Power consumption reduction systems, electrical equipment, power consumption reduction methods, and programs

Abstract

Provided are a power consumption reduction system, electrical equipment, a power consumption reduction method, and a program capable of appropriately managing power consumption without installing a dedicated control device. A power consumption reduction system (1) is provided with a plurality of pieces of electrical equipment (100). The electrical equipment (100) comprises: a power consumption acquisition unit that acquires the power consumption of the electrical equipment (100); a power consumption frequency calculation unit that calculates a power consumption frequency on the basis of the operation state of the electrical equipment (100); a transmission unit that transmits the calculated power consumption frequency to another electrical equipment (100); a reception unit that receives the power consumption frequency of the other electrical equipment (100); an operation amount calculation unit that calculates an operation amount of an object to be controlled on the basis of the difference between the calculated power consumption frequency and the received power consumption frequency when the calculated power consumption frequency is greater than the received power consumption frequency; and an operation control unit that controls the operation of the object to be controlled.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to power consumption reduction systems, electrical equipment, power consumption reduction methods, and programs. [Background technology]

[0002] Technologies for reducing power consumption in electrical equipment are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioning system that dynamically changes which air conditioners to which power reduction commands are applied based on the difference between the total power consumed by multiple air conditioners and a target value, while also issuing power reduction commands to some air conditioners. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-124062 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] When constructing this air conditioning system, the installation of a dedicated control device is a prerequisite. Furthermore, control systems such as HEMS (Home Energy Management System) to which this control device is applied may not be able to control electrical equipment with different communication standards. Therefore, if it is not possible to install the dedicated control device on the network at the installation site, or to connect to the electrical equipment, it becomes difficult to properly manage the power consumption of the electrical equipment.

[0005] This disclosure is made in view of the above circumstances and aims to provide a power consumption reduction system, electrical equipment, power consumption reduction method, and program that can appropriately manage power consumption without installing a dedicated control device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the power consumption reduction system according to this disclosure is a power consumption reduction system comprising a plurality of electrical devices that consume power, wherein the electrical devices include: a power consumption acquisition unit that acquires the power consumption of the electrical devices; a power consumption frequency calculation unit that calculates a power consumption frequency normalized from the power consumption acquired by the power consumption acquisition unit based on the operating state of the electrical devices; a transmission unit that transmits the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit to other electrical devices; a reception unit that receives the power consumption frequency of the other electrical devices; an operation variable calculation unit that calculates an operation variable of a control target provided by the electrical device based on the difference between the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit and the power consumption frequency received by the reception unit if the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit is greater than the power consumption frequency received by the reception unit; and an operation control unit that controls the operation of the control target based on the operation variable calculated by the operation variable calculation unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, if the normalized power consumption frequency of an electrical device is greater than the power consumption frequency of other electrical devices, the device calculates the controllable variable of the controlled object based on the difference between the power consumption frequency of the device and the power consumption frequency of other devices. Then, it controls the operation of the controlled object based on the calculated controllable variable. Therefore, power consumption can be appropriately managed without installing a dedicated control device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows the configuration of the power consumption reduction system according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Block diagram showing the configuration of the electrical equipment shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 1 shows an example of operating status information indicating the operating status of each type of electrical equipment. [Figure 4] Figure 1 shows an example of control target information indicating the controlled targets for each type of electrical equipment shown. [Figure 5] Figure 1 shows an example of a variable map stored in an electrical device. [Figure 6] A diagram illustrating an example of how a consensus algorithm works. [Figure 7] Block diagram showing the physical configuration of the electrical equipment shown in Figure 1. [Figure 8] Figure 1 shows a flowchart illustrating the process of determining manipulated parameters using electrical equipment. [Figure 9] Diagram showing the configuration of electrical equipment according to Embodiment 2 [Figure 10] Flowchart showing the process of determining the manipulated quantity by electrical equipment according to Embodiment 2 [Figure 11] Flowchart showing the process of determining the manipulated quantity by electrical equipment according to the modified example 4. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The power consumption reduction system, electrical equipment, power consumption reduction method, and program according to the embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) The electrical equipment according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be explained using an example in which it is applied to the power consumption reduction system 1 shown in Figure 1. As shown in the figure, the power consumption reduction system 1 comprises a plurality of electrical devices 100 (electrical devices 100a, 100b, 100c, ...) which are electrical products installed in a house H, and each electrical device 100 is connected to communicate via a network 200. In the following, when the plurality of electrical devices 100a, 100b, 100c, ... are referred to without distinction, they will be collectively referred to as electrical device 100.

[0011] Electrical appliances 100 are devices that consume electricity in house H. Electrical appliances 100 include, for example, home appliances such as induction heating (IH) cooktops, induction cookers, washing machines, televisions, and refrigerators, as well as equipment such as air conditioners, water heaters, lighting fixtures, ventilation fans, energy storage systems, floor heating systems, and whole-house air conditioning systems.

[0012] Electrical devices 100a, 100b, 100c, etc. are connected to power lines D1, D2, D3, etc., which are branched off from the distribution board 400, and operate using power supplied from the commercial power grid 300. Electrical device 100a is connected to CT1 (Current Transformer) installed on power line D1. CT1 is a sensor that measures alternating current. Electrical device 100a obtains the measured value of power P1 supplied from the distribution board 400 to electrical device 100a via CT1. Power P1 corresponds to the power consumed by electrical device 100a. Electrical devices 100b and 100c are connected to CT2 and CT3, respectively, which are installed on power lines D2 and D3. Electrical devices 100b and 100c each acquire measured values ​​of power P2 and P3 supplied from the distribution board 400 to the electrical devices 100b and 100c, respectively, via CT2 and CT3. Power values ​​P2 and P3 correspond to the power consumed by electrical devices 100b and 100c, respectively.

