution system. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart of a discharge amount distribution process. [Figure 3]10 is a diagram showing, in bar graph form, first to Nth dischargeable amounts, which are the dischargeable amounts of the first to Nth storage batteries. FIG. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining the distribution of power. [Figure 5] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the distribution of power. [Figure 6] 6A, 6B, and 6C are diagrams for explaining the distribution of power. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Here, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order. (1) Configuration of the discharge distribution system: (2) Discharge amount distribution processing: (3) Other embodiments:

[0010] (1) Configuration of the discharge distribution system: FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a discharge amount distribution system 10. In FIG. 1, the exchange of signals and information is indicated by solid lines or solid arrows, and the exchange of power is indicated by dashed lines. The discharge amount distribution system 10 is a computer used by an administrator who manages the amount of discharge from multiple storage batteries. The discharge amount distribution system 10 is capable of communicating with a cloud server 60 via the Internet. The cloud server 60 is capable of communicating with N (N is an integer of 2 or more) storage batteries (first storage battery 51 to Nth storage battery 5N) via the Internet.

[0011] The discharge amount distribution system 10 is capable of communicating with the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N via the cloud server 60. The first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N are secondary batteries that can charge and discharge power. In this specification, the storage batteries are referred to as the first storage battery 51, the second storage battery 52, ..., the Nth storage battery 5N in order of decreasing dischargeable amount, which will be described later. In other words, the storage battery with the smallest dischargeable amount is the first storage battery 51, and the storage battery with the largest dischargeable amount is the Nth storage battery 5N.

[0012] The first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N are connected to the power grid 70 via a control device (not shown), and are able to receive power from the power grid 70 and also discharge power to be supplied to the power grid 70. In this embodiment, each of the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N belongs to a facility or house in which a solar power generation device is installed, and is able to be charged with power generated by the solar power generation device or power supplied from the power grid 70.

[0013] The discharge amount distribution system 10 includes a control unit 20 including a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., a storage medium 30, a communication unit 40, and a user I / F (interface) unit 41. The communication unit 40 is a device for communicating with a cloud server 60. The user I / F unit 41 includes an input unit that accepts input operations by an administrator who uses the discharge amount distribution system 10, and an output unit that outputs various information. The input unit may be realized in various ways, such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel. The output unit may be realized in various ways, such as a display or a speaker.

[0014] The storage medium 30 stores various programs and various data. In this embodiment, the storage medium 30 stores dischargeable amount data 30a. The dischargeable amount data 30a indicates the dischargeable amounts of the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N. In this embodiment, the dischargeable amount is a value expressed in kWh, but the dischargeable amount may be defined in various ways. For example, it may be expressed as a State Of Charge (SOC) in which the state in which the amount of charged power is at its lower limit is 0% and the state in which the amount of charged power is at its upper limit is 100%. In this case, the SOC is converted into the amount of power based on information such as the capacity of the storage battery.

[0015] In this embodiment, the dischargeable amount data 30a is updated to the latest information every 30 minutes because the dischargeable amount distribution process described below is executed every 30 minutes. The dischargeable amount is the upper limit of the amount of power that the administrator of the dischargeable amount distribution system 10 can specify as the amount of power to be discharged from the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N, and may be determined by various methods. For example, it may be the amount of power charged to the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N, or it may be the amount of power obtained by subtracting an estimated amount of power consumption by the owner of the storage battery from the amount of power charged. In addition, various methods can be used to calculate the latter, such as multiplying the amount of power charged by a predetermined coefficient. The predetermined coefficient may be a fixed value or, for example, a value determined based on the normal power consumption of each owner.

[0016] The control unit 20 executes various programs stored in the storage medium 30 or ROM. As an example of such programs, the control unit 20 can execute a discharge amount distribution program. When the discharge amount distribution program is executed, the control unit 20 functions as a dischargeable amount acquisition unit 20a, a target power amount acquisition unit 20b, and a distribution unit 20c.

