Generating devices and systems.

Abstract

Invention details;

Description

Generating device, system and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a generating device, a system, and a program.

[0002] Patent Literature 1 describes a control device that calculates control information for an air conditioner, calculates an evaluation value when the air conditioner is operated based on the control information, has multiple evaluation values ​​pre-sampled based on control information randomly generated over a predetermined time period set so that the distribution of the sampled evaluation values ​​approximates a normal distribution, and determines whether the calculated evaluation value is within a predetermined range set based on the normal distribution obtained by approximating the distribution of the multiple pre-sampled evaluation values. This control device sets a power limit value, which is an upper limit on the power consumed by the air conditioner, based on the acquired electricity rate, in order to operate the air conditioner at the lowest electricity rate while achieving the indoor temperature set by the user as much as possible. The control device then controls the air conditioner using operation limit schedule information including the power limit value for each predetermined time period (e.g., 5 minutes).

[0003] Patent No. 6589227

[0004] For example, there is a trading model in which a retail electricity supplier purchases electricity, the price of which fluctuates with time, from an electricity market or the like, and sells the electricity to a consumer based on a metered rate according to the amount of electricity used. If the retail electricity supplier sells electricity to a consumer at a metered rate that is lower than the purchase price, the retail electricity supplier's profits will deteriorate. Therefore, it is possible to set a metered rate (sales price) that changes with time to correspond to the purchase price that fluctuates with time.

[0005] However, calculating the time-varying metered charge corresponding to the time-varying purchase price places a heavy load on the computer.Furthermore, in this case, when trying to identify the electricity charges of the consumers, it becomes necessary to perform a calculation process of multiplying the time-varying metered charge by the amount of power consumed by the consumer at that time for every period for every consumer, which places an extremely heavy load on the computer.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to suppress an increase in the load on computers processing electricity bills by controlling the consumer's equipment based on the relationship between the purchase price of electricity and the metered rate when a retail electricity supplier that purchases electricity whose price fluctuates sells the electricity based on a metered rate according to the consumer's electricity usage.

[0007] The generating device of the present disclosure is a control information generating device that controls equipment of a consumer who purchases electricity from an electricity retailer, and includes: a purchase price information acquiring unit that acquires purchase price information, which is information about the purchase price per unit time of electricity purchased by the electricity retailer; a metered rate information acquiring unit that acquires metered rate information, which is information about the unit price per unit time of the metered rate for electricity sold by the electricity retailer; and a control information generating unit that generates control information to control the equipment of the consumer using the purchase price information and the metered rate information. In this way, the equipment of the consumer can be controlled based on the relationship between the purchase price of electricity from the electricity retailer and the metered rate, thereby suppressing an increase in the load on a computer that processes electricity bills.

[0008] Here, the control information generation unit may generate the control information for controlling the facility equipment to reduce power consumption when the relationship between the purchase price and the metered rate satisfies a predetermined condition. In this way, control can be performed to reduce power consumption by the facility equipment of the consumer based on the relationship between the purchase price of electricity at the electricity retailer and the metered rate, thereby reducing the load on the computer processing electricity bills.

[0009] Furthermore, the control information generator may generate the control information for controlling the facility equipment to reduce power consumption when the purchase price is higher than the metered rate as the predetermined condition. In this way, control can be performed to reduce power consumption by the facility equipment of the consumer when the purchase price is higher than the metered rate, thereby reducing the load on a computer that processes electricity bills.

[0010] Furthermore, the control information generator may generate the control information for controlling the facility equipment to reduce power consumption when the difference between the purchase price and the metered rate is smaller than a predetermined threshold, as the predetermined condition. In this way, control can be performed to reduce power consumption by the facility equipment of the consumer when the difference between the purchase price and the metered rate is small, thereby reducing the load on a computer that processes electricity bills.

[0011] Furthermore, the control information generation unit may generate the control information for controlling the facility equipment to reduce power consumption when the predetermined condition is that the ratio of the purchase price to the metered charge in the predetermined unit time is greater than a predetermined threshold value that is less than 1. In this way, control can be performed to reduce power consumption by the facility equipment of the consumer when the purchase price and the metered charge are close to each other, thereby reducing the load on a computer that processes electricity bills.

[0012] The metered charge information acquisition unit may further acquire information representing a daily fluctuation pattern of the metered charge as the metered charge information. In this way, it is possible to control the reduction of power consumption by the customer's equipment based on the daily fluctuation pattern of the metered charge, thereby reducing the load on the computer processing the electricity charges.

