Hot water supply system and control method

Abstract

Provided is a hot water supply system capable of, if an inappropriate hot water storage plan is created or a hot water storage plan cannot be acquired in a system for automatically creating a hot water storage plan, disabling operation based on the automatically created hot water storage plan. The hot water supply system comprises: a heat source machine; a server that calculates a first hot water storage plan defining a target hot water storage amount of a hot water storage tank for hot water generated by the heat source machine and transmits the first hot water storage plan to a control device of the heat source machine, the control device controlling the heat source machine so as to achieve the first hot water storage plan and to generate hot water; and a selection means that selects one of the first hot water storage plan and a second hot water storage plan. The control device controls the heat source machine on the basis of the first hot water storage plan when the selection means selects the first hot water storage plan, and controls the heat source machine on the basis of the second hot water storage plan when the selection means selects the second hot water storage plan.

Description

Hot water supply system and control method

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-150047, filed on August 30, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Hot water supply systems are used to supply hot water to kitchens and bathing facilities in restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals, welfare facilities, and other facilities. In these systems, a heat source unit heats water and stores the heated water in a hot water storage tank. The hot water stored in the hot water storage tank is then supplied to the kitchens, bathing facilities, and other facilities. To efficiently operate the hot water supply system, a method has been proposed for automatically generating a hot water storage plan by predicting future hot water demand and meeting the daily demand forecast while avoiding hot water shortages (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, in some cases, the hot water demand forecast may be significantly off due to a lack of learning data, resulting in a hot water storage plan that deviates from the actual situation. In other cases, in a system configuration in which a hot water storage plan created by a server is received by a controller of the heat source unit, the desired operation may not be possible if the hot water storage plan cannot be received due to a communication failure or other reason.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-181852

[0004] In a system that automatically creates hot water storage plans, a hot water supply system is needed that can disable operation based on the automatically created hot water storage plan if an inappropriate hot water storage plan is created or if the hot water storage plan cannot be obtained due to a communication failure, etc.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a hot water supply system and a control method that can solve the above problems.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a hot water supply system includes a heat source machine, a server that calculates a first hot water storage plan that sets a target hot water storage amount in a hot water storage tank that stores hot water generated by the heat source machine and transmits the first hot water storage plan to a control device of the heat source machine, and the control device that controls the heat source machine to generate hot water so that the first hot water storage plan can be achieved, and the control device also includes a selection means that selects either the first hot water storage plan or a second hot water storage plan set by a user, and when the selection means selects the first hot water storage plan, the control device controls the heat source machine based on the first hot water storage plan, and when the selection means selects the second hot water storage plan, the control device controls the heat source machine based on the second hot water storage plan.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a control method is a control method for a hot water supply system comprising a heat source machine, a server that calculates a first hot water storage plan that sets a target hot water storage amount in a hot water storage tank that stores hot water generated by the heat source machine and transmits the first hot water storage plan to a control device of the heat source machine, and the control device that controls the heat source machine to generate hot water so that the first hot water storage plan can be achieved, and accepts a selection of either the first hot water storage plan or a second hot water storage plan set by a user, and causes the control device to control the heat source machine based on the first hot water storage plan when the first hot water storage plan is selected, and to control the heat source machine based on the second hot water storage plan when the second hot water storage plan is selected.

[0008] According to the hot water supply system and control method described above, it is possible to disable the operation of the hot water supply system based on the automatically created hot water storage plan.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a hot water supply system according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hot water storage plan creation process according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a diagram explaining a margin setting process according to an embodiment. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of an invalidation process on the server side according to an embodiment. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of an invalidation process on the controller side according to an embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a hot water supply system according to an embodiment.

[0010] <Embodiments> The following describes, with reference to the drawings, a process for disabling operation of a hot water supply system based on an automatically generated hot water storage plan depending on the situation. (System Configuration) FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hot water supply system according to each embodiment. As illustrated, the hot water supply system 100 includes a hot water storage tank 1, a heat source unit 2, a remote control 3, a server 10, and an edge terminal 30. The heat source unit 2 includes a refrigerant circuit including, for example, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. The heat source unit 2 heats feedwater by heat exchange in the condenser to generate hot water. The heat source unit 2 sends the generated hot water to the hot water storage tank 1, which stores the hot water. The hot water storage tank 1 is equipped with a water level sensor 1a that measures the amount of stored hot water. A controller 20 acquires the measurement value of the water level sensor 1a and controls the heat source unit 2 so that the amount of stored hot water measured by the water level sensor 1a reaches a target value. Then, the hot water storage tank 1 supplies hot water to a load-side facility in an amount according to demand.