[0017] The dischargeable amount acquiring unit 20a has a function of acquiring dischargeable amounts indicating the amount of power that can be discharged from the N storage batteries. That is, the control unit 20, using the function of the dischargeable amount acquiring unit 20a, transmits a request to acquire the dischargeable amounts to the cloud server 60 via the communication unit 40 at regular intervals (every 30 minutes in this embodiment). In response to the acquisition request, the cloud server 60 communicates with the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N to acquire the current dischargeable amount of each storage battery. In this specification, the dischargeable amount of the nth storage battery is referred to as the nth dischargeable amount (n is an integer from 1 to N). For example, the dischargeable amount of the first storage battery 51 is the first dischargeable amount, and the dischargeable amount of the Nth storage battery 5N is the Nth dischargeable amount. The cloud server 60 associates the current dischargeable amount of each storage battery with identification information of each storage battery and transmits the identification information of each storage battery to the dischargeable amount distribution system 10. The control unit 20 acquires the information via the communication unit 40 and stores it in the storage medium 30 as dischargeable amount data 30a.

[0018] The target power amount acquisition unit 20b has a function of acquiring a target power amount indicating the total amount of power to be discharged from the N storage batteries. The target power amount may be acquired by various methods. In this embodiment, the administrator inputs the target power amount. That is, the administrator operates the input unit of the user I / F unit 41 to specify the desired target power amount. The control unit 20 acquires the specified target power amount using the function of the target power amount acquisition unit 20b.

[0019] The target amount of power may be determined by various methods. In this embodiment, it is assumed that an administrator places a bid in the wholesale electricity market by specifying the amount of discharge to be discharged to the power grid 70 and the price up to a reference point in time in the past (for example, a specific time on the previous day), and the price has been determined. The administrator inputs the target amount of power based on the bid amount of discharge, price, etc. Of course, the target amount of power may be determined automatically; for example, the bid amount of discharge or a value obtained by multiplying the bid amount of discharge by a predetermined coefficient may be used as the target amount of power.

[0020] In addition, in this embodiment, the same target power amount may be input for each discharge amount distribution process performed every 30 minutes as described below, or different target power amounts may be input. Furthermore, the target power amount may be the amount of power to be discharged for a predetermined period of time exceeding 30 minutes, or the amount of power to be discharged in 30 minutes. In the former case, the target power amount cannot be discharged in 30 minutes, but by performing the process every 30 minutes, it becomes possible to adjust the target power amount according to changes in the dischargeable amounts of the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N.

[0021] The distribution unit 20c has a function of distributing the target amount of power to each of the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N so that the total amount of power discharged from the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N becomes the target amount of power. In this embodiment, the control unit 20 distributes the target amount of power to each storage battery as evenly as possible using the function of the distribution unit 20c. To achieve this, the control unit 20 distributes the target amount of power evenly to each storage battery. However, if the target amount of power cannot be reached even when the first storage battery, which has the smallest amount of dischargeable power, is distributed evenly so that it discharges the maximum amount of power it can discharge, the control unit 20 excludes the first storage battery and distributes the remaining target amount of power evenly. The same process is then repeated until the entire target amount of power has been distributed.

[0022] Specifically, when the first dischargeable amount × N is equal to or greater than the target amount of power, the control unit 20 distributes the target amount of power evenly to all the storage batteries. In this case, the target amount of power can be distributed evenly to all the storage batteries even if the first storage battery 51, which has the smallest dischargeable amount, does not use all of its dischargeable amount. Therefore, the control unit 20 specifies the value obtained by dividing the target amount of power by N as the discharge amount of the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N.

[0023] On the other hand, if the first dischargeable amount × N is smaller than the target power amount, the control unit 20 distributes the entire target power amount by repeating the process of distributing a portion of the target power amount as the discharge amount of the storage batteries. First, the control unit 20 extracts the first dischargeable amount × N from the target power amount and distributes the first dischargeable amount to all storage batteries. If the first dischargeable amount × N is smaller than the target power amount, even if the first storage battery 51, which has the smallest dischargeable amount, uses all of its dischargeable amount and the other storage batteries also discharge the same amount, the entire target power amount will not be met. Therefore, the control unit 20 extracts the first dischargeable amount × N from the target power amount and distributes the first dischargeable amount to all storage batteries. As a result, the distribution is performed so that all storage batteries discharge at least the first dischargeable amount. Because it is not possible to distribute a discharge amount exceeding the first dischargeable amount to the first storage battery 51, the target power amount is distributed as evenly as possible by distributing the first dischargeable amount to all storage batteries.