[0013] In the power consumption reduction system 1, each electrical device 100 calculates a power consumption frequency that normalizes its own power consumption. The electrical device 100 also obtains the power consumption frequencies of other electrical devices 100 that it can communicate with. Each electrical device 100 calculates the amount of operation of its actuator using a consensus algorithm that achieves consensus control to converge the power consumption frequencies of each electrical device 100 to the same value.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the electrical device 100 includes a communication unit 101 that transmits and receives data with other electrical devices 100, a power consumption acquisition unit 102 that acquires the power consumption of the electrical device 100, an operating state determination unit 103 that determines the operating state of the electrical device 100, a power consumption frequency calculation unit 104 that calculates a power consumption frequency normalized from the power consumption, an operation amount limit acquisition unit 105 that acquires the upper and lower limits of the operation amount of the actuator provided by the electrical device 100, an operation amount determination unit 106 that determines the operation amount of the actuator provided by the electrical device 100, and an operation control unit 107 that controls the actuator based on the operation amount determined by the operation amount determination unit 106.

[0015] The communication unit 101 transmits and receives data with other electrical devices 100. Specifically, the communication unit 101 transmits the power consumption frequency of its own device, calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit 104, to other electrical devices 100 at predetermined time intervals. The communication unit 101 also receives the power consumption frequency of other electrical devices 100 from other electrical devices 100 at predetermined time intervals. Note that the communication unit 101 is an example of a receiving unit and a transmitting unit.

[0016] The power consumption acquisition unit 102 acquires the measured power consumed by the electrical equipment 100. Specifically, the power consumption of each of the multiple electrical equipment 100a, 100b, 100c, etc. corresponds to the power P1, P2, P3, etc. supplied from the distribution board 400 to the multiple electrical equipment 100a, 100b, 100c, etc. via power lines D1, D2, D3, etc. The power consumption acquisition unit 102 of electrical equipment 100a communicates with CT1 installed on power line D1 and acquires the measured power P1 measured by CT1. The power consumption acquisition unit 102 of electrical equipment 100b communicates with CT2 installed on power line D2 and acquires the measured power P2 measured by CT2. The power consumption acquisition unit 102 of electrical equipment 100c communicates with CT3 installed on power line D3 and acquires the measured power P3 measured by CT3.

[0017] The operating status determination unit 103 monitors the status of the electrical equipment 100 at pre-set time intervals such as 1 minute, 10 minutes, or 1 hour, and determines the operating status of the equipment. Specifically, the operating status determination unit 103 determines, based on pre-set rules, which of the operating statuses defined in the operating status information that shows the operating status of each type of electrical equipment 100 as illustrated in Figure 3 is the current state. Details of the processing of the operating status determination unit 103 will be described later.

[0018] Returning to FIG. 2, the power consumption degree calculation unit 104 calculates a power consumption degree obtained by normalizing the power consumption of the electrical device 100. Specifically, the power consumption degree calculation unit 104 obtains a power consumption degree obtained by normalizing the power consumption within the range of 0 to 1 based on the operating state of the electrical device 100 determined by the operating state determination unit 103. The power consumption degree calculation unit 104 is a power consumption degree function f that obtains the power consumption degree based on the determined state by the following formula (1). 消費電力度数関数 Calculate the power consumption degree from (state).

[0019] f 消費電力度数関数 (state)=P(t) / (P max - Pmin )-P min / (P max -P min ) Formula (1)

[0020] In formula (1), P(t) is the measured value of the power consumption obtained by the power consumption acquisition unit 102, and P max is the maximum power consumption amount in the operating state of the electrical device 100 determined by the operating state determination unit 103, and P min is the minimum power consumption amount in the operating state of the determined electrical device 100. P max and P min are respectively set in advance by the manufacturer of the electrical device 100 for each type of the electrical device 100 and for each operating state.

[0025] For example, when the electrical device 100 is an IH cooking heater, when the operating state is a low output state, the average value of the power consumption is determined as P Low,Nominal , and P<, min , P max are respectively set by the following formulas (2) and (3).

[0026] P min =P Low,Nominal ×0.95 Formula (2)

[0027] P max =P Low,Nominal ×1.05 Formula (3) Furthermore, P is the average value of power consumption when the operating state is high output. High,Nominal By defining this, and using the following equations (4) and (5), P min , P max Set each of them accordingly.

[0025] P min =P High,Nominal ×0.95 Formula (4)

[0026] P max =P High,Nominal ×1.05 Formula (5)

[0027] The manipulated variable limit acquisition unit 105 acquires the upper and lower limits of the manipulated variable of the actuator to be controlled, based on the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit 104. As illustrated in Figure 4, for example, if the electrical equipment 100 is an air conditioner, the manipulated variable limit acquisition unit 105 acquires the upper and lower limits of the manipulated variable for controlling the compressor frequency, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve, the rotational speed of the indoor fan, and the rotational speed of the outdoor fan, respectively. If the electrical equipment 100 is an IH cooking heater, the manipulated variable limit acquisition unit 105 acquires the upper and lower limits of the manipulated variable for controlling the amount of current supplied to the IH coil. If the electrical equipment 100 is a water heater, the manipulated variable determination unit 106 acquires the upper and lower limits of the manipulated variable for controlling the compressor frequency, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve, and the rotational speed of the outdoor fan, respectively.

[0028] The manipulated amount limit acquisition unit 105 acquires the upper limit value u of the manipulated amount of each actuator k for each power consumption frequency α0 calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit 104, as illustrated in Figure 5, and for each operating state s of the electrical equipment 100. k,s,Upper and lower limit u k,s,Lower Referencing the variable map defined for each actuator k, the upper limit of the manipulated amount u k,s,Upper , and the lower limit u k,s,Lower Obtain the upper limit of the operation variable u defined in the variable map. k,s,Upper and lower limit u k,s,LowerThese are values ​​that normalize the manipulated amount of each actuator k to a range of 0 to 1. As shown in the figure, for example, if the electrical equipment 100 is an air conditioner and is in the startup state (s=0), and the power consumption frequency α0 calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit 104 is 0.6, then the upper limit of the changeable manipulated amount of the compressor (k=0) is 0.7 and the lower limit is 0.4. Note that the variable map is an example of manipulated amount range information.

