Information processing device, program, and information processing system

Abstract

This information processing method includes: a grouping step for dividing a plurality of consumers (70) into two or more groups on the basis of a condition related to at least one among the power supply specifications of each of the plurality of consumers (70), the type of equipment installed in each of the plurality of consumers (70), the contents of the power contract of each of the plurality of consumers (70), the lifestyle of each of the plurality of consumers (70), and the region where each of the plurality of consumers (70) is located; and a step for transmitting, to at least one of the two or more groups, a control command for adjusting power supply in a system (60).

Description

Information processing method, program, and information processing system

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing method for adjusting power supply and demand.

[0002] In order to balance the demand (consumption) and supply (generation) of electricity in a power grid, there is known a technology related to demand response, which adjusts the amount of power consumed by consumers in response to a request from a power company. Patent Literature 1 discloses a demand response compatible power control system.

[0003] Patent No. 7482464

[0004] The present invention provides an information processing method and the like that can reduce the amount of information processing required for adjusting power supply and demand.

[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 a grouping step of dividing a plurality of consumers into two or more groups based on conditions related to at least one of the power supply specifications of each of the plurality of consumers, the type of equipment installed in each of the plurality of consumers, the contents of the electricity contract for each of the plurality of consumers, the lifestyle of each of the plurality of consumers, and the area in which each of the plurality of consumers is located, and a step of sending a control command to at least one of the two or more groups to adjust the supply and demand of electricity in the grid.

[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 information processing unit that divides a plurality of consumers into two or more groups based on the power supply specifications of each of the plurality of consumers, the type of equipment installed in each of the plurality of consumers, the contents of the contract for electricity for each of the plurality of consumers, the lifestyle of each of the plurality of consumers, and conditions related to at least one of the areas in which each of the plurality of consumers is located, and a communication unit that transmits a control command to at least one of the two or more groups to adjust the supply and demand of electricity in the grid.

[0008] The information processing method etc. of the present invention can reduce the amount of information processing required for adjusting the supply and demand of electricity.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a power supply and demand adjustment system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a first operation example of the power supply and demand adjustment system according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a plan for adjusting power supply and demand. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a second operation example of the power supply and demand adjustment system according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a group set generated for each time period. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a third operation example of the power supply and demand adjustment system according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a group set generated for each control purpose. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a hierarchical communication network for multiple consumers.

[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 supply and demand adjustment system according to an embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a power supply and demand adjustment system according to an embodiment.

[0013] The power supply and demand adjustment system 10 is a system that controls a group of facilities 30 installed at each of a plurality of consumers 70 in order to adjust the supply and demand of power in a grid 60. Specifically, the power supply and demand adjustment system 10 groups the plurality of consumers 70 based on predetermined conditions, and when adjusting the supply and demand of power, selects a group that is suitable for adjusting the supply and demand of power, and instructs the selected group to control the group of facilities 30.

[0014] As a result, the power supply and demand adjustment system 10 can reduce the amount of information processing by handling multiple consumers 70 as a group in information processing for adjusting power supply and demand, compared to handling multiple consumers 70 individually. The power supply and demand adjustment system 10 can reduce, for example, the amount of information processing when creating a plan for adjusting power supply and demand, and the amount of information processing for transmitting control commands for adjusting power supply and demand.

[0015] Each of the multiple consumers 70 may be a consumer 70 corresponding to a residence, or may be a consumer 70 corresponding to a non-residential building such as a factory. The total number of the multiple consumers 70 to be grouped may be, for example, several hundred to several hundred thousand.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1 , the power supply and demand adjusting system 10 includes a controller 20 and a facility group 30 installed in each of a plurality of consumers 70 , and a server system 40 .

[0017] The controller 20 receives a control command for adjusting the power supply and demand from the server system 40, and controls at least a part of the facility group 30 based on the received control command. The controller 20 is, for example, an EMS (Energy Management System) controller that manages the amount of power consumption in the consumer 70, but may also be another controller or a gateway device.

