Power supply control device and power supply control method

Abstract

This power supply control device is provided with: a control unit that controls distributed power supplies installed in facilities; and a transmission unit that transmits plan values pertaining to power demands of the facilities to a power management device belonging to a retail electricity provider that sells power to the facilities. The control unit: executes a first process in which the plan values pertaining to the power demands of the facilities are identified to include the generated power of the facilities when the retail electricity provider is a subject who buys the generated power of the facilities; and executes a second process in which the plan values pertaining to the power demands of the facilities are identified to exclude the generated power of the facilities when the retail electricity provider is not a subject who buys the generated power of the facilities.

Description

Power supply control device and power supply control method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power supply control device and a power supply control method.

[0002] In recent years, a system using distributed power sources such as power storage devices (hereinafter referred to as a VPP (Virtual Power Plant)) has been attracting attention in order to stabilize the balance between power supply and demand in a power grid (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Here, a power management device that manages two or more facilities (hereinafter referred to as a facility group) may control the distributed power sources installed in the facilities so that the difference (imbalance) between the planned value for the facility group's procurement power and the actual value for the facility group's procurement power is less than a specified difference.

[0004] International Publication No. 2015 / 041010 Pamphlet International Publication No. 2016 / 084396 Pamphlet

[0005] The disclosed aspect is a power supply control device that includes a control unit that controls a distributed power source installed in a facility, and a transmission unit that transmits a planned value for the facility's demand power to a power management device belonging to a retail electricity supplier that sells electricity to the facility, wherein the control unit executes a first process to identify a planned value for the facility's demand power to include the facility's generated power when the retail electricity supplier is the entity that purchases the facility's generated power, and executes a second process to identify a planned value for the facility's demand power to exclude the facility's generated power when the retail electricity supplier is not the entity that purchases the facility's generated power.

[0006] The disclosed aspect is a power supply control method comprising the steps of controlling a distributed power source installed in a facility; transmitting a planned value for the facility's power demand to a power management device belonging to a retail electricity supplier that sells electricity to the facility; executing a first process to identify a planned value for the facility's power demand to include the power generated by the facility if the retail electricity supplier is the entity that purchases the power generated by the facility; and executing a second process to identify a planned value for the facility's power demand to exclude the power generated by the facility if the retail electricity supplier is not the entity that purchases the power generated by the facility.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a power supply control system 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a facility 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an RA server 200 according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an AC server 300 according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining first processing and second processing according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a power supply control method according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a power supply control method according to an embodiment.

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. However, the drawings are schematic.

[0009] [Embodiment] (Power Supply Control System) A power supply control system according to an embodiment will be described below.

[0010] 1, the power supply control system 1 includes a facility 100. The power supply control system 1 includes an RA (Resource Aggregator) server 200 and an AC (Aggregation Coordinator) server 300.

[0011] Here, the facility 100, the RA server 200, and the AC server 300 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a network 11. The network 11 may include the Internet, a dedicated line such as a VPN (Virtual Private Network), or a mobile communication network.

[0012] The facility 100 is connected to the power grid 12 and may receive power from the power grid 12 or may supply power to the power grid 12. Power from the power grid 12 to the facility 100 may be referred to as forward flow power. Power from the facility 100 to the power grid 12 may be referred to as reverse flow power. In FIG. 1 , facilities 100A to 100C are illustrated as examples of the facility 100.

[0013] Although not particularly limited, the facility 100 may be a facility such as a residence, a facility such as a store, or a facility such as an office. The facility 100 may be an apartment building including two or more residences. The facility 100 may also be a complex including at least two or more of the following facilities: a residence, a store, and an office. Details of the facility 100 will be described later (see FIG. 2).

[0014] The RA server 200 is a server managed by a business operator (e.g., a VPP (Virtual Power Plant) business operator) that controls distributed power sources (e.g., the power storage device 120 described later) installed in the facility 100. The RA server 200 may be read as a VPP business operator. The RA server 200 may also be referred to as a first server or a subordinate server. Details of the RA server 200 will be described later (see FIG. 3).

[0015] In this embodiment, the RA server 200 constitutes a power supply control device that controls the distributed power supplies installed in the facility 100 in place of the power management device (AC server 300).

