Energy management method and charge / discharge management system

Abstract

An energy management method for adjusting a power supply / demand quantity using a power storage device owned by a consumer comprises: aggregating participation policies for power supply / demand quantity adjustment which is desired by a consumer; creating reward information and a power supply / demand plan by the power storage device on the basis of the power supply / demand quantity obtained by the power supply / demand quantity adjustment; creating a charge / discharge plan of the power storage device on the basis of a state of the power storage device, the power supply / demand plan, and the participation policies; acquiring degree-of-certainty information pertaining to a profit on the basis of the charge / discharge plan and reward prospects; presenting, to the consumer, the degree-of-certainty information pertaining to the profit to receive whether it is possible for the consumer to participate in the power supply / demand quantity adjustment; determining whether the power supply / demand quantity in the power supply / demand quantity adjustment can be satisfied on the basis of the information pertaining to the possibility of participation and the charge / discharge plan; and, when it is determined that the power supply / demand quantity can be satisfied, the power supply / demand quantity adjustment is implemented by controlling charge / discharge of the power storage device, on the basis of the charge / discharge plan.

Description

Energy management method and charge / discharge management system

[0001] The present invention relates to an energy management method and a charge / discharge management system for adjusting the amount of electricity supply and demand in a power grid, and more particularly to an energy management method and a charge / discharge management system that adjusts the amount of electricity supply and demand by managing the charging and discharging of electrical energy stored in energy storage devices such as batteries installed in automobiles.

[0002] In recent years, a technology called V2X (Vehicle to Everything) has been rapidly advancing, which involves connecting electric vehicles to specific loads, customer equipment, or power grids, and using batteries installed in the electric vehicles to exchange power bidirectionally between the electric vehicles and these loads, equipment, or power grids for energy management. In particular, when power is exchanged with customer equipment on the customer side beyond the point of power reception, which is the boundary between the power company or other power provider and the customer, it is called V2B (Vehicle to Building), and when power is exchanged between the electric vehicle and the power grid beyond the point of power reception, it is called V2G (Vehicle to Grid).

[0003] Consumers can reduce their peak demand for electricity supplied by power companies through V2B (Vehicle-to-Burst) technology, thereby lowering their electricity contract fees with power companies. Furthermore, power companies can stabilize the power quality of the power grid through V2G (Vehicle-to-Gurst) technology.

[0004] On the other hand, for users of electric vehicles, there is a concern about the deterioration of the battery due to charge and discharge when using the battery that stores power for driving the electric vehicle originally for power sharing. Therefore, it is common to pay rewards to participants in energy management and compensate for deteriorating batteries. For users of electric vehicles participating in energy management, it is preferable to suppress the deterioration (value loss) of the battery of the owned electric vehicle or to obtain an incentive exceeding the deterioration of the battery. For example, in Patent Document 1, based on information on the purchase price of electricity by charge and discharge and the state of the battery, the difference between the reward amount obtained by the user by charge and discharge from the battery and the reduction amount of the purchase price of the battery due to deterioration is calculated, and based on this difference, the timing of charge and discharge is determined to guide the user to an appropriate participation timing in V2G.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-207590

[0006] By the way, in the method described in Patent Document 1, the participation timing is determined by obtaining a prospect of the reward amount and the degree of battery deterioration based on a prediction based on past power transactions and the history of the user's participation rate. However, in the power grid, there are power sources whose power generation amount depends on the weather, such as solar power plants and wind power plants. In addition, it is expected that the amount of power charged and discharged by the battery mounted on the user's electric vehicle will also vary depending on the state of the electric vehicles of other users participating in energy management.

[0007] In addition, since electric vehicles can move, there is also a problem of where to participate in energy management. It is not difficult to imagine that the battery temperature during or after participating in energy management varies depending on the temperature and solar radiation amount at the place where the electric vehicle participates in energy management. Since the deterioration of the battery is caused by the interaction between the state of charge of the battery and the battery temperature, it is conceivable that the degree of battery deterioration due to participation in energy management also varies depending on the place where the user participates in energy management.