[0018] The equipment group 30 is a group of equipment owned or managed by the consumer 70, and is installed, for example, in a facility (such as a home) owned by the consumer 70. The equipment group 30 includes at least one of a photovoltaic power generation system, a storage battery system, a fuel cell power generation system, a power conditioner, lighting equipment, air conditioning equipment, ventilation equipment, and a charging / discharging device for an electric vehicle. In other words, the equipment included in the equipment group 30 is an energy resource for the consumer 70, and consumes power supplied from the grid 60. Some equipment, such as the photovoltaic power generation system, is allowed to output power to the grid 60.

[0019] The server system 40 performs information processing for adjusting the supply and demand of power in the grid 60. The server system 40 is realized by one or more server devices (cloud servers). The server system 40 includes a communication unit 41, an information processing unit 42, and a storage unit 43.

[0020] The communication unit 41 is a communication circuit that enables the server system 40 to communicate with the multiple controllers 20 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 communication performed by the communication unit 41.

[0021] The information processing unit 42 performs information processing for adjusting the supply and demand of power in the grid 60. The information processing unit 42 is realized, for example, by a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor. The functions of the information processing unit 42 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.

[0022] The storage unit 43 is a storage device that stores information necessary for adjusting the power supply and demand, such as the computer program executed by the information processing unit 42. The storage unit 43 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0023] The information necessary for adjusting the power supply and demand includes, for example, information (such as communication addresses) that allows the server system 40 to communicate with the multiple controllers 20 corresponding to the multiple consumers 70, and information indicating the adjustable amount (hereinafter also simply referred to as the adjustment amount) of the power supply and demand of the multiple consumers 70. It is assumed that this information is stored in advance in the storage unit 43.

[0024] [Operation Example 1] As described above, multiple consumers 70 can be grouped based on predetermined conditions, and when adjusting the power supply and demand, a group suitable for the adjustment of the power supply and demand can be selected and a command can be issued to the selected group to control the group of facilities 30. Operation Example 1 of the power supply and demand adjustment system 10 will be described below. Figure 2 is a flowchart of Operation Example 1 of the power supply and demand adjustment system 10.

[0025] The information processing unit 42 of the server system 40 groups the multiple consumers 70 (S11). Specifically, the information processing unit 42 divides the multiple consumers 70 into two or more groups based on conditions (in other words, commonalities or similarities) related to at least one of the power supply specifications of each of the multiple consumers 70, the type of equipment installed in each of the multiple consumers 70, the content of the power contracts for each of the multiple consumers 70, the lifestyles of each of the multiple consumers 70, and the areas in which each of the multiple consumers 70 is located. In addition, the information processing unit 42 stores grouping information indicating which consumers 70 belong to which group in the storage unit 43. The grouping conditions and specific examples of grouping will be described later.

[0026] Next, the information processing unit 42 creates a plan for adjusting the power supply and demand (S12). The created plan is stored in the storage unit 43. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a plan for adjusting the power supply and demand. Note that, hereinafter, the period during which the adjustment of the power supply and demand is scheduled to be implemented will be referred to as a target period or a DR (Demand Response) period.

[0027] For example, the information processing unit 42 divides the target period into a plurality of unit periods as necessary, and, for each of the plurality of unit periods, determines the groups that will participate in the adjustment of power supply and demand by solving an optimization problem based on parameters such as the adjustment amount for each of the two or more groups obtained in step S11 and constraints that include at least the adjustment amount required for adjusting power supply and demand. Note that it is not essential that the target period be divided into a plurality of unit periods.

[0028] Thereafter, when the target period arrives, the information processing unit 42 executes control of the group of facilities 30 for the purpose of adjusting the power supply and demand based on the plan created in step S12 (S13). The information processing unit 42 can control the group of facilities 30 under the control of the controller 20 by transmitting a control command to the controller 20 using the communication unit 41. Depending on the plan, there may be groups to which a control command is not transmitted (groups that do not participate in the adjustment of power demand). Therefore, in step S13, it can be said that the communication unit 41 transmits a control command to at least one of the two or more groups obtained in step S11 to adjust the power supply and demand in the grid 60.