[0013] The system disclosed herein also includes a control information generation device that controls equipment of a consumer that purchases electricity from an electricity retailer, and equipment that operates upon receiving the control information generated by the generation device, wherein the generation device includes a purchase price information acquisition unit that acquires purchase price information, which is information regarding the purchase price per unit time of electricity purchased by the electricity retailer, a metered rate information acquisition unit that acquires metered rate information, which is information regarding the unit price per unit time of electricity metered at a rate for the electricity sold by the electricity retailer, and a control information generation unit that generates control information to control the equipment of the consumer using the purchase price information and the metered rate information. In this way, by controlling the equipment of the consumer based on the relationship between the purchase price per unit time of electricity from the electricity retailer and the metered rate, it is possible to suppress an increase in the load on a computer that processes electricity charges.

[0014] The program disclosed herein causes a computer to function as a purchase price information acquisition means for acquiring purchase price information, which is information regarding the purchase price per unit time of electricity purchased by an electricity retailer, a metered rate information acquisition means for acquiring metered rate information, which is information regarding the unit time per unit time of the metered rate for electricity sold by the electricity retailer, and a control information generation means for generating control information for controlling equipment of a consumer using the purchase price information and the metered rate information. A computer having this program installed can control the equipment of a consumer based on the relationship between the purchase price per unit time of electricity from the electricity retailer and the metered rate, thereby suppressing an increase in the load on a computer for processing electricity bills.

[0015] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a control system for facility equipment to which the present embodiment is applied; 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a server; 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a control device; 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a control device; 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of facility equipment; 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the electricity market and the timing of determining the control content of facility equipment; 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the metered charge unit price, purchase price, and suppression control in a first control example; 8 is a diagram showing the relationship between the metered charge unit price, purchase price, power control amount, and suppression control in a second control example.

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. <System Configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a facility equipment control system to which this embodiment is applied. The control system of this embodiment includes a control device 100 and facility equipment 200, which is a controlled device. The control device 100 and the facility equipment 200 are connected via a network. This network may be a local area network (LAN) using a dedicated line, a wide area network (WAN), or a virtual private network (VPN) set up on the Internet. The facility equipment 200 is equipment or devices that operate using power. The control device 100 controls the operation of one or more facility equipment 200. FIG. 1 shows an example configuration in which the control device 100 controls multiple facility equipment 200. The facility equipment 200 may be any type of equipment or devices that operate using power and whose operation is controlled by the control device 100. In the following description, an example in which the control system of this embodiment is applied to control an air conditioning device will be described as a specific example of the facility equipment 200.

[0017] The facility devices 200 also have control means for controlling the facility devices 200 in accordance with the settings. The control device 100 generates control information for the facility devices 200 to be controlled and transmits the generated control information to each facility device 200. Each facility device 200 acquires the control information from the control device 100, and uses its control means to configure itself in accordance with the acquired control information and control its operation.

[0018] The control device 100 is also connected to a server 300 of a retail electricity supplier via a network. The retail electricity supplier is a business that purchases electricity in the electricity market and sells it to consumers. The server 300 provides the control device 100 with information on the purchase price of electricity (hereinafter referred to as "purchase price information") and information on the sales price. The network connecting the control device 100 and the server 300 may be, for example, the Internet. Alternatively, a LAN or WAN may be used.

[0019] <Relationship Between Electricity Charges and Control of Facility Equipment 200> Here, the electricity charges will be explained. The electricity charges are mainly composed of a basic charge and an energy charge, and are specified for each month. The basic charge is calculated based on the basic charge unit price and the contracted power. The contracted power is the maximum value of the maximum demand power within one year prior to the current month. The maximum demand power is the maximum value of the average power usage for each time period (demand time period: 30 minutes) in a month. The average power usage is the average value of the demand power (power usage) for each time period. The energy charge is calculated based on the energy charge unit price and the amount of energy usage for each month. In the following explanation, the energy charge will also be referred to as the "metered charge" and the energy charge unit price as the "metered charge unit price."

[0020] As mentioned above, the contract power is the maximum value of the maximum power demand within the past year. Therefore, if the maximum power demand for a certain month (in other words, the average power usage for a certain period in that month) becomes the contract power, the basic charge based on this contract power will be charged for the entire year, even if the maximum power demand continues to be lower than the contract power from that month onwards. Furthermore, if the average power usage for a certain period exceeds the contract power value up to that point and becomes the maximum power demand for the month that includes that period, the average power usage (maximum power demand) for that period will be used as the new contract power in calculating the basic charge thereafter.

