Device and system

Abstract

A device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a calculation unit for calculating, as an adjustable power amount, an amount of power that can be consumed at a site, on the basis of information pertaining to an object which consumes power and information pertaining to the site to which the object is assigned; a first determination unit for determining, on the basis of the adjustable power amount of the site to which power is transmitted, a first adjustable power amount for adjusting a shortage of power and a second adjustable power amount for adjusting a surplus of power; and a control unit for controlling, on the basis of the first adjustable power amount, assignment of the object to the site to which power is transmitted.

Description

Devices and Systems

[0001] The present disclosure relates to devices and systems.

[0002] Solar power generation and wind power generation are well known as typical renewable energy sources. However, in order to generate a sufficient amount of electricity using the power generation facilities of these renewable energy sources, a large site is required. For this reason, a system called self-dispatch has been attracting attention in recent years. Self-dispatch is a system in which electricity generated at power generation facilities in remote locations is transmitted to demand points using the transmission and distribution network operated by the power company. However, self-dispatch requires that the supply and demand balance be matched between the power generation facility and the demand point, and if this supply and demand balance is misaligned, a penalty called an imbalance cost is incurred.

[0003] A known prior art technology that can resolve the imbalance between supply and demand between power generation facilities and demand bases is a technology that uses virtualization technology to move ICT loads between demand bases in time and space (Non-Patent Document 1).

[0004] Ryota Nakamura, Shigeaki Harada, "Proposal of an ICT Load Allocation Method Considering Renewable Energy," March 1, 2022, Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers

[0005] However, conventional techniques may not be able to sufficiently resolve the imbalance between supply and demand.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a technology that can adjust the imbalance in supply and demand between a power generation facility and a demand base.

[0007] An apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a calculation unit that calculates the amount of electricity that can be consumed at the base as an adjustable amount of electricity based on information about an object that consumes electricity and information about a base to which the object is assigned, a first determination unit that determines a first adjustable amount of electricity for adjusting a shortage of electricity and a second adjustable amount of electricity for adjusting a surplus of electricity based on the adjustable amount of electricity of the base to which electricity is transmitted, and a control unit that controls the allocation of the object to the base to which electricity is transmitted based on the first adjustable amount of electricity.

[0008] It is possible to adjust the imbalance between supply and demand between power generation facilities and demand bases.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a supply and demand adjustment device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a supply and demand adjustment device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a pre-adjustment process according to Example 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an adjustable amount of power according to Example 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an adjustable amount of power for surplus power and power shortage according to Example 1. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a supply and demand adjustment process according to Example 1. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a pre-adjustment process according to Example 2. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an adjustable amount of power according to Example 2. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an adjustable amount of power for surplus power and power shortage according to Example 2. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a supply and demand adjustment process according to Example 2.

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] <Background, prior art, and its challenges> In recent years, renewable energy has been attracting attention due to the global trend toward decarbonization, and it is expected that the amount of renewable energy power sources introduced will continue to increase. Solar power generation and wind power generation are known as typical renewable energy sources, and the electricity generated by renewable energy sources such as solar power generation and wind power generation is considered clean electricity. However, in order to generate a sufficient amount of electricity with power generation facilities for these renewable energy sources, a large site is required.

[0012] For this reason, in recent years, a system called self-dispatch has been attracting attention as one of the methods of transmitting electricity. By utilizing self-dispatch, even if the site of a demand base (e.g., data center, business office, factory, etc.) that is the base where electricity is consumed is not large enough, it becomes possible to transmit electricity generated by a power generation facility located on a remote, vast site to the demand base using the power transmission and distribution network operated by the electric power company.

[0013] Here, in self-dispatch, a planned simultaneous balancing amount is required, and if the planned simultaneous balancing amount cannot be met and a deviation occurs in the supply and demand balance between the power generation facility and the demand base, a penalty called an imbalance cost (or imbalance fee) is incurred according to the deviation (surplus or shortage). In other words, in self-dispatch, after matching the power generation facility with the demand base on a one-to-one basis, it is required to match the power generation amount of the power generation facility with the demand amount (power consumption amount) of the demand base.

[0014] In addition, in the case of self-transmission, it is necessary to match power generation facilities with demand bases on a one-to-one basis, and submit the planned power generation amount of the power generation facilities and the planned demand amount of the demand bases every 30 minutes to the Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators, JAPAN (OCCTO) at least one hour before actual demand. If a discrepancy (surplus or shortage) occurs between the planned value and the actual power generation or demand amount, an imbalance fee will be paid according to the integer value (kWh) of the discrepancy rounded off to the nearest decimal point and a separately determined unit price (kWh / yen).