[0029] As described above, the power supply and demand adjustment system 10 groups multiple consumers 70 and creates a plan for adjusting power supply and demand in the grid 60 for each group obtained by grouping, thereby reducing the amount of information processing (amount of calculation and communication volume) required to create the plan.

[0030] [Example of grouping based on power supply specifications of consumers] Grouping conditions and specific examples of grouping will be described. As described above, the information processing unit 42 of the server system 40 divides the multiple consumers 70 into two or more groups based on conditions related to at least one of the power supply specifications of each of the multiple consumers 70, the type of equipment installed in each of the multiple consumers 70, the content of the power contract for each of the multiple consumers 70, the lifestyle of each of the multiple consumers 70, and the area in which each of the multiple consumers 70 is located.

[0031] Here, the condition related to the power supply specifications of the consumers 70 is, for example, whether the power supply specifications are the same. Specifically, the power supply specifications refer to single-phase 100V, single-phase 200V, three-phase 200V, etc. The information processing unit 42, for example, assigns only single-phase 100V consumers 70 to group 1, assigns only single-phase 200V consumers 70 to group 2, and so on, thereby minimizing the mixing of consumers 70 with different power supply specifications in each of two or more groups obtained as a result of grouping.

[0032] The power supply specifications at the consumer 70 are stored (registered), for example, in a controller 20 installed at the consumer 70, and the information processing unit 42 can grasp the power supply specifications of the consumer 70 by communicating with the controller 20, for example, using the communication unit 41.

[0033] In this way, the information processing unit 42 can group multiple consumers 70 based on conditions related to the power supply specifications of the consumers 70, thereby reducing the amount of calculation required to create a control plan and improving the adjustment power (hereinafter simply referred to as adjustment power) in adjusting power supply and demand.

[0034] [Example of grouping based on conditions regarding the type of equipment installed at the customer's facility] Conditions regarding the type of equipment installed at the customer's facility 70 include whether the model (vendor) of the controller 20 is the same, whether the equipment group 30 includes a solar power generation system, whether the equipment group 30 includes a battery system, whether the equipment group 30 includes an EV charging facility (EV), etc.

[0035] The information processing unit 42, for example, assigns only consumers 70 that use controllers 20 from vendor A to group 1, assigns only consumers 70 that use controllers 20 from vendor B to group 2, and so on, thereby minimizing the mixing of consumers 70 with different models of controllers 20 in each of the two or more groups obtained as a result of the grouping.

[0036] The model of the controller 20 is stored in advance in the controller 20, and the information processing unit 42 can grasp the type of the controller 20 by communicating with the controller 20 using the communication unit 41, for example.

[0037] Furthermore, the information processing unit 42, for example, assigns only consumers 70 whose facility group 30 includes a photovoltaic power generation system to group 1, assigns only consumers 70 whose facility group 30 does not include a photovoltaic power generation system to group 2, and so on, so as to avoid mixing consumers 70 whose facility group 30 includes a photovoltaic power generation system with consumers 70 whose facility group 30 does not include a photovoltaic power generation system as much as possible in each of the two or more groups obtained as a result of grouping. Note that a photovoltaic power generation system is an example of a power generation facility that is permitted to output power to the grid 60, and the condition regarding the type of facility installed at the consumer 70 in this case can be said to be a condition related to the presence or absence of a power generation facility that is permitted to output power to the grid 60.

[0038] The types of equipment included in the equipment group 30 are stored (registered), for example, in a controller 20 installed at the consumer 70, and the information processing unit 42 can determine the types of equipment included in the equipment group 30 by communicating with the controller 20 using, for example, the communication unit 41.

[0039] In this way, the information processing unit 42 can group multiple consumers 70 based on conditions related to the specifications of the equipment installed at the consumers 70, thereby reducing the amount of calculation required to create a control plan and improving the speed of adjusting electricity supply and demand.

[0040] In other words, grouping based on the presence or absence of a solar power generation system, a storage battery system, or an EV charging facility is grouping based on the type of resource used to adjust the supply and demand of electricity. For example, if multiple consumers 70 that own storage battery systems belong to one group, a plan for adjusting the supply and demand of electricity can be created by treating this group as a virtual storage battery system with a large storage capacity.

