Information processing method, information processing system, and program

Abstract

This information processing method comprises: a step (S11) for acquiring weather data pertaining to a plurality of renewable energy power generation systems; a step (S12) for extracting renewable energy power generation systems pertaining to weather data similar to weather data pertaining to one renewable energy power generation system, and grouping the extracted renewable energy power generation systems together with the one renewable energy power generation system; a step (S11) for acquiring power generation amount data of each of the grouped renewable energy power generation systems; and a step (S13) for evaluating the validity of the power generation performance of the one renewable energy power generation system and outputting the evaluation result by comparing the respective pieces of power generation amount data of the grouped renewable energy power generation systems.

Description

Information processing method, information processing system, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing method, an information processing system, and a program.

[0002] Power generation systems using renewable energy, such as solar power generation systems, are becoming widespread. However, such power generation systems using renewable energy rarely achieve the power generation performance they are designed for, and their power generation performance deteriorates depending on various environmental conditions. In response to this, a photovoltaic power generation performance evaluation device is known that evaluates the power generation performance of a photovoltaic power generation system by combining simulation and actual measurement (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-146708

[0004] However, evaluation based on simulations or actual measurements of only the evaluation target does not necessarily produce accurate results. In particular, in such power generation systems, power generation performance is significantly affected by environmental conditions, making it difficult to distinguish whether a change in power generation performance is due to environmental conditions or a problem with the evaluation target power generation system. Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing method and the like that can produce more accurate evaluation results.

[0005] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing method executed by a computer, for evaluating the validity of power generation performance of one renewable energy power generation system included in a plurality of renewable energy power generation systems, and includes the steps of acquiring weather data for the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems, extracting renewable energy power generation systems from the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems that are associated with weather data similar to weather data for the one renewable energy power generation system, and grouping the renewable energy power generation systems together with the one renewable energy power generation system, acquiring power generation amount data for each of the grouped renewable energy power generation systems, and comparing the power generation amount data for each of the grouped renewable energy power generation systems to evaluate the validity of the power generation performance of the one renewable energy power generation system and outputting the evaluation result.

[0006] Moreover, an information processing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing system that evaluates the validity of the power generation performance of one renewable energy power generation system included in a plurality of renewable energy power generation systems, and includes: a weather data acquisition unit that acquires weather data related to the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems; a real-world cluster generation unit that extracts and groups renewable energy power generation systems from the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems that have weather data similar to the weather data related to the one renewable energy power generation system; a power generation data acquisition unit that acquires power generation data for each of the grouped renewable energy power generation systems; and a validity evaluation unit that evaluates the validity of the power generation performance of the one renewable energy power generation system by comparing the power generation data for each of the grouped renewable energy power generation systems and outputs the evaluation result.

[0007] Furthermore, one aspect of the present disclosure can also be realized as a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method described above.

[0008] These comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a non-transitory recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM, or may be realized as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain more accurate evaluation results.

[0010] 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] (Knowledge that forms the basis of the disclosure) In recent years, power generation systems using renewable energy, such as solar power generation systems, have become widespread. Such power generation systems using renewable energy rarely achieve their designed power generation performance (power generation performance under standard environmental conditions), and power generation performance deteriorates depending on various environmental conditions. This is because the environmental conditions for obtaining renewable energy are natural conditions that are not expected to remain constant. For example, a solar power generation performance evaluation device is known that evaluates the power generation performance of a solar power generation system itself by combining simulations and actual measurements in a solar power generation system (see Patent Document 1). However, in such performance evaluations, it is often observed that the actual power generation performance and the evaluation results differ greatly due to changes in environmental conditions, and accurate results are often not obtained.

[0012] Here, there is the concept of structural health monitoring. This is generally known as a technology for assessing the durability and safety of a structure by attaching sensors to various parts of the structure to measure the load on the structure and predicting the progression of damage and deterioration of the structure based on the load. In other words, structural health monitoring evaluates the durability and safety of a structure by predicting how the structure will progress if it is continuously exposed to the same conditions.

[0013] It is assumed that even renewable energy power generation systems will exhibit similar power generation performance under the same environmental conditions. Conversely, if a power generation system does not exhibit similar power generation performance despite the same environmental conditions, it can be evaluated that the power generation system is not generating power properly. In other words, rather than simply evaluating the success or failure of a power generation system based on its current power generation performance, the success or failure of a power generation system can be more accurately evaluated based on its power generation performance compared to other power generation systems under similar environmental conditions.

