Service provision system, service provision method, and program

Abstract

A service provision system (10) comprises: a selection unit (44) that selects, on the basis of a prescribed condition, one or more services from among a plurality of energy-related services using a device (21) or an energy reproduction device installed in a consumer house (70); and an output unit (45) that outputs information necessary for providing the selected service.

Description

Service provision system, service provision method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing method and the like for realizing adjustment of power supply and demand.

[0002] In order to balance power demand (consumption) and supply (generation) in a power system, a technology related to demand response that adjusts the power consumption amount at a consumer in response to a request from an electric power company is known. Patent Document 1 discloses a demand response-compatible power control system.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 7482464

[0004] The present invention provides a service provision system and the like that can selectively provide a plurality of services using equipment installed at a consumer.

[0005] A service provision system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a selection unit that selects one or more services from a plurality of energy-related services using equipment installed at a consumer or energy regeneration equipment based on predetermined conditions, and an output unit that outputs information necessary for providing the selected one or more services. The plurality of services include at least one of (1) a first service for performing energy-saving control of the equipment, (2) a second service for performing peak cut at the consumer by controlling the equipment, (3) a third service for prioritizing self-consumption of renewable energy obtained from the energy regeneration equipment by the equipment, (4) a fourth service for selling the energy obtained from the equipment by the renewable energy or a control command to an energy market, (5) a fifth service for performing output of the renewable energy to the grid or energy-saving control of the equipment in response to a request from a retail electricity business operator that sells energy to the consumer, and (6) a sixth service for lending surplus energy at the consumer to other consumers.

[0006] A service provision method according to one aspect of the present invention is a service provision method performed by a computer system, comprising a selection step of selecting one or more services from a plurality of energy-related services using equipment installed at a customer or energy regeneration equipment based on predetermined conditions, and an output step of outputting information necessary for providing the selected one or more services, wherein the plurality of services include at least one of the following: (1) a first service for performing energy-saving control of the equipment; (2) a second service for performing peak shaving at the customer by controlling the equipment; (3) a third service for prioritizing self-consumption of renewable energy obtained from the energy regeneration equipment by the equipment; (4) a fourth service for selling the renewable energy or energy obtained from the equipment by control commands to the energy market; (5) a fifth service for outputting the renewable energy to the grid or performing energy-saving control of the equipment at the request of a retail electricity business operator that sells energy to the customer; and (6) a sixth service for providing surplus energy at the customer to other customers.

[0007] A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for causing the computer system to execute the service provision method.

[0008] The service provision system of the present invention can selectively provide multiple services using equipment installed at the customer's location.

[0009] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a service provision system according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a diagram showing service selection example 1. Figure 3 is a diagram showing service selection example 2. Figure 4 is a diagram showing service selection example 3. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of operation of the service provision system according to an embodiment. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a modified service provision system.

[0010] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection configurations of components, steps, and the order of steps shown in the following embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, components in the following embodiments that are not described in an independent claim will be described as optional components.

[0011] Please note that each figure is a schematic diagram and not necessarily a strictly accurate representation. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted or simplified.

[0012] (Embodiment) [Configuration] First, the configuration of the service provision system according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the service provision system according to the embodiment.

[0013] The service provision system 10 is a system that can provide electricity-related services to each of the multiple customers 70 who have contracts with a particular retail electricity provider. Electricity, in other words, is energy. The retail electricity provider may be, for example, a so-called new power company, but it may also be a former general electricity provider (a major power company). Each of the multiple customers 70 may be a customer 70 corresponding to a residence, or a customer 70 corresponding to a non-residential building such as a factory. The total number of multiple customers 70 is, for example, several hundred to several hundred thousand. The service provision system 10 can be used to adjust the supply and demand of electricity.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the service provision system 10 comprises an EMS (Energy Management System) controller 20, multiple devices 21, and power generation equipment 22 installed at each of the multiple customers 70, as well as an EMS server 30, a control server 40, and a data management server 50.

[0015] The EMS controller 20 is a device that manages the amount of power consumed at customer 70, as measured by a power measuring device (not shown) connected to the EMS controller 20. The amount of power consumed at customer 70 may include not only the total power consumption of the customer's facilities but also the individual power consumption of the equipment 21 installed at customer 70. The EMS controller 20 also receives control commands transmitted by the control server 40 via the EMS server 30 and controls at least some of the multiple equipment 21 and power generation equipment 22 based on the received control commands. The EMS controller 20 communicates with the multiple equipment 21 and power generation equipment 22, for example, via a local communication network.