[0029] Returning to Figure 2, the manipulated variable determination unit 106 determines the manipulated variable for each of the actuators k to be controlled. Specifically, the manipulated variable determination unit 106 calculates the manipulated variable at discrete time intervals Δt. Here, the power consumption frequency x of the electrical equipment 100 at time t is... i (t) can be expressed as a linear time-invariant system as shown in equation (6) below.

[0030]

number

[0031] In equation (6), u i (t) is a column vector representing the amount of manipulation of each actuator k of the electrical device 100, and is expressed by equation (7). u i (t)=[u i、0 ,u i、1 ,u i、2 ,···,u i、n-1 ] T Formula (7)

[0032] Furthermore, in equation (6), A is a scalar coefficient and B is an n × 1 vector.

[0033] α is the value of the power consumption frequency of electrical device 100 at time t. i α is the value of the power consumption frequency of other electrical devices 100 that are communicably connected to electrical device 100. j Therefore, the power consumption frequency x of electrical equipment 100 over time t is i (t) and the power consumption frequency x of other electrical equipment 100 over time t j (t) is expressed by the following equations (8) and (9), respectively.

[0034] x i (t) = α i Formula (8)

[0035] x j (t) = α j Formula (9)

[0036] The control unit 106 of the electrical device 100 determines the power consumption frequency α of the electrical device 100. i And the power consumption frequency α of 100 other electrical devices j Compared with α i >α j If it is determined that there are other electrical devices 100 that result in the same operation, the operating amount u of each actuator k is calculated using the following equation (10). i Calculate (t).

[0037]

number

[0038] In equation (10), K is an arbitrarily set 1×n vector. Equation (10) is given by the power consumption frequency x of each electrical device 100 (i=0,1,2), as illustrated in Figure 6. i (t) the same value α convergence This is a consensus algorithm that implements consensus control to converge to a certain point.

[0039] Next, the control amount determination unit 106 determines the control amount u for each actuator k calculated by equation (10). i、k (t) and the upper limit value u of the manipulated amount of each actuator k calculated by the manipulated amount limit value acquisition unit 105. i,k,Upper and lower limit u i,k,Lower Compare and u i、k (t) is the upper limit u k,s,Upper If it exceeds u i、k (t) upper limit value u k,s,Upper And so it was decided, u i、k (t) is the lower bound u i,k,Lower If it falls below, u i、k (t) lower bound u i,k,Lower This is the decision.

[0040] On the other hand, the manipulated variable determination unit 106 determines the power consumption frequency α of the electrical equipment 100. i And the power consumption frequency α of 100 other electrical devices j Compared with α i >α j If it is determined that there are no other electrical devices 100 that result in the same value, then the previous manipulated variable u is calculated using the following formula (11). i (t-Δt) is determined as the manipulated variable to be used.

[0041] u i (t=u i (t-Δt) Equation (11)

[0042] Note α i >α j If it is determined that there are no other electrical devices 100 that would result in this, then instead of equation (11), the model predictive control shown in equation (12) below is used to initialize the cost function J(x(t)) which includes the power consumption frequency x(t) by the quantity u i (t) may also be used. This can reduce the power consumption of electrical equipment 100, and is therefore expected to reduce the power consumption of the entire network more quickly.

[0043] u i (t) = minJ(x(t)) Equation (12)

[0044] Note that the manipulated variable determination unit 106 is an example of a manipulated variable calculation unit.

[0045] Returning to Figure 2, the operation control unit 107 controls the operation of the actuator k of the electrical equipment 100 based on the manipulated amount determined by the manipulated amount determination unit 106.

[0046] The electrical device 100, having the functional configuration described above, physically comprises, as shown in Figure 7, a processor 11 that executes processing according to a program, a memory 12 that stores various programs, and a communication unit 13 that sends and receives information, and these are connected via an internal bus 99.

[0047] The processor 11 reads and executes a program stored in memory 12. The processor 11 includes various processing units such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an MPU (Micro-processing Unit). The processor 11 performs processing by the operating state determination unit 103, the power consumption frequency calculation unit 104, the manipulated variable limit value acquisition unit 105, the manipulated variable determination unit 106, and the operation control unit 107, as the main functions provided by the program.

[0048] Memory 12 includes memory elements such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). Memory 12 stores a control program in advance, as well as a variable map as illustrated in Figure 5.

[0049] The communication unit 13 is a communication interface for performing wireless communication compliant with wireless communication standards such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, and Zigbee®. The communication unit 13 is connected to a wireless network established within the house H and communicates with other electrical equipment 100 via the wireless network. The communication unit 13 operates as a communication unit 101 and a power consumption acquisition unit 102.

[0050] Next, the operation of electrical equipment 100 will be explained with reference to Figure 8. Electrical equipment 100 is connected to other electrical equipment 100 via a network so as to be able to communicate. Each electrical equipment 100 acquires its own power consumption measurement at regular intervals, calculates a power consumption frequency by normalizing the acquired power consumption, and transmits it to the other electrical equipment 100 that can communicate. Electrical equipment 100 determines the amount to manipulate the actuator k it has based on a pre-set consensus algorithm, and controls the actuator k with the determined amount. In the following explanation, the case in which electrical equipment 100a is connected to electrical equipment 100b and 100c so as to be able to communicate and calculate the amount to manipulate will be explained as an example.

[0051] When the user turns on the power to electrical device 100a, electrical device 100 starts processing.

[0052] The communication unit 101 of electrical device 100a receives normalized power consumption frequencies from other electrical devices 100b and 100c at a predetermined time interval (step S1).

[0053] Next, the power consumption acquisition unit 102 acquires the power consumption of the electrical equipment 100a (step S2). Specifically, the electrical equipment 100a acquires the measured value of the power P1 supplied to the electrical equipment 100a from the distribution board 400 via the CT1.

[0054] Next, the operating status determination unit 103 determines the operating status of the electrical equipment 100a (step S3). Specifically, the operating status determination unit 103 determines, based on pre-set rules, which of the operating statuses defined in the operating status information exemplified in Figure 3 the electrical equipment 100a is in.

