Information processing device, program, and information processing system

Abstract

This information processing method comprises: an acquisition step (S15) for acquiring distribution information indicating the amount of power that can be provided to each of a plurality of consumers via a local system from a power supply facility capable of outputting power to the local system; and a notification step (S17) for instructing the power supply facility to output the power to the local system when power supplying from a wide area system to the local system is stopped, and for notifying a facility owned by each of the plurality of consumers of an upper limit amount of use of power according to the distribution information.

Description

Information processing method, program, and information processing system

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for allowing a plurality of consumers to share power.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric power information management system that uses a tap to enable private power generation or power sharing with nearby power users to start on a small scale.

[0003] International Publication No. 2019 / 009305

[0004] The present invention provides an information processing method and the like that can support power sharing among a plurality of consumers in an emergency.

[0005] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing method executed by a computer system, and includes an acquisition step of acquiring, from a power supply facility capable of outputting power to a local system, distribution information indicating the amount of power that can be provided to each of a plurality of consumers via the local system, and a notification step of instructing the power supply facility to output power to the local system when power supply from a wide-area system to the local system is stopped, and notifying equipment equipped by each of the plurality of consumers of an upper limit on power usage according to the distribution information.

[0006] A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for causing the computer system to execute the information processing method.

[0007] An information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires, from a power supply facility capable of outputting power to a local system, distribution information indicating the amount of power that can be provided to each of a plurality of consumers via the local system, and a control unit that, when power supply from a wide-area system to the local system is stopped, instructs the power supply facility to output power to the local system and notifies the equipment of each of the plurality of consumers of an upper limit on power usage according to the distribution information.

[0008] The information processing method etc. of the present invention can support the sharing of power among a plurality of consumers in an emergency.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a power sharing system according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a sequence diagram of an operation example 1 of the power sharing system according to the embodiment. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of allocation information. Fig. 4 is a sequence diagram of an operation example 2 of the power sharing system according to the embodiment.

[0010] Hereinafter, the 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 forms, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components not recited in independent claims will be described as optional components.

[0011] It should be noted that the drawings are schematic diagrams and are not necessarily strict illustrations. In addition, in the drawings, substantially the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions may be omitted or simplified.

[0012] (Embodiment) [Configuration] First, the configuration of a power sharing system according to an embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a power sharing system according to an embodiment.

[0013] The power sharing system 10 is a system that allows multiple consumers to share power supplied from an emergency power supply facility 30 during emergencies such as planned power outages and sudden power outages. Hereinafter, one of the multiple consumers will be referred to as consumer A, and another of the multiple consumers will be referred to as consumer B. In Figure 1, only consumer A is shown as a representative of the multiple consumers.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the power sharing system 10 includes a group of facilities 20 owned or managed by a consumer A, an emergency power supply facility 30 owned or managed by a business providing the power sharing system 10 or another consumer B, and a server system 40 owned or managed by the business. The business is, for example, a business different from both an electric power company and an electric power retailer, but may also be an electric power company or an electric power retailer. FIG. 1 also illustrates a wide-area communication network 50, a local grid 60, and a wide-area grid 70. In FIG. 1, bold lines represent power lines, and dashed lines represent communication lines. The numbers S12 to S14 and S17 to S18 in FIG. 1 correspond to the steps in the sequence diagram of FIG. 2, which will be described later.

[0015] First, the equipment group 20 will be described. The equipment group 20 is a group of equipment owned or managed by consumer A, and is installed, for example, in a facility (such as a home) owned by consumer A. The equipment group 20 includes a photovoltaic power generation system 21, a power conditioner 22, a storage battery system 23, a distribution board 24, a plurality of loads 25, and a control device 27.

[0016] The solar power generation system 21 is a power generation system that generates power by converting sunlight into electrical energy. The power generated by the solar power generation system 21 is output to a power conditioner 22. Specifically, the solar power generation system 21 is realized by a PV (Photovoltaic) panel or the like.

[0017] The power conditioner 22 is a power conversion device that converts DC power generated by the solar power generation system 21 into AC power, and is sometimes referred to as a PCS (Power Conditioning System). The power conditioner 22 is realized by power conversion circuits such as a DC-DC converter and a DC-AC converter. The power conditioner 22 measures the power generated by the solar power generation system 21 and transmits generated power information indicating the measured generated power to the control device 27. The power conditioner 22 also supplies the power generated by the solar power generation system 21 to multiple loads 25 via the distribution board 24. The power conditioner 22 can charge the storage battery system 23 with the power generated by the solar power generation system 21 and supply power discharged by the storage battery system 23 to multiple loads 25 via the distribution board 24.