[0011] The server 10, the controller 20, and the edge terminal 30 are computers equipped with processors. The controller 20 and the server 10 are connected to each other via the edge terminal 30 for communication. The server 10 is a server located outside the facility where the hot water storage tank 1 and the heat source unit 2 are installed, for example, in a data center. The server 10 performs tasks such as forecasting hot water demand and creating a hot water storage plan that defines the amount of hot water to be stored in the hot water storage tank 1 per unit time. The controller 20 controls the heat source unit 2 based on the hot water storage plan created by the server 10 so that the amount of hot water stored in the hot water storage tank 1 reaches a target value. Methods for forecasting demand and creating a hot water storage plan are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-40696. The edge terminal 30 is located in the facility where the heat source unit 2 and the like are installed, and mediates communication between the server 10 and the controller 20 by transmitting information about the heat source unit 2 and the hot water storage tank 1 (such as measurements from various sensors) to the server 10 and receiving the hot water storage plan from the server 10.

[0012] The server 10 includes a hot water storage plan creation unit 11 , a hot water storage plan setting unit 12 , a determination unit 13 , a switch 14 , a UI (user interface) 15 , a memory unit 16 , and a transmission unit 17 .

[0013] The hot water storage plan creation unit 11 automatically creates a hot water storage plan. The hot water storage plan is, for example, a target hot water storage amount for each hour in the hot water storage tank 1. The automatic creation of the hot water storage plan will be explained next with reference to Figure 2. The hot water storage plan setting unit 12 accepts the setting of the hot water storage plan created by the user.

[0014] The determination unit 13 determines whether the hot water storage plan to be sent to the controller 20 should be the plan automatically created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11 or the plan whose setting has been accepted by the hot water storage plan setting unit 12. For example, if there is no problem with the hot water storage plan automatically created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11, the determination unit 13 selects the plan automatically created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11, and if there is a problem with the automatically created hot water storage plan, such as when the demand forecast deviates from the actual demand, the determination unit 13 selects the plan whose setting has been accepted by the hot water storage plan setting unit 12.

[0015] The switch 14 selects either the hot water storage plan created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11 or the hot water storage plan accepted by the hot water storage plan setting unit 12, based on a user operation or a selection by the determination unit 13. The switch 14 may be a physical switch or may be a switch realized by software.

[0016] The UI 15 displays the measured value (water level) of the water level sensor 1a, the monitored values ​​such as the outside temperature, etc., transmitted from the controller 20. The UI 15 provides an interface that allows the user to input various setting information (for example, a hot water storage plan). The memory unit 16 accumulates the measured value of the water level sensor 1a, the monitored values ​​such as the outside temperature, etc., transmitted from the controller 20. The accumulated information becomes learning data that is used to construct a demand prediction model used to automatically create a hot water storage plan. The transmitter 17 transmits the hot water storage plan to the controller 20.

[0017] The controller 20 includes a hot water storage plan acquisition unit 21, a determination unit 22, and a switch 23. The hot water storage plan acquisition unit 21 acquires a hot water storage plan from the server 10 or the remote control 3. The hot water storage plan acquired from the server 10 may be an automatically created plan or a plan set by a user. If the hot water storage plan sent from the server 10 cannot be received by the controller 20 due to a communication failure or the like, or if there is a problem with the hot water storage plan sent from the server 10 (if it deviates from actual demand), the hot water storage plan acquisition unit 21 acquires a hot water storage plan set using the remote control 3.

[0018] The determination unit 22 determines whether the hot water storage plan used to control the heat source unit 2 should be the hot water storage plan received from the server 10 or the hot water storage plan set from the remote control 3. For example, if the determination unit 22 can receive a hot water storage plan from the server 10, it selects the hot water storage plan received from the server 10, and if it cannot receive a hot water storage plan, it selects the hot water storage plan set from the remote control 3.