[0016] The AC server 300 is a server managed by a business operator (e.g., a retail electricity supplier) that sells electricity to the facility 100. The AC server 300 is an example of a power management device belonging to a retail electricity supplier that sells electricity to the facility 100. The retail electricity supplier may procure electricity from an electricity market or a power generation supplier and sell the procured electricity to the facility 100. The AC server 300 may be read as a retail electricity supplier. The AC server 300 may also be referred to as a second server or an upper server. Details of the AC server 300 will be described later (see FIG. 4).

[0017] Although not particularly limited, the electricity market may be a market in which electricity is traded for a target period (e.g., one day from 0:00 to 24:00). The electricity market may be a market in which electricity rates are determined for each unit period (e.g., 30 minutes) that constitutes the target period. The electricity market may include a spot market in which trading closes the day before the target period (e.g., 10:00 the day before the target period). The electricity market may also include an advance market in which trading closes just before (e.g., one hour before) the unit period that constitutes the target period. The electricity market may also include a forward market, a forward electricity market, a futures market, a capacity market, or an adjustment market in which electricity is traded for a specific future period (e.g., one year, one month, one week).

[0018] Although not particularly limited, power generation companies may include companies that trade electricity in the electricity market, and may also include companies that trade electricity directly with retail electricity companies.

[0019] The AC server 300 may transmit an adjustment request requesting adjustment of power supply and demand in the power grid 12. The adjustment request may be referred to as a DR (Demand Response) request. The DR request may include an upward DR request requesting an increase in the power demand of the facility 100 from a reference value, or may include a downward DR request requesting a decrease in the power demand of the facility 100 from a reference value.

[0020] The reference value is the power demand of the facility 100 before the DR request. The reference value is a value that reflects the power consumption of the facility 100 (power consumption of the load devices 140), as well as the power generated by power generation devices (e.g., the solar cell device 110 and the fuel cell device 130) and the charging and discharging power of the power storage device 120. The reference value may be considered as a baseline power. The baseline power may be the average value of the power demand for a certain period before the issuance of the DR request. The certain period may be determined according to the actual situation of negawatt trading, or may be determined between the RA server 200 and the AC server 300. The baseline power may be calculated based on the predicted value of the power demand of the facility 100, the predicted value of the power generation of the facility 100, or both the power demand and the power generation.

[0021] When the power demand of the facility 100 is increased or decreased in response to the DR request, a reward may be given according to the degree to which the DR request was complied with. The reward may be given to the AC server 300 or the facility 100. When the power demand of the facility 100 is not increased or decreased in response to the DR request, a penalty may be imposed according to the degree to which the DR request was not complied with. The penalty may be imposed on the AC server 300 or the facility 100. The penalty may be imposed only on the facility 100 that responded that it would comply with the DR request. The reward and penalty may be monetary.

[0022] (Facility) A facility according to an embodiment will be described below. As shown in Fig. 2 , the facility 100 includes a solar cell device 110, a power storage device 120, a fuel cell device 130, load devices 140, and an EMS (Energy Management System) 160. The facility 100 may also include a measuring device 190.

[0023] The solar cell device 110 is a distributed power source that generates electricity in response to light such as sunlight. For example, the solar cell device 110 is configured with a PCS (Power Conditioning System) and a solar panel. Here, installation may mean connecting the solar cell device 110 to the power grid 12.

[0024] The power storage device 120 is a distributed power source that charges and discharges power. For example, the power storage device 120 is configured by a PCS and a power storage cell. Here, "installed" may mean that the power storage device 120 is connected to the power grid 12.

[0025] The fuel cell device 130 is a distributed power source that generates electricity using fuel. For example, the fuel cell device 130 is composed of a PCS and a fuel cell. Here, "installed" may mean that the fuel cell device 130 and the power grid 12 are connected.

[0026] For example, the fuel cell device 130 may be a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), a phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC), or a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC). The load device 140 is a device that consumes electricity. For example, the load device 140 may include an air conditioner, a heat pump water heater, a lighting device, etc.

[0027] The EMS 160 manages the power for the facility 100. The EMS 160 may control the solar cell device 110, the power storage device 120, the fuel cell device 130, and the load devices 140. In the embodiment, the EMS 160 is illustrated as an example of a device that receives control commands from the RA server 200, but such a device may also be referred to as a gateway or simply as a control unit. The control command may be an instruction or command to control a distributed power source (e.g., the power storage device 120). To distinguish the EMS 160 from the RA server 200, the EMS 160 may also be referred to as a local EMS (LES), a home EMS (HEMS), or a demand-side resource-energy-management system (DSR-MS).