[0024] Next, the control unit 20 distributes the remaining target amount of power after distribution to the second storage battery 52 to the Nth storage battery 5N, and sets the sum of the amounts of power distributed to each storage battery as the discharge amount of each storage battery. Specifically, the control unit 20 repeats the following process, where i is an integer from 2 to N, until all of the target amount of power is distributed to the storage batteries.

[0025] First, if (ith dischargeable amount - (i-1)th dischargeable amount) x (N-(i-1)) is greater than or equal to the remaining target amount of energy after distribution, the control unit 20 divides the remaining target amount of energy after distribution by (N-(i-1)) and distributes the amount of energy to each of the i-th to N-th storage batteries.

[0026] For example, assuming that i=2, when (second dischargeable amount−first dischargeable amount)×(N−1) is equal to or greater than the remaining target amount of energy after distribution, the control unit 20 can distribute the target amount of energy evenly to all the batteries without using all of the dischargeable amount of the second storage battery 52, which has the smallest dischargeable amount among the second storage battery 52 to the Nth storage battery 5N. Therefore, the control unit 20 divides the remaining target amount of energy after distribution by (N−1) and distributes the value to each of the second storage battery 52 to the Nth storage battery 5N.

[0027] On the other hand, if (ith dischargeable amount - (i-1)th dischargeable amount) x (N-(i-1)) is smaller than the remaining target energy amount after distribution, the control unit 20 repeats the process of distributing (ith dischargeable amount - (i-1)th dischargeable amount) to each of the i-th to N-th storage batteries by increasing i by 1 from 2 until ((i+1)th dischargeable amount - i-th dischargeable amount) x (Ni) becomes equal to or greater than the remaining target energy amount after distribution, and distributes the energy amount obtained by dividing the remaining target energy amount after distribution by (Ni) to each of the (i+1)th to N-th storage batteries.

[0028] For example, assuming that i=2, if (second dischargeable amount - first dischargeable amount) x (N-1) is smaller than the remaining target amount of power after distribution, the control unit 20 uses the entire dischargeable amount of the second storage battery 52, which has the smallest dischargeable amount among the second storage battery 52 to the Nth storage battery 5N, and even if the other storage batteries are given the same discharge amounts, the entire target amount of power will not be met. Therefore, the control unit 20 repeats the process of distributing the second dischargeable amount - the first dischargeable amount to each of the second storage battery 52 to the Nth storage battery 5N. During the repetition process, for example, if (third dischargeable amount - second dischargeable amount x (N-2)) becomes equal to or greater than the remaining target amount of power after distribution, the repetition is stopped. In other words, the process is repeated until the remaining target amount of power can be evenly distributed. If the third dischargeable amount - the second dischargeable amount x (N-2) is equal to or greater than the remaining target amount of power after distribution, the control unit 20 divides the remaining target amount of power after distribution by N-2 and distributes the resulting amount of power to each of the third storage battery 53 to the Nth storage battery 5N. After the amount of power to each storage battery is distributed by the above process, the control unit 20 determines the sum of the amounts of power distributed to each storage battery as the discharge amount of each storage battery.

[0029] According to the above process, the target amount of power can be distributed as evenly as possible to each storage battery, thereby reducing the possibility of a sense of unfairness arising among owners of storage batteries.