[0021] There are various ways to set the energy rate unit price, and the energy rate unit price may be set to fluctuate based on predetermined conditions. For example, the energy rate unit price may be set to fluctuate depending on the time of day, whether it is a weekday or a holiday, the season, etc. Furthermore, as electricity has begun to be traded on the market, a new model has emerged in which retail electricity suppliers purchase electricity on the market and sell it to consumers. In such a model, a fluctuating energy rate unit price may be set to reflect the trading price of electricity on the market.

[0022] Electricity retailers purchase electricity on a time-based basis in the electricity market and sell the purchased electricity to consumers. As a result, the purchase price of electricity by electricity retailers fluctuates for each time period. Here, in order for electricity retailers to make a profit, they need to sell electricity at a price higher than the purchase price. On the other hand, if the selling price becomes too high, consumers lose the benefit of purchasing electricity from electricity retailers. For this reason, the selling price of electricity is determined by taking into account the balance between the profits of the electricity retailer and the profits of consumers. For example, one possible method is to set a selling price (unit price of a pay-as-you-go charge) that follows fluctuations in the purchase price for each time period while maintaining a certain price difference from the purchase price.

[0023] However, calculating the unit price of the metered charge, which changes with each time period to follow the purchase price, which also changes with each time period, places a heavy load on the computer. Furthermore, when the unit price of the metered charge is set in this way, in order to determine the electricity rate for each consumer, it is necessary to perform a calculation process for every consumer, for every period, in which the unit price of the metered charge, which changes with each time period, is multiplied by the amount of power consumed by the consumer for that time period. This results in an extremely heavy load on the computer.

[0024] One way to avoid this is to set a metered rate unit price that roughly tracks the purchase price but fluctuates at intervals longer than the time period. However, because the purchase price fluctuates irregularly over time periods, setting a small difference between the purchase price and the metered rate unit price can result in the purchase price exceeding the metered rate unit price over time, resulting in losses for the electricity retailer. In this embodiment, the control device 100 controls the operation of the equipment 200 at predetermined time intervals to individually reduce power consumption, thereby reducing losses for the electricity retailer. This control allows the present embodiment to roughly track the purchase price rather than at time intervals, thereby simultaneously reducing the load on the computer that calculates the metered rate unit price and the electricity charges for each consumer, and reducing the occurrence of an event in which the purchase price exceeds the metered rate unit price over time. The following describes an example in which the predetermined unit time is a time period and the control device 100 controls the equipment 200 over time intervals.

[0025] Electricity charges are levied on consumers who are contracted for power supply. Each consumer has one or more pieces of facility equipment 200. The control device 100 controls the facility equipment 200 of one or more consumers. The control device 100 also controls the facility equipment 200 of each consumer, taking into account the average power usage per predetermined unit time and the unit price of the energy charge, in accordance with the electricity charges (basic charge and energy charge) set for each consumer.

[0026] 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the server 300. The server 300 is realized, for example, as a server constructed in a cloud environment of a network (a so-called cloud server). The server 300 includes a storage unit 310 and a transmission unit 320.

[0027] The memory unit 310 stores, for each consumer to whom the electricity retailer sells electricity, purchase price information and metered rate information for the sold electricity. The purchase price information is information regarding the purchase price per time unit of electricity that the electricity retailer purchases in the market. Note that the purchase price information does not necessarily have to be the purchase price of electricity itself, but may be information correlated with the purchase price, such as the market price. The metered rate information is information regarding the metered rate per time unit of electricity sold by the electricity retailer. As will be described in more detail later, the metered rate unit price is determined for each time unit for one day before control of the facility equipment 200 on that day begins. Therefore, the metered rate information may be, for example, information indicating the fluctuation pattern of the metered rate over one day.

[0028] The transmission unit 320 transmits the purchase price information and metered rate information stored in the storage unit 310 to the control device 100 that controls the facility equipment 200 of a consumer that has purchased electricity from an electricity retailer. The purchase price information and metered rate information to be transmitted is information on the time limit corresponding to the electricity purchased by the consumer. As will be described in detail later, the control content for the facility equipment 200 is determined before the control starts on the day on which the control is to be performed. Therefore, the transmission unit 320 transmits the power purchase price information and metered rate information for each time limit to the control device 100 before the control information specifying the control content for the day that includes that time limit is generated by the control device 100.

[0029] 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control device 100. The control device 100 includes an information acquisition unit 110, a storage unit 120, a control information generation unit 130, and an output unit 140.