[0041] [Example of grouping based on the contents of the consumer's electricity contract] Conditions regarding the contents of the consumer's electricity contract include whether the consumer 70 has a flat-rate electricity contract or a pay-as-you-go electricity contract.

[0042] For example, the information processing unit 42 assigns only consumers 70 who have signed flat-rate electricity contracts to group 1, and only consumers 70 who have signed pay-as-you-go contracts to group 2, and so on, so that in each of the two or more groups obtained as a result of the grouping, consumers 70 who have signed flat-rate electricity contracts and consumers 70 who have signed pay-as-you-go contracts are not mixed together as much as possible.

[0043] The contents of the electricity contract are stored (registered), for example, in a controller 20 installed at the consumer 70, and the information processing unit 42 can grasp the contents of the electricity contract of the consumer 70 by communicating with the controller 20, for example, using the communication unit 41.

[0044] In this way, the information processing unit 42 groups multiple consumers 70 based on the conditions related to the contents of the consumers' 70 electricity contracts, thereby adjusting the supply and demand of electricity in a way that is most beneficial to the consumers 70 in accordance with the contents of the consumers' 70 contracts, and thereby reducing the electricity menu.

[0045] [Example of grouping based on consumer lifestyle] Conditions related to the lifestyle of the consumer 70 are conditions related to the number of people in the household, whether the consumer 70 is a nocturnal type (consuming more electricity at night) or a diurnal type (consuming more electricity during the day), whether the consumer 70 is a residential or non-residential consumer, etc. If the consumer 70 is a factory or the like, conditions related to the lifestyle of the consumer 70 include the operating status of the factory (whether the consumer consumes more electricity during the day or at night), etc.

[0046] For example, the information processing unit 42 assigns consumers 70 with similar lifestyles to the same group, and tries to avoid mixing consumers 70 with dissimilar lifestyles in each of the two or more groups obtained as a result of the grouping.

[0047] The lifestyle of the consumer 70 is determined, for example, by a questionnaire conducted through the controller 20 installed at the consumer 70, and the information processing unit 42 can grasp the lifestyle of the consumer 70 by communicating with the controller 20 using, for example, the communication unit 41.

[0048] In this way, the information processing unit 42 can reduce the impact of adjusting electricity supply and demand on the consumers 70 and improve adjustment capabilities by grouping multiple consumers 70 based on conditions related to the consumers' 70 lifestyles.

[0049] [Example of grouping based on the region where the consumer is located] Conditions related to the region where the consumer 70 is located are regional conditions determined based on the area to which the consumer belongs, such as Kanto or Kansai, the distance from the power plant, the substation under its jurisdiction, the distribution network, the balancing group, and the new power company that provides the electricity (hereinafter also referred to as the area to which the consumer belongs, etc.).

[0050] The information processing unit 42, for example, places consumers 70 that belong to the same (close) area, etc. in the same group, and tries to avoid mixing consumers 70 that belong to different areas, etc. in each of the two or more groups obtained as a result of grouping.

[0051] In addition, the area to which the consumer 70 belongs, etc., is stored (registered), for example, in the controller 20 installed at the consumer 70, and the information processing unit 42 can grasp the area to which the consumer 70 belongs, for example, by communicating with the controller 20 using the communication unit 41.

[0052] In this way, the information processing unit 42 can reduce power loss in adjusting power supply and demand by grouping multiple consumers 70 based on conditions related to the area in which the consumers 70 are located, and can effectively adjust power supply and demand.

[0053] [Example of Grouping Based on Two or More Conditions] Grouping may be performed based on two or more conditions. That is, the information processing unit 42 may divide the multiple consumers 70 into two or more groups based on conditions related to two or more of the power supply specifications of each of the multiple consumers 70, the type of equipment installed in each of the multiple consumers 70, the content of the power contract for each of the multiple consumers 70, the lifestyle of each of the multiple consumers 70, and the area in which each of the multiple consumers 70 is located.