[0030] (2) Discharge amount distribution processing: Next, the discharge amount distribution process will be described in detail. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the discharge amount distribution process. In this embodiment, the control unit 20, using the function of the dischargeable amount acquisition unit 20a, transmits a request to acquire the dischargeable amount to the cloud server 60 via the communication unit 40 at regular time intervals (every 30 minutes in this embodiment) in parallel with the discharge amount distribution process. When this acquisition request is made, the cloud server 60 transmits the first dischargeable amount to the Nth dischargeable amount, which are the dischargeable amounts of the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N. The control unit 20 acquires this information via the communication unit 40 and stores it in the storage medium 30 as dischargeable amount data 30a.

[0031] Meanwhile, the control unit 20 executes the discharge amount distribution process at regular time intervals (every 30 minutes in this embodiment). When the discharge amount distribution process is started, the control unit 20 determines whether a control start trigger has occurred (step S100). The control start trigger is a condition for executing the discharge amount distribution process, and may be defined by various methods. Here, it is assumed that the control start trigger occurs when a situation occurs in which the owner of the storage battery can gain a benefit by discharging.

[0032] A more specific example is one in which the control start trigger is when the market price of electricity is equal to or greater than the sum of the electricity rate and the incentive. The owner of the storage battery can consume the electricity charged to the storage battery by solar power generation for his / her own use, and can also receive power from the power grid 70 for his / her own use or to charge the storage battery. When receiving power from the power grid 70, the owner of the storage battery pays an electricity fee to the supplier according to the amount of power supplied.

[0033] On the other hand, when the manager determines the distribution and the determined amount of power is discharged from the storage battery to the power grid 70, the manager pays the owner of the storage battery a compensation that is the electricity rate plus an incentive. If the compensation for the power discharged from the storage battery is cheaper than the electricity rate, it would be more profitable to use the power charged in the storage battery for self-consumption rather than providing it to others via the power grid 70, and there would be no reason to discharge it into the power grid 70.

[0034] Therefore, if the control start trigger is set to the market price of electricity being equal to or greater than the sum of the electricity rate and the incentive, the manager can always receive compensation for discharging from the storage battery that is equal to or greater than the sum of the electricity rate and the incentive.As a result, the manager can pass on the sum of the electricity rate and the incentive to the owner of the storage battery, and will not incur a deficit.Also, if the market price is greater than the sum of the electricity rate and the incentive, the manager can secure the difference between the two as his profit.

[0035] If it is determined in step S100 that a control start trigger has not occurred, the control unit 20 terminates the discharge amount distribution process. In this case, the administrator secures power from a resource other than the N storage batteries, for example, a power plant under the administrator's control. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S100 that a control start trigger has occurred, the control unit 20 acquires the target power amount P1 using the function of the target power amount acquisition unit 20b (step S105). That is, the administrator operates the input unit of the user I / F unit 41 to specify the desired target power amount P1. The control unit 20 acquires the specified target power amount P1 using the function of the target power amount acquisition unit 20b.

[0036] Next, the control unit 20 sets the dischargeable amount of the first storage battery 51 to MIN1 using the function of the distribution unit 20c (step S110). Furthermore, the control unit 20 sets the distribution amount CON1 to MIN1×N using the function of the distribution unit 20c (step S115). FIG. 3 is a bar graph illustrating the first dischargeable amount Pe1 to the Nth dischargeable amount Pen, which are the dischargeable amounts of the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N. As described above, the numbers 1 to N assigned to the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N indicate the order of smallest dischargeable amount. Therefore, in step S110, the first dischargeable amount Pe1 is set to MIN1, and the value CON1 obtained by multiplying MIN1 by the number N of storage batteries becomes the distribution amount processed at this stage.

[0037] In Fig. 4A, the first dischargeable amount Pe1 to the Nth dischargeable amount Pen are shown lined up on the left side, and an example of the target power amount P1 is shown on the right side. The allocation amount CON1 defined in step S115 is MIN1 x N, so the area of ​​the rectangle indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 4A represents the allocation amount CON1. ​​The target power amount P1 is shown by a rectangle on the right side of Fig. 4A, and the amount of power corresponding to the area of ​​the rectangle is the target power amount P1.