[0028] The measuring device 190 measures forward flow power (hereinafter also referred to as demand power) from the power grid 12 to the facility 100. The measuring device 190 may also measure reverse flow power from the facility 100 to the power grid 12. For example, the measuring device 190 may be a smart meter belonging to a power company. The measuring device 190 may transmit an information element indicating a measurement result (an integrated value of forward flow power or reverse flow power) at a first interval (e.g., 30 minutes) to the EMS 160 at the first interval. The measuring device 190 may also transmit an information element indicating a measurement result at a second interval (e.g., 1 minute) shorter than the first interval to the EMS 160.

[0029] (RA Server) The RA server according to the embodiment will be described below. As shown in FIG.

[0030] The communication unit 210 is configured by a communication module. The communication module may be a wireless communication module conforming to standards such as IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax, ZigBee, Wi-SUN, LTE, 5G, or 6G, or may be a wired communication module conforming to standards such as IEEE802.3.

[0031] First, the communication unit 210 may receive a DR request requesting adjustment of power supply and demand in the power grid 12. As described above, the DR request may include a downward DR requesting a decrease in the power demand of the facility 100, or an upward DR requesting an increase in the power demand of the facility 100.

[0032] Second, the communication unit 210 may receive facility information about the facility 100. The facility information may include information indicating the configuration of the distributed power sources that the facility 100 has, or may include information indicating the specifications of the distributed power sources that the facility 100 has.

[0033] Furthermore, the facility information may include the following information. Since the information below changes from moment to moment, the communication unit 210 may receive the facility information including the information below periodically, or may receive it in response to a request from the RA server 200.

[0034] For example, the communication unit 210 may receive a planned value for the power consumption of the facility 100 or may receive an actual value for the power consumption of the facility 100. The communication unit 210 may receive a planned value for the power generated by a distributed power source installed in the facility 100 or may receive an actual value for the power generated by the distributed power source installed in the facility 100. The communication unit 210 may receive a planned value for the power demand of the facility 100 or may receive an actual value for the power demand of the facility 100. Note that when the power consumption is expressed as a value greater than or equal to 0 and the power generation is expressed as a value less than or equal to 0, the power demand is a value represented by the sum of the power consumption and the power generation. Therefore, when the absolute value of the power generation is greater than the absolute value of the power consumption, the power demand may be a negative value. When the distributed power source is a power storage device 120, the communication unit 210 may receive information indicating the remaining amount of power stored in the power storage device 120 (e.g., SOC; State Of Charge) (hereinafter referred to as remaining power storage information).

[0035] For example, the facility information may include information for identifying a reference value to be referenced in the DR request. The information for identifying the reference value may include information indicating an actual value of the power demand of the facility 100. The information for identifying the reference value may include information indicating an actual value of the power generation of the facility 100. The information for identifying the reference value may include information indicating an actual value of the power consumption of the facility 100.

[0036] For example, the facility information may include information indicating the amount of power that can be adjusted in response to a DR request (hereinafter, "adjustable power amount"). The facility information may include information indicating the amount of adjustable power for each unit period (e.g., 30 minutes) that constitutes the target period. The amount of adjustable power for each unit period may include information indicating the amount of adjustable power generation, or may include information indicating the amount of adjustable power demand.

[0037] Third, the communication unit 210 may transmit to the facility 100 a control command for controlling the distributed power source installed in the facility 100. The distributed power source controlled by the control command, i.e., the distributed power source controlled by the RA server 200, may be a power storage device.

[0038] Fourth, the communication unit 210 transmits the planned value related to the power demand of the facility 100 to the AC server 300. The communication unit 210 may transmit the planned value related to the power demand of the facility 100 before receiving the DR request. The communication unit 210 may transmit the planned value related to the power demand of the facility 100 after receiving the DR request.

[0039] In the embodiment, the communication unit 210 constitutes a transmission unit that transmits the planned value related to the power demand of the facility 100 to the AC server 300.

[0040] The management unit 220 is configured by a storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a nonvolatile memory.