[0055] For example, if the electrical device 100a is an air conditioner, the operating state determination unit 103 calculates the difference between the set temperature set by the user's remote control operation and the temperature of the temperature sensor installed in the electrical device 100a. If the calculated temperature difference is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the operating state determination unit 103 determines that the electrical device 100a is in the startup state. On the other hand, if the temperature difference is less than the threshold, the operating state determination unit 103 determines that it is in the stable state. Furthermore, if no temperature is set, the operating state determination unit 103 determines that it is stopped.

[0056] Furthermore, for example, if the electrical appliance 100a is an IH cooking heater, the operating state determination unit 103 determines that it is in a high-power state if the heat output setting information is equal to or greater than a preset value. On the other hand, the operating state determination unit 103 determines that it is in a low-power state if the heat output setting information is less than a preset value. Also, the operating state determination unit 103 determines that it is stopped if no heat output is set.

[0057] Furthermore, for example, if the electrical equipment 100a is an electric water heater, the operating status determination unit 103 monitors the water heating schedule set by the user. The operating status determination unit 103 determines that the electrical equipment 100a is in the water heating state if it is operating during the water heating time, and determines that it is stopped otherwise.

[0058] Next, if the power consumption frequency calculation unit 104 determines that the operating state of the electrical equipment 100 is not stopped (step S4; No), it proceeds to step S5 and calculates the power consumption frequency of the electrical equipment 100a (step S5). Specifically, the power consumption frequency calculation unit 104 calculates the power consumption frequency, which is the power consumption normalized to a range of 0 to 1, based on the operating state of the electrical equipment 100 determined by the operating state determination unit 103. The power consumption frequency calculation unit 104 calculates the operating state determined in step S3, and the maximum power consumption P that is preset for each type of electrical equipment 100 and for each operating state. max , minimum power consumption P min The power consumption frequency function f shown in equation (1) above is a function that calculates the power consumption frequency based on the above. 消費電力度数関数 The power consumption frequency is calculated from (state).

[0059] Next, the power consumption frequency calculation unit 104 transmits the power consumption frequency of electrical equipment 100a calculated in step S5 to the other electrical equipment 100b and 100c via the communication unit 101 (step S6).

[0060] Next, the manipulated amount limit acquisition unit 105 acquires the upper and lower limits of the manipulated amount of the actuator k of the electrical equipment 100a based on the operating state determined in step S3 and the power consumption frequency calculated in step S5 (step S7). Specifically, the manipulated amount limit acquisition unit 105 acquires the upper and lower limits of the manipulated amount by referring to the variable map shown in Figure 5, which is pre-stored in the memory 12. For example, if the electrical equipment 100a is an air conditioner, the operating state determined in step S3 is the startup state (s=0), and the power consumption frequency α0 calculated in step S5 is 0.6, then the upper limit of the compressor's manipulated amount is acquired as 0.6 and the lower limit as 0.4. The manipulated amount limit acquisition unit 105 acquires the upper and lower limits of the manipulated amount of each target actuator k and outputs them to the manipulated amount determination unit 106.

[0061] Next, the control amount determination unit 106 calculates the control amount of the actuator k provided by the electrical equipment 100a (step S8). Specifically, the control amount determination unit 106 calculates the power consumption frequency α of the electrical equipment 100a calculated in step S5. i And the power consumption frequency α of the other electrical devices 100b, 100c received in step S1. j Compared with α i >α j Determine whether other electrical devices 100b and 100c exist.

[0062] The manipulated amount determination unit 106 is α i >α j If it is determined that other electrical devices 100b and 100c exist, the consensus algorithm shown in equation (10) above will determine the amount of operation of each actuator k of electrical device 100a, and the column vector u i Calculate (t).

[0063] Next, the control amount determination unit 106 determines the control amount for each actuator k (step S9). Specifically, the control amount determination unit 106 determines the control amount u for each actuator k calculated by equation (10). i、k (t) and the upper limit value u of the manipulated amount of each actuator k obtained in step S7. i,k,Upper and lower limit u i,k,LowerCompare with the operation amount u of the actuator k i、k (t) exceeds the upper limit value u i,k,Upper If so, set u i、k (t) to the upper limit value u i,k,Upper and determine that u i、k (t) is lower than the lower limit value u i,k,Lower If so, set u i、k (t) to the lower limit value u i,k,Lower and in other cases, determine the operation amount using the calculated u i、k (t).

[0064] On the other hand, the operation amount determination unit 106 compares the power consumption degree α of the electric device 100a i with the power consumption degrees α of the other electric devices 100b and 100c j respectively. If it is determined that there are no other electric devices 100b and 100c such that α i >α j then, according to the above formula (11) or the above formula (12), determine the operation amount using the previous operation amount u i (t - Δt).

[0065] Next, the operation amount determination unit 106 transmits the operation amount of each actuator k determined in step S9 to the operation control unit 107 (step S10). The operation control unit 107 controls the operation of each actuator k according to the output operation amount.

[0066] Next, the operation amount determination unit 106 determines whether or not the end condition of the operation amount determination process is satisfied (step S11). The end condition is, for example, when the elapsed time of the operation amount determination process exceeds a preset time, or when a signal instructing the stop of the operation amount determination process is transmitted by the user. If the operation amount determination unit 106 determines that the end condition is not satisfied (step S11; No), it returns to step S1 and repeats the operation amount determination process. On the other hand, if the operation amount determination unit 106 determines that the end condition is satisfied (step S11; Yes), it ends the process. By repeatedly executing the operation amount determination process applying the consensus algorithm, the power consumption degrees of each electric device 100 are controlled to gradually converge to the convergence value α convergence .[[]END]]

[0067] Returning to step S4, if the operating status determination unit 103 determines that the operating status of the electrical equipment 100a is stopped (step S4; Yes), it proceeds to step S11 to determine whether or not the termination condition is met.

[0068] As described above, if the normalized power consumption frequency of each electrical device 100 is greater than the power consumption frequency of other electrical devices 100, the device calculates the controllable variable of the controlled object based on the difference between the power consumption frequency of the device and the power consumption frequency of other electrical devices 100. Then, the electrical device 100 controls the operation of the controlled actuator k based on the calculated controllable variable. Therefore, power consumption can be reduced without installing a separate dedicated control device.