[0016] Equipment 21 is installed in a facility (such as a residence) corresponding to the customer 70. Equipment 21 includes at least one piece of equipment such as a battery storage system, lighting equipment, air conditioning equipment, ventilation equipment, heat pump water heater, and electric vehicle charging / discharging equipment. The equipment included in Equipment 21 is, in other words, an energy resource at the customer 70, and consumes electricity supplied from the grid 60 or the power generation equipment 22. Equipment 21 is owned by the customer 70, for example, but the battery storage system and other components may be owned by the retail electricity provider or the service provider. In other words, a TPO (Third-Party Ownership) arrangement may be adopted.

[0017] The power generation equipment 22 is installed in a facility corresponding to the customer 70. The power generation equipment 22 is realized, for example, by a solar power generation system and a power conditioner. The power generation equipment 22 may also be a fuel cell power generation system. The power generation equipment 22 is an example of an energy regeneration device that generates renewable energy (electricity) from sunlight. The power generation equipment 22 is permitted to output power to the grid 60. The power generation equipment 22 is owned, for example, by the customer 70, but may also be owned by a retail electricity provider or a service provider. In other words, a TPO (Time, Place, Occasion) configuration may be adopted.

[0018] The EMS server 30 receives power data (information indicating the daily power consumption and power generation of the consumers 70) transmitted by multiple EMS controllers 20 corresponding to multiple consumers 70, and stores (manages) it in association with the identification information of the consumers 70 (EMS controllers 20). The EMS server 30 also provides the power data to the control server 40. The EMS server 30 also receives control commands transmitted by the control server 40 and transmits the received control commands to the EMS controllers 20. The EMS server 30 communicates with the multiple EMS controllers 20 and the control server 40 via a wide-area communication network such as the Internet.

[0019] The control server 40 selects a service to provide to the customer 70 from among multiple services and controls the equipment 21 or power generation equipment 22 under the EMS controller 20 installed at the customer 70 in order to realize the selected service. The control of the equipment 21 or power generation equipment 22 is achieved by transmitting control commands. The control server 40 is a server managed and operated by the service provider. The control server 40 comprises a communication unit 41, an information processing unit 42, and a storage unit 43.

[0020] The communication unit 41 is a communication circuit for the control server 40 to communicate with the EMS server 30 and the data management server 50 via a wide-area communication network. The communication unit 41 may, for example, perform wired communication, but it may also perform wireless communication. There are no particular limitations on the communication standards used by the communication unit 41.

[0021] The information processing unit 42 performs information processing related to the selection of services to be provided to the customer 70 and the control of the equipment 21 or power generation equipment 22 for realizing the selected services. The information processing unit 42 is implemented by, for example, a microcomputer, but may also be implemented by a processor. The information processing unit 42 includes a selection unit 44 and an output unit 45 as functional components. The functions of the selection unit 44 and the output unit 45 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 memory unit 43 is a storage device that stores information necessary to realize the above-mentioned information processing, such as computer programs executed by the information processing unit 42. The memory unit 43 is implemented, for example, by semiconductor memory.

[0023] The control server 40 described above may be a server managed and operated by a resource aggregator, or a server managed and operated by an aggregation coordinator. Furthermore, the control server 40 may be implemented as a server system in which the functions are distributed between a server managed and operated by a resource aggregator and a server managed and operated by an aggregation coordinator. The resource aggregator is a business that directly enters into a VPP (Virtual Power Plant) service contract with the consumer 70 to control resources (equipment 21). The aggregation coordinator is a business that bundles the amount of electricity controlled by the resource aggregator and directly trades electricity with general transmission and distribution companies and retail electricity companies.

[0024] The data management server 50 provides support data to the control server 40. For example, the data management server 50 manages power data received from the control server 40, or power data received from the retail electricity provider's server (not shown), as baseline data, and provides the control server 40 with the amount of power consumed by the customer 70 estimated from the baseline data as support data. The data management server 50 also provides the control server 40 with the electricity sales price (market sales price) when selling the power generated by the power generation equipment 22 or the power obtained from the equipment 21 by control commands to the electricity market as support data. The data management server 50 also performs the bidding process and the process of concluding contracts regarding DR (Demand Response) with retail electricity providers, as described later.