[0018] The storage battery system 23 is a system that functions as a power source for the consumer A. The storage battery system 23 is realized by a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery, a charging circuit that charges the secondary battery, and a discharging circuit that discharges the secondary battery. The secondary battery is charged by power generated by the solar power generation system 21 or power supplied from the local grid 60. The DC power discharged by the storage battery system 23 is converted into AC power by the power conditioner 22 and supplied to a plurality of loads 25 via a distribution board 24.

[0019] The distribution board 24 is a device that distributes power supplied from the local grid 60 to a plurality of branch circuits. Loads 25 are connected to the branch circuits. The distribution board 24 includes a power measurement element such as a current transformer (CT) and measures the power consumption of the entire consumer A (power consumption of the main circuit) and the power consumption of each branch circuit in the consumer A. The distribution board 24 also has a communication function and transmits power consumption information indicating the measured power consumption to the control device 27.

[0020] It is not essential that the distribution board 24 has a power measurement function and a communication function. For example, the equipment group 20 may include a smart meter (a power meter with a communication function) in addition to the distribution board 24, and power consumption information indicating the total power consumption of the consumer A may be transmitted from the smart meter to the control device 27.

[0021] The load 25 is a device installed in the consumer A. The multiple loads 25 include lighting equipment, air conditioning equipment, ventilation equipment, air purifiers, electric shutters, electric locks, delivery boxes, and charging / discharging devices for electric vehicles. The multiple loads 25 may also include environmental sensors such as a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor. The multiple loads 25 may also include sensors other than environmental sensors, such as a window sensor that senses whether a window is open or closed.

[0022] The control device 27 is an information terminal having an energy management function, and more specifically, an EMS controller. The control device 27 manages the power generated by the photovoltaic power generation system 21 and the power consumption of the entire consumer A or each branch circuit. The control device 27 can control the power conditioner 22 and the load 25. The control device 27 is not limited to an EMS controller and may be another controller or a gateway device. Like the load 25, the control device 27 operates using power supplied from the distribution board 24.

[0023] Next, the emergency power supply equipment 30 will be described. The emergency power supply equipment 30 is a group of equipment owned or managed by a business operator or a consumer B, and is installed, for example, in a facility (such as a business office or a residence) owned by the business operator or consumer B. The emergency power supply equipment 30 is, for example, a power supply equipment that is used as an auxiliary power source even during normal times, but may also be a power supply equipment dedicated to emergencies. The emergency power supply equipment 30 includes a storage battery system 31, a power conditioner 32, a fuel cell power generation system 33, a power conditioner 34, and a control device 35.

[0024] The storage battery system 31 is a system that functions as a power source for a business operator or consumer B. The storage battery system 31 is realized by a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery, a charging circuit that charges the secondary battery, and a discharging circuit that discharges the secondary battery. The secondary battery is charged with power supplied from the local grid 60. The DC power discharged by the storage battery system 31 is converted to AC power by a power conditioner 32 and output to the local grid 60. The storage battery system 31 is charged with power generated by the solar power generation system 21 or power supplied from the local grid 60, for example.

[0025] The power conditioner 32 is a power conversion device that converts DC power discharged by the storage battery system 31 into AC power, and may be called a PCS or the like. The power conditioner 32 is realized by a power conversion circuit such as a DC-DC converter and a DC-AC converter.

[0026] The fuel cell power generation system 33 is a system that generates electricity using gas such as city gas or LP gas. The fuel cell power generation system 33 can also boil water by transferring the heat generated during power generation to water via a heat exchanger.

[0027] The power conditioner 34 is a power conversion device that converts DC power generated by the fuel cell power generation system 33 into AC power, and is sometimes called a PCS. The power conditioner 34 is realized by a power conversion circuit such as a DC-DC converter and a DC-AC converter.

[0028] The control device 35 is an information terminal having an energy management function, and more specifically, an EMS controller. The control device 35 manages the charging power and discharging power of the storage battery system 31 and the power generated by the fuel cell power generation system 33. The control device 35 can also control the storage battery system 31, the power conditioner 32, the fuel cell power generation system 33, and the power conditioner 34. The control device 35 is not limited to an EMS controller, and may be another controller or a gateway device.

[0029] Next, the server system 40 will be described. The server system 40 performs information processing for sharing the power supplied from the emergency power supply equipment 30. The server system 40 is realized by one or more server devices (cloud servers). The server system 40 is owned or managed by the business operator that provides the power sharing system 10. The server system 40 includes a communication unit 41, an information processing unit 42, and a storage unit 43.