[0030] The information acquisition unit 110 acquires various types of information used to generate control information for the facility equipment 200. The information acquired by the information acquisition unit 110 includes purchase price information, metered rate information, information on power usage by each consumer, and the like. The information acquisition unit 110 is an example of a purchase price information acquisition unit and an example of a metered rate information acquisition unit. The purchase price information and metered rate information are acquired from the server 300. Information on power usage, such as contract power and forecast information on power usage, is acquired. The forecast information on power usage is information on power usage in a future time period predicted based on, for example, the consumer's past power usage records. The power usage prediction may be performed using various existing prediction methods. For example, environmental information and operation information of the facility equipment 200 and the power usage records may be accumulated, and power usage may be predicted based on the expected environment and operating state of the facility equipment 200 in a future time period.

[0031] Examples of environmental information include information about the environment in which the facility equipment 200 is installed, such as temperature and humidity. Examples of operation information include information indicating the operating status of the facility equipment 200, such as the operation rate and continuous operation time. Various other information that is considered to affect the operation of the facility equipment 200, such as the operation time period and whether the facility equipment 200 operates on weekdays or holidays, may also be used. The environmental information and operation information are acquired from the installation location of the facility equipment 200 or sensors installed inside the facility equipment 200, depending on the information to be acquired. Some of the operation information is also acquired from the facility equipment 200 itself. Information about the operation time period and operation days of the facility equipment 200 may be input by a consumer or an administrator of the facility equipment 200, or may be acquired from an external server that provides date and time information. Different environmental information and operation information may be acquired as information used to predict power usage depending on the type, size, etc. of the facility equipment 200 to be controlled. Various types of information are acquired via a network, for example, using a network interface (not shown).

[0032] The storage unit 120 stores various pieces of information acquired by the information acquisition unit 110. The stored information is used when the control information generation unit 130 generates control information. The storage unit 120 also stores the control information generated by the control information generation unit 130.

[0033] The control information generation unit 130 generates control information for controlling the facility equipment 200 based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 110. In this embodiment, the control information generation unit 130 generates control information for performing control aimed at reducing the power consumption of the facility equipment 200 based on the relationship between the purchase price information and the metered rate unit price (power rate unit price), which is the sales price to the consumer. The specific content of control specified by the control information varies depending on the type of facility equipment 200. For example, if the facility equipment 200 is an air conditioning equipment, the control information generation unit 130 may reset the set temperature of the heating / cooling function for the time limit to be controlled so that the power consumption of the facility equipment 200 is reduced. Furthermore, the control information generation unit 130 may generate control information based on other orientations in addition to control information aimed at reducing power consumption. For example, the control information generation unit 130 may generate control information aimed at improving the comfort of the user of the facility equipment 200. The control information generated by the control information generating unit 130 is stored in the memory unit 120 and sent to the equipment 200 to be controlled at a predetermined time before the time limit for control based on the control information (in other words, the time limit for the object of control based on the control information).

[0034] The output unit 140 reads out the control information generated by the control information generator 130 from the storage unit 120 at a predetermined time, and then outputs the read control information to the facility devices 200 that are the targets of control by the control information via a network interface (not shown).

[0035] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 100. The control device 100 is realized, for example, by a computer. The computer that realizes the control device 100 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 101, which is a calculation means, and a random access memory (RAM) 102, a read-only memory (ROM) 103, and a storage device 104, which are storage means. The RAM 102 is a main memory and is used as a working memory when the CPU 101 performs calculation processing. The ROM 103 stores programs and data such as pre-prepared setting values, and the CPU 101 can read programs and data directly from the ROM 103 and execute processing. The storage device 104 is a storage means for programs and data. Programs are stored in the storage device 104, and the CPU 101 loads and executes the programs stored in the storage device 104 into the main storage device. The storage device 104 also stores and saves the results of processing by the CPU 101. The storage device 104 also stores the learning model based on the reinforcement learning described above and is used to select an in-fridge environment. The storage device 104 may be, for example, a magnetic disk device or an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0036] When the control device 100 is realized by the computer shown in Fig. 4, the functions of the information acquisition unit 110, the control information generation unit 130, and the output unit 140 described with reference to Fig. 3 are realized, for example, by the CPU 101 executing a program. The storage unit 120 is realized, for example, by the RAM 102 or the storage device 104. Note that the configuration example shown in Fig. 4 is merely one example of the case where the control device 100 is realized by a computer.

