Environmental Value Management Device

Abstract

To provide an environmental value management device that can more easily realize a user's demand.SOLUTION: An environmental value management device comprises a certificate required amount prediction unit 14 that indicates a predicted value of electric power demand from a user and the user's demand related to an environmental value of supplied power, and uses the predicted value and corresponding environmental value requirement information to calculate a procurement required amount that is the required amount of environmental values to be procured.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to an environmental value management device for managing the environmental value of electricity. [Background technology]

[0002] With the global progress of decarbonization, there is a growing need among consumers for procuring electricity with environmental value. If consumers own their own power generation facilities that generate renewable energy, they can procure electricity with environmental value using those facilities. However, it is not always possible to obtain the desired amount of electricity with environmental value from the electricity generated by their own facilities, and there may also be a surplus of renewable energy generated by their facilities.

[0003] On the other hand, the value of renewable energy generated by solar power generation facilities and other sources can be separated into electricity value (the value of the electricity itself) and environmental value, and these can be bought and sold separately. By separating electricity value and environmental value in this way, a wide range of players can procure environmental value.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for a power supplier server in a power supplier that supplies electricity to consumers, which manages both electricity value and environmental value. The power supplier server described in Patent Document 1 receives requests to purchase environmental value from consumers who wish to purchase it, and encourages consumers who sell renewable energy electricity to sell environmental value. In this way, the power supplier server described in Patent Document 1 can support the buying and selling of environmental value. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-97347 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the power supplier server calculates surplus environmental value from the amount of environmental value currently held by the power supplier or the expected amount of environmental value held over a specified period, and the target amount of environmental value held. If the calculated surplus environmental value is greater than the desired amount of environmental value that the customer wishes to purchase, the server sells the environmental value to the customer. However, if the calculated surplus environmental value is less than or equal to the desired amount of environmental value, the customer cannot purchase the environmental value and is unable to secure the desired amount of environmental value. For this reason, there is a need for technology that makes it easier to fulfill the customer's requests.

[0007] This disclosure is made in view of the above, and aims to provide an environmental value management device that can more easily fulfill the needs of consumers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the aforementioned problems and achieve the objectives, the environmental value management device described herein indicates the predicted value of the customer's electricity demand and the customer's requirements regarding the environmental value of the supplied electricity, and provides environmental value requirement information corresponding to the predicted value. and It includes a certificate requirement prediction unit that uses this unit to calculate the required amount of environmental value to be procured. The certificate requirement forecasting unit uses the predicted electricity demand of multiple consumers and the corresponding environmental value requirement information to calculate the required amount of environmental value for each of the multiple consumers, and the sum of the calculated amounts for all of the multiple consumers is used as the procurement requirement. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The environmental value management device described in this disclosure has the effect of making it easier to fulfill the demands of customers. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example configuration of an environmental value management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example configuration of the environmental value management device and customer device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of customer information in the embodiment. [Figure 4]Flowchart showing an example of the environmental value management processing procedure in the embodiment [Figure 5] Diagram showing an example of the environmental value supply and demand plan displayed by the environmental value management device in the embodiment [Figure 6] Diagram showing an example of the display screen for displaying the planned value and the actual value in the embodiment [Figure 7] Diagram showing an example of the allocation result displayed on the consumer device in the embodiment [Figure 8] Diagram schematically showing an example of the predicted value of the price of the environmental value for each procurement source in the embodiment [Figure 9] Diagram showing an example of the association information in the embodiment [Figure 10] Diagram showing a configuration example of the computer system for realizing the environmental value management device in the embodiment

Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, an environmental value management device, an environmental value management system, an environmental value management method, and a program according to an embodiment will be described in detail based on the drawings.

[0012] Embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an environmental value management system according to an embodiment. The environmental value management system 8 of the present embodiment includes an environmental value management device 1 that manages the environmental value of electric power supplied to consumers, consumer devices 3-1 to 3-3 that can be operated by each consumer, and smart meters (hereinafter abbreviated as SM) 21-1 to 21-3 that are metering devices for measuring the amount of electric power consumed by each consumer and are installed for automatic meter reading.

[0013] In the example shown in Figure 1, customer facility 2-1, installed at customer #1, includes power generation equipment 22 and load 23-1 connected to distribution line 20 in the power grid. Customer facility 2-2, installed at customer #2, includes load 23-2 connected to distribution line 20 in the power grid. Customer facility 2-3, installed at customer #3, includes energy storage equipment 24 and load 23-3 connected to distribution line 20 in the power grid. Customers #1 to #3 are customers who receive electricity from a retail electricity provider that manages the environmental value management system 8. Loads 23-1 to 23-3 are equipment that consumes electricity. Hereafter, when loads 23-1 to 23-3 are not individually distinguished, they will be referred to as load 23, and when customer equipment 3-1 to 3-3 are not individually distinguished, they will be referred to as customer equipment 3.

[0014] SM21-1 to SM21-3 are not equipment owned by consumers #1 to #3, but as mentioned above, they are installed for each consumer #1 to #3 to measure the supplied electricity. SM21-2 measures the amount of electricity consumed by load 23-2, and SM21-1 measures the amount of electricity obtained by subtracting the amount of electricity generated by power generation equipment 22 from the amount consumed by load 23-1. When charging the energy storage equipment 24, SM21-3 measures the consumption of load 23-3 and the energy storage equipment 24, and when discharging the energy storage equipment 24, it measures the amount obtained by subtracting the amount of discharged energy storage equipment 24 from the amount consumed by load 23-3. In addition, at consumer #1, the amount of electricity generated by power generation equipment 22 and the amount consumed by load 23-1 may be measured separately. SM21-1 to SM21-3 are an example of multiple metering devices that measure the electricity demand of multiple consumers, respectively. Hereafter, when referring to SM21-1 to SM21-3 without distinguishing between them individually, they will be simply referred to as SM21.