[0069] Furthermore, by using a normalized power consumption frequency in the calculation of the manipulated variable, a common target value for power consumption can be set among different types of electrical equipment 100.

[0070] Furthermore, by defining the range of operations for each operating state and power consumption frequency using a variable map, the power consumption of the electrical equipment 100 can be reduced to a degree that does not impair user comfort and convenience.

[0071] (Embodiment 2) In the second embodiment, the electrical device 100A determines the amount of operation of the actuator k provided by the electrical device 100A by using not only power consumption but also a comfort level indicating the degree of user comfort.

[0072] As shown in Figure 9, the electrical device 100A includes a communication unit 101, a power consumption acquisition unit 102, an operating state determination unit 103, a power consumption frequency calculation unit 104, an operation amount limit value acquisition unit 105, and an operation control unit 107, and also includes a comfort level calculation unit 108 that calculates the user's comfort level, and an operation amount determination unit 106a that, instead of the operation amount determination unit 106 included in the electrical device 100, determines the operation amount of the actuator k based on the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit 104 and the comfort level calculated by the comfort level calculation unit 108.

[0073] The comfort level calculation unit 108 calculates a comfort level that indicates the degree of the user's comfort. The comfort level is a value on the same scale as the power consumption level, for example, a value in the range of 0 to 1. For example, if the electrical equipment 100A is an air conditioner, the comfort level is calculated using a thermal environment index such as SET*. Specifically, the comfort level calculation unit 108 obtains an estimated value of the perceived temperature based on the average value of the surface temperature of the walls and the air temperature in the room, or the average value of the surface temperature of the floor and the air temperature. The comfort level calculation unit 108 calculates the comfort level according to rules such as setting the comfort level to 1.0 when the obtained perceived temperature is 25 degrees, and decreasing the comfort level by 0.1 for every 0.1 degrees the perceived temperature deviates from 25 degrees. Also, if the electrical equipment 100A is a cooking appliance such as an IH cooking heater, the comfort level is calculated according to the difference between the set temperature instructed by the user and the measured value of the thermostat. Also, if the electrical equipment 100A is a water heater, the comfort level is calculated according to the difference between the amount of hot water stored and a preset threshold.

[0074] The control amount determination unit 106a determines the control amount of actuator k based on the power consumption frequency and the comfort frequency. Specifically, the control amount determination unit 106a calculates the control amount at discrete time intervals Δt. Here, the power consumption frequency α of the electrical equipment 100A at time t is... i Comfort level β i The vector value x represents i (t) is expressed by the following equation (13).

[0075] x i (t)=[α i ,β i]T formula (13)

[0076] And the vector value x i (t) can be expressed as a linear time-invariant system as shown in equation (14) below.

[0077]

number

[0078] In equation (14), u i (t) is a column vector representing the amount of manipulation of each actuator k of the 100A electrical device, and is expressed by equation (15). u i (t)=[u i、0 ,u i、1 ,u i、2 ,···,u i、k-1 ] T Formula (15)

[0079] Also, in equation (14), A i A is a 2x1 vector, and B is an nx1 vector.

[0080] α is the value of the power consumption frequency of the electrical device 100A at time t. i α is the value of the power consumption frequency of another electrical device 100A that is connected to electrical device 100A in a communicative manner. j The comfort level value of electrical equipment at 100A is β i The comfort level value of electrical equipment 100A and other electrical equipment 100A that is connected in a communicative manner is β j Therefore, the vector value x of time t for the electrical device 100A i (t) and the vector value x of time t for another electrical device 100A j (t) is expressed by the following equations (16) and (17), respectively.

[0081] x i (t)=[α i ,β i ] T Formula (16)

[0082] xj(t)=[αj ,β j ] T Formula (17)

[0083] The control variable determination unit 106a determines the power consumption frequency α of the electrical equipment 100A. i , and comfort level β i And the power consumption frequency α of other electrical devices at 100A i , and comfort level β j We compare and α i >α j , or β i <β j If it is determined that there is another electrical device with a current of 100A, the following equation (18), which shows the consensus algorithm, determines the amount of actuator k manipulated u i Calculate (t).

[0084]

number

[0085] Note that in equation (18), K is a 2×n vector.

[0086] On the other hand, the manipulated amount determination unit 106a is α i >α j , or β i <β j If it is determined that there are no other electrical devices 100A, the manipulated amount u is determined by formula (11) or formula (12) above, similar to the manipulated amount determination unit 106. i Calculate (t-Δt).

[0087] Next, the operation of the controllable variable calculation process using electrical equipment 100A will be explained with reference to Figure 10. Since Figure 10 includes steps common to the flowchart shown in Figure 8, the explanation will focus on the differences.

[0088] In step S21, the communication unit 101 receives the power consumption degree and comfort degree of the other electrical equipment 100A from the other electrical equipment 100A at a predetermined time interval.

[0089] In step S25, the power consumption frequency calculation unit 104 calculates a power consumption frequency, which is a normalized power consumption within the range of 0 to 1, in the same manner as in step S5, based on the operating status of the electrical equipment 100 determined by the operating status determination unit 103. The comfort level calculation unit 108 also calculates a comfort level, which indicates the degree of the user's comfort. Specifically, the comfort level calculation unit 108 calculates the comfort level based on a comfort level calculation rule that is set in advance according to the type of electrical equipment 100A.

[0090] Next, the power consumption frequency calculation unit 104 transmits the power consumption frequency and comfort frequency calculated in step S5 to the other electrical equipment 100A via the communication unit 101 (step S26).

[0091] In step 28, the control amount determination unit 106a calculates the control amount of the actuator k of the electrical equipment 100a. Specifically, the control amount determination unit 106a calculates the power consumption frequency α of the electrical equipment 100A calculated in step S25. i , and comfort level β i And the power consumption frequency α of other electrical devices at 100A i , and comfort level β j We compare and α i >α j , or β i <β j Determine whether or not there are other electrical devices with a current of 100A.