[0037] <Configuration of the facility equipment 200> Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the facility equipment 200. The facility equipment 200 includes a receiving unit 210, an operation control unit 220, and an output unit 230. Note that the facility equipment 200 has mechanisms and devices that operate to realize the functions of the facility equipment 200 depending on its type. For example, if the facility equipment 200 is air conditioning equipment, the facility equipment 200 has an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, etc. Furthermore, if the facility equipment 200 is lighting equipment, the facility equipment 200 has lighting fixtures, control switches, etc. The types and aspects of such mechanisms vary depending on the type of facility equipment 200, and are not illustrated here.

[0038] The receiving unit 210 receives the control information output from the control device 100 via a network using a network interface (not shown).

[0039] The operation control unit 220 controls the operation of mechanisms and devices provided in the facility equipment 200 based on the control information received by the receiving unit 210. Specifically, for example, if the facility equipment 200 is an air conditioning equipment, the receiving unit 210 receives information specifying a set temperature as control information, and the operation control unit 220 controls the operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit so that the set temperature is reached. Note that while an example of control related to temperature setting has been given here, control based on the control information by the operation control unit 220 can also be applied to various other types of gas-related control that can be controlled by an air conditioning equipment (e.g., control of humidity or gas components). Furthermore, even for various facility equipment 200 other than air conditioning equipment, the operation control unit 220 executes control appropriate to the type of facility equipment 200 in accordance with the control information received from the control device 100.

[0040] The output unit 230 outputs information relating to the operating state of the facility equipment 200 to the control device 100 via a network using a network interface (not shown).

[0041] The reception unit 210, the operation control unit 220, and the output unit 230 are realized, for example, by a computer. The computer realizing the operation control unit 220 may have the configuration described with reference to FIG. 4. In this case, the functions of the reception unit 210, the operation control unit 220, and the output unit 230 are realized, for example, by the CPU 101 shown in FIG. 4 executing a program. The functions of the reception unit 210, the operation control unit 220, and the output unit 230 may also be realized by dedicated hardware. For example, they may be realized by an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or other circuit. Furthermore, the reception unit 210, the operation control unit 220, and the output unit 230 may be realized by combining functions realized by the CPU 101 executing a program (software) with functions realized by dedicated hardware.

[0042] <Relationship between the electricity market and the control content of the facility equipment 200> In this embodiment, the facility equipment 200 is controlled to reduce power usage based on purchase price information and metered rate information based on electricity transactions by electricity retailers. Electricity retailers purchase electricity in time units in the market, identify metered rate unit prices based on the purchased prices, and store the identified prices in the storage unit 310 of the server 300. Therefore, the control content of the facility equipment 200 (the content of the control information generated by the control device 100) is identified depending on when the electricity market opens.

[0043] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the electricity market and the timing at which the control details of the facility equipment 200 are determined. The electricity market is divided into four types of markets depending on the trading time: the forward market, the bulletin board market, the day-ahead market (spot market), and the hourly market (intraday market). Electricity used on the day (the current day) that includes the time limit (target time limit) that is the target of control according to this embodiment is traded in these markets. The forward market and the bulletin board market close several days before the current day, and the trading price is determined. The day-ahead market closes at 10:00 a.m. on the day before the target control day, and the trading price is determined. The hourly market trades up to one hour before the target time limit of the current day. This hourly market is a market mainly used for adjusting power generation and demand on the day. Therefore, in this embodiment, as a general rule, the control details of the facility equipment 200 for each time limit of the day are determined based on the trading results in the forward market, the bulletin board market, and the day-ahead market (spot market) before the start of control of the facility equipment 200 on that day.

[0044] Here, the control content of the facility equipment 200 is determined based on the transaction price in a market other than the aforesaid market. However, if it is determined that electricity can be procured at more favorable unit price conditions in the aforesaid market after the control content is determined, electricity may be purchased in the aforesaid market and the control content of the facility equipment 200 may be changed based on the transaction price.

[0045] <Control Method of Facility Equipment 200> Next, a control method of the facility equipment 200 will be described. As described above, the control system of this embodiment performs control to reduce the power usage of the facility equipment 200 (hereinafter referred to as "restriction control") based on the purchase price of electricity from the electricity retailer and the metered rate. Specifically, restriction control is performed when the purchase price is higher than the metered rate unit price at a certain time limit (first control example). Furthermore, restriction control is performed when the purchase price is lower than the metered rate unit price and the difference therebetween is smaller than a predetermined threshold (second control example). Each case will be described below using specific examples.