[0008] Thus, fluctuations in the amount of electricity charged and discharged, as well as the environment in which participation in energy management occurs, are factors that increase the risk of fluctuations in the rewards that consumers expect. However, predicting such risks involves a wide range of factors that must be considered, making it difficult for consumers themselves to decide whether to participate in energy management while taking these risks into account.

[0009] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the object of the present invention is to enable consumers to participate in energy management while taking into account the risk of fluctuations in rewards resulting from fluctuations in the amount of electricity charged and discharged and the environment in which they participate.

[0010] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, in one preferred embodiment, the energy management method according to the present invention is an energy management method for adjusting the amount of electricity supply and demand in a power grid using energy storage devices owned by each of several consumers receiving electricity from the power grid, and includes participation policy information which includes participation availability information which includes at least one of the following: information indicating whether each of the several consumers can participate in the adjustment of the amount of electricity supply and demand and information indicating whether each of the several consumers can participate in the adjustment of the amount of electricity supply and demand, and information regarding the type of reward each of the several consumers expects to receive by participating in the adjustment of the amount of electricity supply and demand, and calculates the amount of electricity adjustment to be allocated to the energy storage devices owned by each of the several consumers based on the participation availability information, and calculates the reward each of the several consumers will receive by participating in the adjustment of the amount of electricity supply and demand based on the amount of electricity adjustment, and includes information regarding the amount of electricity adjustment and the reward Power supply and demand planning information including reward information is created, and based on the power supply and demand planning information, charge and discharge planning information is created regarding the charge and discharge plans of the energy storage devices owned by each of the multiple consumers, based on the information regarding the status of the energy storage devices, information regarding reward preferences, and the power supply and demand planning information, accuracy information is created that shows the certainty of profit when each of the multiple consumers participates in power supply and demand adjustment, participation condition information including charge and discharge planning information and accuracy information is presented to each of the multiple consumers, and a selection is accepted from each of the multiple consumers whether or not they will participate in power supply and demand adjustment according to the participation condition information, and based on the selection whether or not they will participate, it is determined whether the amount of electricity supply and demand in power supply and demand adjustment can be met, and if it is determined that the amount of electricity supply and demand can be met, power supply and demand adjustment is carried out by controlling the energy storage devices owned by each of the multiple consumers based on the charge and discharge planning information included in the participation condition information in which participation in power supply and demand adjustment was selected as OK.

[0011] Furthermore, in one preferred embodiment, the charge / discharge management system according to the present invention includes an information aggregation unit that aggregates participation eligibility information, which includes at least one of the following: information indicating whether each of a plurality of consumers can participate in power supply and demand adjustment and information indicating whether each of them can participate for each time period; and participation policy information, which includes information regarding the type of reward each of the plurality of consumers expects to receive by participating in power supply and demand adjustment; and a power supply and demand planning unit that calculates the amount of power adjustment to be allocated to the energy storage devices owned by each of the plurality of consumers so as to be able to meet the power supply and demand in power supply and demand adjustment based on the participation eligibility information, calculates the reward each of the plurality of consumers will receive by participating in power supply and demand adjustment based on the amount of power adjustment, and creates power supply and demand planning information that includes information regarding the amount of power adjustment and reward information regarding the reward. The system includes: a creation unit; a participation condition creation unit that creates participation condition information including information on the status of the energy storage device, information on reward preferences, and power supply and demand planning information, as well as charge / discharge planning information regarding the charging and discharging plan of the energy storage device owned by the customer, and information on the probability of profit when charging and discharging is performed according to the charge / discharge planning information; an input / output unit that displays the participation condition information and accepts the selection of whether or not to participate in power supply and demand adjustment according to the participation condition information; and a power supply and demand adjustment implementation unit that, based on the selection of whether or not to participate, determines whether the amount of power supply and demand in the power supply and demand adjustment can be met, and if it is determined that the amount of power supply and demand can be met, controls the energy storage devices owned by each of the multiple customers based on the charge / discharge planning information included in the participation condition information selected as OK to participate in power supply and demand adjustment, and implements power supply and demand adjustment.