[0092] The control variable determination unit 106a is α i >α j , or β i <β j If it is determined that there is another electrical device 100A, the consensus algorithm shown in equation (18) above will generate a column vector u indicating the amount of operation of actuator k of electrical device 100A. i Calculate (t).

[0093] As described above, with electrical equipment 100A, the amount of operation can be determined considering not only power consumption but also user comfort.

[0094] (Variation 1) In Embodiment 1, the power consumption reduction system 1 uses a consensus algorithm to determine the convergence value α of the power consumption frequency. convergence The system may further include an operating terminal for controlling the system. The operating terminal is, for example, a portable device such as a smartphone, tablet, remote control, mobile phone, or notebook computer. The operating terminal includes an input unit such as a push button, touch panel, or touchpad, a display unit such as an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display or liquid crystal display, and a communication interface. The operating terminal communicates with the electrical equipment 100 in accordance with a well-known communication standard. When the user identifies the electrical equipment 100 to be operated, the operating terminal receives a target value for power consumption frequency and transmits the received target value to the electrical equipment 100. The electrical equipment 100 that receives the target value for power consumption frequency receives the power consumption frequency α received from other electrical equipment 100. j The target values ​​for power consumption frequency and other parameters are applied to the consensus algorithm to calculate the amount of operation of actuator k of electrical equipment 100. By setting a sufficiently small value as the target value for power consumption frequency, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the entire power consumption reduction system 1.

[0095] (Modification 2) The operating terminal in Modification Example 1 is not limited to being operated by a user; it may also be operated externally via the internet by power companies, electricity trading markets, etc., to set target values ​​for power consumption frequency. This makes it possible to respond to external control of demand response control in the power grid without going through a server such as a HEMS.

[0096] (Variation 3) In the above embodiment 1, the power consumption reduction system 1 may further include a communication device that mediates communication between electrical devices 100a, 100b, 100c, ... The communication device is equipped with a predetermined communication interface and is connected to a wireless network established within the house H via wired or wireless means. The communication device communicates with each of the electrical devices 100a, 100b, 100c, ... via the wireless network and, for example, transmits the power consumption of electrical device 100a to the other electrical devices 100b, 100c, ... This makes it possible for the power consumption reduction system 1 to exchange information with each other even if there are electrical devices 100 that cannot communicate directly with each other via the communication device.

[0097] (Modification 4) Electrical devices 100a, 100b, 100c, ... may calculate an operation variable and stop the process of controlling the operation of actuator k based on the calculated operation variable if they determine that a preset condition is met. Specifically, electrical devices 100a, 100b, 100c, ... stop processing if they determine that the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the power consumption frequency during a preset time T is greater than or equal to a preset threshold. As illustrated in Figure 11, electrical devices 100a, 100b, 100c, ... perform the same processing as electrical device 100 in steps S1 to S6. Next, in step S31, the power consumption frequency calculation unit 104 of electrical devices 100a, 100b, 100c, ... obtains the current time from the timers provided in each of the electrical devices 100a, 100b, 100c, ... and calculates a time set back from the current time by a predetermined time T. The power consumption frequency calculation unit 104 calculates the maximum value α of the power consumption frequency from the calculated time to the current time. max and minimum value α min It is determined whether the difference is greater than or equal to threshold A (step S31). The power consumption frequency calculation unit 104 calculates the maximum value α max and minimum value α min If it is determined that the difference is greater than or equal to threshold A (step S31; Yes), the process proceeds to step S11 to determine whether the termination condition is met (step S11). In addition, the power consumption frequency calculation unit 104 calculates the maximum value αmax and minimum value α min If it is determined that the difference is less than threshold A (step S31; No), the electrical device 100 performs the same processing as in steps S7 to S11.

[0098] Furthermore, electrical devices 100a, 100b, 100c, ... may calculate the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the comfort score in addition to the power consumption frequency, and may stop processing if either the power consumption frequency or the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the comfort score is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold. Also, the determination process in step S31 may be performed after a predetermined time T0 has elapsed from the time the manipulated variable determination process started. Furthermore, in step S31, electrical devices 100a, 100b, 100c, ... may calculate the maximum value α max and minimum value α min If it is determined that the difference is greater than or equal to threshold A (step S31; Yes), the manipulated variable determination process may be terminated. In this case, for example, if electrical equipment 100a terminates the manipulated variable determination process, electrical equipment 100b, 100c, ... other than electrical equipment 100a, which have large fluctuations in power consumption frequency, will continue the manipulated variable determination process, thus converging the convergence value α convergence It is expected that the values ​​will converge more easily. Furthermore, the electrical device 100a, which has finished the operation variable determination process, may also operate as a communication device that mediates communication between other electrical devices 100b, 100c, ... Note that the power consumption frequency calculation unit 104 is an example of a determination unit.

[0099] In the above embodiment, house H was described as an example of a power consumption area. However, a power consumption area is not limited to a typical house like house H, but may also be an apartment building, facility, office building, or factory, as long as it is an area where multiple electrical appliances 100 that receive power from the commercial power grid 300 and consume power are installed.

[0100] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes the electrical devices 100a, 100b, 100c, ... as transmitting and receiving power consumption frequencies bidirectionally, the invention is not limited to this, and each combination of electrical devices 100 may communicate bidirectionally or unidirectionally.

[0101] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the manipulated amount determination unit 106 determines the manipulated amount u of each actuator k by the consensus algorithm shown by equation (10). i We decided to calculate (t), but this is not the only way. For example, the manipulated amount determination unit 106 calculates the manipulated amount u of each actuator k using the following equation (19). i (t) may be calculated.

[0102] u i (t)=[C i,0 ,C i,1 ,···,C i,n-1 ] T Formula (19)

[0103] In equation (19), each C i,m This is a preset constant, and the control input amount set to keep the power consumption of each actuator k of the electrical equipment 100 low is set. For example, for each difference between the power consumption frequency of the equipment itself and the power consumption frequency of other electrical equipment 100, different C i,m Because the combinations are prepared in advance, each C adjusts according to the difference between the power consumption frequency of the device itself and the power consumption frequency of other electrical devices 100. i,m It is also acceptable to change this dynamically.