[0041] For example, the management unit 220 may manage information about the facility 100 that has a distributed power source controlled by the RA server 200. For example, the information about the facility 100 may include the type of distributed power source (solar cell device 110, power storage device 120, or fuel cell device 130) installed in the facility 100, the specifications of the distributed power source (solar cell device 110, power storage device 120, or fuel cell device 130) installed in the facility 100, etc. The specifications may include the rated power generation of the solar cell device 110, the rated charging power of the power storage device 120, the rated discharging power of the power storage device 120, and the rated output power of the fuel cell device 130. The specifications may include the rated capacity of the power storage device 120, the maximum charging and discharging power, etc.

[0042] The control unit 230 may include at least one processor. The at least one processor may be configured as a single integrated circuit (IC) or may be configured as multiple circuits (such as integrated circuits and / or discrete circuits) communicatively connected.

[0043] The control unit 230 controls the distributed power sources (e.g., the power storage devices 120) installed in the facility 100. In detail, the control unit 230 formulates a control plan for the distributed power sources for a target period (hereinafter referred to as the planned period), and then instructs the communication unit 210 to transmit control commands in accordance with the formulated control plan. The control commands may be transmitted all at once before the planned period for the entire planned period, or may be transmitted sequentially for each planned unit period, or may be transmitted in real time at intervals shorter than the planned unit period.

[0044] In the following, a case where the distributed power source controlled by the RA server 200 is the power storage device 120 will be exemplified.

[0045] The control unit 230 formulates a control plan (hereinafter referred to as a charge / discharge plan) for the power storage device 120 for each planning unit period (e.g., 30 minutes) that constitutes a planning period (e.g., one day). The charge / discharge plan includes an operation mode (e.g., a discharge mode, a charge mode, a standby mode) of the power storage device 120. The charge / discharge plan may include the discharge power and the charge power of the power storage device 120. Although not particularly limited, the control unit 230 may formulate the charge / discharge plan for the power storage device 120 so as to maximize the profits of the facility 100.

[0046] Under these assumptions, the control unit 230 performs the following operation with respect to the planned value related to the power demand of the facility 100. The planned value related to the power demand of the facility 100 may be a planned value after reflecting the charge / discharge plan of the power storage device 120. The planned value related to the power demand of the facility 100 may be a reference value referred to in a DR request.

[0047] In the following, under the assumption that the generated power and consumed power are expressed in absolute values, the generated power of the facility 100 means surplus power obtained by subtracting the consumed power of the facility 100 from the output power output from a power generation device (e.g., solar cell device 110) installed in the facility 100. In other words, the generated power of the facility 100 may also mean the reverse flow power from the facility 100 to the power grid 12, out of the power output from a power generation device (e.g., solar cell device 110) installed in the facility 100.

[0048] The control unit 230 executes a first process of specifying a planned value for the power demand of the facility 100 so as to include the power generated by the facility 100 when an electricity retailer is the entity purchasing the power generated by the facility 100. The case where an electricity retailer is the entity purchasing the power generated by the facility 100 may include a case where the Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) system does not apply to the surplus power generated by the solar cell device 110. In other words, in a case where the FIT system does not apply, the entity purchasing the power generated by the facility 100 may be the electricity retailer.

[0049] The control unit 230 executes a second process of specifying a planned value for the power demand of the facility 100 so as to exclude the power generated by the facility 100 when the electricity retailer is not the entity purchasing the power generated by the facility 100. A case where the electricity retailer is not the entity purchasing the power generated by the facility 100 may include a case where the feed-in tariff (FIT) system is applied to the surplus power generated by the solar cell device 110. In such a case, the entity purchasing the power generated by the facility 100 may be a power transmission and distribution company different from the electricity retailer. In other words, in a case where the FIT system is applied, the entity purchasing the power generated by the facility 100 does not have to be an electricity retailer.

[0050] In the above-mentioned case, the power generated by the facility 100 may not include reverse flow power due to the discharge power of the power storage device 120 controlled by the RA server 200. In such a case, unlike the reverse flow power due to the output power of the solar cell device 110, the entity that purchases the reverse flow power due to the discharge power of the power storage device 120 may be an electricity retailer.

[0051] The control unit 230 may use the following method to identify whether or not an electricity retailer is the entity that will purchase the power generated by the facility 100. The following options are possible as such an identification method.