[0030] The communication unit 41 is a communication circuit that enables the server system 40 to communicate with the control devices 27 and 35 via the wide area communication network 50. The communication unit 41 performs, for example, wired communication, but may also perform wireless communication. There are no particular limitations on the communication standard for the communication performed by the communication unit 41.

[0031] The information processing unit 42 performs information processing for sharing the power supplied from the emergency power supply equipment 30. The information processing unit 42 is realized, for example, by a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor. The information processing unit 42 includes, as functional components, an acquisition unit 44, a recording unit 45, and a control unit 46. The functions of the acquisition unit 44, the recording unit 45, and the control unit 46 are realized, for example, by the microcomputer or processor constituting the information processing unit 42 executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 43.

[0032] The storage unit 43 is a storage device that stores computer programs executed by the information processing unit 42. The storage unit 43 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0033] [Operation Example 1] Next, a description will be given of an operation example 1 of the power sharing system 10 when a plurality of consumers including consumer A share power in an emergency. Fig. 2 is a sequence diagram of the operation example 1 of the power sharing system 10.

[0034] In operation example 1, an operation will be described when a planned power outage occurs, in which the supply of power from the wide-area grid 70 to the local grid 60 is stopped (planned) at a predetermined time. The local grid 60 refers to a relatively small-scale grid used by several tens to several hundred consumers, and is assumed to be a grid used by a single city block or a large-scale facility such as a university. The wide-area grid 70 is a grid larger than the local grid 60.

[0035] The predetermined time when the planned power outage will start is notified in advance to the control device 27 by the server system 40. When the predetermined time arrives, the control device 27 controls the loads 25 in a manner that has been set (registered) in advance in the control device 27 by the user of the consumer A in preparation for the planned power outage (S11). For example, the control device 27 operates only the loads 25 designated in advance by the user among the multiple loads 25 using the power generated by the solar power generation system 21 or the power stored in the storage battery system 23. When the predetermined time arrives, the control device 27 may stop the operation of the loads 25 other than the control device 27.

[0036] Meanwhile, when the predetermined time arrives, the control unit 46 of the server system 40 uses the communication unit 41 to transmit a control command to the control device 35 of the emergency power supply equipment 30 to instruct it to output power to the local grid 60 (S12). In other words, when the power supply from the wide-area grid 70 to the local grid 60 is stopped, the control unit 46 instructs the emergency power supply equipment 30 to output power to the local grid 60.

[0037] The control device 35 receives the control command and outputs power to the local grid 60 based on the received control command (S13). The control device 35 may output power from the storage battery system 31 to the local grid 60 via the power conditioner 32, or may output power from the fuel cell power generation system 33 to the local grid 60 via the power conditioner 34, or may perform both.

[0038] After starting to output electric power, the control device 35 transmits first notification information to the server system 40 to notify the amount of electric power output by the emergency power supply equipment 30 (S14).

[0039] The communication unit 41 of the server system 40 receives the first notification information. The memory unit 43 pre-records (stores) allocation information indicating the amount of power that can be provided to each of the multiple consumers, including consumer A. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the allocation information. For example, the recording unit 45 acquires the daily power consumption of each of the multiple consumers by communicating with multiple control devices corresponding to the multiple consumers using the communication unit 41, and can record the ratio of the power consumption of the multiple consumers per unit period (e.g., one month) as the power allocation ratio to the multiple consumers in the memory unit 43, as shown in FIG. The multiple allocation ratios corresponding to the multiple consumers are larger for consumers with larger power consumption per unit period.

[0040] In addition, the recording unit 45 may determine the allocation ratio equally by dividing 100% by the total number of multiple consumers, and record allocation information indicating the equally determined allocation ratio in the memory unit 43.

[0041] The acquisition unit 44 acquires the received first notification information and the allocation information recorded in the storage unit 43 (S15), and the control unit 46 determines the upper limit of usage for the multiple consumers (S16). For example, if the amount of power indicated by the notification information is E and the allocation ratio for consumer A is a%, the upper limit of usage for consumer A is determined to be E×a.

[0042] The control unit 46 transmits second notification information for notifying the determined upper limit usage amount to the control device 27 of the consumer A (and the other multiple consumers) using the communication unit 41 (S17). In other words, the control unit 46 notifies the equipment of each of the multiple consumers of the upper limit usage amount of power according to the allocation information.