[0025] [Multiple Services] The selection unit 44 of the control server 40 divides a day into 48 time slots, with 30 minutes as the minimum unit, and for each time slot, it selects the service that provides the greatest financial benefit to the customer 70 from among multiple services. Here, as an example of services included in multiple services, seven types of services are described. Note that the selection unit 44 may also choose not to provide a service, in which case all the electricity generated by the power generation equipment 22 will be sold (sold) to the retail electricity provider. The formulas for calculating financial benefits in the following service descriptions are based on the case where no service is provided (when all the generated electricity is sold to the retail electricity provider).

[0026] The first service is a service that reduces electricity costs by performing energy-saving control on equipment 21. Energy-saving control is, in other words, power-saving control. For example, the amount of electricity consumed reduced by energy-saving control multiplied by the purchase price of electricity (electricity rate) becomes the financial benefit for the customer 70. The equipment 21 that is subject to energy-saving control and how to control said equipment 21 are set in advance, for example.

[0027] The second service is a service that performs peak reduction at customer 70 by controlling equipment 21. If peak reduction reduces the maximum value of electricity usage in 30-minute intervals over the past year, it will result in a financial benefit for customer 70 by lowering the basic charge in the electricity rate contract between customer 70 and the retail electricity provider.

[0028] The third service is a service that maximizes (prioritizes) the self-consumption of electricity generated from the power generation equipment 22. The monetary benefit for the consumer 70 is calculated as the expected self-consumption of the expected amount of electricity generated × (purchase price - sale price).

[0029] The fourth service is the sale of generated electricity or electricity obtained from equipment 21 via control commands to the electricity market. The expected amount of electricity generated × (market selling price - selling price) becomes the monetary profit for the consumer 70.

[0030] The fifth service is a service (DR service) that provides a surplus of electricity to the retail electricity provider with which the customer 70 has a contract, at the request of the retail electricity provider. Specifically, the fifth service is a service that outputs the generated electricity from the power generation equipment 22 to the grid 60, or performs energy-saving control of the equipment 21. When the generated electricity is output to the grid 60, the incentive paid by the retail electricity provider becomes the financial benefit for the customer 70. When energy-saving control is performed, the financial benefit for the customer 70 is the amount of electricity consumed reduced by the energy-saving control × the electricity purchase price + incentive.

[0031] The sixth service is a service that allows surplus electricity from one consumer 70 to be shared with other consumers 70. In this case, if the electricity selling price increases by α yen for the electricity supplying consumer 70, the monetary benefit for that consumer 70 will be calculated as: expected self-consumption × (purchase price - selling price) + expected surplus electricity × (selling price + α). If the electricity purchase price decreases by -β yen for the electricity receiving consumer 70, the monetary benefit for that consumer 70 will be calculated as: consumption × β.

[0032] The seventh service is a service that prioritizes the creation of environmental value, such as green electricity certificates. The seventh service is, for example, a service that performs power control that prioritizes the creation of environmental value. The seventh service may also be, for example, a service that performs one or more of the power control methods described in the first to sixth services that have the highest environmental value. The created environmental value can be converted into economic value in the environmental value trading market.

[0033] Furthermore, the seventh service does not necessarily have to be a service that is handled in parallel with the first to sixth services (a service that is selected in the same way as the first to sixth services). For example, the seventh service may be implemented as an optional service that is selected to maximize environmental value (for example, to maximize the value after conversion to economic value) when at least one of the third and fourth services is selected.

[0034] In some cases, environmental value-related conditions (for example, the condition that the environmental value is maximized) may be adopted as predetermined criteria for selecting a service. Furthermore, even if the predetermined conditions are related to economic value, if the value obtained by converting the environmental value to economic value is high, the seventh service may still be selected.

[0035] In the following embodiment, an example is described in which the control server 40 selects a service from the seven types of services described above, but the multiple services to be selected (service candidates) may include services other than the seven types described above. The multiple services to be selected only need to include at least one of the seven types of services described above. The multiple services to be selected may be one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven types. If the services to be selected include services other than the seven types described above, there may be eight or more types of services to be selected.

[0036] The following describes examples of service selection. Figures 2 to 4 are diagrams illustrating examples of service selection.

[0037] Figures 2 to 4 show, when a day is divided into 30-minute time slots, the service number n indicates which service is selected for each of the multiple time slots. n represents the nth service.

[0038] Figure 2 shows an example where different services are selected for each type of customer 70 (for example, households, corporations (low voltage), and corporations (high voltage)). On the other hand, Figure 3 shows an example where the type of customer 70 is the same (for example, households), but different services are selected.