[0014] This disclosure describes an information processing method for evaluating the power generation performance of individual power generation systems based on differences in power generation performance within a group of power generation systems under the same environmental conditions.

[0015] A more specific outline of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0016] An information processing method according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing method executed by a computer, for evaluating the validity of power generation performance of one renewable energy power generation system included in a plurality of renewable energy power generation systems, and includes the steps of acquiring weather data for the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems, extracting renewable energy power generation systems from the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems that are associated with weather data similar to weather data for the one renewable energy power generation system, and grouping the extracted renewable energy power generation systems together with the one renewable energy power generation system, acquiring power generation amount data for each of the grouped renewable energy power generation systems, and comparing the power generation amount data for each of the grouped renewable energy power generation systems to evaluate the validity of the power generation performance of the one renewable energy power generation system and outputting the evaluation result.

[0017] According to this information processing method, when evaluating the validity of the power generation performance of a renewable energy power generation system, renewable energy power generation systems with similar weather data can be considered as a group, and the validity of the power generation performance can be evaluated by comparing the power generation data within the group. When the weather data is similar, renewable energy power generation systems tend to have similar power generation data. In other words, the validity of the power generation performance can be evaluated based on whether the power generation data of a renewable energy power generation system tends to be similar to that of other renewable energy power generation systems in the group. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a more accurate evaluation result of the power generation system in terms of power generation performance when compared with other power generation systems under similar environmental conditions.

[0018] In addition, the information processing method according to the second aspect is the information processing method according to the first aspect, and further includes a step of acquiring equipment data for each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems, and in the grouping step, renewable energy power generation systems related to weather data and equipment data similar to the weather data and equipment data for one renewable energy power generation system from the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems are extracted and grouped.

[0019] According to this, renewable energy power generation systems that have similar facility data in addition to similar weather data can be considered as one group.

[0020] An information processing method according to a third aspect is the information processing method according to the second aspect, wherein the facility data of each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems includes a power generation capacity of the renewable energy power generation system related to the facility data.

[0021] According to this, renewable energy power generation systems having similar power generation capacities included in the facility data can be regarded as one group.

[0022] Furthermore, an information processing method according to a fourth aspect is an information processing method according to the second or third aspect, wherein each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems is a solar power generation system, and the equipment data of each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems includes at least one of an installation angle and an installation orientation of the renewable energy power generation system related to the equipment data.

[0023] According to this, when evaluating the validity of the power generation performance of a solar power generation system as a renewable energy power generation system, solar power generation systems that have similar installation angles and installation orientations included in the equipment data can be considered as one group.

[0024] An information processing method according to a fifth aspect is an information processing method according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems is a solar power generation system, and the weather data relating to each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems includes at least one of the amount of solar radiation, cloud cover, and humidity in an area where the solar power generation system relating to the weather data is installed.

[0025] According to this, when evaluating the validity of the power generation performance of a solar power generation system as a renewable energy power generation system, solar power generation systems that have similar at least one of the solar radiation, cloud cover, and humidity in the area where the solar power generation system is installed, which are included in the weather data, can be considered as one group.

[0026] Furthermore, an information processing method according to a sixth aspect is an information processing method according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems is a wind power generation system, and the weather data relating to each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems includes at least one of wind speed and wind direction in an area in which the wind power generation system relating to the weather data is installed.

[0027] According to this, when evaluating the validity of the power generation performance of a wind power generation system as a renewable energy power generation system, wind power generation systems that have similar wind speed and wind direction in the area where the wind power generation system is installed, as contained in the weather data, can be considered as one group.

[0028] Furthermore, an information processing system according to a seventh aspect is an information processing system for evaluating the validity of the power generation performance of one renewable energy power generation system included in a plurality of renewable energy power generation systems, and includes: a weather data acquisition unit that acquires weather data related to the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems; a real-world cluster generation unit that extracts and groups renewable energy power generation systems from the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems that are related to weather data similar to the weather data related to the one renewable energy power generation system; a power generation data acquisition unit that acquires power generation data for each of the grouped renewable energy power generation systems; and a validity evaluation unit that evaluates the validity of the power generation performance of the one renewable energy power generation system by comparing the power generation data for each of the grouped renewable energy power generation systems and outputs the evaluation result.