[0052] In option 1, the control unit 230 determines whether the electricity retailer is the entity that purchases the electricity generated by the facility 100, based on information received from the AC server 300. The information received from the AC server 300 may be referred to as identification information. The identification information may be information indicating whether the AC server 300 is the entity that purchases the electricity generated by the facility 100. The identification information may be information indicating whether the FIT is currently applied to the power generation device (e.g., the solar cell device 110) installed in the facility 100. The identification information may be information indicating the date on which the FIT expires for the power generation device (e.g., the solar cell device 110) installed in the facility 100.

[0053] In option 2, the control unit 230 determines whether or not a retail electricity supplier is the entity that purchases the electricity generated by the facility 100, based on information received from the facility 100. The information received from the facility 100 may be referred to as identification information. The identification information may be information indicating whether or not the FIT is currently being applied to the power generation equipment (e.g., the solar cell equipment 110) installed in the facility 100. The identification information may be information indicating the date on which the FIT expires for the power generation equipment (e.g., the solar cell equipment 110) installed in the facility 100.

[0054] In option 3, the control unit 230 determines whether or not the electricity retailer is the entity that purchases the electricity generated by the facility 100, based on the information managed by the management unit 220. The information managed by the management unit 220 is information related to a distributed power source (e.g., the power storage device 120). The information managed by the management unit 220 may be referred to as identification information. The identification information may be information indicating whether or not the FIT is currently applied to the power generation device (e.g., the solar cell device 110) installed in the facility 100. The identification information may be information indicating the date on which the FIT expires for the power generation device (e.g., the solar cell device 110) installed in the facility 100.

[0055] It should be noted that since the distributed power source (e.g., the energy storage device 120) is used together with the power generation device (e.g., the solar cell device 110), the information regarding the distributed power source (e.g., the energy storage device 120) may also include information regarding the FIT applied to the power generation device (e.g., the solar cell device 110) (such as whether the FIT is applied, the date on which the FIT expires, etc.).

[0056] In option 4, the control unit 230 determines whether the electricity retailer is the entity purchasing the electricity generated by the facility 100 based on information acquired from a third party. The information acquired from the third party may be referred to as identification information. The identification information may be information indicating whether the FIT is currently being applied to the power generation equipment (e.g., the solar cell device 110) installed in the facility 100. The identification information may be information indicating the date on which the FIT expires for the power generation equipment (e.g., the solar cell device 110) installed in the facility 100. The third party may be, but is not limited to, a business operator that manages information regarding the FIT for the power generation equipment (e.g., the solar cell device 110) installed in the facility 100.

[0057] In the embodiment, the control unit 230 constitutes a control unit that controls a distributed power source (for example, the power storage device 120) installed in the facility 100.

[0058] (First Process and Second Process) The first process and second process described above will be explained below with reference to Fig. 5. In Fig. 5, a case where the power demand is 0 or less (i.e., a case where reverse flow power (surplus power) occurs in the planned value related to the power demand of the facility 100) will be explained.

[0059] 5 , the reference value is an example of a planned value for the power demand of the facility 100. The (surplus) generated power is an example of the power generated by the facility 100. Under the assumption that the generated power and the power consumption are expressed in absolute values, the (surplus) generated power means the surplus power obtained by subtracting the power consumption of the facility 100 from the output power output from a power generation device (e.g., the solar cell device 110) installed in the facility 100.

[0060] Here, an example will be given of a case where the (surplus) generated power is generated by a power generation device (e.g., the solar cell device 110) installed in the facility 100. In other words, the (surplus) generated power does not include power (discharged power) generated by a distributed power source (e.g., the power storage device 120) installed in the facility 100.

[0061] In the first process, as shown in the upper part of Figure 5, if the purchasing entity of the (surplus) generated power is a retail electricity supplier, the RA server 200 identifies a planned value (here, a reference value) for the demand power of the facility 100 so as to include the (surplus) generated power.

[0062] As described above, the planned value (here, the reference value) for the power demand of the facility 100 is the planned value after reflecting the charge / discharge plan for the power storage device 120. Therefore, the difference between the planned value for (surplus) generated power and the reference value represents the charging power according to the charge / discharge plan for the power storage device 120.

[0063] In the second process, as shown in the lower part of Figure 5, if the purchasing entity of the (surplus) generated power is not a retail electricity supplier, the RA server 200 identifies a planned value (here, a reference value) for the demand power of the facility 100 so as to exclude the (surplus) generated power.