[0015] On the other hand, for example, a sudden change in the amount of demand at a demand base, or a sudden change in the amount of power generated by a power generation facility due to weather changes, can cause a shift in the supply and demand balance between the power generation facility and the demand base.

[0016] While it is conceivable to resolve the above-mentioned imbalance in supply and demand by charging and discharging storage batteries or by saving power at demand bases, there is also known technology that can resolve the above-mentioned imbalance in supply and demand by adjusting the power consumption of ICT loads between demand bases. For example, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that can adjust the imbalance in supply and demand between power generation facilities and demand bases by utilizing virtualization technology to move ICT loads between demand bases across the country in time and space.

[0017] However, conventional technologies may not be able to fully resolve imbalances in supply and demand. For example, even if it is desired to reduce the demand volume at a certain demand base, if the ICT load at that demand base is low, the demand volume cannot be sufficiently reduced even by transferring the ICT load to another demand base. Also, even if it is desired to increase the demand volume at a certain demand base, if the demand base has few available ICT resources, it is not possible to transfer the ICT load at other demand bases, and the demand volume cannot be sufficiently increased. Furthermore, if the ICT resources at a certain demand base are limited to begin with, adjusting the demand volume itself is difficult.

[0018] Therefore, the following describes a demand adjustment device 10 that can adjust the supply-demand balance between power generation facilities and demand bases by controlling the ICT load that demands (consumes) electricity at the demand bases, even when a discrepancy occurs. Hereinafter, ICT loads are classified into two categories: workloads and processing loads. A workload refers to a virtual machine (and the software running on it) that realizes a certain service. Meanwhile, a processing load refers to the load of each of one or more processes that realize a certain service. A specific example of processing load is the inference process of a machine learning model when a certain service uses the inference results of the machine learning model. Objects that demand electricity at demand bases, such as workloads and processing loads, can be controlled in terms of their placement, allocation, etc., and therefore are hereinafter referred to as "control objects." Furthermore, hereinafter, placing control objects at demand bases and allocating control objects to demand bases will be collectively referred to as "allocation."

[0019] In the following, a case where self-consignment is performed is assumed as an example. However, the embodiment described below is not limited to the case where self-consignment is performed, and can be similarly applied to a case where there are multiple candidates for destinations of power generated by each power generation facility, and a destination corresponding to each power generation facility is determined for each power generation facility.

[0020] The demand adjustment device 10 described below is realized by, for example, one or more computers such as general-purpose servers. When the demand adjustment device 10 is realized by multiple computers, the demand adjustment device 10 may be called, for example, a "demand adjustment system."

[0021] <Example of Hardware Configuration of Supply and Demand Adjusting Device 10> An example of the hardware configuration of the supply and demand adjusting device 10 according to this embodiment is shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the supply and demand adjusting device 10 according to this embodiment includes an input device 101, a display device 102, an external I / F 103, a communication I / F 104, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 105, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 106, an auxiliary storage device 107, and a processor 108. Each of these pieces of hardware is connected to each other via a bus 109 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0022] The input device 101 is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a physical button, etc. The display device 102 is, for example, a display, a display panel, etc. Note that the supply and demand adjusting device 10 does not necessarily have to include at least one of the input device 101 and the display device 102, for example.

[0023] The external I / F 103 is an interface with an external device such as a recording medium 103a. Examples of the recording medium 103a include a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), an SD memory card (Secure Digital memory card), and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory card.

[0024] The communication I / F 104 is an interface for connecting to a communication network. The RAM 105 is a volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that temporarily stores programs and data. The ROM 106 is a non-volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that can store programs and data even when the power is turned off. The auxiliary storage device 107 is a non-volatile storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash memory. The processor 108 is a variety of arithmetic devices such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphic processing unit (GPU).

[0025] 1 is an example, and the hardware configuration of the supply and demand adjustment device 10 is not limited to this. For example, the supply and demand adjustment device 10 may have multiple auxiliary storage devices 107 or multiple processors 108, may not have some of the hardware shown in the figure, or may have various hardware other than the hardware shown in the figure.

[0026] <Example of Functional Configuration of Supply and Demand Adjusting Device 10> An example of the functional configuration of the supply and demand adjusting device 10 according to this embodiment is shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the supply and demand adjusting device 10 according to this embodiment includes an execution timing determination unit 201, an information collection unit 202, an adjustable power amount calculation unit 203, a self-consignment pair determination unit 204, a pre-adjustment amount determination unit 205, a control unit 206, a self-consignment information transmission unit 207, and a supply and demand balance determination unit 208. Each of these units is realized, for example, by processing in which one or more programs installed in the supply and demand adjusting device 10 are executed by the processor 108 or the like.