[0038] Next, the control unit 20 determines whether the distribution amount CON1 is equal to or greater than the target power amount P1, using the function of the distribution unit 20c (step S120). If it is determined in step S120 that the distribution amount CON1 is equal to or greater than the target power amount P1, the control unit 20 uses the function of the distribution unit 20c to distribute the target power amount P1 equally to each of the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N (step S125). FIG. 4A shows an example in which the distribution amount CON1 is equal to or greater than the target power amount P1. In such a case, the control unit 20 distributes P1 / N of power to each storage battery, as shown in FIG. 4B.

[0039] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S120 that the distribution amount CON1 is not equal to or greater than the target power amount P1, the control unit 20 distributes MIN1 to all of the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N using the function of the distribution unit 20c (step S130). FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example in which the distribution amount CON1 is smaller than the target power amount P1. When the distribution amount CON1 is smaller than the target power amount P1, even if the first dischargeable amount Pe1 of the first storage battery 51 is distributed to all the storage batteries, the total amount is smaller than the target power amount P1. Therefore, the control unit 20 first distributes the first dischargeable amount Pe1 (= MIN1) to all the storage batteries, thereby distributing the first dischargeable amount Pe1 to all the storage batteries at a minimum.

[0040] In this case, the control unit 20 uses the function of the distribution unit 20c to exclude the first storage battery 51 from the distribution targets (step S135), set the variable i to 2 (step S140), and perform processing to distribute the remaining target energy amount after distribution to the second storage battery to the Nth storage battery.

[0041] In this process, first, the control unit 20 uses the function of the distribution unit 20c to determine the remaining amount of energy after distribution as Pi (step S145). That is, the control unit 20 obtains the remaining amount of energy Pi excluding the power that has already been distributed in step S130 and step S170 (described later). In Fig. 5B, when i = 2, the remaining amount of energy after distributing the first dischargeable amount Pe1 to N storage batteries, i.e., P1 - MIN1 × N, is shown as the remaining amount of energy P2.

[0042] Next, the control unit 20 uses the function of the distribution unit 20c to set MINi (the i-th dischargeable amount minus the (i-1)th dischargeable amount) (step S150). FIG. 6A shows a state where i=2, the first storage battery 51 is excluded from the distribution targets, and the amount of power to be distributed is P2. That is, FIG. 6A shows a state where the amount of power that has already been distributed within the target power amount P1 is indicated by a dashed rectangle, and the amount of power distributed to each storage battery is indicated by a dashed rectangle. Of the dischargeable amount, the amount of power that has not been distributed and the amount of power to be distributed P2 are indicated by solid rectangles. In this example, MIN2 is the second dischargeable amount Pe2 minus the first dischargeable amount Pe1.

[0043] Next, the control unit 20 sets the distribution amount CONi to MINi×(N-(i-1)) by the function of the distribution unit 20c (step S155). In Fig. 6B and Fig. 6C, CON2 when i=2, i.e., MIN2×(N-1), is shown by the area of ​​the dashed rectangle. Note that Fig. 6B shows an example where the amount of power P2 is larger than MIN2×(N-1), and Fig. 6C shows an example where the amount of power P2 is smaller than MIN2×(N-1).

[0044] Next, the control unit 20 determines whether the distribution amount CONi is equal to or greater than the remaining amount of power Pi, using the function of the distribution unit 20c (step S160). If it is determined in step S160 that the distribution amount CONi is equal to or greater than the remaining amount of power Pi, the control unit 20 uses the function of the distribution unit 20c to evenly distribute the remaining amount of power Pi to the remaining storage batteries that are the targets of distribution (step S165). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 6C where i=2, the control unit 20 distributes P2 / (N-1) to each of the first storage battery 51 to the Nth storage battery 5N.