[0104] In this case, if the control amount determination unit 106 determines in step S8 of the control amount determination process illustrated in Figure 8 that there are other electrical devices 100b and 100c such that αi > αj, it may calculate a vertical vector ui(t) representing the control amount of each actuator k of electrical device 100a using equation (19) instead of the agreement algorithm shown in equation (10).

[0105] Furthermore, each function of the electrical device 100 can be realized using a standard computer system. For example, a computer capable of realizing the above-mentioned functions may be configured by distributing programs for realizing each function of the electrical device 100 on a recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) or DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), and then installing these programs on the computer.

[0106] Furthermore, if each function is implemented through a division of labor between the OS (Operating System) and the application, or through collaboration between the OS and the application, then only the application may be stored on the recording medium.

[0107] This disclosure allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of this disclosure. In other words, the scope of this disclosure is indicated by the claims, not by the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the equivalent significance of the disclosure are considered to be within the scope of this disclosure.

[0108] The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix.

[0109] (Note 1) A power consumption reduction system comprising multiple electrical devices that consume power, The aforementioned electrical equipment is A power consumption acquisition unit that acquires the power consumption of the electrical equipment, A power consumption frequency calculation unit calculates a power consumption frequency that normalizes the power consumption acquired by the power consumption acquisition unit based on the operating status of the electrical equipment, A transmitting unit that transmits the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit to other electrical equipment, A receiving unit that receives the power consumption frequency of the aforementioned other electrical equipment, If the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit is greater than the power consumption frequency received by the receiving unit, the control variable calculation unit calculates the control variable of the electrical device based on the difference between the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit and the power consumption frequency received by the receiving unit. Based on the manipulated amount calculated by the manipulated amount calculation unit, an operation control unit controls the operation of the controlled object, A power consumption reduction system equipped with this feature. (Note 2) The manipulated variable calculation unit calculates the manipulated variable based on the difference between the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit and the power consumption frequency received by the receiving unit, using a pre-set consensus algorithm. The power consumption reduction system described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) The aforementioned electrical equipment is The system further includes a storage unit that stores information defining the upper and lower limits of the manipulated variable for each operating state of the electrical equipment and for each power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit, The manipulated amount calculation unit determines that the upper limit is the manipulated amount of the controlled object if the calculated manipulated amount exceeds the upper limit, and determines that the lower limit is the manipulated amount of the controlled object if the calculated manipulated amount falls below the lower limit. The power consumption reduction system described in Appendix 1 or 2. (Note 4) The electrical equipment is further equipped with an operating terminal that outputs a target value for the power consumption frequency, The receiving unit further receives the target value of the power consumption frequency from the operating terminal. The manipulated variable calculation unit calculates the manipulated variable to be controlled by the electrical equipment using a pre-set consensus algorithm, based on the difference between the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit and the power consumption frequency received by the receiving unit, and the difference between the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit and the target value. A power consumption reduction system described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3. (Note 5) The device further comprises a communication device that mediates communication between the aforementioned plurality of electrical devices. The transmitting unit transmits the power consumption frequency to the other electrical equipment via the communication device. The receiving unit receives the power consumption frequency of the other electrical equipment via the communication device. A power consumption reduction system described in any one of the appendices 1 to 4. (Note 6) The aforementioned electrical equipment is It further includes a comfort score calculation unit that calculates a comfort score, which is an indicator of user comfort. The transmitting unit further transmits the comfort level calculated by the comfort level calculation unit to the other electrical equipment. The receiving unit further receives the comfort level of other electrical equipment, The manipulated variable calculation unit calculates the manipulated variable of the electrical equipment to be controlled, based on the difference between the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit and the power consumption frequency received by the receiving unit, and the difference between the comfort level calculated by the comfort level calculation unit and the comfort level received by the receiving unit, using a pre-set consensus algorithm. A power consumption reduction system described in any one of the appendices 1 to 5. (Note 7) The aforementioned electrical equipment is The system further includes a determination unit that determines whether the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit during a predetermined time interval is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, If the determination unit determines that the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the power consumption frequency is greater than or equal to the threshold, the manipulated amount calculation unit will not perform the process of calculating the manipulated amount. A power consumption reduction system described in any one of the appendices 1 through 6. (Note 8) Electrical equipment that consumes electricity, A power consumption acquisition unit that acquires the power consumption of the electrical equipment, A power consumption frequency calculation unit calculates a power consumption frequency that normalizes the power consumption acquired by the power consumption acquisition unit based on the operating status of the electrical equipment, A transmitting unit that transmits the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit to other electrical equipment, A receiving unit that receives the power consumption frequency of the aforementioned other electrical equipment, If the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit is greater than the power consumption frequency received by the receiving unit, the control variable calculation unit calculates the control variable of the electrical device based on the difference between the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit and the power consumption frequency received by the receiving unit. Based on the manipulated amount calculated by the manipulated amount calculation unit, an operation control unit controls the operation of the controlled object, Electrical equipment equipped with the following features. (Note 9) The steps include obtaining the power consumption of an electrical device that consumes electricity, The steps include: calculating a normalized power consumption frequency based on the operating status of the electrical equipment, The steps include: transmitting the calculated power consumption frequency to other electrical equipment; If the calculated power consumption frequency is greater than the power consumption frequency of other electrical equipment received, the process involves calculating the controllable variable of the electrical equipment based on the difference between the calculated power consumption frequency and the power consumption frequency of the other electrical equipment. A step of controlling the operation of the controlled object based on the calculated manipulated amount, A power consumption reduction method that includes the following features. (Note 10) On the computer, The process of obtaining the power consumption of electrical equipment that consumes electricity, A process to calculate a normalized power consumption frequency based on the operating status of the aforementioned electrical equipment, The process of transmitting the calculated power consumption frequency to other electrical devices, If the calculated power consumption frequency is greater than the power consumption frequency of other electrical equipment received, the process of calculating the controllable variable of the electrical equipment based on the difference between the calculated power consumption frequency and the power consumption frequency of the other electrical equipment is performed. A process to control the operation of the controlled object based on the calculated manipulated variable, A program that executes the command.