[0019] The switch 23 selects either the plan received from the server 10 or the plan set from the remote control 3 based on a user operation or a selection made by the determination unit 22. The switch 23 may be a physical switch or may be a switch realized by software.

[0020] (Creating a hot water storage plan) Next, a method for creating a hot water storage plan will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hot water storage plan creation process according to an embodiment. The hot water storage plan creation unit 11 includes a demand forecasting unit 111, a plan creation unit 112, and a margin processing unit 113.

[0021] The demand prediction unit 111 is equipped with a demand prediction model that outputs the demand for hot water when the outside temperature, day of the week, weather, month, season, and time period are input. The demand prediction model is constructed by machine learning or the like using learning data accumulated in the memory unit 16. The demand prediction unit 111 acquires explanatory variables such as the outside temperature for each hour over the next 24 hours and inputs them into the demand prediction model to predict the demand for hot water for each hour.

[0022] The plan creation unit 112 creates a hot water storage plan that specifies a target hot water storage amount for each hour over the next 24 hours. The plan creation unit 112 is equipped with a power consumption estimation model that outputs the power consumption required to boil a unit volume (e.g., 1 L) of hot water when the outside air temperature, the inlet water temperature of the water supplied to the heat source unit 2, and the boil-up temperature are input. The plan creation unit 112 creates a hot water storage plan by solving an optimization problem in which the objective function is to minimize the amount of power consumption per day and the constraint is to satisfy the hourly demand predicted by the demand prediction model. For example, the plan creation unit 112 creates a hot water storage plan that satisfies the predicted hourly demand using any method, and calculates the hourly hot water storage amount, inflow amount (amount of hot water supplied by the heat source unit 2), outflow amount, and power consumption when the hot water storage plan is executed. The plan creation unit 112 simulates the following operation: if the amount of hot water stored at that time is below the target amount of hot water stored indicated in the hot water storage plan for each hour, the heat source unit 2 will heat water; if it is equal to or greater than the target amount of hot water stored, the heat source unit 2 will not heat water. The amount of hot water stored is calculated by adding the amount of hot water stored one hour ago to the amount of inflow in the immediately preceding hour, and then subtracting the amount of outflow in the immediately preceding hour. The plan creation unit 112 modifies the hot water storage plan to search for a hot water storage plan that meets the hourly demand for hot water and minimizes the sum of the daily power consumption. In this way, the hot water storage plan is created.

[0023] The margin processing unit 113 sets a margin for the hot water storage plan created by the plan creation unit 112. Margin processing is a process for modifying (correcting) the created hot water storage plan with an emphasis on hot water shortages and energy conservation. For example, hot water shortages are a problem that must be avoided for the hot water supply system 100, especially in cold regions. In order to ensure a minimum amount of hot water storage that can avoid hot water shortages, the margin processing unit 113 raises the target hot water storage amount for a time period in the created hot water storage plan where the target hot water storage amount is below a certain value. Figure 3 is a graph showing an example of a hot water storage plan after margin processing. In the graph of Figure 3, the vertical axis represents the hot water storage amount and the horizontal axis represents time. L1 represents the hot water storage plan after margin processing, and L2 represents the hot water demand predicted by the demand prediction unit 111. Because the demand for times t0-t1, t2-t3, and t4-t5 is less than 20%, the target hot water storage capacity for those times in the hot water storage plan calculated by the plan creation unit 112 through optimization calculation may also be calculated as less than 20%. To avoid a hot water shortage, the user sets a 20% margin via the UI 15. The margin processing unit 113 then raises the target hot water storage capacity for those times in the hot water storage plan created by the plan creation unit 112 to 20%. Therefore, in the hot water storage plan L1 of FIG. 3, the target hot water storage capacity for times t0-t1, t2-t3, and t4-t5 is set to 20%. The margin setting is not limited to the lower limit of the target hot water storage capacity. For example, a coefficient such as "1.2" or "0.8" may be set. If a coefficient of 1.2 is set, the margin processing unit 113 multiplies the target hot water storage capacity for each time period in the hot water storage plan created by the plan creation unit 112 by 1.2. The margin setting value "1.2" is a setting to avoid running out of hot water. "0.8" is a setting to reduce power consumption. As explained above, the hot water storage plan creation unit 11 predicts the demand for hot water, calculates a target hot water storage amount that can minimize power consumption while meeting the predicted demand, and performs margin processing on the calculated target hot water storage amount to avoid running out of hot water, etc., thereby automatically creating a hot water storage plan.