[0027] The execution timing determination unit 201 determines whether or not it is time to execute the advance adjustment process and the supply and demand adjustment process, which will be described later.

[0028] The information collection unit 202 collects information on each power generation facility, information on each demand base, and information on each control target. Note that the power generation facilities are assumed to be power generation facilities using renewable energy sources (e.g., solar power generation, wind power generation, etc.).

[0029] The adjustable power amount calculation unit 203 calculates the adjustable power amount of each demand base based on the information collected by the information collection unit 202. The adjustable power amount is the maximum value of the demand amount (power consumption amount) that can be increased at the demand base by controlling the control target, based on a state in which there is no control target assigned to that demand base. Hereinafter, the adjustable power amount will be described as the maximum value of the demand amount, but the maximum value is an example and is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a value of the demand amount that meets a predetermined condition.

[0030] The self-dispatch pair determination unit 204 determines, for each power generation facility, a pair of the power generation facility and a demand base to which power is transmitted by self-dispatch from the power generation facility (hereinafter also referred to as a self-dispatch pair).

[0031] The advance adjustment amount determination unit 205 determines the advance adjustment amount of each demand base included in each self-wheeling pair based on the adjustable amount of power of the demand base. The advance adjustment amount is the amount of power used to eliminate a supply-demand imbalance when one occurs between the demand base and the power generation facility. The advance adjustment amount is composed of an adjustable amount of power for surplus power and an adjustable amount of power for power shortage, the sum of which coincides with the adjustable amount of power.

[0032] The control unit 206 controls the allocation of control targets for the demand bases included in each self-consignment pair so as to satisfy the adjustable amount of power for the power shortage at the demand base. Furthermore, for a certain self-consignment pair, if a deviation (surplus or shortage) in the supply and demand balance occurs before actual demand, the control unit 206 controls the allocation of control targets so as to eliminate the deviation. For example, if the control target is a workload, the control unit 206 can control the allocation of the workload using existing live migration technology. On the other hand, for example, if the control target is a processing load, the control unit 206 can control the allocation of the processing load using existing processing load setting technology.

[0033] The self-consignment information transmitting unit 207 transmits information about each self-consignment pair (e.g., information including the self-consignment pair and the planned values ​​of the power generation amount and the demand amount for that self-consignment pair) to the self-consignment management system 20 via a communication network such as the Internet. The self-consignment management system 20 is a system that manages information about each self-consignment. The self-consignment management system 20 is managed, for example, by the Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators (OECD) or a party commissioned by the Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators (OECD).

[0034] The supply and demand balance determination unit 208 determines whether or not a deviation (surplus or shortage) in the supply and demand balance has occurred before an actual demand occurs for each self-consignment pair.

[0035] First Embodiment Hereinafter, as a first embodiment, a case where the control target is a workload will be described.

[0036] <Pre-adjustment Process According to First Embodiment> The pre-adjustment process according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0037] The execution timing determination unit 201 determines whether it is time to execute the pre-adjustment process (step S101). The execution timing of the pre-adjustment process can be any timing before actual demand, but for example, it can be when 30 minutes have passed since the previous execution of the pre-adjustment process. This is because self-consignment requires that the supply and demand balance be matched every 30 minutes.

[0038] If it is not determined in step S101 that the execution timing has arrived, the execution timing determination unit 201 returns to step S101. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S101 that the execution timing has arrived, the information collection unit 202 collects information on each power generation facility, information on each demand base, and information on each workload (step S102). Hereinafter, information on power generation facilities will be referred to as "power generation facility information," information on demand bases will be referred to as "demand base information," and information on workloads will be referred to as "workload information." Hereinafter, the power generation facility information includes, for example, the power generation capacity of the power generation facility and location information of the power generation facility. The demand base information includes, for example, the demand amount (power consumption amount) of the demand base itself, the amount of ICT resources possessed by the demand base (e.g., number of CPU cores, amount of memory, etc.), and location information of the demand base. The workload information includes, for example, constraints on the service provided by the workload (e.g., delay constraints, etc.), the amount of ICT resources required by the workload (e.g., number of required CPU cores, amount of required memory, etc.), whether real-time processing is required to realize the service provided by the workload, and location information of users of the service provided by the workload.

[0039] However, it goes without saying that the above-mentioned power generation facility information, demand base information, and workload information are all examples and are not limited to these. For example, the workload information may include the demand amount of the workload (power consumption amount).