[0054] For example, the information processing unit 42 may group the consumers 70 based on the power supply specifications of the consumers 70 and the area in which the consumers 70 are located, such as group 1 including only consumers that use a single-phase 100V power supply and are located in area A, group 2 including only consumers that use a single-phase 100V power supply and are located in area B, group 3 including only consumers 70 that use a single-phase 200V power supply and are located in area A, and so on.

[0055] [Operation Example 2] The server system 40 may change the grouping method depending on the time period in which the adjustment of power supply and demand is performed. Hereinafter, such an operation example 2 of the power supply and demand adjustment system 10 will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the operation example 2 of the power supply and demand adjustment system 10.

[0056] The information processing unit 42 of the server system 40 groups a plurality of consumers 70 (S21). Specifically, the information processing unit 42 creates a group set for each of a plurality of time periods to be used in that time period. The information processing unit 42 also stores grouping information indicating the group set in the storage unit 43. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a group set created for each time period.

[0057] 5 , the information processing unit 42 divides the plurality of consumers 70 into m groups, groups A1 to Am, based on a first condition, and defines group set A as a group set for use in time period A. Similarly, the information processing unit 42 divides the plurality of consumers 70 into n groups, groups B1 to Bn, based on a second condition different from the first condition, and defines group set B as a group set for use in time period B. The first condition and the second condition are appropriately determined empirically or experimentally by combining the above-mentioned conditions, for example.

[0058] Next, the information processing unit 42 creates a plan for adjusting the power supply and demand (S22). The created plan is stored in the storage unit 43. For example, the information processing unit 42 divides the target period into multiple unit periods as needed, and, for each of the multiple unit periods, determines the groups that will participate in the power supply and demand adjustment by solving an optimization problem based on parameters such as the adjustment amount for each of two or more groups and constraints that include at least the adjustment amount necessary for the power supply and demand adjustment. At this time, as described in step S21, the group set used for each time period is changed, such that if the time period to which the unit period belongs is time period A, group set A is used, and if the time period to which the unit period belongs is time period B, group set B is used. In other words, the information processing unit 42 divides the multiple consumers 70 into two or more groups based on conditions that differ depending on the time period in which the power supply and demand adjustment is performed.

[0059] Thereafter, when the target period arrives, the information processing unit 42 executes control of the equipment group 30 for the purpose of adjusting the power supply and demand based on the plan created in step S22 (S23). The processing of step S23 is the same as the processing of step S13.

[0060] As described above, the power supply and demand adjustment system 10 may divide the multiple consumers 70 into two or more groups based on different conditions depending on the time period in which the power supply and demand adjustment is implemented. This allows the power supply and demand adjustment system 10 to optimize grouping, for example, by performing grouping taking into account fluctuations in electricity rates for each time period.

[0061] [Operation Example 3] The server system 40 may change the grouping method depending on the control purpose of the power supply and demand adjustment. The control purpose of the power supply and demand adjustment, in other words, is the method of adjusting the power supply and demand, and specifically means peak cutting, demand suppression, frequency adjustment control, and distribution network voltage control. Hereinafter, such operation example 3 of the power supply and demand adjustment system 10 will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart of operation example 3 of the power supply and demand adjustment system 10.

[0062] The information processing unit 42 of the server system 40 groups a plurality of consumers 70 (S31). Specifically, the information processing unit 42 creates a group set for each of a plurality of control objectives to be used for that control objective. The information processing unit 42 also stores grouping information indicating the group set in the storage unit 43. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a group set created for each control objective.

[0063] 7 , the information processing unit 42 divides the plurality of consumers 70 into m groups, X1 to Xm, based on a first condition, and defines the group set X as a group set for use in peak cutting. Similarly, the information processing unit 42 divides the plurality of consumers 70 into n groups, Y1 to Yn, based on a second condition different from the first condition, and defines the group set Y as a group set for use in demand suppression. The first condition and the second condition are appropriately determined empirically or experimentally by combining the above-mentioned conditions, for example.

[0064] In addition, for groups used for demand suppression, it is considered effective for consumers 70 in the same area to belong to the same group, and for groups used for distribution network voltage control, it is considered effective for consumers 70 connected to the same distribution line (fader) to belong to the same group.