[0024] Such automatically generated hot water storage plans may deviate from actual demand. For example, the accuracy of the demand forecast may be insufficient due to insufficient learning data used to construct the demand forecast model, or unexpected events or bad weather may result in unexpected demand. In such cases, operating the hot water supply system 100 based on the automatically generated hot water storage plan may result in problems such as a hot water shortage. In such cases, the hot water supply system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 can operate based on the hot water storage plan corresponding to actual demand by setting a hot water storage plan corresponding to actual demand in the server 10 and switching the switch 14 to the hot water storage plan setting unit 12. Alternatively, by switching the switch 23 from the server 10 to the remote control 3 and setting a hot water storage plan corresponding to actual demand (not necessarily for 24 hours, but also for the target hot water storage amount for the next few hours) from the remote control 3, the hot water supply system 100 can be operated based on the hot water storage plan corresponding to actual demand.

[0025] Even if the hot water storage plan created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11 has appropriate content, there is a possibility that the hot water storage plan cannot be sent to the controller 20 due to a communication failure or the like. In such a case, by switching the switch 23 of the controller 20 from the server 10 to the remote control 3 and setting a hot water storage plan according to actual demand from the remote control 3, the hot water supply system 100 can be operated based on the hot water storage plan according to actual demand.

[0026] The process of invalidating the hot water storage plan automatically created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11 due to reasons such as an incorrect demand forecast or a communication failure, and instead adopting a hot water storage plan created by the user, is called invalidation processing. Next, an example of the invalidation processing will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0027] (Operation) (Invalidation Process of Server 10) First, the process of the server 10 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the invalidation process on the server side according to the embodiment. As a premise, the switch 14 is set to select a hot water storage plan automatically created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11. The hot water storage plan creation unit 11 creates a hot water storage plan (step S1). Next, the hot water storage plan creation unit 11 performs margin processing (step S2). The hot water storage plan creation unit 11 outputs the hot water storage plan after margin processing to the transmission unit 17. The transmission unit 17 transmits the hot water storage plan automatically created by the hot water storage plan creation unit 11 to the controller 20 (step S3). The transmitted hot water storage plan is received by the edge terminal 30, and the edge terminal 30 transmits the received hot water storage plan to the controller 20. The controller 20 receives the hot water storage plan and stores the received hot water storage plan in its own storage medium. Next, it is determined whether there is a problem with the automatically created hot water storage plan (step S4). This determination may be made by the user or by the determination unit 13. For example, if the predicted outdoor temperature used to automatically create the hot water storage plan differs from the current and future predicted outdoor temperatures, the user determines that there is a problem with the automatically created hot water storage plan. For example, the user checks whether there has been a sudden change in the load-side facility that affects hot water demand, and if there is a change, determines that there is a problem with the automatically created hot water storage plan. For example, when the heat source unit 2 operates based on the automatically created hot water storage plan, the determination unit 13 compares the hourly target hot water storage volume indicated by the automatically created hot water storage plan with the actual hot water storage volume indicated by the monitor value transmitted from the heat source unit 2 (the value measured by the water level sensor 1a). If it is confirmed that the two values ​​differ by more than a predetermined value (or if it is confirmed that the difference has continued for a predetermined period of time), the determination unit 13 determines that there is a problem with the automatically created hot water storage plan. If it determines that there is a problem, the determination unit 13 may display on the UI 15 that the actual hot water storage volume differs from the target hot water storage volume and notify the user that the target hot water storage volume has not been achieved. If it is determined that there is no problem (step S4; No), the process of FIG. 4 ends.