[0040] The adjustable power amount calculation unit 203 calculates the adjustable power amount of each demand base based on the demand base information and the workload information (step S103). That is, for each demand base, the adjustable power amount calculation unit 203 calculates, as the adjustable power amount of the demand base, the maximum value of the demand amount (power consumption amount) that can be increased by allocating a workload from a state in which no workload is allocated to the demand base, based on that state. The adjustable power amount 203 can calculate the adjustable power amount of each demand base, for example, by the following steps 1-1 and 1-2. For simplicity, the following describes the case in which the adjustable power amount of a certain demand base is calculated.

[0041] Step 1-1: The adjustable power amount calculation unit 203 identifies all workloads that can be allocated to the demand base using the demand base information of the demand base and each workload information. The adjustable power amount calculation unit 203 can identify all workloads that can be allocated to the demand base using an existing method (e.g., a greedy method) using, for example, the amount of ICT resources included in the demand base information and the amount of required ICT resources included in each workload information.

[0042] Step 1-2: The adjustable power calculation unit 203 calculates the total demand (power consumption) of the workloads identified in step 1-1 above as the adjustable power of the demand base. If the workload power consumption is included in the workload information, that power consumption may be used as the workload power consumption, or it may be calculated from the required ICT resource amount included in the workload information. When calculating from the required ICT resource amount, for example, the power consumption per unit ICT resource amount (e.g., the power consumption per CPU core) may be calculated from the actual power consumption value included in the actual operation data of the demand base, and the required ICT resource amount included in the workload information and the power consumption per unit ICT resource amount may then be used to calculate the workload power consumption.

[0043] Note that depending on constraints of the service provided by a workload (e.g., delay constraints, etc.), the workload may not be able to be allocated to a certain demand base. For this reason, the adjustable power amount 203 may calculate the adjustable power amount of each demand base, for example, by the following steps 2-1 to 2-5. For simplicity, the following describes the case where the adjustable power amount of a certain demand base is calculated.

[0044] Step 2-1: As in step 1-1 above, the adjustable power amount calculation unit 203 identifies all workloads that can be allocated to the demand base using the demand base information of the demand base and each workload information.

[0045] Step 2-2: The adjustable power amount calculation unit 203 identifies all workloads that can be allocated to the demand base using the demand base information of the demand base and each workload information. However, at this time, the adjustable power amount calculation unit 203 also uses constraints on the services provided by each workload to identify workloads that can be allocated to the demand base from among workloads that satisfy the constraints.

[0046] Step 2-3: The adjustable power amount calculation unit 203 calculates the total demand (power consumption) of the workloads identified in step 2-1 above.

[0047] Step 2-4: The adjustable power amount calculation unit 203 calculates the total demand (power consumption) of the workloads identified in step 2-2 above.

[0048] Step 2-5: The adjustable power amount calculation unit 203 calculates the smaller value of the value calculated in step 2-3 above and the value calculated in step 2-4 above as the adjustable power amount of the demand base.

[0049] The adjustable amount of power at a certain demand base is shown in Figure 4. The base power consumption 1100 in the example shown in Figure 4 represents the amount of consumption when no workload is allocated to that demand base. On the other hand, the adjustable amount of power 1200 in the example shown in Figure 4 represents the maximum amount of power consumption that can be increased by allocating a workload. Note that the larger the adjustable amount of power 1200, the more workloads can be allocated, and the more workloads allocated to that demand base can be moved to another demand base. For this reason, it can be said that a demand base with a larger adjustable amount of power is a demand base that can more flexibly resolve imbalances in supply and demand (surplus or shortage).

[0050] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 3 , the self-consignment pair determination unit 204 determines a self-consignment pair for each power generation facility based on the power generation facility information and the adjustable power amount of each demand base (step S104). The self-consignment pair determination unit 204 may determine a self-consignment pair using any method. However, since the larger the power generation capacity of a power generation facility, the greater the difference in power generation amount due to weather changes in general, it is preferable to pair a power generation facility with a larger power generation capacity with a demand base with a larger adjustable power amount. Therefore, the self-consignment pair determination unit 204 may determine a self-consignment pair by, for example, using the power generation capacity included in each power generation facility information and associating each power generation facility with a demand base with a larger adjustable power amount in descending order of power generation capacity.

[0051] The self-consignment information transmitting unit 207 transmits information about each self-consignment pair to the self-consignment management system 20 via a communication network such as the Internet (step S105). The planned values ​​of the power generation amount and demand amount included in the information about the self-consignment pair may be, for example, the power generation amount per 30 minutes of the power generation equipment included in the self-consignment pair.