[0065] Next, the information processing unit 42 creates a plan for adjusting the power supply and demand (S32). The created plan is stored in the storage unit 43. For example, the information processing unit 42 divides the target period into multiple unit periods as needed, and, for each of the multiple unit periods, determines the groups that will participate in the power supply and demand adjustment for each of the multiple unit periods by solving an optimization problem based on parameters such as the adjustment amount for each of two or more groups and constraints that include at least the adjustment amount required for the power supply and demand adjustment. At this time, as described in step S31, the group set used is changed for each control purpose, such as using group set X if the control purpose of the power supply and demand adjustment is peak cutting, and using group set Y if the control purpose of the power supply and demand adjustment is demand suppression. In other words, the information processing unit 42 divides the multiple consumers 70 into two or more groups based on conditions that differ depending on the control purpose of the power supply and demand adjustment.

[0066] Thereafter, when the target period arrives, the information processing unit 42 executes control of the equipment group 30 for the purpose of adjusting the power supply and demand based on the plan created in step S32 (S33). The processing of step S33 is the same as the processing of step S13.

[0067] As described above, the power supply and demand adjustment system 10 may divide the multiple consumers 70 into two or more groups based on different conditions depending on the control purpose of the adjustment of power supply and demand. In this way, the power supply and demand adjustment system 10 can effectively adjust the power supply and demand by performing grouping appropriate for the control purpose.

[0068] [Modification: Hierarchical Communication Network] A plurality of consumers 70 belonging to one group (each of two or more groups obtained by grouping) may form a hierarchical communication network (e.g., a tree-type communication network). Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a hierarchical communication network formed by a plurality of consumers 70. Note that Fig. 8 shows the configuration of the hierarchical communication network simply for the purpose of explanation, and the number of groups and the number of consumers 70 belonging to one group are smaller than the actual number.

[0069] 8, when a plurality of controllers 20 corresponding to a plurality of consumers 70 belonging to one group (group 1 or group 2) form a hierarchical communication network, control commands transmitted from the server system 40 to the plurality of controllers 20 are transmitted according to the hierarchical communication network. This reduces the number of nodes to which one node transmits control commands (in other words, controls), thereby reducing the amount of information processing and communication traffic at one node.

[0070] In order to construct a hierarchical network, the information processing unit 42 of the server system 40, for example, after performing grouping or creating a plan for adjusting the power supply and demand, constructs a hierarchical communication network with multiple controllers 20 corresponding to multiple consumers 70 participating in the adjustment of the power supply and demand, and notifies each of the multiple controllers 20 of the structure of the communication network (which controller 20 to receive control commands from and which controller 20 to transmit control commands to).

[0071] In addition, instead of multiple consumers 70 belonging to one group (each of two or more groups obtained by grouping) forming a hierarchical communication network, multiple consumers 70 before being grouped (all consumers 70 to be grouped) may form a hierarchical communication network.

[0072] [Variation: Group Overlap] Furthermore, in grouping, one consumer 70 may be allowed to belong to multiple groups (specifically, multiple groups included in one group set). That is, one consumer 70 may be a member of multiple groups. This makes it possible to optimize the adjustment of power supply and demand from multiple perspectives.

[0073] [Variation: System that Performs Grouping] The server system 10 is, for example, a system used by a resource aggregator, and is a system that communicates with another system used by an aggregation coordinator. The resource aggregator is a business that controls the facility group 30 based on a contract with the consumer 70. The aggregation coordinator is a business that trades the amount of power generated by the resource aggregator's control of the facility group 30 with a general electricity transmission and distribution business operator or an electricity retailer. The other system is, for example, a system realized by one or more servers, similar to the server system 10.

[0074] Here, the grouping in the above embodiment may be performed by another system used by the aggregation coordinator, instead of the server system 10. Furthermore, the grouping may be performed by both the server system 10 and the other system. For example, the first stage of grouping may be performed by the other system, and the server system 10 may perform a second stage of grouping in which the groups obtained by the first stage of grouping are further divided into smaller groups.