[0110] Furthermore, this disclosure allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from its broad spirit and scope. The embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of this disclosure. That is, the scope of this disclosure is indicated by the claims, not by the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the equivalent significance of the disclosure are considered to be within the scope of this disclosure.

[0111] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-113591, filed on 11 July 2023. The entire specification, claims, and drawings of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-113591 are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0112] 1 Power consumption reduction system, 100, 100a, 100b, 100c, 100A Electrical equipment, 101 Communication unit, 102 Power consumption acquisition unit, 103 Operating status determination unit, 104 Power consumption frequency calculation unit, 105 Manipulated variable limit value acquisition unit, 106, 106a Manipulated variable determination unit, 107 Operation control unit, 108 Comfort level calculation unit, 200 Network, 300 Commercial power grid, 400 Distribution board, 11 Processor, 12 Memory, 13 Communication unit, 99 Internal bus.

Claims

1. A power consumption reduction system comprising multiple electrical devices that consume power, The aforementioned electrical equipment is A power consumption acquisition unit that acquires the power consumption of the electrical equipment, A power consumption frequency calculation unit calculates a power consumption frequency that normalizes the power consumption acquired by the power consumption acquisition unit based on the operating status of the electrical equipment, A transmitting unit that transmits the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit to other electrical equipment, A receiving unit that receives the power consumption frequency of the aforementioned other electrical equipment, If the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit is greater than the power consumption frequency received by the receiving unit, the control variable calculation unit calculates the control variable of the electrical device based on the difference between the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit and the power consumption frequency received by the receiving unit. Based on the manipulated amount calculated by the manipulated amount calculation unit, an operation control unit controls the operation of the controlled object, A power consumption reduction system equipped with the following features.

2. The manipulated variable calculation unit calculates the manipulated variable based on the difference between the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit and the power consumption frequency received by the receiving unit, using a pre-set consensus algorithm. The power consumption reduction system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned electrical equipment is The system further includes a storage unit that stores information defining the upper and lower limits of the manipulated variable for each operating state of the electrical equipment and for each power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit, The manipulated amount calculation unit determines that the upper limit is the manipulated amount of the controlled object if the calculated manipulated amount exceeds the upper limit, and determines that the lower limit is the manipulated amount of the controlled object if the calculated manipulated amount falls below the lower limit. The power consumption reduction system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The electrical equipment is further equipped with an operating terminal that outputs a target value for the power consumption frequency, The receiving unit further receives the target value of the power consumption frequency from the operating terminal. The manipulated variable calculation unit calculates the manipulated variable to be controlled by the electrical equipment using a pre-set consensus algorithm, based on the difference between the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit and the power consumption frequency received by the receiving unit, and the difference between the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit and the target value. The power consumption reduction system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The device further comprises a communication device that mediates communication between the aforementioned plurality of electrical devices. The transmitting unit transmits the power consumption frequency to the other electrical equipment via the communication device. The receiving unit receives the power consumption frequency of the other electrical equipment via the communication device. The power consumption reduction system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The aforementioned electrical equipment is It further includes a comfort score calculation unit that calculates a comfort score, which is an indicator of user comfort. The transmitting unit further transmits the comfort level calculated by the comfort level calculation unit to the other electrical equipment. The receiving unit further receives the comfort level of other electrical equipment, The manipulated variable calculation unit calculates the manipulated variable of the electrical equipment to be controlled, based on the difference between the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit and the power consumption frequency received by the receiving unit, and the difference between the comfort level calculated by the comfort level calculation unit and the comfort level received by the receiving unit, using a pre-set consensus algorithm. The power consumption reduction system according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The aforementioned electrical equipment is The system further includes a determination unit that determines whether the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit during a predetermined time interval is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, If the determination unit determines that the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the power consumption frequency is greater than or equal to the threshold, the manipulated amount calculation unit will not perform the process of calculating the manipulated amount. The power consumption reduction system according to claim 1 or 2.

8. Electrical equipment that consumes electricity, A power consumption acquisition unit that acquires the power consumption of the electrical equipment, A power consumption frequency calculation unit calculates a power consumption frequency that normalizes the power consumption acquired by the power consumption acquisition unit based on the operating status of the electrical equipment, A transmitting unit that transmits the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit to other electrical equipment, A receiving unit that receives the power consumption frequency of the aforementioned other electrical equipment, If the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit is greater than the power consumption frequency received by the receiving unit, the control variable calculation unit calculates the control variable of the electrical device based on the difference between the power consumption frequency calculated by the power consumption frequency calculation unit and the power consumption frequency received by the receiving unit. Based on the manipulated amount calculated by the manipulated amount calculation unit, an operation control unit controls the operation of the controlled object, Electrical equipment equipped with the following features.

9. The steps include obtaining the power consumption of an electrical device that consumes electricity, The steps include: calculating a normalized power consumption frequency based on the operating status of the electrical equipment; The steps include: transmitting the calculated power consumption frequency to other electrical equipment; If the calculated power consumption frequency is greater than the power consumption frequency of other electrical equipment received, the process involves calculating the controllable variable of the electrical equipment based on the difference between the calculated power consumption frequency and the power consumption frequency of the other electrical equipment. A step of controlling the operation of the controlled object based on the calculated manipulated amount, A power consumption reduction method that includes the following features.

10. On the computer, The process of obtaining the power consumption of electrical equipment that consumes electricity, A process to calculate a normalized power consumption frequency based on the operating status of the electrical equipment, The process of transmitting the calculated power consumption frequency to other electrical devices, If the calculated power consumption frequency is greater than the power consumption frequency of other electrical equipment received, the process of calculating the controllable variable of the electrical equipment based on the difference between the calculated power consumption frequency and the power consumption frequency of the other electrical equipment is performed. A process to control the operation of the controlled object based on the calculated manipulated variable, A program that executes the command.

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