[0012] According to the present invention, consumers can participate in energy management in a manner that suits their preferences, taking into account the risk of fluctuations in rewards resulting from variations in the amount of electricity charged and discharged and the environment in which they participate. Other problems solved and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description and drawings herein.

[0013] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of one embodiment of a charge / discharge management system. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of customer equipment. This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle system. This is a flowchart showing an overview of the processing performed by the central server when adjusting the amount of electricity supply and demand. This is a flowchart showing an overview of the processing performed by the charge / discharge management server when adjusting the amount of electricity supply and demand. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an input screen displayed on a user terminal for obtaining incentive orientation. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of customer information. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of information regarding participation policy. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a time zone table. This is a schematic diagram showing another example of a time zone table. This is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the charge / discharge management server in the provisional DR plan creation process. This is a schematic diagram to explain how to create a DR plan. This is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed on a user terminal that has received a request to participate in DR. This is a schematic diagram showing information about an in-vehicle battery as an example of energy storage device information. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of charge / discharge device information. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of accuracy information for charge / discharge plans and reward amounts. This is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the temperature of an in-vehicle battery and the amount of degradation per unit time relative to its charge state. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a selection screen for DR participation conditions. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an adjustment screen displayed on the user terminal. This is a schematic diagram showing how information regarding the increase or decrease of risk is provided on the adjustment screen.

[0014] Hereinafter, representative embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments and drawings described below are illustrative examples for illustrating the present invention, and have been omitted or simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, please note that the position, size, shape, and extent of each component shown in the drawings may not necessarily accurately represent them, in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. In each drawing, parts having the same configuration and / or function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and in the following description, redundant explanations of parts having the same function and / or configuration will be omitted unless particularly necessary.

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of one embodiment of a charge / discharge management system to which the present invention is applied. In this embodiment, a V2G system is configured in which vehicles 10 such as automobiles are connected to a power grid 30 via customer equipment 20 owned by a customer, and a power supply and demand adjustment function is realized by having multiple vehicles 10 behave like a virtual power plant. The number of vehicles 10 and customer equipment 20 is arbitrary, and may be, for example, 10 or more, or 100 or more. Also, the customer and the owner of the vehicles 10 may be the same or different.

[0016] Vehicle 10 is equipped with onboard batteries, which are energy storage devices capable of charging or discharging electrical energy, and each of these batteries acts as a distributed energy resource (DER). By appropriately controlling the charging and discharging of the onboard batteries, the vehicle can behave as a virtual power plant.

[0017] The customer equipment 20 is installed, for example, in a privately owned detached house or apartment building, or in a shop, business premises, or public facility, and is connected to the power grid 30. In this embodiment, the customer equipment 20 includes an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) 201 that charges and discharges the energy storage device mounted on the vehicle 10, and a battery 202 that acts as a DER (Depleted Energy Recovery) device similar to the vehicle's battery. The EVSE 201 and the battery 202 can exchange power with the power grid 30 via a power adjustment device 203 and a smart meter 204. Details of the customer equipment 20 will be described later. The customer equipment 20 may have both the EVSE 201 and the battery 202, or only one of them. In the following description, the term "energy storage device" may include both the battery 202 and the vehicle's battery.

[0018] The charge / discharge management server 40 can be managed by a resource aggregator that bundles DERs, and can be constructed by a general computer system that includes a central processing unit (CPU), memory, input / output devices, and a storage device connected to the CPU via the input / output devices (not shown). The charge / discharge management server 40 may be a system for managing the supply and demand of electricity, and may be a management computer system that manages the supply and demand in a power grid 30 that distributes electricity to multiple customer facilities 20, or a system that manages the power within a facility at a particular customer.

[0019] The charge / discharge management server 40 is configured to connect to customer equipment 20 and information terminals 22 owned by the owner of the vehicle 10 or the customer, such as a personal computer, tablet, or smartphone, via a communication network 50, such as the internet or a wide-area communication line. The owner of the vehicle 10 or the customer can send information and requests regarding the charging and discharging output and timing of the energy storage device from their information terminal 22 to the charge / discharge management server 40, which will be described later as a method of participation in energy management.