[0052] The advance adjustment amount determination unit 205 determines the advance adjustment amount for each demand base included in each self-consignment pair based on the adjustable amount of power of the demand base (step S106). That is, the advance adjustment amount determination unit 205 determines the adjustable amount of power for surplus power and the adjustable amount of power for a power shortage of the demand base for each demand base included in each self-consignment pair. The advance adjustment amount determination unit 205 may determine the adjustable amount of power for surplus power and the adjustable amount of power for a power shortage of the demand base using any method. For example, about half of the adjustable amount of power of the demand base may be set as the adjustable amount of power for a power shortage, and the remainder as the adjustable amount of power for surplus power. This makes it possible to adjust both the surplus and shortage of power even if an imbalance in supply and demand occurs in a self-consignment pair.

[0053] The control unit 206 allocates workloads to the demand bases included in each self-consignment pair so as to satisfy the adjustable amount of power for the power shortage of the demand base (step S107). That is, the control unit 206 allocates workloads to the demand bases included in each self-consignment pair so as to minimize the difference between the adjustable amount of power for the power shortage of the demand base and the demand amount (power consumption amount) of the workload to be allocated to the demand base. However, at this time, the control unit 206 allocates the workloads so as to satisfy the constraints of each workload. Furthermore, the control unit 206 allocates workloads that have not been allocated to any of the demand bases included in the self-consignment pair to demand bases that are not included in the self-consignment pair.

[0054] When allocating a workload to a demand base that is not included in a self-consignment pair, the destination demand base may be determined by any method, for example, the demand base with the largest amount of available ICT resources at the time of allocating each workload may be determined as the destination.In addition to this, for example, the demand base with the smallest communication delay may be determined as the destination, or the destination may be determined based on both the amount of available ICT resources and the communication delay.

[0055] Here, FIG. 5 shows the adjustable amount of power for surplus power and the adjustable amount of power for power shortage at a demand base included in a certain self-forwarding pair. The adjustable amount of power 1210 in the example shown in FIG. 5 represents the adjustable amount of power for power shortage. On the other hand, the adjustable amount of power 1220 in the example shown in FIG. 5 represents the adjustable amount of power for surplus power. As a result, when a power shortage occurs as a result of a deviation in the demand balance in the self-forwarding pair, it is possible to resolve the power shortage by moving the workload allocated to the demand base included in the self-forwarding pair to another demand base. On the other hand, when surplus power occurs as a result of a deviation in the demand balance in the self-forwarding pair, it is possible to resolve the surplus power by allocating the workload moved from another demand base to the demand base included in the self-forwarding pair.

[0056] <Supply and Demand Adjustment Processing According to First Embodiment> The supply and demand adjustment processing according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0057] The execution timing determination unit 201 determines whether it is time to execute the supply and demand adjustment process (step S201). The execution timing of the supply and demand adjustment process can be any timing after the preliminary adjustment process and before the actual demand, but for example, it can be when 30 minutes have passed since the previous execution of the supply and demand adjustment process. This is because self-consignment is required to balance the supply and demand every 30 minutes.

[0058] If it is not determined in the above step S201 that the execution timing has arrived, the execution timing determination unit 201 returns to step S201. On the other hand, if it is determined in the above step S201 that the execution timing has arrived, the supply and demand balance determination unit 208 determines whether or not there is a self-consignment pair in which a supply and demand imbalance (surplus or shortage) has occurred (step S202). The supply and demand balance determination unit 208 may determine whether or not a supply and demand imbalance has occurred for each self-consignment pair by any method, but it is possible to make the determination based on, for example, whether or not the demand amount at the demand base included in the self-consignment pair has increased or decreased, or whether or not an increase or decrease in the power generation amount of the power generation facility included in the self-consignment pair is predicted due to weather changes or the like.

[0059] If it is determined in step S202 above that a self-consignment pair in which a supply-demand balance deviation (surplus or shortage) has occurred exists, the supply and demand adjustment device 10 terminates the supply and demand adjustment process. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S202 above that a self-consignment pair in which a supply-demand balance deviation (surplus or shortage) has occurred exists, the control unit 206 controls the allocation of each workload so as to eliminate the deviation (surplus or shortage) (step S203). That is, if the deviation is a surplus, the control unit 206 allocates workloads moved from other demand bases to the demand base included in the self-consignment pair in which the deviation has occurred, and if the deviation is a shortage, the control unit 206 moves the workloads allocated to the demand base included in the self-consignment pair to another demand base. This adjusts the supply and demand balance in the self-consignment pair, and eliminates (or reduces) the deviation.