[0045] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S160 that the distribution amount CONi is not equal to or greater than the remaining amount of energy Pi, the control unit 20 distributes MINi to the i-th to N-th storage batteries using the function of the distribution unit 20c (step S170). In the example shown in FIG. 6B, since the distribution amount CON2 is smaller than the remaining amount of energy P2, the control unit 20 distributes MIN2 (= second dischargeable amount Pe2 - first dischargeable amount Pe1), which is the amount of energy remaining and not distributed, of the second dischargeable amount Pe2 of the second storage battery 52, to each of the second storage battery 52 to the N-th storage battery 5N. The amount of energy distributed at this stage is added to the amount of energy already distributed. For example, since MIN1 has already been distributed to each of the second storage battery 52 to the N-th storage battery 5N in step S130, the amount of energy distributed to the second storage battery 52 to the N-th storage battery 5N is MIN1 + MIN2. This process makes it possible to distribute the remaining amount of energy Pi as evenly as possible.

[0046] Next, the control unit 20 uses the function of the distribution unit 20c to exclude the i-th storage battery from the distribution targets (step S175), increment the variable i (step S180), and repeat the processes from step S145 onwards. According to the above process, the control unit 20 repeatedly increases i by 1 from 2 until ((i+1)th dischargeable amount - i-th dischargeable amount) x (Ni) becomes equal to or greater than the remaining target energy amount after distribution, and distributes the amount of energy obtained by dividing the remaining target energy amount after distribution by (Ni) to each of the (i+1)th to Nth storage batteries.

[0047] For example, assuming a state where i=2 in Fig. 6B, CON2≧P2, so MIN2 is distributed to the second storage battery 52 through the Nth storage battery 5N in step S170. In the example shown in Fig. 6B, the remaining amount of energy after this distribution is the hatched portion, and is equal to or greater than (third dischargeable amount Pe3−second dischargeable amount Pe2)×(N−2). Therefore, the value obtained by dividing the remaining amount of energy by (N−2) is distributed equally to the remaining storage batteries, i.e., the third storage battery 53 through the Nth storage battery 5N.

[0048] Once the target amount of power P1 has been distributed to each of the storage batteries in this manner, the control unit 20 determines the sum of the distributed power as the discharge amount of each storage battery. The control unit 20 then instructs the cloud server 60 on the amount of discharge of each storage battery. When this instruction is given, the cloud server 60 instructs each storage battery on the amount of discharge of each storage battery. As a result, each storage battery starts discharging to the power grid 70, with the instructed amount of discharge as its upper limit.

[0049] (3) Other embodiments: The above embodiment is an example for carrying out the present invention, and various other embodiments can be adopted. For example, the discharge amount distribution system may be realized by a plurality of devices, or may be configured to be realized by a cloud server or the like. Furthermore, the discharge amount distribution system 10 may be capable of communicating with N storage batteries without going through the cloud server 60.

[0050] Furthermore, at least some of the dischargeable amount acquiring unit 20a, the target power amount acquiring unit 20b, and the distributor 20c may be separated into multiple devices. Of course, some of the configurations of the above-described embodiments may be omitted, and the order of processing may be changed or omitted. Furthermore, the storage battery is not limited to a battery that is charged with power generated by a solar power generation device. For example, it may be a storage battery mounted on a vehicle, or a battery that is charged with power generated by wind power generation, small hydroelectric power generation, biomass power generation, or geothermal power generation.

[0051] Furthermore, there may be cases where a discharge amount greater than the allocated discharge amount is instructed. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, when CON1≧P1, the discharge amount allocated to each storage battery is P1 / N as shown in FIG. 4B. In this case, the control unit 20 may instruct all storage batteries to discharge MIN1. This configuration increases the likelihood that each storage battery will be able to discharge P1 / N, even if the power charged to the storage battery is reduced due to self-consumption. Furthermore, when an instruction is given to discharge an amount of power exceeding the dischargeable amount, the upper limit of the amount of power to be discharged is the dischargeable amount, so when an instruction is given to discharge an amount of power exceeding the dischargeable amount, an instruction to discharge an amount greater than the dischargeable amount may be given.