[0015] Figure 1 illustrates three customers, #1 to #3. However, the number of customers to whom a retail electricity provider supplies electricity is not limited to the example shown in Figure 1; it can be one or more. Furthermore, the equipment configuration at each customer is not limited to the example shown in Figure 1.

[0016] The metering value management device 4 collects the metering results from SM21-1 to SM21-3 and transmits the collected metering results to the environmental value management device 1. In Figure 1, the metering results from SM21-1 to SM21-3 are transmitted to the environmental value management device 1 via the metering value management device 4, but the path by which the environmental value management device 1 acquires the metering results from SM21-1 to SM21-3 is not limited to this. Also, in Figure 1, the environmental value management device 1 acquires the metering results from SM21-1 to SM21-3 as actual values ​​of electricity demand and power generation at the customer, but the actual values ​​of electricity demand and power generation at the customer acquired by the environmental value management device 1 are not limited to these, and actual values ​​measured by other devices, such as power generation measured by the PCS (Power Conditioning System) at the power generation facility 22, may be used.

[0017] The environmental value management device 1 acquires the measurement results of SM21-1 to SM21-3 via the measurement value management device 4 as actual values ​​of electricity demand and generation at the customer, and calculates the required amount of environmental value for each customer based on the acquired actual values ​​and the electricity menu that each customer has contracted with the retail electricity provider. The electricity menu is information that shows the content of the contract regarding the electricity that the retail electricity provider supplies to each customer, and includes information that shows the ratio of renewable energy (hereinafter also referred to as renewable energy) in the supplied electricity. The electricity menu is an example of requirement ratio information that shows the customer's requirements regarding the ratio of renewable energy to the supplied electricity. The electricity menu may also include information that shows the CO2 (carbon dioxide) emission coefficient (a numerical value that represents how many tons of CO2 are emitted per kWh of electricity). The requirement ratio information and the CO2 emission coefficient are examples of environmental value requirement information that shows the customer's requirements regarding environmental value. Environmental value requirement information includes, for example, at least one of the requirement ratio information and the CO2 emission coefficient. The environmental value management device 1 creates a procurement plan for environmental value certificates to procure certificates corresponding to the required amount of environmental value for each customer, based on the calculated amount of environmental value required by each customer.

[0018] Furthermore, the environmental value management device 1 processes environmental value transactions between the environmental value market system 5, which processes transactions in the environmental value trading market, and the environmental value trading partner system 6 of the trading partner in the over-the-counter contract for environmental value. The environmental value trading partner system 6 is a system managed and operated by the business operator of the over-the-counter transaction. Here, we describe an example in which the environmental value management device 1 processes transactions between the environmental value market system 5 and the environmental value trading partner system 6, but the transaction processing may be performed by a device other than the environmental value management device 1, or by a method other than electronic transactions. Figure 1 shows one environmental value market system 5, but there may be multiple environmental value trading markets, and an environmental value market system 5 may be established for each trading market. Examples of environmental value trading markets include, but are not limited to, renewable energy value trading markets, advanced technology law obligation fulfillment markets, and J-credit trading markets.

[0019] Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of the environmental value management device 1 and the customer device 3 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the environmental value management device 1 according to this embodiment includes a transmitting / receiving unit 10, a storage unit 11, an input receiving unit 12, a power demand forecasting unit 13, a certificate requirement forecasting unit 14, a planning unit 15, a monitoring unit 16, a trading unit 17, an allocation unit 18, and a display unit 19.

[0020] The transmitting / receiving unit 10 communicates with other devices such as the metering value management device 4, the environmental value market system 5, the environmental value trading system 6, the power generation management device 7, and the customer device 3. For example, the transmitting / receiving unit 10 receives metering results from each customer's SM21 from the metering value management device 4 and stores the received metering results in the storage unit 11 as actual power demand values. The transmitting / receiving unit 10 also acquires information indicating the market price and bid price of environmental value from the environmental value market system 5 and the environmental value trading system 6 and stores it in the storage unit 11 as environmental value price information. The power generation management device 7 is a device that manages the amount of power generated by renewable energy power generation facilities owned by retail electricity businesses or their affiliates. The transmitting / receiving unit 10 stores the actual power generation values ​​received from the power generation management device 7 in the storage unit 11 as actual non-fossil fuel power generation values.

[0021] The memory unit 11 stores customer information, actual electricity demand values, electricity demand forecast results, environmental value supply and demand forecast results, environmental value supply and demand plan, environmental value acquisition record, environmental value price information, and non-fossil fuel power generation record values. The customer information includes information indicating the electricity menu that each customer has contracted. The electricity demand forecast results, environmental value supply and demand forecast results, environmental value supply and demand plan, and environmental value acquisition record will be described later.

[0022] Figure 3 shows an example of customer information in this embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 3, the customer information includes electricity menus for each customer. Figure 3 is just an example, and the customer information may further include information such as contracted power and information indicating the power generation equipment owned by the customer. The electricity menu includes information indicating the percentage of renewable energy. In addition, some electricity menus may include those for which a corresponding reporting system has been specified. Reporting systems include, but are not limited to, SBT (Science Based Targets), RE (Renewable Energy) 100, and CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project). Furthermore, if a reporting system is specified by the customer, information indicating the system may be included in the electricity menu, or information indicating the system specified may be included in the customer information as an item separate from the electricity menu. Note that the types of certificates that can be applied are determined by the reporting system.