[0043] When the control device 27 receives the second notification information, it transitions to an emergency power usage mode in which the load 25 is operated so that the amount of power supplied from the local grid 60 does not exceed the upper limit usage amount (S18). As a result, the consumer A can use the power supplied from the local grid 60 up to the upper limit usage amount notified by the second notification information (for example, operate the stopped load 25) based on a user operation on the control device 27 or the like.

[0044] In this way, according to the power sharing system 10, when the supply of power from the wide-area grid 70 to the local grid 60 is stopped in a planned manner, multiple consumers including consumer A can share the power output from the emergency power supply equipment 30 to the local grid 60. Consumer A can use the power output from the emergency power supply equipment 30 to the local grid 60, in addition to the solar power generation system 21 and the storage battery system 23.

[0045] [Operation Example 2] Next, a description will be given of an operation example 2 of the power share system 10. Fig. 4 is a sequence diagram of the operation example 1 of the power share system 10.

[0046] In the second operation example, an operation when the supply of power from the wide-area grid 70 to the local grid 60 is suddenly stopped will be described.

[0047] The interruption of the power supply from the wide-area grid 70 to the local grid 60 is detected, for example, by a power outage detection system (not shown), and is notified to the server system 40. When the control unit 46 of the server system 40 detects the interruption of the power supply from the wide-area grid 70 to the local grid 60 through communication with the power outage detection system (S21), it transmits power outage notification information to the control device 27 of consumer A (and the control devices of other consumers) using the communication unit 41 (S22).

[0048] When the control device 27 receives the power outage notification information, it transitions from normal mode to emergency mode (S23). When the control device 27 transitions to emergency mode, it stops the operation (power consumption) of all of the multiple loads 25 except for the minimum necessary loads 25. That is, in step S22, when the power supply from the wide-area grid 70 to the local grid 60 suddenly stops, the power outage notification information instructs the first equipment (e.g., the control device) provided in each of the multiple consumers to stop the power consumption by the second equipment other than the first equipment (all loads except for the minimum necessary loads). This prevents the power supply from the local grid 60 to the multiple consumers from being completely stopped.

[0049] After the process of step S23, the same processes as steps S12 to S18 of the first operation example are performed.

[0050] In this way, according to the power sharing system 10, when the supply of power from the wide-area grid 70 to the local grid 60 is suddenly stopped, multiple consumers including consumer A can share the power output from the emergency power supply equipment 30 to the local grid 60. Consumer A can use the power output from the emergency power supply equipment 30 to the local grid 60, in addition to the solar power generation system 21 and the storage battery system 23.

[0051] [Modification] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the allocation information (ledger) is stored (recorded) in the storage unit 43 of the server system 40. However, the allocation information may be recorded using blockchain technology. For example, power management information may be shared by multiple computers (multiple control devices, etc.) corresponding to multiple consumers based on blockchain technology.

[0052] In the above embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, the case where there is one emergency power supply facility 30 has been described, but there may be a plurality of emergency power supply facilities 30. That is, in step S12, a control command may be transmitted to a plurality of emergency power supply facilities 30, and in step S13, power may be output from the plurality of emergency power supply facilities 30 to the local grid 60.

[0053] In the above embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, a distinction is made between consumer A, who receives power in an emergency, and consumer B, who provides power in an emergency. However, consumer A may also provide power in an emergency. Consumer B may also receive power in an emergency. Consumer A and consumer B are both one of multiple consumers that use power from the local grid 60, and there is no clear distinction between them.

[0054] [Effects, etc.] Hereinafter, examples of inventions obtained from the disclosure of this specification will be given, and effects, etc. obtained from the inventions will be described.

[0055] Invention 1 is an information processing method executed by a computer system such as a power sharing system 10, and includes an acquisition step S15 of acquiring allocation information indicating the amount of power that can be provided to each of a plurality of consumers via the local grid 60 from a power supply facility (e.g., emergency power supply facility 30) that can output power to the local grid 60, and a notification step S17 of instructing the power supply facility to output power to the local grid 60 when power supply from the wide-area grid 70 to the local grid 60 is stopped, and notifying equipment (e.g., control device 27) provided by each of the plurality of consumers of the upper limit power usage amount according to the allocation information.

[0056] According to this information processing method, multiple consumers can share the power supplied from the power supply facility during emergencies such as planned power outages and sudden power outages. In other words, the information processing method can support multiple consumers in sharing power during emergencies.

[0057] Invention 2 is an information processing method of Invention 1, in which, in the notification step S17, when the power supply from the wide-area system 70 to the local system 60 is stopped in a planned manner, the power supply equipment is instructed to output power to the local system 60, and the equipment equipped at each of multiple consumers is notified of the upper limit of power usage according to the allocation information.