[0060] Here, there are various types of workloads, and it is assumed that the amount of power consumption varies from one workload to another. Therefore, in the above step S203, it is necessary to calculate a combination of one or more workloads that minimizes the imbalance between supply and demand (hereinafter also referred to as the differential power amount). One example of a method for achieving this is a method using mathematical optimization. Alternatively, a heuristic method can be used as a method that requires less calculation effort and can be calculated in a shorter time than mathematical optimization. Below, a case where mathematical optimization is used and a case where a greedy method is used as an example of a heuristic method will be described.

[0061] However, for simplicity, in the following, it is assumed that when surplus power occurs as a result of a supply-demand imbalance, the workload already allocated to the demand base included in the self-transmission pair where the imbalance occurs is not moved, and when a power shortage occurs, the workload is not moved or allocated to the demand base. Also, it is assumed that the differential power amount is expressed as a positive value.

[0062] When mathematical optimization is used, the differential power amount is defined as L. Furthermore, when there is surplus power, the number of workloads located at demand bases not included in the self-forwarding pair is defined as n, and when there is a power shortage, the number of workloads located at demand bases included in the self-forwarding pair where the power shortage is occurring is defined as n. Furthermore, the power consumption of the i-th (1≦i≦n) workload is defined as w ｉ , a binary variable indicating whether the i-th workload is selected is x ｉ Let each binary variable x ｉ is x ｉ If x = 1, the i-th workload is selected, and ｉ When it is 0, it means that the i-th workload is not selected. In this case, the objective function and constraints are defined as follows.

[0063] Objective function: |L-(x １ ・w １ +...+x ｎ ・w ｎ ) | Constraint: For any i∈{1,...,n}, x ｉ ∈{0, 1} Note that the above objective function represents the difference between the differential power amount L and the total power consumption of the workloads allocated to the corresponding demand base. In addition, the above constraints are ｉ is to ensure that is 0 or 1.

[0064] Then, the value of the above objective function is minimized (x １ , ..., x ｎ ) is calculated. This makes it possible to obtain one or more combinations of workloads that minimize the imbalance between supply and demand. In other words, by solving the combinatorial optimization problem formulated by the above objective function and constraint conditions, it is possible to obtain one or more combinations of workloads that minimize the imbalance between supply and demand as the optimal solution.

[0065] In this case, a combination of one or more workloads that minimizes the imbalance between supply and demand can be found by the following steps 3-1 and 3-2.

[0066] Step 3-1: When there is surplus power, select a workload with the power consumption closest to the power difference L from among workloads located at demand bases not included in the self-dispatch pair, and when there is a power shortage, from among workloads located at demand bases included in the self-dispatch pair where the power shortage is occurring. However, if there is no workload that can be selected, the process ends.

[0067] Step 3-2: Calculate the power difference L' by subtracting the power consumption of the workload selected in step 3-1 from the power difference L. If the absolute value of the power difference L' is greater than the power difference L, cancel the selection and end the process. On the other hand, if the absolute value of the power difference L' is smaller than the power difference L, update L←L' and return to step 3-1.

[0068] In this way, by selecting workloads in order of power consumption closest to the power difference, it is possible to easily select a combination of one or more workloads that minimizes the power difference.

[0069] It is also assumed that workloads that require real-time performance and workloads that do not require real-time performance may coexist with users. Therefore, when determining a workload combination using the mathematical optimization or heuristic method described above, the possibility of allocating workloads in a time period during which an imbalance in supply and demand occurs may be taken into consideration. Specifically, in addition to the workloads that require real-time performance occurring in that time period, workloads that do not require real-time performance and that can be allocated in that time period may be grouped together as a control target group, and the workload combination may be determined using the mathematical optimization or heuristic method described above.

[0070] Furthermore, regarding the amount of power consumption of a workload, it is assumed that there will be a mixture of cases where the amount of power consumption can be controlled as a continuous value by controlling the load factor of the processing of the workload, and cases where such control is not possible and the amount of power consumption of the workload can only be controlled as a discrete value. In this case, when determining the combination of workloads by the above mathematical optimization, if the amount of power consumption of the workload can only be controlled as a discrete value, the constraints of the workload will be set as x ｉ ∈{0, 1}, and if the workload power consumption can be controlled as a continuous value, the constraint of the workload is 0≦x ｉ On the other hand, when determining a combination of workloads using the above greedy method, the above greedy method is first executed for workloads whose power consumption can be controlled only by discrete values, and then the above greedy method is executed for the remaining differential power amount for workloads whose power consumption can be controlled by continuous values.

[0071] Second Embodiment Hereinafter, as a second embodiment, a case where the control target is a processing load will be described.

[0072] Pre-adjustment Processing According to Second Embodiment The pre-adjustment processing according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0073] The execution timing determination unit 201 determines whether or not it is time to execute the preliminary adjustment process, similarly to step S101 in FIG. 3 (step S301).