[0028] If it is determined that there is a problem (Step S4; Yes), the hot water storage plan setting unit 12 switches the switch 14 to select the accepted hot water storage plan (Step S5). For example, the user may physically operate the switch 14 to switch it, or if the switch is implemented by software, the user may issue a switch-switching instruction, causing the switch 14 to select the hot water storage plan set by the user. If the determination unit 13 determines that there is a problem in Step S4, the determination unit 13 may instruct the switch 14 to switch so that the switch 14 selects the hot water storage plan set by the user, rather than the automatically created hot water storage plan. When the switch 14 is switched, the hot water storage plan setting unit 12 accepts the hot water storage plan setting (Step S6). The user creates a hot water storage plan based on actual demand and inputs it to the server 10. The hot water storage plan setting unit 12 receives the input hot water storage plan and outputs it to the transmission unit 17. The transmission unit 17 transmits the hot water storage plan accepted by the hot water storage plan setting unit 12 to the controller 20 (Step S7). The transmitted hot water storage plan is received by the edge terminal 30, and the edge terminal 30 transmits the received hot water storage plan to the controller 20. The controller 20 receives the hot water storage plan and overwrites the hot water storage plan transmitted in step S3.

[0029] (Disabling Process of Controller 20) Next, the process of the controller 20 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the disabling process on the controller side according to the embodiment. As a premise, the switch 23 is set to select the hot water storage plan received from the server 10. The controller 20 receives the hot water storage plan through the edge terminal 30 (step S11). The controller 20 records the hot water storage plan in its own storage medium (step S12). Next, it determines whether there is a problem with the reception of the hot water storage plan (step S13). This determination may be made by the user or the determination unit 22. For example, the user checks whether there is a problem with communication between the server 10 and the edge terminal 30 (or the controller 20). For example, the determination unit 13 checks the contents of the hot water storage plan recorded in step S12, and determines that there is a problem with the reception of the hot water storage plan if the hot water storage plan is not recorded or the target hot water storage amount has not been changed. If it is determined that there is no problem (step S13; No), the controller 20 controls the heat source unit 2 based on the hot water storage plan received in step S1 (step S16).

[0030] If it is determined that there is a problem (Step S13; Yes), the switch 23 is switched to select the hot water storage plan set from the remote control 3 (Step S14). For example, the user may operate the physical switch 23 to switch it, or if the switch is implemented by software, the user may issue a switch-switching instruction, causing the switch 23 to select the hot water storage plan set from the remote control 3. If the determination unit 22 determines that there is a problem in Step S13, the determination unit 13 may instruct the switch 23 to switch so that the switch 23 selects the hot water storage plan set from the remote control 3 instead of the hot water storage plan received from the server 10. When the switch 23 is switched, the hot water storage plan acquisition unit 21 accepts the hot water storage plan setting (Step S15). The user creates a hot water storage plan based on actual demand and inputs the created hot water storage plan to the controller 20 by operating the remote control 3. The hot water storage plan acquisition unit 21 acquires the input hot water storage plan. The controller 20 controls the heat source unit 2 based on the hot water storage plan acquired in Step S15 (Step S16).

[0031] The communication failure may be determined by the server 10, not limited to the flowchart of Fig. 5. For example, when the transmitter 17 receives a signal indicating a transmission error or the like when transmitting a hot water storage plan, the determination unit 13 may determine that a communication failure has occurred, and may display the occurrence of the communication failure on the UI 15 to notify the user that the hot water storage plan could not be transmitted. Upon seeing this notification, the user manually switches the switch 23 to the remote control 3 side and sets the hot water storage plan using the remote control 3.

[0032] (Effects) As described above, according to this embodiment, the operation of the hot water supply system based on the automatically created hot water storage plan can be disabled depending on the situation, and the hot water supply system can be operated based on an alternative hot water storage plan. For example, in a situation where the content of the automatically created hot water storage plan is inappropriate, the hot water supply system 100 can be controlled based on the appropriate hot water storage plan by switching the switch 14 of the server 10 to send the hot water storage plan set by the user to the controller 20, or by switching the switch 23 to obtain the hot water storage plan set from the remote control 3.

[0033] If the controller 20 is unable to receive the hot water storage plan from the server 10 due to a communication failure, the controller 20 can control the hot water supply system 100 based on the appropriate hot water storage plan by switching the switch 23 and obtaining the hot water storage plan set from the remote control 3.

[0034] In the above embodiment, the server 10 is provided with the switch 14 and the controller 20 is provided with the switch 23, but the server 10 may be provided with the switch 14 and the controller 20 may not be provided with a switch. In this configuration, a function may be implemented that allows a new hot water storage plan to be set from the remote control 3 in the event of a communication failure. The server 10 may not be provided with the switch 14, and the controller 20 may be provided with the switch 23.