[0058] According to this information processing method, during a planned power outage, a plurality of consumers can share the power supplied from the power supply facility.

[0059] Invention 3 is an information processing method of Invention 1, in which, in the notification step S17, when the power supply from the wide-area system 70 to the local system 60 is suddenly stopped, the power supply equipment is instructed to output power to the local system 60, and the equipment equipped at each of multiple consumers is notified of the upper limit of power usage according to the allocation information.

[0060] According to this information processing method, in the event of a sudden power outage, a plurality of consumers can share the power supplied from the power supply facility.

[0061] Invention 4 is an information processing method of Invention 3, further including an instruction step S22 for instructing a first facility (e.g., a control device 27) provided in each of a plurality of consumers to stop the consumption of electricity by a second facility other than the first facility when the supply of electricity from the wide-area system 70 to the local system 60 is suddenly stopped, and a notification step S17 is performed after the instruction step S22.

[0062] According to this information processing method, if the power supply from the wide-area grid 70 to the local grid 60 is suddenly stopped, the power supply from the local grid 60 to multiple consumers is prevented from being completely stopped.

[0063] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer system to execute any one of the information processing methods of the first to fourth aspects.

[0064] According to such a program, the computer system can support the sharing of power among multiple consumers in an emergency.

[0065] Invention 6 is an information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit 44 that acquires, from a power supply facility capable of outputting power to the local system 60, allocation information indicating the amount of power that can be provided to each of a plurality of consumers via the local system 60; and a control unit 46 that, when power supply from the wide-area system 70 to the local system 60 is stopped, instructs the power supply facility to output power to the local system 60 and notifies the equipment of each of the plurality of consumers of the upper limit of power usage according to the allocation information.

[0066] Such an information processing system can support the sharing of power among multiple consumers in an emergency.

[0067] (Other Embodiments) Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0068] For example, in the above embodiment, the power sharing system is realized by a plurality of devices. In this case, the processes executed by the devices or systems included in the power sharing system may be distributed to other devices or systems. For example, some or all of the processes executed by the server system may be executed by a control device. Also, the power sharing system may be realized by a single device. The same applies to other systems.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] Furthermore, the general or specific aspects of the present invention 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, or as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0073] For example, the present invention may be realized as the power sharing system, server system, or information processing system according to the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, the present invention may be realized as a method executed by a computer system such as a power sharing system, server system, or information processing system, or as a program for causing a computer system to execute such a method. The present invention may also be realized as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

[0074] In addition, the present invention 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 of the present invention.

[0075] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Power sharing system 20 Equipment group 21 Photovoltaic power generation system 22, 32, 34 Power conditioner 23, 31 Storage battery system 24 Distribution board 25 Load 27 Control device 30 Emergency power supply equipment 33 Fuel cell power generation system 35 Control device 40 Server system 41 Communication unit 42 Information processing unit 43 Storage unit 44 Acquisition unit 45 Recording unit 46 Control unit 50 Wide area communication network 60 Local system 70 Wide area system

Claims

1. An information processing method executed by a computer system, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring, from a power supply facility capable of outputting power to a local system, distribution information indicating the amount of power that can be provided to each of a plurality of consumers via the local system; and a notification step of instructing the power supply facility to output power to the local system when power supply from a wide-area system to the local system is stopped, and notifying the equipment of each of the plurality of consumers of the upper limit of power usage according to the distribution information.

2. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the notification step, when the power supply from the wide-area system to the local system is stopped in a planned manner, the power supply equipment is instructed to output power to the local system, and an upper limit on power usage according to the allocation information is notified to the equipment of each of the plurality of consumers.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the notification step, when the power supply from the wide-area system to the local system is suddenly stopped, the power supply equipment is instructed to output power to the local system, and an upper limit on power usage according to the allocation information is notified to the equipment of each of the plurality of consumers.

4. The information processing method according to claim 3, further comprising an instruction step of instructing a first facility provided in each of the plurality of consumers to stop power consumption by a second facility other than the first facility when power supply from the wide-area system to the local system is suddenly stopped, and the notification step is performed after the instruction step.

5. A program for causing the computer system to execute the information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires, from power supply equipment capable of outputting power to a local grid, distribution information indicating the amount of power that can be provided to each of a plurality of consumers via the local grid; and a control unit that, when power supply from a wide-area grid to the local grid is stopped, instructs the power supply equipment to output power to the local grid and notifies equipment installed in each of the plurality of consumers of an upper limit on power usage according to the distribution information.

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