[0074] If it is not determined in step S101 above that the execution timing has arrived, the execution timing determination unit 201 returns to step S101. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S101 above that the execution timing has arrived, the information collection unit 202 collects information on each power generation facility, information on each demand base, and information on each processing load (step S302). Hereinafter, information on the processing load will be referred to as "processing load information." Processing load information includes, for example, processing load constraints (e.g., delay constraints, etc.), the amount of ICT resources required for the processing load (e.g., required clock frequency, required memory amount, etc.), whether real-time performance is required, etc. However, it goes without saying that this processing load information is just an example and is not limited to this.

[0075] The adjustable power amount calculation unit 203 calculates the adjustable power amount of each demand base based on the demand base information and the processing load information (step S303). That is, for each demand base, the adjustable power amount calculation unit 203 calculates, as the adjustable power amount of the demand base, the maximum value of the demand amount (power consumption amount) that can be increased by allocating a processing load from a state in which no processing load is allocated to the demand base, based on that state. Note that the adjustable power amount calculation unit 203 may calculate the adjustable power amount of each demand base using a method similar to step S103 in FIG. 3.

[0076] Here, the adjustable amount of power at a certain demand base is shown in Figure 8. The base power consumption 2100 in the example shown in Figure 8 represents the amount of consumption when no processing load is allocated to that demand base. On the other hand, the adjustable amount of power 2200 in the example shown in Figure 8 represents the maximum amount of power consumption that can be increased by allocating a processing load. Note that the larger the adjustable amount of power 2200, the more processing load can be allocated, and the more the processing load allocated to that demand base can be allocated to another demand base. For this reason, it can be said that a demand base with a larger adjustable amount of power is a demand base that can more flexibly resolve imbalances in supply and demand (surplus or shortage).

[0077] Returning to the description of Fig. 7, the self-consignment pair determination unit 204 determines a self-consignment pair for each power generation facility based on the information on each power generation facility and the adjustable power amount of each demand base, similar to step S104 in Fig. 3 (step S304).

[0078] The self-consignment information transmitting unit 207 transmits information relating to each self-consignment pair to the self-consignment management system 20 via a communication network such as the Internet, similar to step S105 in FIG. 3 (step S105).

[0079] Similar to step S306 in FIG. 3, the pre-adjustment amount determination unit 205 determines the pre-adjustment amount for each demand base included in each self-transportation pair based on the adjustable power amount of that demand base (step S306).

[0080] The control unit 206 allocates a processing load to each demand base included in each self-consignment pair so as to satisfy the adjustable power amount for the power shortage of the demand base (step S307). That is, the control unit 206 allocates workloads to the demand bases included in each self-consignment pair so as to minimize the difference between the adjustable power amount for the power shortage of the demand base and the demand amount (power consumption amount) of the processing load allocated to the demand base. However, at this time, the control unit 206 allocates the processing loads so as to satisfy the constraints of each processing load. Furthermore, the control unit 206 allocates the processing load that has not been allocated to any demand base included in the self-consignment pair to a demand base that is not included in the self-consignment pair.

[0081] When allocating a processing load to a demand base that is not included in a self-transportation pair, the demand base to which the processing load is to be allocated may be determined by any method, but for example, it is possible to determine the demand base with the largest amount of available ICT resources at the time of allocating each processing load as the allocator destination.In addition to this, for example, the demand base with the smallest communication delay may be determined as the allocation destination, or the allocation destination may be determined based on both the amount of available ICT resources and the communication delay.

[0082] Here, Figure 9 shows the adjustable amount of power for surplus power and the adjustable amount of power for power shortage at a demand base included in a certain self-forwarding pair. The adjustable amount of power 2210 in the example shown in Figure 9 represents the adjustable amount of power for power shortage. On the other hand, the adjustable amount of power 2220 in the example shown in Figure 9 represents the adjustable amount of power for surplus power. As a result, if a power shortage occurs as a result of a deviation in the demand balance in the self-forwarding pair, it is possible to resolve the power shortage by allocating the processing load allocated to the demand base included in the self-forwarding pair to another demand base. On the other hand, if surplus power occurs as a result of a deviation in the demand balance in the self-forwarding pair, it is possible to resolve the surplus power by allocating the processing load allocated to another demand base to the demand base included in the self-forwarding pair.

[0083] <Supply and Demand Adjustment Processing According to Second Embodiment> The supply and demand adjustment processing according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0084] The execution timing determination unit 201 determines whether or not it is time to execute the supply and demand adjustment process, similarly to step S201 in FIG. 6 (step S401).