[0046] Note that, because electricity charges are levied on the consumer, if the consumer has multiple pieces of equipment 200, the control content is assigned to each piece of equipment 200 so that the above-described power reduction control is implemented across all of the multiple pieces of equipment 200. Therefore, for example, there may be cases where control is implemented on one piece of equipment 200 owned by the consumer, while control is not implemented on another piece of equipment 200. However, for simplicity, in the examples described below, it is assumed that one consumer has only one piece of equipment 200, and the above-described power reduction control is implemented for each piece of equipment 200. Therefore, in the examples described below, the control to reduce the power usage of a consumer is power reduction control on one piece of equipment 200 owned by that consumer.

[0047] (First Control Example) Control when the Purchase Price is Higher than the Unit Price of the Utilization Charge When the purchase price of electricity exceeds the unit price of the utilization charge, the retail electricity supplier will incur a loss from the sale of this electricity. In such a case, the control system of this embodiment performs suppression control during the relevant time period to reduce the loss.

[0048] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the metered charge unit price, purchase price, and power suppression control in the first control example. FIG. 7 lists the metered charge unit price and purchase price values ​​for consecutive time periods 1 to 6, as well as information indicating whether the period is subject to power suppression control (referred to as "controlled" in the figure). The purchase price is the purchase price of electricity for each time period. In the example shown in FIG. 7 , the set value of the metered charge unit price is 18 yen / kWh for time periods 1 to 3 and 20 yen / kWh for time periods 4 to 6. The purchase price is 10 yen / kWh for time period 1, 14 yen / kWh for time period 2, 25 yen / kWh for time period 3, 13 yen / kWh for time period 4, 15 yen / kWh for time period 5, and 12 yen / kWh for time period 6.

[0049] Comparing the pay-per-use charge and purchase price for each time period, the pay-per-use charge is higher than the purchase price for time periods 1, 2, and 4 to 6, but the purchase price is higher than the pay-per-use charge for time period 3. Therefore, the control system targets time period 3 for power reduction control. In Figure 7, information indicating that power reduction control will be performed (indicated by a circle "O" in the figure) is recorded in the control target item for time period 3.

[0050] (Second Control Example) Control when the Purchase Price is Lower than the Unit Price of the Utilization Charge and the Difference is Smaller than a Predetermined Threshold Even when the purchase price is lower than the unit price of the utilization charge, suppression control may be performed if the relationship between the purchase price and the unit price of the utilization charge satisfies a predetermined condition. For example, if the difference between the purchase price and the unit price of the utilization charge is small, the profit that the retail electricity supplier earns from selling electricity is also small. Therefore, it is possible to perform suppression control on the condition that the difference between the purchase price and the unit price of the utilization charge is smaller than a predetermined threshold. In this case, suppression control is not simply performed, but is also performed in conjunction with adjustment control, which will be described later.

[0051] The suppression control that reduces the power consumption of the facility equipment 200 typically reduces the functionality of the facility equipment 200. Depending on the type of facility equipment 200, this control may reduce the comfort and convenience of users of the facility equipment 200. For this reason, after suppression control is performed for a certain period of time, adjustment control may be performed for the following period to restore user comfort and convenience. For example, if the facility equipment 200 is an air conditioning device, suppression control may be performed for a certain period of time to reduce the intensity of heating and cooling, and then control may be performed for the following period of time to increase the intensity of heating and cooling to restore the comfort lost by reducing the intensity of heating and cooling. This adjustment control is intended to restore user comfort and convenience that was reduced by suppression control that reduced the power consumption of the facility equipment 200. Therefore, in contrast to suppression control, adjustment control increases the power consumption of the facility equipment 200. There are various possible modes for increasing power consumption in adjustment control. Here, we assume that power consumption is increased by the same amount as the power consumption reduced by suppression control.

[0052] In this case, the purpose of the power restriction control is not to reduce losses but to increase profits for the electricity retailer. Therefore, power restriction control and adjustment control may be performed when the difference between the purchase price and the unit price of the metered charge during the time limit for adjustment control is greater than the difference between the purchase price and the unit price of the metered charge during the time limit for power restriction control.

[0053] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the metered charge unit price, purchase price, power control amount, and power suppression control in the second control example. For consecutive time periods 1 to 6, FIG. 8 lists the values ​​of the metered charge unit price and purchase price, the control amount (adjustment value) of power usage through power suppression control and power adjustment control, and information indicating whether the power usage is subject to power suppression control (control target). The control amount is the amount by which power usage is reduced or increased through power suppression control and power adjustment control. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the set value of the metered charge unit price is 18 yen / kWh for all time periods 1 to 6. The purchase price is 10 yen / kWh for time period 1, 14 yen / kWh for time period 2, 16 yen / kWh for time period 3, 13 yen / kWh for time period 4, 14 yen / kWh for time period 5, and 12 yen / kWh for time period 6. Furthermore, the threshold value for the difference between the purchase price and the metered charge unit price for determining whether or not to perform suppression control for a certain time period is set to 4 yen / kWh (threshold value).