[0023] The input receiving unit 12 receives input from users operating the environmental value management device 1. The power demand forecasting unit 13 uses the actual power demand values ​​stored in the storage unit 11 to forecast the power demand of each customer for the planning period and stores the forecast results as power demand forecast results in the storage unit 11. For customers who own power generation facilities 22, the actual power demand values ​​may be used to separate the actual values ​​into power generation amount and power demand, and the power generation amount and power demand may be forecasted using the separated results. The predicted power demand (power demand from the perspective of the retail electricity provider) may be obtained by subtracting the predicted power generation amount from the predicted power demand. The planning period may be, for example, one year, half a year, quarter, one month, one hour, etc., but is not limited to these. Below, an example where the planning period is one year will be explained.

[0024] The Certificate Requirement Prediction Unit 14 predicts the required amount of environmental value to be procured, which is the amount of environmental value to be procured, using environmental value requirement information that indicates the customer's requirements for environmental value and the customer's predicted electricity demand. For example, for customers whose environmental value requirements are indicated by requirement ratio information, the Certificate Requirement Prediction Unit 14 predicts the required amount of environmental value for each customer using the predicted electricity demand and the corresponding requirement ratio information. For customers whose environmental value requirements are defined by the CO2 emission coefficient, the Certificate Requirement Prediction Unit 14 predicts the required amount of environmental value for each customer based on the predicted electricity demand and the corresponding CO2 emission coefficient. The Certificate Requirement Prediction Unit 14 then uses the sum of the required amounts of environmental value for all customers as the required amount of procurement. More specifically, the Certificate Requirement Prediction Unit 14 uses the electricity demand forecast results stored in the storage unit 11 and the customer information stored in the storage unit 11 to calculate the required amount of environmental value for each customer during the defined planning period, and stores the calculated required amount of environmental value as the environmental value demand forecast result in the storage unit 11. Furthermore, if the applicable systems differ depending on the electricity plan offered, the certificate requirement prediction unit 14 calculates the certificate requirement for each system.

[0025] The planning unit 15 creates a procurement plan for environmental value certificates to procure certificates of environmental value corresponding to the required amount of environmental value during the planning period. Specifically, the planning unit 15 uses the environmental value demand forecast results stored in the storage unit 11 to create an environmental value supply and demand plan, which is a supply and demand plan for environmental value certificates, and stores the created environmental value supply and demand plan in the storage unit 11. The supply and demand plan for environmental value certificates includes a procurement plan for environmental value certificates. Alternatively, when creating the environmental value supply and demand plan, the planning unit 15 may use the environmental value price information stored in the storage unit 11 to forecast the price of environmental value for each market and procurement source such as over-the-counter transactions during the planning period, and create the environmental value supply and demand plan to minimize costs using the forecasted prices. Furthermore, if the retail electricity provider managing the environmental value management device 1 owns renewable energy power generation facilities, or manages renewable energy generated by power generation facilities owned by a power generation company affiliated with the retail electricity provider, the environmental value of these renewable energies will also be treated as one of the sources of procurement for the required amount of environmental value for each customer, and an environmental value supply and demand plan will be created. In other words, the procurement source for environmental value certificates may include the certificates of electricity generated by power sources that generate renewable energy managed by the operator of the environmental value management device. For example, the planning unit 15 predicts the amount of certificates to be procured in-house based on actual non-fossil fuel power generation values. Note that if the retail electricity provider and its affiliated companies do not have renewable energy power generation facilities, the amount procured in-house will not be considered.

[0026] The monitoring unit 16 uses the environmental value supply and demand plan, the environmental value acquisition record showing certificates of environmental value already acquired during the planning period, and the actual electricity demand value to compare the planned value with the actual value for the predicted demand value and required purchase amount of certificates in the environmental value supply and demand plan. If the planned value deviates from the actual value by a threshold or more, the monitoring unit 16 displays an alarm on the display unit 19 and causes the electricity demand forecasting unit 13, the certificate requirement forecasting unit 14, and the planning unit 15 to perform reprocessing. After displaying the alarm, the monitoring unit 16 may also cause the electricity demand forecasting unit 13, the certificate requirement forecasting unit 14, and the planning unit 15 to perform reprocessing if the user instructs the user to re-execute the plan creation via the input reception unit 12.

[0027] The allocation unit 18 allocates the certificates of environmental value procured for the planning period to each customer after the end of the planning period. Specifically, when the planning period ends and the transactions for the certificates corresponding to the environmental value for the planning period are completed, the allocation unit 18 uses the environmental value acquisition record stored in the storage unit 11 to allocate the acquired certificates to each customer, and stores the allocation results as part of the environmental value acquisition record in the storage unit 11. The allocation results to each customer may be transmitted to the corresponding customer device 3 via the transmission / reception unit 10, or sent to the customer on paper.

[0028] The transaction unit 17 processes transactions with the environmental value market system 5 and the environmental value trader system 6 via the transmission / reception unit 10 in accordance with the environmental value supply and demand plan, and stores information about the certificates procured through the transactions in the storage unit 11 as environmental value acquisition records. As described above, the transaction processing may be performed by a device other than the environmental value management device 1, or by a method other than electronic transactions.

[0029] The display unit 19 displays various types of information stored in the storage unit 11 based on instructions received from the user by the input reception unit 12.

[0030] The customer device 3 comprises a transmitting / receiving unit 31, an input receiving unit 32, and a display unit 33. The transmitting / receiving unit 31 communicates with the environmental value management device 1. The input receiving unit 32 receives input from the customer. The display unit 33 displays various information. For example, the input receiving unit 32 receives input of information specifying the electricity menu to be contracted with the retail electricity provider, outputs the received information to the transmitting / receiving unit 31, and the transmitting / receiving unit 31 outputs the information to the environmental value management device 1. Also, for example, when the transmitting / receiving unit 31 receives the allocation result of the environmental value certificate from the environmental value management device 1, it outputs it to the display unit 33, and the display unit 33 displays the allocation result.