[0052] The dischargeable amount acquisition unit only needs to have a function of acquiring a dischargeable amount indicating the amount of power that can be discharged from N storage batteries (N is an integer of 2 or greater). That is, the dischargeable amount acquisition unit only needs to acquire the dischargeable amount of each storage battery so that when distributing the dischargeable amount, the distribution is performed with the dischargeable amount set as the upper limit. The dischargeable amount only needs to be the amount of power to be distributed. In a system that evaluates the amount of power in 30-minute increments as in the above-described embodiment, the dischargeable amount only needs to be acquired in 30-minute increments, but the dischargeable amount may also be acquired in shorter or longer time intervals.

[0053] The target power amount acquisition unit may have a function of acquiring a target power amount indicating the total amount of power to be discharged from the N storage batteries. In other words, the target power amount acquisition unit may acquire the total amount of power to be distributed to the N storage batteries as the target power amount. The target power amount may be determined manually by the administrator as in the above-described embodiment, or may be determined automatically based on various indicators. In the latter case, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which all or part of the amount of power that the administrator should provide to the market based on supply and demand, bidding results, etc., before the distribution of power is performed is set to the target power amount.

[0054] The distribution unit distributes the target amount of energy to each of the N storage batteries. In this case, the distribution unit classifies the storage battery with the smallest dischargeable amount as the nth storage battery (n is an integer from 1 to N), sets the dischargeable amount of the nth storage battery as the nth dischargeable amount, and if the first dischargeable amount x N is equal to or greater than the target amount of energy, distributes the target amount of energy evenly to all storage batteries, and if the first dischargeable amount x N is smaller than the target amount of energy, extracts the first dischargeable amount x N from the target amount of energy and distributes the first dischargeable amount to all storage batteries, distributes the remainder of the target amount of energy after distribution to the second storage battery to the Nth storage battery, and sets the sum of the amounts of energy distributed to each storage battery as the discharge amount of each storage battery.

[0055] When the first dischargeable amount × N is equal to or greater than the target amount of power, i.e., when the target amount of power can be distributed evenly to all the storage batteries, the distribution unit divides the target amount of power by N and sets the value obtained by dividing the target amount of power by N as the amount of power to be discharged for each storage battery. On the other hand, when the first dischargeable amount × N is smaller than the target amount of power, the distribution unit distributes the power so that all the storage batteries discharge at least the first dischargeable amount. Furthermore, the second to Nth storage batteries, each having a dischargeable amount greater than the first dischargeable amount, are distributed an amount of power equal to or greater than the first dischargeable amount.

[0056] The distribution among the second to Nth storage batteries may or may not be performed in the same manner as the first storage battery. In the former case, the amount of power excluding the first dischargeable amount is set as the dischargeable amount for the second to Nth storage batteries, and the amount of power that has not been distributed among the target amount of power is considered to be the target amount of power, and distribution can be performed in the same manner as the first storage battery. Furthermore, the same approach as the first storage battery may be repeatedly applied until distribution is completed, or distribution among the second to Nth storage batteries does not have to be performed in the same manner as the first storage battery. In the latter case, distribution can be performed by any method, for example, a method of discharging a certain proportion of the dischargeable amount, etc.

[0057] Furthermore, embodiments of the invention may be programs or methods. The above-described systems, programs, and methods may be realized as a single device or multiple devices, and include various aspects. They may also be modified as appropriate, such as being partly software and partly hardware. Furthermore, the invention may also be realized as a recording medium for a program that controls the system. Of course, the recording medium for the software may be a magnetic recording medium or a semiconductor memory, and any recording medium developed in the future may be considered in the same way. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 10...Discharge amount distribution system, 20...Control unit, 20a...Dischargeable amount acquisition unit, 20b...Target power amount acquisition unit, 20c...Distribution unit, 30...Storage medium, 30a...Dischargeable amount data, 40...Communication unit, 41...User I / F unit, 51 to 5N...First storage battery to Nth storage battery, 60...Cloud server, 70...Power system