[0054] Here, focusing on time limit 3, the purchase price is 16 yen / kWh and the metered rate is 18 yen / kWh, resulting in a difference of 2 yen / kWh, which is smaller than the threshold. Focusing on time limit 4, the time limit following time limit 3, the purchase price is 13 yen / kWh and the metered rate is 18 yen / kWh, resulting in a difference of 5 yen / kWh, which is larger than the difference between the purchase price and the metered rate at time limit 3. Therefore, by implementing suppression control and adjustment control, retail electricity suppliers can increase their profits compared to when these controls are not implemented. In the illustrated example, the control amount (adjustment value) of power usage in suppression control and adjustment control is set to 5 kW, which means that 5 kW is subtracted from the power usage at time limit 3 (-5 kW) and the power usage at time limit 4 is increased by 5 kW (+5 kW). In addition, in FIG. 8, information indicating that suppression control will be performed (in the figure, a circle "O") is recorded in the control target item for time limit 3.

[0055] In the second control example described above, suppression control is performed on the condition that the difference between the purchase price and the metered rate unit price is smaller than a predetermined threshold. However, instead of the difference, it may be determined whether or not to perform suppression control based on the ratio between the purchase price and the metered rate unit price. As the ratio of the purchase price to the metered rate unit price approaches 1, the two unit prices approach each other, and therefore the profit that the retail electricity supplier will gain from selling electricity decreases. Therefore, suppression control may be performed on the condition that the ratio of the purchase price to the metered rate unit price is less than 1 and greater than a predetermined threshold. In this case, suppression control is not simply performed, but is also performed in conjunction with adjustment control.

[0056] Although the embodiments have been described above, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the above embodiments, the control device 100 controls the facility equipment 200 in time units. However, the control may be performed for a time period different from the time period (for example, a time period shorter than the time period). Furthermore, in the above embodiments, adjustment control is performed for a time period immediately following the time period targeted for suppression control. However, the adjustment control may be performed for a time period subsequent to the time period targeted for suppression control, not limited to immediately following the time period. Various other modifications and alternative configurations that do not deviate from the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure.

[0057] Here, the embodiment described above can be understood as follows. The generation device of the present disclosure is a control device 100 as a control information generation device that controls facility equipment 200 of a consumer that purchases electricity from an electricity retailer. The control device 100 includes an information acquisition unit 110 that acquires purchase price information, which is information about the purchase price per unit time of electricity purchased by the electricity retailer, and acquires metered rate information, which is information about the unit price per unit time of the metered rate for electricity sold by the electricity retailer, and a control information generation unit 130 that generates control information to control the facility equipment 200 of the consumer using the purchase price information and the metered rate information. In this way, the facility equipment 200 of the consumer can be controlled based on the relationship between the purchase price per unit time of electricity from the electricity retailer and the metered rate, thereby suppressing an increase in the load on a computer that processes electricity bills.

[0058] Here, the control information generator 130 may generate control information for controlling the facility equipment 200 to reduce power consumption when the relationship between the purchase price and the metered rate satisfies a predetermined condition. In this way, control can be performed to reduce power consumption by the facility equipment 200 of the consumer based on the relationship between the purchase price of electricity at the retail electricity supplier and the metered rate, thereby reducing the load on the computer that processes electricity bills.

[0059] Furthermore, the control information generator 130 may generate control information for controlling the facility equipment 200 to reduce power consumption when the purchase price is higher than the metered rate as a predetermined condition. In this way, control can be performed to reduce power consumption by the facility equipment 200 of the consumer when the purchase price is higher than the metered rate, thereby reducing the load on the computer that processes electricity bills.

[0060] Furthermore, the control information generator 130 may generate control information for controlling the facility equipment 200 to reduce power consumption when the difference between the purchase price and the metered rate is smaller than a predetermined threshold, as a predetermined condition. In this way, control can be performed to reduce power consumption by the facility equipment 200 of the consumer when the difference between the purchase price and the metered rate is small, thereby reducing the load on the computer that processes electricity bills.

[0061] Furthermore, the control information generator 130 may generate control information for controlling the facility equipment 200 to reduce power consumption when, as a predetermined condition, the ratio of the purchase price to the metered charge in a predetermined unit time is greater than a predetermined threshold value that is less than 1. In this way, control can be performed to reduce power consumption by the facility equipment 200 of the consumer when the purchase price and the metered charge are close to each other, thereby reducing the load on the computer that processes electricity bills.