[0031] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the environmental value management processing procedure of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the environmental value management device 1 predicts the demand for environmental value (step S1).

[0032] In detail, the power demand forecasting unit 13 uses the actual power demand values ​​stored in the storage unit 11 to forecast the power demand of each customer during the planning period, and stores the forecast results in the storage unit 11 as power demand forecast results. For example, the metering results of SM21 are periodically transmitted from the metering value management device 4, received by the transmitting / receiving unit 10, and stored in the storage unit 11 as actual power demand values, thereby accumulating past actual power demand values ​​in the storage unit 11. The method for forecasting power demand based on actual power demand values ​​can be, for example, a method that uses an average value over a certain period, such as the average value for the past month for each customer, as the forecast value, but is not limited to this and any method can be used. Here, we will explain an example in which the planning period is one year and the forecast values ​​of power demand for each month are calculated. The certificate requirement forecasting unit 14 uses the actual power demand values ​​stored in the storage unit 11 and the customer information stored in the storage unit 11 to forecast the required amount of environmental value for each customer during the planning period, and stores the forecasted required amount in the storage unit 11 as an environmental value demand forecast result. As described above, since the customer information includes each customer's electricity menu, the certificate requirement forecasting unit 14 uses the electricity menu to calculate what percentage of each customer's electricity demand should be renewable energy, and uses the calculated amount of renewable energy as the predicted value of the required amount of environmental value. At regular intervals, the certificate requirement forecasting unit 14 stores the total required amount, which is the sum of the predicted values ​​of the required amount of environmental value for each customer and the predicted values ​​of the required amount of environmental value for all customers, in the storage unit 11 as the environmental value demand forecasting result.

[0033] In this example, the environmental value management device 1 predicts electricity demand, but other devices (not shown) may also predict electricity demand, and the environmental value management device 1 may obtain the predicted electricity demand values ​​from those devices.

[0034] Next, the environmental value management device 1 creates a supply and demand plan for certificates (step S2). Specifically, the planning unit 15 uses the environmental value demand forecast results stored in the storage unit 11 to determine the planned amount of certificates to be procured for each period so that the required amount of environmental value can be procured, and stores the environmental value supply and demand plan, including the determined planned amount, in the storage unit 11. There are several types of certificates related to environmental value, such as green electricity certificates, green heat certificates, renewable energy electricity-derived J-credits, renewable energy heat-derived J-credits, and non-fossil fuel certificates. Non-fossil fuel certificates are further classified into those with or without attributes tracked by the government, and are separated into FIT (Feed-in Tariff) / non-FIT certificates. In addition, as described in the "Guidance on Responding to International Climate Change Initiatives" (established in March 2019, last revised in March 2021) formulated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of the Environment, the types of certificates that can be used are defined for each renewable energy reporting system. Therefore, if there are electricity menus that have a reporting system in place, or if a customer specifies a reporting system, it is necessary to procure certificates corresponding to these reporting systems. For this reason, in this embodiment, the planning unit 15 calculates the required amount of certificates for each reporting system based on the predicted amount of required environmental value and customer information, and determines the planned amount of procurement so that the required amount of certificates of the type corresponding to each reporting system can be procured. In other words, the planning unit 15 determines the planned amount of procurement of environmental value certificates for each reporting system. Note that in the prediction in step S1, the required amount of procurement of environmental value may be calculated for each reporting system.

[0035] The planning unit 15 may further determine the sources, i.e., the procurement methods, for the certificates. That is, the planning unit 15 may determine the planned amount of environmental value certificates to be procured during the planning period for each source of environmental value certificates. Sources include various trading markets and bilateral contracts for environmental value certificates. Also, as mentioned above, if a retail electricity provider or an affiliate has renewable energy power generation facilities, the procurement of certificates corresponding to the electricity generated by these facilities may be included as a source of internal procurement. Furthermore, if there is a surplus of certificates procured internally, the planning unit 15 will create a supply and demand plan for the certificates to sell the surplus through the market or bilateral contracts. The planning unit 15 is not required to determine the sources of certificates.

[0036] Each certificate includes information indicating the amount to be certified (electricity or CO2 emission reduction) and the generation period corresponding to the certificate. If the planning period is longer than the generation period, the creation period may be divided and managed so that certificates for generation periods corresponding to the period in which the required amount of certificates arises can be procured. For example, if the creation period is one year and the generation period in the certificate is defined in quarterly units, the planning unit 15 may create a plan so that the required amount of certificates for each quarter is equal to the total amount of certificates for which the generation period is that quarter. In some cases, there may be a time lag of, for example, six months between the generation of renewable energy and the certification and certificate issuance, making it difficult to match the generation period in the certificate with the period during which the electricity was used. In such cases, the planning unit 15 may create an environmental value supply and demand plan so that the required amount of certificates can be procured over the entire planning period without considering the generation period.

[0037] Next, the environmental value management device 1 displays the certificate supply and demand plan (step S3). Specifically, the display unit 19 reads and displays the environmental value supply and demand plan stored in the storage unit 11. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the environmental value supply and demand plan displayed by the environmental value management device 1 of this embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 5, the total required amount of certificates (total predicted required amount) for the planning period for each system (reporting system) corresponding to the electricity menu and the certificate type (type of certificate) corresponding to each reporting system are shown. Each certificate contains information indicating the amount of electricity or the amount of CO2 emission reduction. In the case of certificates indicated by the amount of CO2 emission reduction, it is converted to the amount of electricity based on the "Guidance on Responding to International Climate Change Initiatives" mentioned above. Also, for systems that report by the amount of CO2 emission reduction, the predicted required amount is similarly converted to the amount of CO2 emission reduction. In this embodiment, since the total amount of certificates required by multiple consumers is predicted, even if there is an error in the predicted electricity demand of an individual consumer, the amount of certificates required calculated from the predicted electricity demand is calculated from the total electricity demand of multiple consumers, so the error is reduced by the smoothing effect. In the example shown in Figure 5, among systems A, B, and C, system A is the strictest, meaning it has the fewest number of applicable certificate types, system B has the next fewest number of applicable certificate types after system A, and system C has the most applicable certificate types. The amount of certificates required for providing an electricity menu compliant with system A is the total amount of certificates required for consumers who have selected an electricity menu compliant with system A. Similarly, the amount of certificates required for providing an electricity menu compliant with system B is the total amount of certificates required for consumers who have selected an electricity menu compliant with system B, and the amount of certificates required for providing an electricity menu compliant with system C is the total amount of certificates required for consumers who have selected an electricity menu compliant with system C.