[0039] In the example shown in Figure 3, due to regional differences, the amount of electricity generated in the morning is low only for household C. Therefore, the first service (energy-saving control) is selected as the service provided to household C, rather than the third service (prioritizing self-consumption).

[0040] Also, during the daytime, since the battery system of Household A is fully charged, it switches from the 3rd service (priority for self-consumption) to the 4th service (selling electricity) earlier than Households B and C. During the daytime, depending on the remaining battery levels of the battery systems of Households A - C, the timing (time slot) for switching to the 4th service is different.

[0041] At night, since Household C cannot participate in DR earlier than Households A and B due to insufficient remaining battery level in its battery system, the service provided to Household C switches from the 5th service (DR) to the 1st service (energy saving) earlier than Households A and B.

[0042] Supplementary explanation about the definition of self-consumption: For self-consumption, for example, charging of the battery system with surplus power is included in self-consumption, but subsequent discharging of the battery system is not included in self-consumption.

[0043] In the example of Fig. 4, among multiple time slots, there are time slots in which multiple services are selected. In the time slots where the 3rd service and the 7th service are selected, self-consumption is prioritized so that the environmental value is maximized. In the time slots where the 4th service and the 7th service are selected, the electricity obtained from Equipment 21 by generated power or control commands is sold to the power market so that the environmental value is maximized.

[0044] Also, in the time slots where the 1st service and the 5th service are selected, power savings give the retail electricity provider a power surplus.

[0045] In the 8:30 time slot of Fig. 4, the service has switched to the 5th service for all of Households A - C. This assumes a situation where the incentive has skyrocketed in this time slot.

[0046] Incidentally, in the selection examples of FIGS. 2 to 4, the predetermined conditions for selecting a service are conditions related to economic value. In FIG. 4, in the time slot in which the seventh service (environmental value creation) is selected together with the third service and the fourth service, since the unit price of the environmental value is high, it means that the seventh service (environmental value creation) is also selected.

[0047] Thus, the service providing system 10 can select the optimal service for the customer 70 for each unit period (time slot). As a technology comparable to the service providing system 10, for example, a technology for scheduling individual services related to the adjustment of power supply and demand such as peak cutting or peak shifting can be considered. Such a technology can be said to be a technology for performing optimal scheduling individually for each service. On the other hand, the service providing system 10 can select the optimal service for each unit period and can provide the optimal service in each unit period compared to the technology of the above comparison target.

[0048] Incidentally, the selection of the service is performed, for example, for each customer 70, but may be performed for each group of customers 70 obtained by grouping a plurality of customers 70. Also, as described above, the unit period is, for example, a period of 30 minutes, but may be a period shorter than 30 minutes or a period longer than 30 minutes. If the unit period is the same length as the unit period in the transaction in the power market (power trading market), there is an advantage that it becomes easy to select a service in consideration of the market transaction.

[0049] [Operation Example] Next Next, Next, an operation example of the service providing system 10 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an operation example of the service providing system 10. Hereinafter, for the sake of simplification of the explanation, an example of selecting and providing (executing) a service in one target time slot of one target customer 70 will be described, but actually, for each of the 48 time slots of each of the plurality of customers 70, service selection and provision are performed.

[0050] The selection unit 44 of the control server 40 predicts the amount of power generated by the power generation equipment 22 installed at the target customer 70 during the target time slot (S11). The selection unit 44, for example, communicates with a weather information management server (not shown) using the communication unit 41 to obtain solar radiation information for the area to which the customer 70 belongs during the target time slot, and predicts the amount of power generated during the target time slot based on the obtained solar radiation information and the specification information of the power generation equipment 22 (photovoltaic power generation system) (information indicating power generation efficiency, etc.) that is stored in the storage unit 43 in advance.

[0051] The processing in step S11 may be performed by the data management server 50, and the selection unit 44 may obtain predicted values ​​of power generation from the data management server by communicating with the data management server 50 using the communication unit 41.

[0052] Next, the selection unit 44 predicts the amount of power consumed by the target customer 70 during the target time slot (S12). For example, the selection unit 44 uses the communication unit 41 to communicate with a weather information management server (not shown) to obtain temperature information for the region to which the target customer 70 belongs during the target time slot.

[0053] Here, the data management server 50 manages baseline data showing the historical power consumption of the target customer 70. In the baseline data, for example, the time waveform of past power consumption is linked to information such as month, day, day of the week, whether it is a holiday or not, time, and temperature.