[0075] Furthermore, in cases where the aggregation coordinator and the resource aggregator operate a single system, the server system 10 and the other system may be integrated.

[0076] [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.

[0077] Invention 1 is an information processing method executed by a computer system such as an electricity supply and demand adjustment system 10, and includes a grouping step of dividing a plurality of consumers 70 into two or more groups based on the power supply specifications of each of the plurality of consumers 70, the type of equipment installed in each of the plurality of consumers 70, the contents of the electricity contract for each of the plurality of consumers 70, the lifestyle of each of the plurality of consumers 70, and conditions related to at least one of the areas in which each of the plurality of consumers 70 is located, and a step of transmitting a control command to at least one of the two or more groups to adjust the electricity supply and demand in the grid 60.

[0078] This information processing method can reduce the amount of information processing by handling multiple consumers 70 as groups in information processing for adjusting electricity supply and demand, compared to handling multiple consumers 70 individually.

[0079] Invention 2 is the information processing method of Invention 1, in which the conditions relate to the power supply specifications of each of the multiple consumers 70.

[0080] Such an information processing method can group a plurality of consumers 70 based on the power supply specifications of each of the plurality of consumers 70 .

[0081] Invention 3 is the information processing method of Invention 1 or 2, in which the condition relates to the type of equipment installed in each of the multiple customers 70.

[0082] Such an information processing method can group a plurality of consumers 70 based on the type of equipment installed in each of the consumers 70 .

[0083] Invention 4 is the information processing method of Invention 3, in which an EMS controller is installed in each of the multiple consumers 70, and the condition is related to the type of EMS controller.

[0084] Such an information processing method can group multiple consumers 70 based on the type of EMS controller installed in each of the multiple consumers 70.

[0085] Invention 5 is the information processing method of Invention 3, in which at least some of the multiple consumers 70 are equipped with power generation equipment that is permitted to output power to the grid 60, and the condition relates to the presence or absence of the power generation equipment.

[0086] Such an information processing method can group a plurality of consumers 70 based on whether or not each of the consumers 70 has a power generation facility.

[0087] A sixth aspect of the present invention is the information processing method of any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, wherein the condition relates to the content of a contract for electricity for each of the plurality of consumers 70 .

[0088] Such an information processing method can group a plurality of consumers 70 based on the contents of the contract for the power of each of the plurality of consumers 70 .

[0089] Invention 7 is the information processing method of any one of Inventions 1 to 6, in which the condition is related to the lifestyle of each of the multiple consumers 70.

[0090] Such an information processing method can group a plurality of consumers 70 based on the lifestyle of each of the consumers 70 .

[0091] Invention 8 is the information processing method of any one of Inventions 1 to 7, wherein the condition is related to an area in which each of the multiple consumers 70 is located.

[0092] Such an information processing method can group multiple consumers 70 based on the area in which each of the multiple consumers 70 is located.

[0093] Invention 9 is an information processing method of any of Inventions 1 to 8, in which, in each of two or more groups, a plurality of consumers 70 form a hierarchical communication network, and control commands for each of the two or more groups are transmitted according to the hierarchical communication network.

[0094] According to such an information processing method, the number of nodes to which one node sends control commands (in other words, controls) is reduced, thereby reducing the amount of information processing and communication volume in one node.

[0095] Invention 10 is the information processing method of any one of Inventions 1 to 9, wherein in the grouping step, the plurality of consumers 70 are divided into two or more groups based on different conditions according to the purpose of control for adjusting the power supply and demand.

[0096] Such an information processing method can effectively adjust the supply and demand of electricity.

[0097] Invention 11 is an information processing method according to any one of Inventions 1 to 10, in which in the grouping step, multiple consumers 70 are divided into two or more groups based on different conditions depending on the time period during which adjustment of power supply and demand is carried out.

[0098] Such an information processing method can effectively adjust the supply and demand of electricity.

[0099] A twelfth aspect of the present invention is the information processing method of any one of the first to eleventh aspects of the present invention, wherein in the grouping step, one customer 70 is allowed to belong to multiple groups.

[0100] Such an information processing method can optimize the adjustment of power supply and demand from multiple perspectives.