[0029] This provides the same effects as the information processing method described above.

[0030] A program according to an eighth aspect is a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to any one of the first to sixth aspects.

[0031] According to this, by using a computer, the same effects as those of the information processing method described above can be achieved.

[0032] Furthermore, these comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a non-transitory recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM, or may be realized as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0033] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component placement and connection configurations, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not recited in independent claims will be described as optional components. Note that each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily an exact illustration. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially identical components are assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted or simplified.

[0034] (Embodiment) [Configuration] First, the configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing system according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the information processing system 100 includes a power generation system 20, a server 40, and a display device 60. The server 40, the power generation system 20, and the display device 60 are communicatively connected via a network such as the Internet. The server 40 is also communicatively connected to a weather database (not shown).

[0035] The power generation system 20 is a renewable energy power generation system that generates power primarily using energy sources that are unlikely to be depleted, rather than a type of power generation system that consumes exhaustible resources such as fossil fuels or nuclear power. Examples of the power generation system 20 include a solar power generation system, a wind power generation system, a hydroelectric power generation system, a wave power generation system, and a geothermal power generation system. These renewable energy power generation systems are characterized by their power generation performance being affected by environmental conditions. Therefore, when power generation performance deteriorates, it is difficult to determine whether the deterioration is due to deterioration of the renewable energy power generation system itself or to inappropriate environmental conditions.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows that a plurality of power generation systems 20 are included. Here, an example of a solar power generation system using photovoltaic conversion panels attached to a building such as a house is described as the power generation system 20, but other renewable energy power generation systems may also be used as the power generation system 20. The solar power generation system serving as the power generation system 20 shown in FIG. 1 is a solar power generation system using silicon solar cells and compound solar cells installed on a roof, but the solar power generation system serving as the power generation system 20 also includes perovskite solar cells. Such perovskite solar cells can be integrated into glass building materials used for building windows, for example.

[0037] The server 40 is realized as a cloud server or edge server that implements the functions of an information processing device, processes input information, and outputs other information. The server 40 includes a processor and memory, and performs the function of an information processing device by the processor executing a predetermined program stored in the memory, evaluates the validity of the power generation performance of the power generation system 20, and outputs the evaluation results. The server 40 includes a data acquisition unit 41, a real-world cluster generation unit 42, and a validity evaluation unit 43.

[0038] The data acquiring unit 41 includes a function as a weather data acquiring unit that acquires weather data related to the plurality of power generation systems 20, a function as a power generation amount data acquiring unit that acquires power generation amount data for each of the plurality of power generation systems 20, and a function as an equipment data acquiring unit that acquires equipment data for each of the plurality of power generation systems 20. In the following description, the data acquiring unit 41 is described as acquiring weather data, power generation amount data, and equipment data related to all of the plurality of power generation systems 20, but after grouping is completed, the data acquiring unit 41 may acquire power generation amount data for only the power generation systems 20 in the group to be evaluated.

[0039] Information on a plurality of target power generation systems 20 is registered in the data acquisition unit 41. Specifically, equipment data of the plurality of registered power generation systems 20 is stored in a storage unit (not shown) accessible by the data acquisition unit 41. The data acquisition unit 41 then accesses the storage unit to read and acquire the equipment data of the plurality of registered power generation systems 20.

[0040] The equipment data includes information regarding the installation location of each power generation system 20, the power generation capacity (such as rated power generation capacity) of each power generation system 20, the installation angle (elevation angle and depression angle) of each power generation system 20, and the installation orientation.

[0041] The data acquisition unit 41 queries a weather database based on information about the installation location, and thereby can acquire weather data as data about the weather at the installation location of each power generation system 20. If the power generation system 20 is a solar power generation system, the weather data includes at least one of the amount of solar radiation, cloud cover, and humidity in the area (including the installation location) where the solar power generation system is installed. If the power generation system 20 is a wind power generation system, the weather data includes at least one of the wind speed and wind direction in the area (including the installation location) where the wind power generation system is installed.