[0020] The charge / discharge management server 40 is managed, for example, by a resource aggregator that bundles DERs. The resource aggregator can, for example, directly request charge / discharge from the charge / discharge management server 40 to the customer equipment 20, or send indirect supply and demand adjustment requests, such as stopping charging, to the information terminal 22. In this way, the resource aggregator can manage the supply and demand of electricity as part of energy management in the power grid 30.

[0021] The charge / discharge management server 40 is also configured to communicate with a central server 60 managed by, for example, a power company or a provider of the electricity trading market, and to obtain information from the central server 60 regarding supply and demand adjustment capacity and electricity prices that resource aggregators should provide. The charge / discharge management server 40 and the central server 60 may be connected via a communication network 50 such as the Internet, similar to the customer equipment 20 and information terminals 22, or they may be connected via a dedicated communication line. The charge / discharge management server 40 may also be configured to obtain weather forecast information via the communication network 50 or the like.

[0022] The supply and demand adjustment capacity provided by resource aggregators is aggregated under an aggregation coordinator, which then conducts transactions with power companies. There are several forms of methods for adjusting electricity supply and demand. This embodiment provides a method for owners of energy storage devices to determine the conditions for their participation in energy management, and is not particularly limited to the roles and divisions of responsibilities of resource aggregators, aggregation coordinators, power companies, or similar participants. In this embodiment, the example described is when a resource aggregator requests participation in electricity supply and demand adjustment (hereinafter referred to as DR) as part of energy management, and provides rewards or incentives to participants in DR.

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a customer equipment installation. Here, the customer equipment 20 is explained using a customer equipment installation 20 installed in a privately owned residence as an example.

[0024] Vehicle 10 is a so-called electric vehicle that uses a motor as a power source and is equipped with an on-board battery as a power source to drive the motor. Vehicle 10 may be, for example, a pure electric vehicle (PEV) equipped with a motor as a power source and supplied with the power necessary for driving solely by the on-board battery, or a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) equipped with both an engine and a motor as power sources and capable of generating electricity with the driving force of the engine to charge the on-board battery. Vehicle 10 may also be an electric vehicle (REEV) equipped with a range extender, or a fuel cell vehicle (FCV) equipped with a fuel cell that can generate electricity while driving, similar to an HEV.

[0025] The customer equipment 20 may include an EVSE 201, a storage battery 202, a power adjustment device 203, a smart meter 204, as well as solar panels 205, a distribution board 206, various electrical appliances 207, and communication equipment 208.

[0026] The EVSE 201 ensures electrical connection and communication with the vehicle's onboard system 100 when the charging gun 210 is inserted into the charging port 101 provided on the vehicle 10. The customer equipment 20 is connected to the power grid 30 by a smart meter 204, and can supply power from the power grid 30 to the vehicle 10 via the EVSE 201 to charge the vehicle's onboard battery. In addition to charging the onboard battery, the EVSE 201 is configured to reverse-flow power obtained by discharging the onboard battery back to the power grid 30. For this purpose, the EVSE 201 is equipped with an inverter (not shown), which converts the power supplied from the power grid 30 into DC power and supplies it to the vehicle 10 when charging the onboard battery. Also, when receiving power from the vehicle 10, the DC power discharged from the onboard battery is converted into AC power by the inverter and sent to the customer equipment 20. In this process, the frequency and phase of the AC power within the customer equipment 20 are fed back, and the frequency and phase of the AC power transferred to the customer equipment 20 are adjusted to synchronize with this.

[0027] The battery 202 is configured to be connected to, for example, a power regulator 203, and to be charged by power supplied from the power grid 30 via the power regulator 203, or to be able to reverse-flow the charged power back to the power grid 30.