[0054] The selection unit 44 transmits prediction request information, including, for example, the start and end times of the target time slot, the day of the week to which the target time slot belongs, whether or not that day is a holiday, and previously acquired temperature information, to the data management server 50 using the communication unit 41. Based on the received prediction request information, the data management server 50 provides the selection unit 44 with the power consumption amount for the time slot that is closest in conditions (highest similarity) to the target time slot from the baseline data, as the power consumption amount for the target time slot. In other words, the selection unit 44 works in cooperation with the data management server 50 to predict the power consumption amount at the customer 70.

[0055] Next, the selection unit 44 calculates the monetary benefit to the customer 70 assuming that each of the multiple services (the seven types of services described above) is provided in the target time slot, based on the amount of power generated predicted in step S11 and the amount of power consumed predicted in step S12 (S13). Information such as the purchase price when purchasing electricity from a retail electricity provider, the selling price when selling the power generated by the power generation equipment 22 to the retail electricity provider, the amount of the incentive for the fifth service, and the amounts of α and β for the fifth service are stored in advance in the storage unit 43, for example. The selling price when selling the power generated by the power generation equipment 22 to the electricity market (selling price to the market) is provided, for example, from the data management server 50.

[0056] Furthermore, the fifth service is applicable only during time slots predetermined by the retail electricity provider (time slots requiring demand response). If the target time slot does not fall under a predetermined time slot, the calculation of the monetary benefit to customer 70, assuming the fifth service was provided, may be omitted.

[0057] Next, the selection unit 44 selects the service that provides the greatest financial benefit to the customer 70 from among the multiple services (S14). Examples of service selection are as explained using Figures 2 and 3.

[0058] In step S14, if the fourth service is selected, bidding is performed in the electricity market. The output unit 45 transmits, for example, bidding request information to the data management server 50 using the communication unit 41. The data management server 50 performs bidding in the electricity market based on the received bidding request information and notifies the control server 40 of the agreement result. As described above, the service provision system 10 actually provides services to each of the multiple consumers 70 in the target time slot. Therefore, in the bidding process, the total amount of power generated by the multiple consumers 70 who receive the fourth service in the target time slot or power obtained from the equipment 21 by control commands is bid on (sold).

[0059] Furthermore, if the fifth service is selected in step S14, the process of concluding a contract for DR with the retail electricity provider is performed. The output unit 45 transmits, for example, contract request information to the data management server 50 using the communication unit 41. The data management server 50 performs the contract conclusion process for DR with the retail electricity provider based on the received contract request information and notifies the control server 40 of the result. As described above, the service provision system 10 actually provides services to each of the multiple consumers 70 in the target time slot. For this reason, in the contract conclusion process, the total amount of electricity that the multiple consumers 70 who will receive the fifth service in the target time slot plan to reduce is the subject of the contract.

[0060] In step S14, a service may not be selected. In this case, step S15 is omitted, and the equipment 21 and power generation equipment 22 for providing the service are not controlled.

[0061] The processes described in steps S11 to S14 are performed, for example, on the day before the service is actually provided. In other words, the processes in steps S11 to S14 can be considered as planning what kind of service to provide to the target customer 70 on the following day. Note that the processes in steps S11 to S14 only need to be performed up to the time slot in which the service is actually provided, and it is not necessary for them to be performed on the day before the service is actually provided. For example, the processes in steps S11 to S14 may be performed on the day the service is actually provided.

[0062] Furthermore, service selection may be made only once before the time slot in which the service is provided, or it may be made multiple times (two or more times). An example of a case where service selection is made the day before based on the information available at that time, and then on the day of, the selection of at least some of the services is revised using the latest information.

[0063] Subsequently, when the start time of the target time slot arrives, the output unit 45 controls at least one of the equipment 21 and power generation equipment 22 installed at the target customer 70, corresponding to the service selected in step S14 (S15). Specifically, the output unit 45 can control at least one of the equipment 21 and power generation equipment 22 installed at the target customer 70 by transmitting (outputting) a control command to the EMS controller 20 installed at the target customer 70 using the communication unit 41. The control command is an example of the information necessary to provide the selected service.

[0064] Furthermore, if the fourth service is provided during the target time slot, the output unit 45 transmits a control command when it receives a DR command transmitted from the electricity market server via the communication unit 41. If the fifth service is provided during the target time slot, the output unit 45 transmits a control command when it receives a DR command transmitted from the retail electricity provider's server via the communication unit 41.