Claims

1. a dischargeable amount acquisition unit that acquires a dischargeable amount indicating the amount of power that can be discharged from N storage batteries (N is an integer of 2 or more); a target power amount acquisition unit that acquires a target power amount indicating a total amount of power to be discharged from the N storage batteries; The storage battery is designated as the nth storage battery (n is an integer from 1 to N) in ascending order of dischargeable amount, and the dischargeable amount of the nth storage battery is designated as the nth dischargeable amount, If the first dischargeable amount×N is equal to or greater than the target amount of power, the target amount of power is evenly distributed to all of the storage batteries; If the first dischargeable amount × N is smaller than the target power amount, extract the first dischargeable amount × N from the target power amount and distribute the first dischargeable amount to all of the storage batteries; a distribution unit that distributes the remaining target amount of power after distribution to the second storage battery to the Nth storage battery, and determines the sum of the amounts of power distributed to each of the storage batteries as the discharge amount of each of the storage batteries; A discharge distribution system comprising:

2. The distribution unit When the first dischargeable amount × N is smaller than the target power amount, the first dischargeable amount × N is extracted from the target power amount, and the first dischargeable amount is distributed to all of the storage batteries, further, i is an integer from 2 to N, If (i-th dischargeable amount - (i-1)-th dischargeable amount) x (N-(i-1)) is equal to or greater than the remaining target amount of power after distribution, the remaining target amount of power after distribution is divided by (N-(i-1)), and the resulting amount of power is distributed to each of the i-th storage battery to the N-th storage battery, If (i-th dischargeable amount - (i-1)-th dischargeable amount) x (N-(i-1)) is smaller than the remaining target power amount after distribution, a process of distributing (i-th dischargeable amount - (i-1)-th dischargeable amount) to each of the i-th storage battery to the N-th storage battery is performed. Repeatedly increasing i from 2 by 1 until ((i+1)th dischargeable amount - ith dischargeable amount) x (N-i) becomes equal to or greater than the remaining target power amount after distribution, The remaining amount of power of the target power amount after distribution is divided by (Ni), and the resulting amount of power is distributed to each of the (i+1)th storage battery to the Nth storage battery; The sum of the amounts of power distributed to each of the storage batteries is set as the discharge amount of each of the storage batteries. The discharge amount distribution system according to claim 1 .

3. A step in which a dischargeable amount acquisition unit acquires dischargeable amounts indicating the amount of power that can be discharged from N storage batteries (N is an integer of 2 or more); a target power amount obtaining unit obtaining a target power amount indicating a total amount of power to be discharged from the N storage batteries; the distribution unit designates the storage batteries in ascending order of dischargeable amount as n-th storage batteries (n is an integer from 1 to N), and designates the dischargeable amount of the n-th storage battery as the n-th dischargeable amount; If the first dischargeable amount×N is equal to or greater than the target amount of power, the target amount of power is evenly distributed to all of the storage batteries; If the first dischargeable amount × N is smaller than the target power amount, extract the first dischargeable amount × N from the target power amount and distribute the first dischargeable amount to all of the storage batteries; a step of distributing the remaining target amount of power after the distribution to the second storage battery to the Nth storage battery, and determining the sum of the amounts of power distributed to each of the storage batteries as the discharge amount of each of the storage batteries; A discharge amount distribution method implemented in a discharge amount distribution system, comprising:

4. Computer, a dischargeable amount acquisition unit that acquires a dischargeable amount indicating the amount of power that can be discharged from N storage batteries (N is an integer of 2 or more); a target power amount acquisition unit that acquires a target power amount indicating a total amount of power to be discharged from the N storage batteries; The storage battery is designated as the nth storage battery (n is an integer from 1 to N) in ascending order of dischargeable amount, and the dischargeable amount of the nth storage battery is designated as the nth dischargeable amount, If the first dischargeable amount×N is equal to or greater than the target amount of power, the target amount of power is evenly distributed to all of the storage batteries; If the first dischargeable amount × N is smaller than the target power amount, extract the first dischargeable amount × N from the target power amount and distribute the first dischargeable amount to all of the storage batteries; a distribution unit that distributes the remaining target amount of power after distribution to the second storage battery to the Nth storage battery, and determines the sum of the amounts of power distributed to each of the storage batteries as the discharge amount of each of the storage batteries; A discharge distribution program that functions as a

Images