[0038] In Figure 5, the total required quantity of certificates for the planning period is shown, but the required quantity of certificates for each specific period may also be displayed. For example, if the planning period is one year, the required quantity for each specific period may be displayed. Furthermore, the source of the certificates may also be displayed. Figure 5 is just one example, and the display method and content are not limited to the example shown in Figure 5.

[0039] Returning to the explanation of Figure 4, the environmental value management device 1 determines whether the conditions for the completion of the planning period are met (step S4). More specifically, the allocation unit 18 determines whether the conditions for the completion of the planning period are met. The conditions for the completion of the planning period are, for example, that the planning period has ended, the actual values ​​of electricity demand during the planning period have been collected, and the transactions of certificates during the planning period have been completed.

[0040] If the conditions for the end of the planning period are not met (Step S4 No), the environmental value management device 1 acquires actual values ​​(Step S5). Specifically, the monitoring unit 16 acquires actual power demand values ​​and environmental value acquisition records from the storage unit 11. The transmitting / receiving unit 10 periodically receives the measurement results of SM21 from the measurement value management device 4 as described above and stores them in the storage unit 11 as actual power demand values. Each time an environmental value transaction takes place, the transmitting / receiving unit 10 receives the transaction results and updates the environmental value acquisition records stored in the storage unit 11. In addition, actual values ​​of certificates procured in-house are also recorded in the storage unit 11 as environmental value acquisition records.

[0041] Next, the environmental value management device 1 determines whether the discrepancy between the planned value and the actual value, i.e., |planned value - actual value|, exceeds a threshold (step S6). Specifically, the monitoring unit 16 determines whether |planned value - actual value| exceeds a threshold for each element. The elements are, for example, the required amount of certificates, i.e., the required amount of environmental value certificates calculated from electricity demand, the amount of certificates procured from the market, the amount of certificates procured through bilateral contracts, and the amount of certificates procured in-house. Here, it is assumed that the suppliers are also determined at the planning stage, and that planned values ​​for the procurement amounts from the market, bilateral contracts, and in-house procurement are set. If even one of these elements has |planned value - actual value| exceeding the threshold, the monitoring unit 16 determines Yes in step S6. Each certificate includes the corresponding amount (electricity amount or CO2 emission reduction amount) and information indicating the power generation period corresponding to the certificate. The monitoring unit 16 calculates the actual value of the environmental value demand, i.e., the required amount, from the start of the planning period to the present, using the actual power demand value and customer information stored in the storage unit 11 to determine the required amount of certificates. It then calculates |planned value - actual value| using the calculated actual value and the predicted value of the required amount, which is the planned value from the start of the plan to the present in the environmental value supply and demand plan.

[0042] If |planned value - actual value| exceeds a threshold (step S6 Yes), the environmental value management device 1 displays an alarm (step S7), and the process from step S1 is repeated. Specifically, in step S7, the monitoring unit 16 displays on the display unit 19 that there is a discrepancy between the planned value and the actual value and that replanning is necessary, and also displays the planned value and the actual value. Then, by instructing the power demand forecasting unit 13, the certificate requirement forecasting unit 14, and the planning unit 15 to perform reprocessing that reflects the actual value, the process from step S1 is repeated. Alternatively, after displaying the alarm, the monitoring unit 16 may receive an instruction from the user to recreate the plan via the input reception unit 12, and then instruct the power demand forecasting unit 13, the certificate requirement forecasting unit 14, and the planning unit 15 to perform reprocessing.

[0043] In this way, the planning unit 15 determines the planned amount of environmental value certificates to be procured for each supplier for each period divided into planning periods, and the monitoring unit 16 instructs the certificate requirement forecasting unit 14 and the planning unit 15 to reprocess the data to reflect the actual procurement amount for each supplier if there is a supplier for which the difference between the total planned amount from the start of the planning period to the most recent period and the actual amount of environmental value certificates procured within the planning period is greater than or equal to a threshold. The monitoring unit 16 also uses the actual total electricity demand of consumers from the start of the planning period to the most recent period and consumer information to calculate the actual amount of environmental value required from the start of the planning period to the most recent period. Then, if the difference between the predicted total required amount from the start of the planning period to the most recent period and the calculated actual required amount is greater than or equal to a threshold, the monitoring unit 16 instructs the certificate requirement forecasting unit 14 and the planning unit 15 to reprocess the data to reflect the actual required amount, thereby recreating the procurement plan for environmental value certificates.