[0065] As described above, the service provision system 10 (control server 40) includes a selection unit 44 that selects a service to be provided to the customer 70 from among a plurality of electricity-related services using the equipment 21 or power generation equipment 22 installed at the customer 70, based on predetermined conditions, and an output unit 45 that outputs information necessary for providing the selected service. The plurality of services include at least one of the first to seventh services described above. In the above example of operation, the predetermined condition is that the customer 70's monetary benefit (revenue) is maximized. In other words, the predetermined condition is a condition relating to the economic value of the customer 70, or to put it another way, a condition relating to the customer's revenue.

[0066] Such a service provision system 10 can provide services that are financially beneficial to the customer 70.

[0067] [Variations of the prescribed conditions] In the above embodiment, the prescribed conditions were conditions relating to the economic value of the consumer 70, but they may also be conditions relating to the economic value of the service provider or the retail electricity provider. In other words, the prescribed conditions may include conditions relating to the economic value of any of the consumer 70, the service provider, or the retail electricity provider. Specifically, the conditions relating to economic value are conditions relating to revenue (for example, that revenue is maximized if the service is provided).

[0068] Furthermore, the specified condition may be that the total revenue of the three parties—the customer 70, the service provider, and the retail electricity provider—is maximized, assuming the service is provided.

[0069] Furthermore, the specified conditions may be conditions relating to the environmental value of the consumer 70, the environmental value of the service provider, or the environmental value of the retail electricity provider. In other words, the specified conditions may include conditions relating to the environmental value of any of the consumer 70, the service provider, or the retail electricity provider. Specifically, the environmental value conditions are conditions relating to carbon dioxide emissions (for example, that carbon dioxide emissions are minimized if the service is provided).

[0070] Furthermore, the specified conditions may include conditions relating to the asset value of the equipment 21. For example, if the equipment 21 is a battery storage system, it is thought that controlling the equipment 21 will decrease its asset value (the battery will deteriorate). Therefore, it may be possible to quantify such asset value and set a condition that the decrease in asset value is minimized. As mentioned above, the equipment 21 may be owned by the consumer 70, by the retail electricity provider, or by the service provider.

[0071] Furthermore, the specified conditions may relate to two or more of the following: economic value, environmental value, and asset value. For example, the conditions may include: the revenue of customer 70 is +XX yen or more, and the carbon dioxide emissions from customer 70 are less than XXg.

[0072] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the service of outputting power generated by a solar power generation system (an example of power generation equipment 22) to the grid 60 is not effectively selected during time slots that fall within periods when power generation does not occur, such as at night. In addition, the time slots in which the fifth service can be selected are limited to time slots that fall within periods when electricity demand is high. Thus, it can be said that the specified conditions include conditions related to time periods.

[0073] [Modification of Configuration] In the above embodiment, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, the service provision system 10 is provided with one EMS server 30, but the service provision system 10 may be provided with multiple EMS servers 30. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a service provision system according to such modification.

[0074] More specifically, the EMS controller 20 includes a HEMS (Home Energy Management System) controller, which is an EMS controller 20 for residential use, and a BEMS (Building Energy Management System) controller, which is an EMS controller for non-residential use. The service provision system 10a shown in Figure 6 corresponds to this distinction of EMS controllers 20 and includes an EMS server 30a that is higher level than the EMS server 30 for the non-residential EMS controller 20a, in addition to the EMS server 30 that is higher level than the EMS controller 20 for residential use.

[0075] Furthermore, the service provision system 10a includes a separate EMS server 30b for the residential EMS controller 20b manufactured and sold by Company B, in addition to the EMS server 30 for the residential EMS controller 20 manufactured and sold by Company A.

[0076] Thus, the service provision system 10a includes EMS servers 30, 30a, and 30b corresponding to each type of EMS controller 20 installed at the customer 70. Such a service provision system 10a can perform the same operations as the service provision system 10.

[0077] [Effects, etc.] Below, examples of inventions obtained from the disclosures of this specification will be given, and the effects, etc. obtained from said inventions will be explained.

[0078] Invention 1 is a service provision system 10 comprising a selection unit 44 that selects one or more services from a plurality of energy-related services using equipment 21 or energy regeneration equipment installed at a customer 70 based on predetermined conditions, and an output unit 45 that outputs information necessary for providing the selected one or more services, wherein the plurality of services include at least one of the following: (1) a first service that performs energy-saving control of equipment 21; a second service that performs peak shaving at customer 70 by controlling equipment 21; (3) a third service that prioritizes self-consumption of renewable energy obtained from energy regeneration equipment by equipment 21; (4) a fourth service that sells renewable energy or energy obtained from equipment 21 by control commands to the energy market; (5) a fifth service that outputs renewable energy to the grid 60 or performs energy-saving control of equipment 21 at the request of a retail electricity business operator that sells energy to customer 70; and (6) a sixth service that provides surplus energy at customer 70 to other customers 70.