[0064] As described above, an example is given of a case in which reverse flow power (surplus power) occurs, and in the second process, the (surplus) generated power is excluded, so the planned value (here, the reference value) for the demand power of facility 100 becomes zero.

[0065] Although not particularly limited, the second process can be considered a correction process based on the first process. Therefore, the reference value determined by the second process can be considered a value obtained by correcting the reference value determined by the first process, and may be referred to as the reference value (after correction). (AC server)

[0066] The AC server according to the embodiment will be described below. As shown in FIG.

[0067] The communication unit 310 is configured by a communication module. The communication module may be a wireless communication module conforming to standards such as IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax, ZigBee, Wi-SUN, LTE, 5G, or 6G, or may be a wired communication module conforming to standards such as IEEE802.3.

[0068] For example, the communication unit 310 receives, from the RA server 200, a planned value (reference value) related to the power demand of the facility 100 in which the distributed power sources controlled by the RA server 200 are installed. The communication unit 310 receives, from the RA server 200, the amount of power that can be adjusted in response to a DR request (hereinafter, the adjustable amount). The adjustable amount may be calculated in each of the facilities 100, transmitted from each of the facilities 100 to the RA server 200, aggregated and / or processed by the RA server 200, and then reported to the AC server 300. The communication unit 310 may transmit the DR request to the RA server 200.

[0069] The management unit 320 is configured by a storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a nonvolatile memory.

[0070] For example, the management unit 320 may manage information related to the facility 100 to which the electricity retailer sells electricity. For example, the information related to the facility 100 may include the type of distributed power source (solar cell device 110, power storage device 120, or fuel cell device 130) installed in the facility 100, the specifications of the distributed power source (solar cell device 110, power storage device 120, or fuel cell device 130) installed in the facility 100, etc. The specifications may include the rated power generation of the solar cell device 110, the rated charging power of the power storage device 120, the rated discharging power of the power storage device 120, and the rated output power of the fuel cell device 130. The specifications may include the rated capacity of the power storage device 120, the maximum charging and discharging power, etc.

[0071] The control unit 330 may include at least one processor, which may be configured as a single integrated circuit (IC) or may be configured as multiple circuits (such as integrated circuits and / or discrete circuits) communicatively connected to one another.

[0072] For example, the control unit 330 may formulate a planned value for procured power based on a planned value for power demand of the facility 100 to which the AC server 300 (electricity retailer) sells power, based on a planned value (reference value) for power demand of the facility 100 received from the RA server 200. For example, the control unit 330 may instruct the communication unit 310 to send a DR request based on the reference value and adjustable amount received from the RA server 200.

[0073] (Power Supply Control Method) A power supply control method according to the embodiment will be described below. Here, a case where the distributed power supply controlled by the RA server 200 is the power storage device 120 will be exemplified.

[0074] 6, in step S10, the RA server 200 acquires the identification information. As described above, the identification information may be received from the AC server 300 as described in Option 1, may be received from the facility 100 as described in Option 2, or may be managed by the management unit 220 as described in Option 3.

[0075] In step S20, the RA server 200 receives facility information from the facility 100. The facility information may include a planned value for the facility 100's power demand.

[0076] In step S30, the RA server 200 formulates a charge / discharge plan for the storage device 120 based on the planned value for the power demand of the facility 100, and calculates a planned value (reference value) for the overall power demand of the facility 100 controlled by the RA server 200 based on the planned value for the power demand of the facility 100 and the charge / discharge plan for the storage device 120, etc.

[0077] 7, in step S31, the RA server 200 determines, based on the identification information acquired in step S10, whether or not the electricity retailer is the entity that purchases the electricity generated by the facility 100. If the electricity retailer is the entity that purchases the electricity generated by the facility 100, the RA server 200 executes the process of step S32, and if the electricity retailer is not the entity that purchases the electricity generated by the facility 100, the RA server 200 executes the process of step S33.

[0078] In step S32, the RA server 200 executes a first process of identifying a planned value for the power demand of the facility 100 so as to include the power generated by the facility 100 (see the upper part of FIG. 5).

[0079] In step S33, the RA server 200 executes a second process to identify a planned value for the power demand of the facility 100 so as to exclude the power generated by the facility 100 (see the lower part of FIG. 5).