[0035] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a hot water supply system according to each embodiment. The computer 900 includes a CPU 901, a main storage device 902, an auxiliary storage device 903, an input / output interface 904, and a communication interface 905. The above-described server 10, controller 20, and edge terminal 30 are implemented in the computer 900. The above-described functions are stored in the auxiliary storage device 903 in the form of a program. The CPU 901 reads the program from the auxiliary storage device 903, loads it into the main storage device 902, and executes the above-described processing in accordance with the program. The CPU 901 allocates a storage area in the main storage device 902 in accordance with the program. The CPU 901 allocates a storage area in the auxiliary storage device 903 for storing data being processed in accordance with the program.

[0036] In addition, a program for implementing all or part of the functions of the server 10, controller 20, and edge terminal 30 may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program may be loaded into a computer system and executed to perform processing by each functional unit. The term "computer system" as used herein includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. If a WWW system is used, the term "computer system" also includes the homepage provision environment (or display environment). The term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as CDs, DVDs, and USBs, as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into the computer system. If the program is distributed to the computer 900 via a communication line, the computer 900 may load the program into the main storage device 902 and execute the above-described processing. The program may be for implementing part of the above-described functions, or may be capable of implementing the above-described functions in combination with a program already stored in the computer system.

[0037] As described above, several embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described, but all of these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims, as well as in the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0038] <Additional Notes> The hot water supply system and the control method described in each embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0039] (1) A hot water supply system according to a first aspect includes a heat source machine, a server that calculates a first hot water storage plan that sets a target hot water storage amount for a hot water storage tank that stores hot water produced by the heat source machine and transmits the first hot water storage plan to a control device of the heat source machine, and the control device that controls the heat source machine to produce hot water so that the first hot water storage plan is achieved, and further includes a selection means that selects either the first hot water storage plan or a second hot water storage plan set by a user, and when the selection means selects the first hot water storage plan, the control device controls the heat source machine based on the first hot water storage plan, and when the selection means selects the second hot water storage plan, the control device controls the heat source machine based on the second hot water storage plan. This makes it possible to disable operation of the hot water supply system based on the automatically created first hot water storage plan.

[0040] (2) A hot water supply system according to a second aspect is the hot water supply system of (1), wherein the server includes the selection means of the server, a reception means of the server that receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan, and a transmission means that transmits the first hot water storage plan or the second hot water storage plan selected by the selection means of the server to the control device. This makes it possible to disable operation of the hot water supply system based on the first hot water storage plan and operate the hot water supply system based on the second hot water storage plan.

[0041] (3) A hot water supply system according to a third aspect is the hot water supply system of (1) to (2), wherein the control device includes the selection means of the control device and a reception means of the control device that receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan. This makes it possible to disable the operation of the hot water supply system based on the first hot water storage plan and set the hot water storage plan in the control device regardless of the state of the server or the state of communication with the server.

[0042] (4) A hot water supply system according to a fourth aspect is the hot water supply system of (1) to (2), wherein the control device includes a means for determining whether a communication failure with the server has occurred, the selection means of the control device, and a receiving means of the control device for receiving the setting of the second hot water storage plan. Thus, even if a communication failure with the server occurs, the operation of the hot water supply system based on the first hot water storage plan can be disabled and the hot water storage plan can be set by the control device.

[0043] (5) A hot water supply system according to a fifth aspect is the hot water supply system of (2), wherein, when the first hot water storage plan deviates from the amount of hot water storage actually required, the receiving means of the server receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan, the selecting means of the server selects the second hot water storage plan, and the transmitting means transmits the second hot water storage plan to the control device. As a result, when the first hot water storage plan is inappropriate, operation of the hot water supply system based on the first hot water storage plan can be disabled, and the hot water supply system can be operated based on the hot water storage plan set by the control device.

[0044] (6) A hot water supply system according to a sixth aspect is the hot water supply system of (3), wherein, when the first hot water storage plan deviates from the amount of hot water storage actually required, the receiving means of the control device receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan, and the selecting means of the control device selects the second hot water storage plan. As a result, when the first hot water storage plan is inappropriate, operation of the hot water supply system based on the first hot water storage plan can be disabled, and the hot water supply system can be operated based on the hot water storage plan set by the control device.