[0044] Figure 6 shows an example of a display screen showing planned and actual values ​​in this embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 6, the left side shows the planned and actual values ​​of the total required amount of certificates for the entire planning period (1 year), and the right side shows the planned and actual values ​​of the required amount of certificates for each month during the planning period. In Figure 6, unhatched rectangles represent planned values, and hatched rectangles represent actual values. In the example shown in Figure 6, it is assumed that there are also certificates procured in-house, and in 20XX / 07, it is shown that the amount of certificates procured in-house exceeds the required amount, resulting in a surplus. In Figure 6, negative values ​​represent the required amount, and positive values ​​represent the surplus amount. For certificates procured in-house, sales are made if a surplus occurs for the entire year (even taking prediction errors into account). For example, even if a surplus occurs in a particular month, sales are not made if there is no surplus for the entire year. In other words, if the planning department 15 predicts that the total amount of environmental value corresponding to the electricity generated by its renewable energy sources during the planning period is more than a certain amount greater than the amount required for procurement during the planning period, it will create a plan to sell certificates of environmental value corresponding to the electricity generated by its renewable energy sources. Note that Figure 6 is an example, and the display method and content are not limited to the example shown in Figure 6.

[0045] Returning to the explanation of Figure 4, if |planned value - actual value| is less than or equal to the threshold (step S6 No), the environmental value management device 1 repeats the process from step S4. Also, if the conditions for the end of the planning period are met (step S4 Yes), the environmental value management device 1 performs the allocation process (step S8), performs the reporting process (step S9), and terminates the process. In detail, in step S8, the allocation unit 18 allocates the procured certificates according to the required amount for each customer and adds the allocation results to the environmental value acquisition record in the storage unit 11 and stores them. In step S9, the transmitting / receiving unit 10 transmits the allocation results for each customer in the environmental value acquisition record stored in the storage unit 11 to the customer device 3 of the corresponding customer.

[0046] In this embodiment, as described above, the required amount of environmental value is calculated using the electricity menu contracted by the customer and the predicted value of the customer's electricity demand. By creating a supply and demand plan for environmental value so that the calculated required amount can be procured, the customer's request for environmental value can be fulfilled. Furthermore, after the plan is created, if the monitoring unit 16 detects that the deviation from the actual value exceeds a threshold, the supply and demand plan for environmental value is recreated to reflect the actual value. Therefore, if the predicted value of electricity demand deviates from the actual value, or if the actual value of certificate procurement deviates from the planned value, the plan can be revised thereafter to ensure that the plan is realized throughout the entire planning period. In addition, during the planning period, customers may change the electricity menu they contract, or there may be an increase or decrease in the number of customers contracted with retail electricity providers. Due to these effects, even if the difference between the actual value and the planned value up to that point is small, the required amount thereafter may change. For this reason, the supply and demand plan for environmental value may also be recreated if the number of changes in electricity menus, increases or decreases in customers exceeds a predetermined number. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the supply and demand plan for environmental value is created so that the total amount of environmental value required by multiple consumers can be procured, the effect of errors can be reduced even if there are errors in the forecast of electricity demand due to the smoothing effect.

[0047] Once the above-described process is completed, the allocation result is displayed by the display unit 33 of the customer device 3. Figure 7 shows an example of the allocation result displayed on the customer device 3 in this embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 7, the planning period is one year, and the customer's required certificate quantity (required amount of environmental value certificates) and the allocation result are shown quarterly. As shown in Figure 7, the allocation result includes the certificate type (type of certificate), the certificate serial number which is the identification number of the certificate, and the certificate allocation quantity which is the amount certified by the certificate (electricity or CO2 emission reduction). Figure 7 is just one example, and the display method and display content are not limited to the example shown in Figure 7. By displaying the allocation result, the customer can confirm that the desired environmental value certificates have been secured.

[0048] In step S2 described above, the timing of the buying and selling of certificates may be determined to minimize costs or keep costs below a predetermined target value using predicted values ​​of the price of environmental value for each market and supplier (trading partner) such as bilateral contracts. That is, the planning unit 15 may use the predicted unit price of environmental value certificates for each supplier to determine the planned amount of environmental value certificates to be procured for each period divided into planning periods, so as to minimize costs for the planning period. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of predicted values ​​of the price (unit price) of environmental value for each supplier in this embodiment. Predicted values ​​201 to 203 each show predicted values ​​of the price of environmental value for different suppliers. The price of a certificate of a certificate type depends on the supplier, the procurement timing of the certificate, and the power generation period certified by the certificate, but the predicted unit price of environmental value certificates for each combination of supplier and procurement timing may be used without considering the power generation period. The following describes an example in which the predicted unit price of environmental value certificates for each combination of supplier and certificate procurement timing is used without considering the power generation period. However, if a predicted unit price of environmental value certificates that also considers the power generation period can be obtained, the power generation period may be further considered. The certificate requirement prediction unit 14 predicts the price of environmental value based on environmental value price information. In addition, if a predicted value of the price of environmental value can be obtained from an external source, the predicted value of the price of environmental value obtained from an external source may be used. Furthermore, although not shown in Figure 8, the in-house procurement portion is generally less expensive or has lower costs compared to other suppliers.

[0049] The planning unit 15 predicts the price of the certificate at time T for the i-th trading partner that can purchase it, for each group of certificates, P i Let (T) be the quantity of certificates to be procured from the i-th trading partner (the quantity certified by the certificates), and let A be the quantity of certificates to be procured from the i-th trading partner. i (T) Then, with the constraint condition of equation (2) below, A such that F shown in equation (1) below is minimized, or F is less than or equal to the target value. iDetermine (T). When there are multiple systems corresponding to the power menu, for each group of certificates, the planning department 15 determines A such that F shown in the following formula (1) is minimized or F is less than or equal to the target value for the suppliers capable of procuring the certificates of the certificate types belonging to the group of certificates, with the following formula (2) as a constraint condition. i Determine (T). A i Any algorithm for calculating (T) may be used. Assume that T is an integer indicating each period obtained by dividing the planning period and represents time. B(T) is the total required amount of certificates of the certificate type corresponding to each group of certificates for each period, and C(T) is the amount of certificates procured by the company itself, which is predicted from, for example, the non-fossil power generation actual value. Also, Σ in formula (1) T indicates the total sum in the planning period, and Σ<0OO0007>indicates the total sum of suppliers. For example, if the planning period is one year and the divided period is one month, T is an integer from 1 to 12, and Σ T indicates the total sum for 12 months. F = Σ T Σ i (P i (T) × A i (T)) …(1) Σ T Σ[[ID=2^5]] i (A i (T)) = Σ T (B(T) - C(T)) …(2)

[0050] In the above formula, an example is shown where the procurement of the company's own certificates is preferentially allocated to the required amount of certificates. However, the procurement of the company's own certificates may also be regarded as one of the suppliers. In this case, B(T) - C(T) on the right side of the above formula (2) becomes B(T).