[0085] If it is not determined that the execution timing has arrived in the above step S401, the execution timing determination unit 201 returns to step S401. On the other hand, if it is determined that the execution timing has arrived in the above step S401, the supply and demand balance determination unit 208 determines whether or not there is a self-consignment pair in which a supply and demand imbalance (surplus or shortage) has occurred, similar to step S402 in Fig. 6 (step S402).

[0086] If it is determined in step S402 above that a self-consignment pair in which a supply-demand balance deviation (surplus or shortage) has occurred does not exist, the supply and demand adjustment device 10 terminates the supply and demand adjustment process. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S402 above that a self-consignment pair in which a supply-demand balance deviation (surplus or shortage) has occurred exists, the control unit 206 controls the allocation of each processing load so as to eliminate the deviation (surplus or shortage) (step S403). That is, if the deviation is a surplus, the control unit 206 allocates the processing load allocated to other demand bases to the demand base included in the self-consignment pair in which the deviation has occurred, and if the deviation is a shortage, the control unit 206 allocates the processing load allocated to the demand base included in the self-consignment pair to the other demand base. This adjusts the supply and demand balance in the self-consignment pair, and eliminates (or reduces) the deviation. At this time, the control unit 206 may calculate a combination of one or more processing loads that minimizes the difference in power amount by mathematical optimization or a heuristic method, similar to step S203 in FIG.

[0087] <Summary> As described above, the supply and demand adjustment device 10 according to this embodiment determines pairs of power generation facilities and demand bases that are the subject of self-dispatch, while securing, as the adjustable amount of power, a range of power amounts that can adjust deviations in the supply and demand balance by controlling the controlled objects. As a result, even if a deviation in the supply and demand balance occurs between the power generation facilities and demand bases that are the subject of self-dispatch, it is possible to adjust (eliminate or reduce) the deviation using the adjustable amount of power. Therefore, the supply and demand adjustment device 10 according to this embodiment can reduce imbalance costs.

[0088] The present invention is not limited to the above-described specifically disclosed embodiments, and various modifications, changes, and combinations with known technologies are possible without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0089] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Supply and demand adjustment device 101 Input device 102 Display device 103 External I / F 103a Recording medium 104 Communication I / F 105 RAM 106 ROM 107 Auxiliary storage device 108 Processor 109 Bus 201 Execution timing determination unit 202 Information collection unit 203 Adjustable power amount calculation unit 204 Self-consignment pair determination unit 205 Advance adjustment amount determination unit 206 Control unit 207 Self-consignment information transmission unit 208 Supply and demand balance determination unit

Claims

1. A device having: a calculation unit that calculates the amount of electricity that can be consumed at a base as an adjustable amount of electricity based on information about an object that consumes electricity and information about a base to which the object is assigned; a first determination unit that determines a first adjustable amount of electricity for adjusting a shortage of electricity and a second adjustable amount of electricity for adjusting a surplus of electricity based on the adjustable amount of electricity of the base to which electricity is transmitted; and a control unit that controls the allocation of the object to the base to which electricity is transmitted based on the first adjustable amount of electricity.

2. The device described in claim 1, wherein the calculation unit calculates as the adjustable power amount a predetermined value of the amount of power consumption that may increase at the base when the target is assigned to the base.

3. The device described in claim 1, further comprising a second determination unit that determines a pair of the base to which power is to be transmitted and the equipment that generates the power to be transmitted to the base based on information regarding the equipment that generates the power and the adjustable amount of power.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first determination unit determines half the amount of adjustable power as the first adjustable power amount and the second adjustable power amount, respectively.

5. The device described in claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the allocation of the target to the base so as to reduce the difference between the amount of power consumption of the base and the amount of power generation of the equipment when the amount of power consumption of the base and the amount of power generation of the equipment no longer match for the pair.

6. The device described in claim 5, wherein the difference includes a case where the amount of electricity consumed by the base exceeds the amount of electricity generated by the equipment, and a case where the amount of electricity generated by the equipment exceeds the amount of electricity consumed by the base.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the target includes one or both of a plurality of workloads each realizing a plurality of services and a plurality of processing loads realizing a service.

8. A system having a calculation unit that calculates the amount of electricity that can be consumed at the base as an adjustable amount of electricity based on information about an object that consumes electricity and information about a base to which the object is assigned; a first determination unit that determines a first adjustable amount of electricity for adjusting a shortage of electricity and a second adjustable amount of electricity for adjusting a surplus of electricity based on the adjustable amount of electricity of the base to which electricity is transmitted; and a control unit that controls the allocation of the object to the base to which electricity is transmitted based on the first adjustable amount of electricity.

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