[0045] (7) A hot water supply system according to a seventh aspect is the hot water supply system of (3), wherein, when a communication failure occurs between the server and the control device, the receiving means of the control device receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan, and the selecting means of the control device selects the second hot water storage plan. As a result, when the hot water storage plan cannot be received from the server due to a communication failure, operation of the hot water supply system based on the first hot water storage plan can be disabled, and the hot water supply system can be operated based on the hot water storage plan set by the control device.

[0046] (8) A control method according to an eighth aspect is a control method for a hot water supply system comprising a heat source machine, a server that calculates a first hot water storage plan that sets a target hot water storage amount for a hot water storage tank that stores hot water generated by the heat source machine and transmits the first hot water storage plan to a control device of the heat source machine, and the control device that controls the heat source machine to generate hot water so that the first hot water storage plan can be achieved, and accepts a selection of either the first hot water storage plan or a second hot water storage plan set by a user, and causes the control device to control the heat source machine based on the first hot water storage plan when the first hot water storage plan is selected, and to control the heat source machine based on the second hot water storage plan when the second hot water storage plan is selected.

[0047] According to the hot water supply system and control method described above, it is possible to disable the operation of the hot water supply system based on the automatically created hot water storage plan.

[0048] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Hot water storage tank 1a...Water level sensor 2...Heat source unit 3...Remote control 10...Server 11...Hot water storage plan creation unit 12...Hot water storage plan setting unit 13...Determination unit 14...Switch 15...UI 16...Memory unit 17...Transmission unit 20...Controller 21...Hot water storage plan acquisition unit 22...Determination unit 23...Switch 30...Edge terminal 100...Hot water supply system 900...Computer 901...CPU 902...Main memory device 903...Auxiliary memory device 904...Input / output interface 905...Communication interface

Claims

1. A hot water supply system comprising a heat source machine, a server that calculates a first hot water storage plan that sets a target hot water storage amount in a hot water storage tank that stores hot water generated by the heat source machine and transmits the first hot water storage plan to a control device of the heat source machine, and the control device that controls the heat source machine to generate hot water so that the first hot water storage plan can be achieved, and a selection means that selects either the first hot water storage plan or a second hot water storage plan set by a user, wherein when the selection means selects the first hot water storage plan, the control device controls the heat source machine based on the first hot water storage plan, and when the selection means selects the second hot water storage plan, the control device controls the heat source machine based on the second hot water storage plan.

2. The hot water supply system of claim 1, wherein the server comprises: the selection means of the server; a reception means of the server that receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan; and a transmission means that transmits the first hot water storage plan or the second hot water storage plan selected by the selection means of the server to the control device.

3. A hot water supply system as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the control device comprises: the selection means of the control device; and a reception means of the control device that receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan.

4. A hot water supply system as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the control device comprises: a means for determining whether a failure has occurred in communication with the server; a selection means of the control device; and a reception means of the control device for receiving the setting of the second hot water storage plan.

5. A hot water supply system as described in claim 2, wherein, when the first hot water storage plan deviates from the amount of hot water storage actually required, the receiving means of the server receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan, the selecting means of the server selects the second hot water storage plan, and the transmitting means transmits the second hot water storage plan to the control device.

6. A hot water supply system as described in claim 3, wherein, when the first hot water storage plan deviates from the amount of hot water storage actually required, the reception means of the control device receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan, and the selection means of the control device selects the second hot water storage plan.

7. A hot water supply system as described in claim 3, wherein, when a communication failure occurs between the server and the control device, the reception means of the control device receives the setting of the second hot water storage plan, and the selection means of the control device selects the second hot water storage plan.

8. A control method for a hot water supply system comprising a heat source machine, a server that calculates a first hot water storage plan that sets a target hot water storage amount in a hot water storage tank that stores hot water generated by the heat source machine and transmits the first hot water storage plan to a control device of the heat source machine, and the control device that controls the heat source machine to generate hot water so that the first hot water storage plan can be achieved, the control method comprising: accepting a selection of either the first hot water storage plan or a second hot water storage plan set by a user; causing the control device to control the heat source machine based on the first hot water storage plan when the first hot water storage plan is selected, and causing the control device to control the heat source machine based on the second hot water storage plan when the second hot water storage plan is selected.

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