[0080] 6 , in step S40, the RA server 200 transmits the reference value calculated in step S30 to the AC server 300. The AC server 300 may formulate a planned value for the power procurement based on the planned value for the power demand of the facility 100 to which the AC server 300 (electricity retailer) sells power, based on the reference value received from the RA server 200.

[0081] In step S50, the AC server 300 transmits a DR request to the RA server 200. For example, when the actual value of the procured power deviates from the planned value for the procured power, the AC server 300 may transmit a DR request to adjust the deviation. In the DR request, the reference value received in step S40 may be referenced.

[0082] In step S60, the RA server 200 transmits to the facility 100 a control command for controlling the power storage device 120 based on the amount of power adjustment requested in the DR request.

[0083] (Actions and Effects) In the embodiment, when an electricity retailer is the entity purchasing the power generated by the facility 100, the RA server 200 executes a first process of specifying a planned value for the power demand of the facility 100 so as to include the power generated by the facility 100. When an electricity retailer is not the entity purchasing the power generated by the facility 100, the RA server 200 executes a second process of specifying a planned value for the power demand of the facility 100 so as to exclude the power generated by the facility 100. With this configuration, the RA server 200 can appropriately report the planned value for the power demand of the facility 100 to the AC server 300 by using different content to be reported from the RA server 200 to the AC server 300 depending on whether or not the electricity retailer is the entity purchasing the power generated by the facility 100.

[0084] In particular, when the retail electricity supplier is not the entity purchasing the electricity generated by facility 100, the electricity generated by facility 100 that is not managed by the retail electricity supplier is excluded, and therefore, AC server 300 can appropriately formulate a planned value for the procurement electricity based on the planned value for the demand electricity of facility 100.

[0085] [Other Embodiments] The present disclosure has been described with reference to the above-described embodiments, but the descriptions and drawings that form part of this disclosure should not be understood as limiting the present invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples, and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

[0086] Although not specifically mentioned in the above disclosure, under the assumption that the generated power and consumed power are expressed in absolute values, the (surplus) generated power may be the power obtained by subtracting the consumed power of the facility 100 (so-called self-consumption power) from the generated power of the facility 100. The self-consumption power may include power consumed by the discharged power of the power storage device 120 (so-called boost effect). Alternatively, when (surplus) generated power occurs, the power storage device 120 may not be discharged.

[0087] In the above disclosure, the amount of electric energy may be expressed in kWh, etc. Power is the amount of electric energy per unit time, and may be expressed in kW, etc. When there is no particular influence of the time factor, the amount of electric energy and power may be interpreted interchangeably.

[0088] In the above disclosure, the case where the distributed power source controlled by the RA server 200 is the power storage device 120 has been exemplified. However, the above disclosure is not limited to this. The distributed power source controlled by the RA server 200 may be a fuel cell device 130 or a diesel generator.

[0089] In the above disclosure, a case has been described in which the RA server 200 and the AC server 300 are separate servers. However, the above disclosure is not limited to this. The RA server 200 and the AC server 300 may be a single server. In such a case, the function corresponding to the RA server 200 may be referred to as a VPP function, and the function corresponding to the AC server 300 may be referred to as a retail function.

[0090] Although not specifically mentioned in the above disclosure, a program may be provided that causes a computer to execute each process performed by the RA server 200. The program may also be recorded on a computer-readable medium. Using the computer-readable medium, the program can be installed on a computer. Here, the computer-readable medium on which the program is recorded may be a non-transitory recording medium. The non-transitory recording medium is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM.

[0091] Alternatively, a chip may be provided that is configured by a memory that stores programs for executing the processes performed by the RA server 200 and a processor that executes the programs stored in the memory.

[0092] The above disclosure may have the following problems and effects.

[0093] The power management apparatus submits the planned value for the power procurement to a third party organization to check the imbalance.

[0094] Here, a case is assumed in which a power supply control device that controls distributed power sources installed in a facility controls the distributed power sources instead of the power management device. In such a case, the power management device acquires a planned value for the facility's power demand from the power supply control device, and determines a planned value for the procurement power based on the planned value acquired from the power supply control device.