[0062] The information acquisition unit 110 may further acquire information representing a daily fluctuation pattern of the metered charge as the metered charge information. In this way, it is possible to control the power consumption of the customer's facility equipment 200 based on the daily fluctuation pattern of the metered charge, thereby suppressing an increase in the load on the computer processing the electricity charges.

[0063] The system disclosed herein also includes a control device 100 as a control information generating device that controls facility equipment 200 of a consumer that purchases electricity from an electricity retailer, and facility equipment 200 that operates upon receiving the control information generated by the control device 100. The control device 100 is a system that includes an information acquiring unit 110 that acquires purchase price information, which is information regarding the purchase price per unit time of electricity purchased by the electricity retailer, and acquires metered rate information, which is information regarding the unit price per unit time of the metered rate for electricity sold by the electricity retailer, and a control information generating unit 130 that generates control information to control the facility equipment 200 of the consumer using the purchase price information and the metered rate information. In this way, the facility equipment 200 of the consumer can be controlled based on the relationship between the purchase price of electricity from the electricity retailer and the metered rate, thereby suppressing an increase in the load on a computer that processes electricity charges.

[0064] The program disclosed herein causes a computer to function as a purchase price information acquisition means for acquiring purchase price information, which is information regarding the purchase price per unit time of electricity purchased by an electricity retailer, a metered rate information acquisition means for acquiring metered rate information, which is information regarding the unit time per unit time of the metered rate for electricity sold by an electricity retailer, and a control information generation means for generating control information for controlling the consumer's facility equipment 200 using the purchase price information and the metered rate information. A computer having this program installed can control the consumer's facility equipment 200 based on the relationship between the electricity retailer's purchase price and the metered rate, thereby suppressing an increase in the load on the computer for processing electricity bills.

[0065] 100...control device, 110...information acquisition unit, 120...storage unit, 130...control information generation unit, 140...output unit, 200...facility equipment, 210...reception unit, 220...operation control unit, 230...output unit, 300...server, 310...storage unit, 320...transmission unit

Claims

1. The information generation device, which generates control information for controlling consumer convenience equipment that purchases power from electricity retailers, comprises a purchase price information unit that obtains purchase price information, which is information about the unit purchase price of power purchased by electricity retailers at predetermined intervals; a meter cost information unit that obtains meter cost information, which is information about the unit cost of metered power sold by electricity retailers at predetermined intervals; and a control information generation unit that generates control information for controlling consumer convenience equipment using purchase price and meter cost information. 2.

1. The generating device under Claim 1, whereby the control information generating unit generates control information for the control of force-deterring facilities in the event that the relationship between the purchase price per unit and the meter cost is true to the predetermined condition.

3. The generating device under Claim 2, whereby the control information generating unit generates control information for the control of force-deterring facilities in the event that the purchase price per unit is higher than the meter cost in the predetermined condition.

4. The generating device under Claim 2, whereby the control information generating unit generates control information for the control of force-deterring facilities in the event that the difference between the purchase price per unit and the meter cost is less than the predetermined threshold in the predetermined condition. 5.The generating device under Claim 2, whereby the generating unit of control information generates control information for the control of equipment to deter the use of force in the event that the ratio of the purchase price per unit to the meter cost at the increase of a predetermined time is greater than the initial switching value less than 1, which is predetermined under the predetermined conditions.

6. The generating device under Claim 1 to Claim 1, whereby the acquiring unit of meter cost information obtains additional information representing the variance of meter cost per day according to meter cost information. 7.The system comprises generating devices that generate control information for controlling consumer convenience equipment that purchases power from electricity retailers, and convenience equipment that accepts the control information generated by the generating devices and operates the generating devices. This includes a purchase price information acquisition unit that obtains purchase price information, which is information about the purchase price per unit of power that electricity retailers purchase at predetermined intervals; a meter cost information acquisition unit that obtains meter cost information, which is information about the unit price of metered cost of power that electricity retailers sell at predetermined intervals; and a control information generation unit that generates control information for controlling consumer convenience equipment using purchase price and meter cost information.The program enables the computer to act as a means of acquiring purchase price information, which is information about the unit purchase price of power that electricity retailers buy at predetermined intervals; a means of acquiring meter cost information, which is information about the unit sale price of metered power that electricity retailers sell at predetermined intervals; and a means of generating control information, which will generate control information for controlling consumer convenience equipment using purchase price and meter cost information.

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