[0079] Such a service provision system 10 can selectively provide multiple services using equipment 21 installed at the customer 70.

[0080] Invention 2 is the service provision system 10 of Invention 1, wherein the predetermined conditions include conditions relating to the economic value of any of the following: the consumer 70, the service provider that provides services to the consumer 70, and the retail electricity provider.

[0081] Such a service provision system 10 can select a service and provide the selected service, taking into consideration the economic value of either the customer 70, the service provider, or the retail electricity provider.

[0082] Invention 3 is the service provision system 10 of Invention 2, wherein the conditions relating to economic value are the conditions relating to revenue.

[0083] Such a service provision system 10 can select services and provide the selected services, taking into consideration the revenue of either the customer 70, the service provider, or the retail electricity provider.

[0084] Invention 4 is a service provision system 10 according to any of Inventions 1 to 3, wherein the predetermined conditions include conditions relating to the asset value of the equipment 21.

[0085] Such a service provision system 10 can select services considering the asset value of the equipment 21 and provide the selected services.

[0086] Invention 5 is a service provision system 10 according to any of Inventions 1 to 4, wherein the predetermined conditions include conditions relating to the environmental value of any of the customer 70, the service provider that provides services to the customer 70, and the retail electricity provider.

[0087] Such a service delivery system 10 can select a service considering the environmental value of the customer 70, the service provider, or the retail electricity provider, and then provide the selected service.

[0088] Invention 6 is a service provision system 10 according to any of Inventions 1 to 5, wherein the predetermined conditions include conditions relating to the time of day.

[0089] Such a service provision system 10 can select a service considering the time period during which the service will be provided, and then provide the selected service.

[0090] Invention 7 is a service provision system 10 according to any of Inventions 1 to 6, wherein the output unit 45 outputs the above information and controls at least one of the equipment 21 and energy regeneration equipment corresponding to one or more selected services.

[0091] Such a service provision system 10 can provide selected services by controlling at least one of the equipment 21 and the energy regeneration equipment.

[0092] Invention 8 is a service provision method executed by a computer system such as a service provision system 10, and includes a selection step S14 in which one or more services related to energy are selected from a plurality of services using equipment 21 or energy regeneration equipment installed at a customer 70 based on predetermined conditions, and an output step in which information necessary for providing the selected one or more services is output, wherein the plurality of services include at least one of the following: (1) a first service that performs energy saving control of equipment 21, (2) a second service that performs peak cutting at customer 70 by controlling the equipment, (3) a third service that prioritizes self-consumption of renewable energy obtained from the energy regeneration equipment by equipment 21, (4) a fourth service that sells renewable energy or energy obtained from equipment 21 by control commands to the energy market, (5) a fifth service that outputs renewable energy to the grid 60 or performs energy saving control of equipment 21 at the request of a retail electricity business operator that sells energy to customer 70, and (6) a sixth service that provides surplus energy at customer 70 to other customers 70.

[0093] This service delivery method allows for the selective provision of multiple services using the equipment 21 installed at the customer 70.

[0094] Invention 9 is a program for causing a computer system to execute the service provision method described in Invention 8.

[0095] According to such a program, the computer system can selectively provide multiple services using the equipment 21 installed at the customer 70.

[0096] (Other Embodiments) Although embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0097] For example, in the above embodiment, the service provision system was implemented by multiple devices. In this case, the processing performed by the devices or systems included in the service provision system may be performed by other devices or systems. For example, some or all of the processing performed by the control server may be performed by a data management server or an EMS server. Alternatively, the service provision system may be implemented by a single device.

[0098] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a process executed by a specific processing unit may be executed by another processing unit. Also, the order of multiple processes may be changed, or multiple processes may be executed in parallel.

[0099] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may also be realized 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.

[0100] Furthermore, each component may be implemented by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or they may be separate circuits. Also, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0101] Furthermore, general or specific embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM. Alternatively, they may be implemented as any combination of a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium.