[0042] Furthermore, if the power generation system 20 is a hydroelectric power generation system, the meteorological data includes at least one of the water depth (in other words, the amount of water stored) and the amount of rainfall in the area where the hydroelectric power generation system is installed (the entire area upstream of the installation point). Furthermore, if the power generation system 20 is a wave power generation system, the meteorological data includes at least one of the wind speed and wave height in the area where the wave power generation system is installed (including the installation point).

[0043] In this way, the weather data includes physical quantities related to phenomena that decrease and increase the amount of power generated by the power generation system 20 .

[0044] The power generation amount data is acquired from the power generation systems 20 and indicates the instantaneous value of the power generation amount of each power generation system 20. The power generation amount is continuously acquired and accumulated as data of time-series changes.

[0045] The real-world cluster generation unit 42 generates groups (also referred to as real-world clusters) of multiple power generation systems 20 in which the weather data and equipment data for each power generation system 20 are similar. As a result, the group to which a certain power generation system 20 to be evaluated belongs includes other power generation systems 20 with similar weather data and equipment data. Therefore, simply by comparing power generation performance within this group, it is possible to compare with power generation systems 20 under similar environmental conditions.

[0046] In generating groups, the weather data is determined to be similar if all parameters, such as one or more physical quantities, included in the weather data match at 80% or more. Alternatively, the weather data is determined to be similar if 50% or more of the individual parameters match at 80% or more. Alternatively, the weather data is determined to be similar if 80% or more of the individual parameters match at 50% or more.

[0047] Similarly, for equipment data, if all parameters, such as one or more physical quantities, included in the equipment data match by 80% or more, the equipment data is determined to be similar. Alternatively, if 50% or more of the individual parameters match by 80% or more, the equipment data is determined to be similar. Alternatively, if 80% or more of the individual parameters match by 50% or more, the equipment data is determined to be similar. Note that the above conditions for determining the similarity of weather data and equipment data are merely examples, and the conditions for determining the similarity may be appropriately adjusted depending on how many power generation systems 20 are desired to be included in a group. Furthermore, only weather data may be used to generate the groups, and equipment data may not be used.

[0048] The validity evaluation unit 43 compares the power generation amount data acquired for each of the power generation systems 20 in the group. For example, the validity evaluation unit 43 calculates the average power generation amount data among the power generation systems 20 in the group, and uses the average power generation amount data as a reference. Then, the validity evaluation unit 43 assigns a score out of five levels, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, to the power generation systems 20 with power generation amount data significantly lower than the reference, the power generation systems 20 with power generation amount data lower than the reference, the power generation systems 20 with power generation amount data equivalent to the reference, the power generation systems 20 with power generation amount data higher than the reference, and the power generation systems 20 with power generation amount data significantly higher than the reference. Here, the higher the score, the better the result. Then, the validity evaluation unit 43 outputs information indicating the assigned score as the evaluation result. In other words, the validity evaluation unit 43 evaluates the validity of the power generation system 20 from the perspective of power generation performance. The validity of the power generation system 20 may also be interpreted as the soundness of the power generation system 20.

[0049] The validity evaluation unit 43 also displays an image of the evaluation results (a list of the power generation systems 20 and the scores assigned to each) by outputting it to the display device 60 as a presentation image, and presents it to, for example, the manager of the power generation system 20.

[0050] The display device 60 is a display device such as a smartphone, tablet device, smartwatch, television, or projector, which has a display located around the manager or other person to whom the image related to the evaluation result is presented. Note that the display of a projector refers to the projection surface, and the term projector is understood to include both the projection device and the projection surface. Alternatively, the display device 60 may be smart glasses worn by the manager or other person, with the display positioned in front of the manager or other person's eyes. The display device 60 presents the presentation image output from the server 40 to the manager or other person by displaying it on the display. Based on the more accurate evaluation results presented in the above manner, the manager can consider maintenance of the power generation system 20 that has an abnormality.

[0051] [Operation] Next, the operation of the information processing system 100 described above will be described, focusing on the operation of the server 40, with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information processing system according to the embodiment.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 2 , when the information processing system 100 starts operating, the data acquisition unit 41 acquires various data (step S11). At this time, the meteorological data and facility data required for grouping, which will be described later, can be acquired once and do not need to be acquired continuously. On the other hand, the power generation amount data is acquired continuously for the time required for evaluation. For example, if there is some difference in the timing of changes in power generation amount in the time domain between multiple power generation systems 20, the power generation amounts for multiple points in time in the time domain can be averaged to average out such differences.