[0101] A thirteenth 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 twelfth aspects.

[0102] According to such a program, the computer system can reduce the amount of information processing by handling multiple consumers 70 in groups when processing information to adjust electricity supply and demand, compared to handling multiple consumers 70 individually.

[0103] Invention 14 is an information processing system including an information processing unit 42 that divides a plurality of consumers 70 into two or more groups based on conditions related to at least one of the power supply specifications of each of the plurality of consumers 70, the type of equipment installed in each of the plurality of consumers 70, the contents of the power contract for each of the plurality of consumers 70, the lifestyle of each of the plurality of consumers 70, and the area in which each of the plurality of consumers 70 is located, and a communication unit 41 that transmits a control command to at least one of the two or more groups to adjust power supply and demand in the grid 60. The power supply and demand adjustment system 10 or the server system 40 is an example of such an information processing system.

[0104] Such an information processing system can reduce the amount of information processing by handling multiple consumers 70 in groups when processing information to adjust electricity supply and demand, compared to handling multiple consumers 70 individually.

[0105] (Other Embodiments) Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0106] For example, in the above embodiment, the power supply and demand adjustment system is realized by a plurality of devices. In this case, the processes executed by the devices or systems included in the power supply and demand adjustment 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 controller. Furthermore, the power supply and demand adjustment system may be realized by a single device.

[0107] 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.

[0108] 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.

[0109] 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.

[0110] 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.

[0111] For example, the present invention may be realized as the power supply and demand adjustment 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 supply and demand adjustment 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.

[0112] 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.

[0113] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Power supply and demand adjustment system 20 Controller 30 Equipment group 40 Server system 41 Communication unit 42 Information processing unit 43 Storage unit 50 Wide area communication network 60 System 70 Consumer

Claims

1. An information processing method executed by a computer system, comprising: a grouping step of dividing a plurality of consumers into two or more groups based on conditions related to at least one of the power supply specifications of each of the plurality of consumers, the type of equipment installed in each of the plurality of consumers, the contents of the electricity contract for each of the plurality of consumers, the lifestyle of each of the plurality of consumers, and the area in which each of the plurality of consumers is located; and a step of transmitting a control command to at least one of the two or more groups to adjust the supply and demand of electricity in the grid.

2. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the condition relates to a power supply specification for each of the plurality of consumers.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the condition relates to the type of equipment installed in each of the plurality of customers.

4. The information processing method according to claim 3, wherein an EMS (Energy Management System) controller is installed in each of the plurality of consumers, and the condition relates to a type of EMS controller.

5. The information processing method according to claim 3, wherein at least some of the plurality of consumers are provided with power generation facilities that are permitted to output electric power to the grid, and the condition relates to the presence or absence of the power generation facilities.

6. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the conditions relate to the content of a contract for electricity for each of the plurality of consumers.

7. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the conditions relate to the lifestyles of each of the plurality of consumers.

8. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the condition relates to an area in which each of the plurality of consumers is located.

9. An information processing method as described in claim 1, wherein in each of the two or more groups, a plurality of consumers form a hierarchical communication network, and the control command for each of the two or more groups is transmitted according to the hierarchical communication network.

10. An information processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the grouping step, the plurality of consumers are divided into the two or more groups based on the conditions that differ depending on the control purpose of the adjustment of the power supply and demand.

11. An information processing method as described in claim 1, wherein in the grouping step, the plurality of consumers are divided into the two or more groups based on the conditions that differ depending on the time period during which the adjustment of the power supply and demand is carried out.

12. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein in said grouping step, one consumer is allowed to belong to a plurality of groups.

13. A program for causing the computer system to execute the information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. An information processing system comprising: an information processing unit that divides a plurality of consumers into two or more groups based on the power supply specifications of each of the plurality of consumers, the type of equipment installed in each of the plurality of consumers, the contents of the electricity contract for each of the plurality of consumers, the lifestyle of each of the plurality of consumers, and conditions related to at least one of the areas in which each of the plurality of consumers is located; and a communication unit that transmits control commands to at least one of the two or more groups to adjust the supply and demand of electricity in the grid.

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