[0051] Also, when the monitoring department 16 determines that the deviation between the planned value and the actual value is large and it is difficult to procure the necessary certificates during the planning period, the demand of the consumers may be reduced by DR (Demand Response). As a result, the demand of the consumers can be reduced, and the required amount of environmental value certificates is reduced, so that the necessary certificates can be secured according to the required amount.

[0052] Furthermore, in the example described above, the environmental value management device 1 managed the environmental value of the electricity supplied to customers who contract with a retail electricity provider. However, the environmental value management device 1 of this embodiment may also be applied as a customer's device. For example, the environmental value management device 1 may be introduced as a device for large-scale customers such as companies and local governments. The environmental value management device 1 may also be a device for a company that manages multiple customers (e.g., factories). In this case, for example, the environmental value management device 1 may use the customer's predicted electricity demand and the target value of the renewable energy ratio to determine the required amount of environmental value certificates, and similarly create a supply and demand plan for environmental value certificates during the planning period. In this case, if the customer does not have a power generation facility, they may purchase electricity from a retail electricity provider or the like through an electricity menu that does not specify renewable energy, or they may purchase electricity through an electricity menu with a renewable energy ratio of 20%, etc. In the former case, the environmental value management device 1 calculates the required amount by multiplying the predicted value of the customer's electricity demand by the target value of the renewable energy ratio, and creates an environmental value supply and demand plan to procure certificates of environmental value corresponding to the required amount through the market or a bilateral contract. In the latter case, the environmental value management device 1 calculates the required amount by multiplying the predicted value of the customer's electricity demand by the ratio obtained by subtracting the ratio specified in the electricity menu from the target value of the renewable energy ratio, and creates an environmental value supply and demand plan to procure certificates of environmental value corresponding to the required amount through the market or a bilateral contract.

[0053] Furthermore, if the environmental value management device 1 is applied as a customer's device, and the customer has power generation facilities that generate electricity other than renewable energy, and these facilities meet the customer's electricity demand, the environmental value management device 1 calculates the required amount by multiplying the customer's predicted electricity demand by the target value of the renewable energy ratio, and creates an environmental value supply and demand plan to procure certificates of environmental value corresponding to the required amount through the market or bilateral contract. Also, if the customer has renewable energy power generation facilities that generate renewable energy, and the deficit is covered by a retail electricity provider or other power generation facilities, the environmental value management device 1 calculates the ratio of the amount of electricity generated by the renewable energy power generation facilities to the customer's electricity demand, calculates the required amount by multiplying the electricity demand by the value obtained by subtracting the calculated ratio from the target value of the renewable energy ratio, and creates an environmental value certificate supply and demand plan to procure certificates of environmental value corresponding to the required amount through the market or bilateral contract. Furthermore, the environmental value management device 1 creates a supply and demand plan for environmental value certificates so that if there is a surplus in the environmental value generated by a consumer's renewable energy power generation facility, the surplus should be sold on the market or through a private contract.

[0054] Furthermore, although the above example described a case where renewable energy sources are not specified, electricity menus that specify renewable energy sources may also be provided. In this case, the required amount of certificates for customers who have selected an electricity menu that specifies renewable energy sources is determined, for example, as follows. Renewable energy sources may be power sources managed by the company itself or other power sources. For the company's own power sources, the certificate requirement prediction unit 14 predicts the amount of power generated for each power source (each power plant) and uses the predicted amount of power generated to predict the amount of certificates to be certified. For example, the certificate requirement prediction unit 14 predicts the amount of power generated for each of the company's power sources based on actual values. For power sources of other companies, the certificate requirement prediction unit 14 predicts the amount of certificates to be certified for each power source based on the power procurement plan from that power source. Furthermore, for customers who have selected an electricity menu that specifies a power source, the certificate requirement prediction unit 14 creates (associates) linking information linking the customer and the specified power source and registers it in the storage unit 11.

[0055] Figure 9 shows an example of the linking information in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 9, for example, the linking information includes a linking ID (IDentifier), a linking name indicating the power plant linked to the customer, priority, the customer, and information indicating the power plant. Figure 9 is just an example, and the linking information is not limited to the format shown in Figure 9; any information that allows the power plant linked to the customer to be identified is acceptable. The certificate requirement forecasting unit 14 calculates the required amount of certificates for each power plant based on the power demand forecast results and linking information for each customer who has selected a power menu specifying a power source. The planning unit 15, during the planning period, creates an environmental value supply and demand plan for each power source so that if the predicted value of the certified amount of certificates for each power source is greater than or equal to the required amount of certificates corresponding to the power menu specifying that power source, the required amount of certificates corresponding to the power menu specifying that power source will be covered by the certificates of that power source. The planning unit 15 uses the linking information and the predicted value of the customer's power demand to create a procurement plan for each power source so that certificates corresponding to the predicted value of the power demand of the customer specifying that power source are procured as environmental value certificates corresponding to that power source. For electricity menus that do not specify a renewable energy source, the planning unit 15 creates a procurement plan corresponding to the required amount of certificates using the process described in Figure 4. The monitoring unit 16 monitors the difference between the predicted amount of certificates required for each power source and the required amount of certificates required for the electricity menu that specifies that power source, and manages the acceptance of new electricity menus that specify power sources so that the required amount of certificates required for the electricity menu that specifies a power source does not exceed the predicted amount of certificates required. In the example shown in Figure 9, priority is included in the linking information, but priority does not have to be set. Priority indicates, for example, which power plant's environmental value should be given priority when allocating to consumers, but the use of priority is not limited to this.