[0053] The real-world cluster generation unit 42 divides and groups the multiple power generation systems 20 into one or more groups based on the acquired weather data and equipment data (step S12). As described above, this is performed by processing so that a group including one power generation system 20 to be evaluated includes other power generation systems 20 related to weather data and equipment data similar to that of the one power generation system 20. The generated group will include power generation systems 20 with similar weather data and equipment data.

[0054] The validity evaluation unit 43 then compares the power generation amount data of the power generation systems 20 in the group to evaluate the validity of the power generation performance of the power generation systems 20 in the group (step S13). As the evaluation result, the validity evaluation unit 43 assigns a score to each power generation system 20 and outputs the evaluation result indicating the score. For example, the evaluation result is displayed on the display device 60 as an image.

[0055] Other Embodiments Although the embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0056] For example, the information processing system described in the above embodiment may be realized as a single device that includes all of the components, or may be realized by allocating functions to multiple devices and coordinating these multiple devices. In the latter case, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PC, or the like may be used as the device corresponding to the information processing device.

[0057] In the above-described embodiment, the processing performed by a specific processing unit may be performed by another processing unit. The order of multiple processing operations may be changed, or multiple processing operations may be performed in parallel.

[0058] In the above-described embodiments, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for that component, or by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0059] Furthermore, each component may be realized by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or each may be a separate circuit. Furthermore, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0060] Furthermore, the general or specific aspects of the present disclosure may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, etc. Furthermore, the general or specific aspects of the present disclosure may be realized as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0061] For example, the present disclosure may be realized as an information processing method executed by a computer, or as a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method. The present disclosure may also be realized as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

[0062] In addition, this disclosure also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art would think of, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope that does not deviate from the intent of this disclosure.

[0063] The present disclosure is effective in the operation of a power generation system.

[0064] 20 Power generation system (renewable energy power generation system) 40 Server (information processing device) 41 Data acquisition unit 42 Real-world cluster generation unit 43 Validity evaluation unit 60 Display device 100 Information processing system

Claims

1. An information processing method executed by a computer for evaluating the validity of the power generation performance of a renewable energy power generation system included in a plurality of renewable energy power generation systems, the method comprising: obtaining weather data related to the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems; extracting a renewable energy power generation system related to weather data similar to the weather data related to the one renewable energy power generation system among the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems, and grouping it together with the one renewable energy power generation system; obtaining power generation amount data of each of the grouped renewable energy power generation systems; and evaluating the validity of the power generation performance of the one renewable energy power generation system by comparing the power generation amount data of each of the grouped renewable energy power generation systems, and outputting an evaluation result.

2. Further comprising the step of obtaining equipment data of each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems, wherein in the grouping step, a renewable energy power generation system related to weather data and equipment data similar to the weather data and equipment data related to the one renewable energy power generation system among the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems is extracted and grouped. The information processing method according to claim 1.

3. The equipment data of each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems includes the power generation capacity of the renewable energy power generation system related to the equipment data. The information processing method according to claim 2.

4. Each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems is a solar power generation system, and the equipment data of each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems includes at least one of the installation angle and installation azimuth of the solar power generation system related to the equipment data. The information processing method according to claim 2 or 3.

5. Each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems is a solar power generation system, and the weather data related to each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems includes at least one of the solar radiation amount, cloud amount, and humidity of the area where the solar power generation system related to the weather data is installed. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. Each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems is a wind power generation system, and the meteorological data related to each of the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems includes at least one of the wind speed and wind direction in the area where the wind power generation system related to the meteorological data is installed. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. An information processing system for evaluating the validity of the power generation performance of one renewable energy power generation system included in a plurality of renewable energy power generation systems, comprising: a meteorological data acquisition unit that acquires meteorological data related to the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems; a real-world cluster generation unit that extracts and groups renewable energy power generation systems related to meteorological data similar to the meteorological data related to the one renewable energy power generation system among the plurality of renewable energy power generation systems; a power generation amount data acquisition unit that acquires the power generation amount data of each of the grouped renewable energy power generation systems; and a validity evaluation unit that evaluates the validity of the power generation performance of the one renewable energy power generation system by comparing the power generation amount data of each of the grouped renewable energy power generation systems and outputs an evaluation result.

8. A program for causing the computer to execute the information processing method according to claim 1.

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