[0102] For example, the present invention may be implemented as a service provision system or control server according to the above embodiment. Furthermore, the present invention may be implemented as a method executed by a computer system such as a service provision system or control server, or as a program for causing a computer system to execute such a method. The present invention may also be implemented as a computer-readable, non-temporary recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

[0103] Furthermore, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art could conceive, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0104] 10, 10a Service provision system 20, 20a, 20b EMS controller 21 Equipment 22 Power generation equipment 30, 30a, 30b EMS server 40 Control server 41 Communication unit 42 Information processing unit 43 Storage unit 44 Selection unit 45 Output unit 50 Data management server 60 System 70 Customer

Claims

1. A service provision system comprising: a selection unit that selects one or more services from a plurality of energy-related services using equipment installed at a customer or energy regeneration equipment based on predetermined conditions; and an output unit that outputs information necessary for providing the selected one or more services, wherein the plurality of services include at least one of the following: (1) a first service that performs energy-saving control of the equipment; (2) a second service that performs peak shaving at the customer by controlling the equipment; (3) a third service that prioritizes self-consumption of renewable energy obtained from the energy regeneration equipment by the equipment; (4) a fourth service that sells the renewable energy or energy obtained from the equipment by control commands to the energy market; (5) a fifth service that outputs the renewable energy to the grid or performs energy-saving control of the equipment at the request of a retail electricity business operator that sells energy to the customer; and (6) a sixth service that provides surplus energy at the customer to other customers.

2. A service provision system comprising: a selection unit that selects one or more services from a plurality of energy-related services using equipment installed at a customer or energy regeneration equipment based on predetermined conditions; and an output unit that outputs information necessary for providing the selected one or more services, wherein the plurality of services include at least one of the following: (1) a first service that performs energy-saving control of the equipment; (2) a second service that performs peak shaving at the customer by controlling the equipment; (3) a third service that prioritizes self-consumption of renewable energy obtained from the energy regeneration equipment by the equipment; (4) a fourth service that sells the renewable energy or energy obtained from the equipment by control commands to the energy market; (5) a fifth service that outputs the renewable energy to the grid or performs energy-saving control of the equipment at the request of a retail electricity business operator that sells energy to the customer; and (6) a sixth service that provides surplus energy at the customer to other customers; and (7) a seventh service that prioritizes the creation of environmental value.

3. The service provision system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined conditions include conditions relating to the economic value of any of the consumer, the service provider that provides services to the consumer, and the retail electricity provider.

4. The service provision system according to claim 3, wherein the conditions relating to economic value are conditions relating to revenue.

5. The service provision system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the predetermined conditions include conditions relating to the asset value of the equipment.

6. The service provision system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the predetermined conditions include conditions relating to the environmental value of the consumer, the service provider that provides services to the consumer, and the retail electricity provider.

7. The service provision system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the predetermined conditions include conditions relating to the time period.

8. The service provision system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the output unit outputs the information and controls at least one of the equipment and the energy regeneration equipment corresponding to the selected one or more services.

9. A service provision method performed by a computer system, comprising: a selection step of selecting one or more services from a plurality of energy-related services using equipment installed at a customer or energy regeneration equipment based on predetermined conditions; and an output step of outputting information necessary for providing the selected one or more services, wherein the plurality of services include at least one of the following: (1) a first service for performing energy-saving control of the equipment; (2) a second service for performing peak shaving at the customer by controlling the equipment; (3) a third service for prioritizing self-consumption of renewable energy obtained from the energy regeneration equipment by the equipment; (4) a fourth service for selling the renewable energy or energy obtained from the equipment by control commands to the energy market; (5) a fifth service for outputting the renewable energy to the grid or performing energy-saving control of the equipment at the request of a retail electricity business operator that sells energy to the customer; and (6) a sixth service for providing surplus energy at the customer to other customers.

10. A service provision method performed by a computer system, comprising: a selection step of selecting one or more services from a plurality of energy-related services using equipment installed at a customer or energy regeneration equipment based on predetermined conditions; and an output step of outputting information necessary for providing the selected one or more services, wherein the plurality of services include at least one of the following: (1) a first service for energy-saving control of the equipment; (2) a second service for peak cutting at the customer by controlling the equipment; (3) a third service for prioritizing self-consumption of renewable energy obtained from the energy regeneration equipment by the equipment; (4) a fourth service for selling the renewable energy or energy obtained from the equipment by control commands to the energy market; (5) a fifth service for outputting the renewable energy to the grid or performing energy-saving control of the equipment at the request of a retail electricity business operator that sells energy to the customer; and (6) a sixth service for sharing surplus energy at the customer with other customers; and (7) a seventh service for prioritizing the creation of environmental value.

11. A program for causing the computer system to execute the service provision method according to claim 9 or 10.

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