[0056] Next, the hardware configuration of the environmental value management device 1 of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the environmental value management device 1 functions as an environmental value management device 1 when a computer system executes a computer program that describes the processing in the environmental value management device 1. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer system that realizes the environmental value management device 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 10, this computer system comprises a control unit 101, an input unit 102, a storage unit 103, a display unit 104, a communication unit 105, and an output unit 106, which are connected via a system bus 107.

[0057] In Figure 10, the control unit 101 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and executes a program describing the processing in the environmental value management device 1 of this embodiment. The input unit 102 consists of, for example, a keyboard and mouse and is used by the user of the computer system to input various information. The storage unit 103 includes various types of memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory), and storage devices such as a hard disk and stores the program to be executed by the control unit 101, necessary data obtained during the processing, etc. The storage unit 103 is also used as a temporary storage area for the program. The display unit 104 consists of a display, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display Panel), etc., and displays various screens to the user of the computer system. The communication unit 105 is a receiver and transmitter that perform communication processing. The output unit 106 is a printer, speaker, etc. Note that Figure 10 is an example, and the configuration of the computer system is not limited to the example in Figure 10.

[0058] Here, an example of the operation of the computer system until the program of this embodiment becomes executable will be described. In a computer system with the above configuration, for example, a computer program is installed in the storage unit 103 from a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM set in a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM drive or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM drive (not shown). When the program is executed, the program read from the storage unit 103 is stored in the main memory area of ​​the storage unit 103. In this state, the control unit 101 performs processing as the environmental value management device 1 of this embodiment according to the program stored in the storage unit 103.

[0059] In the above description, a program describing the processing in the environmental value management device 1 is provided on a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM as the recording medium. However, the system is not limited to this, and depending on the configuration of the computer system, the capacity of the program to be provided, a program provided via a transmission medium such as the Internet via the communication unit 105 may also be used.

[0060] The program of this embodiment causes a computer system to perform, for example, the steps of: predicting the required amount of environmental value to be procured, using demand ratio information indicating the customer's demand for the ratio of renewable energy to the supplied electricity and a predicted value of the customer's electricity demand; and creating a procurement plan for environmental value certificates so as to procure the environmental value certificates corresponding to the required amount of procurement during the planning period within the planning period.

[0061] The power demand forecasting unit 13, certificate requirement forecasting unit 14, planning unit 15, monitoring unit 16, trading unit 17, and allocation unit 18 shown in Figure 2 are realized by the execution of a computer program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in Figure 10 by the control unit 101 shown in Figure 10. The storage unit 103 shown in Figure 10 is also used to realize the power demand forecasting unit 13, certificate requirement forecasting unit 14, planning unit 15, monitoring unit 16, trading unit 17, and allocation unit 18 shown in Figure 2. The storage unit 11 shown in Figure 2 is part of the storage unit 103 shown in Figure 10. The transmitting / receiving unit 10 shown in Figure 2 is realized by the communication unit 105 shown in Figure 10. The input receiving unit 12 shown in Figure 2 is realized by the input unit 102 shown in Figure 10. Furthermore, the environmental value management device 1 may be realized by multiple computer systems. For example, the environmental value management device 1 may be realized by a cloud computer system. The consumer device 3 is similarly realized by a computer system.

[0062] As described above, the environmental value management device 1 of this embodiment calculates the required amount of environmental value using the electricity menu contracted by the customer and the predicted value of the customer's electricity demand, and creates an environmental value supply and demand plan so that the calculated required amount can be procured, thereby fulfilling the customer's requests regarding environmental value.

[0063] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and it is possible to combine them with other known technologies, combine different embodiments, and omit or modify parts of the configuration without departing from the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1. Environmental value management device, 2-1 to 2-3. In-house equipment for consumers, 3-1 to 3-3. Consumer equipment, 4. Measurement value management device, 5. Environmental value market system, 6. Environmental value trader system, 7. Power generation management device, 8. Environmental value management system, 10, 31. Transmit / receive unit, 11. Memory unit, 12, 32. Input reception unit, 13. Power demand forecasting unit, 14. Certificate requirement forecasting unit, 15. Planning unit, 16. Monitoring unit, 17. Trading unit, 18. Allocation unit, 19, 33. Display unit, 20. Distribution line, 21-1 to 21-3. SM, 22. Power generation equipment, 23-1 to 23-3. Load, 24. Energy storage equipment.

Claims

1. A certificate requirement forecasting unit that uses the predicted value of a customer's electricity demand and the customer's requirements regarding the environmental value of the supplied electricity to calculate the required procurement amount, which is the required amount of environmental value to be procured, using the predicted value and the corresponding environmental value requirement information. Equipped with, The certificate requirement forecasting unit calculates the required amount of environmental value corresponding to each of the multiple consumers using the forecast values ​​of each of the multiple consumers' electricity demands and the corresponding environmental value requirement information, and the sum of the calculated amounts for the multiple consumers is defined as the required procurement amount.

2. The environmental value management device according to claim 1, characterized in that the environmental value requirement information includes at least one of information indicating the ratio of renewable energy to supplied electricity and the carbon dioxide emission coefficient.

3. A display unit that shows the required procurement quantity, The environmental value management device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by comprising the following:

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