[0095] However, the entity that purchases the generated power is not limited to the case where it is the same as the entity of the power management device, but may also be different from the entity of the power management device. If the entity that purchases the generated power of the facility is different from the entity of the power management device, the generated power of the facility cannot be included in the planned value for power procurement.

[0096] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a power supply control device and a power supply control method that enable the power supply control device to appropriately report a planned value related to the power demand of a facility to a power management device.

[0097] The above disclosure may be expressed as follows:

[0098] The first feature of the power supply control device is that it comprises a control unit that controls distributed power sources installed in a facility, and a transmission unit that transmits a planned value for the facility's demand for power to a power management device belonging to a retail electricity supplier that sells electricity to the facility, wherein the control unit executes a first process to identify a planned value for the facility's demand for power to include the facility's generated power when the retail electricity supplier is the entity that purchases the facility's generated power, and executes a second process to identify a planned value for the facility's demand for power to exclude the facility's generated power when the retail electricity supplier is not the entity that purchases the facility's generated power.

[0099] The second feature is a power supply control device that, in the first feature, identifies information indicating whether a retail electricity supplier is the entity purchasing the electricity generated by the facility based on information received from the power management device.

[0100] A third feature is a power supply control device according to the first feature, wherein the control unit determines, based on information received from the facility, whether the retail electricity supplier is an entity that purchases the electricity generated by the facility.

[0101] A fourth feature is that, in the first feature, the power supply control device further includes a management unit that manages information regarding the distributed power source, and the control unit determines, based on the information managed by the management unit, whether the retail electricity supplier is an entity that purchases the electricity generated by the facility.

[0102] A fifth feature is a power supply control device in which, in at least one of the first to fourth features, the generated power of the facility is surplus power obtained by subtracting the power consumption of the facility from the output power output from a power generation device installed in the facility.

[0103] A sixth feature is a power supply control method comprising the steps of: controlling a distributed power source installed in a facility; transmitting a planned value for the facility's power demand to a power management device belonging to a retail electricity supplier that sells electricity to the facility; executing a first process to identify a planned value for the facility's power demand to include the power generated by the facility if the retail electricity supplier is an entity that purchases the power generated by the facility; and executing a second process to identify a planned value for the facility's power demand to exclude the power generated by the facility if the retail electricity supplier is not an entity that purchases the power generated by the facility.

[0104] 1...power supply control system, 11...network, 12...power system, 100...facility, 110...solar cell device, 120...power storage device, 130...fuel cell device, 140...load equipment, 160...EMS, 190...measuring device, 200...RA server, 210...communication unit, 220...management unit, 230...control unit, 300...AC server, 310...communication unit, 320...management unit, 330...control unit

Claims

1. A power supply control device comprising: a control unit that controls distributed power sources installed in a facility; and a transmission unit that transmits a planned value related to the facility's power demand to a power management device belonging to a retail electricity supplier that sells electricity to the facility, wherein the control unit executes a first process to identify a planned value related to the facility's power demand so as to include the power generated by the facility when the retail electricity supplier is the entity that purchases the power generated by the facility; and executes a second process to identify a planned value related to the facility's power demand so as to exclude the power generated by the facility when the retail electricity supplier is not the entity that purchases the power generated by the facility.

2. The power supply control device of claim 1, wherein the control unit identifies information indicating whether a retail electricity supplier is the entity purchasing the electricity generated by the facility based on information received from the power management device.

3. The power supply control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether the retail electricity supplier is the entity purchasing the electricity generated by the facility based on information received from the facility.

4. A power supply control device as described in claim 1, comprising a management unit that manages information regarding the distributed power source, and the control unit determines whether the retail electricity supplier is the entity that purchases the electricity generated by the facility based on the information managed by the management unit.

5. A power supply control device according to claim 1, wherein the generated power of the facility is surplus power obtained by subtracting the power consumption of the facility from the output power output from a power generation device installed in the facility.

6. A power supply control method comprising the steps of: controlling a distributed power source installed in a facility; transmitting a planned value for the facility's power demand to a power management device belonging to a retail electricity supplier that sells electricity to the facility; executing a first process to identify a planned value for the facility's power demand so as to include the power generated by the facility, if the retail electricity supplier is the entity that purchases the power generated by the facility; and executing a second process to identify a planned value for the facility's power demand so as to exclude the power generated by the facility, if the retail electricity supplier is not the entity that purchases the power generated by the facility.

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