[0028] The solar panel 205 is installed on the roof of a house where the consumer equipment 20 is installed, and is capable of generating electricity from sunlight and supplying DC power. The DC power generated by the solar panel 205 may be converted to AC power by, for example, a power adjustment device 203 and used as power for electrical appliances 207 through a distribution board 206. In addition, the power generated by the solar panel 205 may be used to charge a storage battery 202 or an on-board battery or to supply power to the power grid 30. This makes it possible, for example, to charge the storage battery 202 or an on-board battery with the power generated by the solar panel 205 during the day, and then use the power stored in the storage battery 202 or on-board battery to operate electrical appliances 207 at night.

[0029] The smart meter 204 is connected to the power grid 30 and can measure the amount of electricity supplied from the power grid 30, as well as the amount of electricity flowing back from the customer equipment 20 to the power grid 30. The electricity flowing back from the customer equipment 20 to the power grid 30 may include electricity generated by the solar panels 205, or electricity obtained from the discharge of an energy storage device or battery 202 mounted on the vehicle 10.

[0030] The amount of electricity flowed back from the vehicle battery may be measured by a power meter installed in the smart meter 204, or in the path between the energy storage device and the distribution board 206. For example, a power meter may be installed in the EVSE 201, the charging gun 210, or in the middle of the cable connecting the EVSE 201 and the charging gun 210. Furthermore, the vehicle system 100 may be configured to measure the amount of electricity.

[0031] The communication device 208 is connected to the communication network 50. The EVSE 201, power adjustment device 203, electrical appliance 207, and smart meter 204 can communicate with devices connected to the communication network 50 via the communication device 208, such as the charge / discharge management server 40.

[0032] Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle system.

[0033] The on-board system 100 has an on-board battery 103 as an energy storage device for supplying power to a motor 102, which is the power source of the vehicle 10. The on-board battery 103 has multiple rechargeable battery cells, such as lithium-ion batteries or nickel-metal hydride batteries. The motor 102 may be, for example, a brushless synchronous motor driven by AC power, and the power stored in the on-board battery 103 is converted to AC power by a power converter 104 and supplied to the motor 102.

[0034] The on-board battery 103 is equipped with a battery control unit (BCU) 105 for detecting the state of the on-board battery 103. The BCU 105 has a voltage measuring unit (not shown) for detecting the voltages of multiple battery cells in the on-board battery 103, a current measuring unit for detecting the current flowing through the battery cells, and a temperature measuring unit for detecting the temperature of the on-board battery 103, in order to acquire the state of the on-board battery 103. The voltage measuring unit is configured, for example, to measure the voltage between voltage lines installed between battery cells so that the terminal voltages of multiple battery cells can be measured individually. The current measuring unit is configured, for example, to measure the voltage across the shunt resistor connected in series with the battery cells, or to have a sensor such as a Hall element provided in the current flow path to the battery cells. The temperature measuring unit is configured to have a temperature sensor such as a thermistor or thermocouple placed inside the on-board battery 103.

[0035] The BCU 105 converts the state values ​​of the on-board battery 103 measured by these measurement units into voltage information and outputs it. For this purpose, the BCU 105 can be configured using semiconductor devices such as a general-purpose analog front-end IC or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively, the BCU 105 may be equipped with an A / D converter and configured to convert the state values ​​of the on-board battery 103, which have been converted into voltage information, into digital values ​​that can be processed digitally by a program and output them.

[0036] The status of the onboard battery 103, acquired by the BCU 105, is sent to the onboard terminal device 107 via the communication bus 106.

[0037] The in-vehicle terminal device 107 is configured to have a processor and memory, and its control function is realized by executing a program stored in the memory with the processor. The memory also holds data such as various models necessary for control and parameters used in the models, and this data can be rewritten as needed. The in-vehicle terminal device 107 may be configured to communicate with components outside the vehicle 100 via a communication bus 106 and a communication unit 108. Furthermore, the programs and data of the in-vehicle terminal device 107 may be configured to be rewritten from the outside via the communication unit 108. For communication within the vehicle 10 via the communication bus 106, communication methods such as CAN (Controller Area Network) and LIN (Local Interconnect Network) can be used.

[0038] The communication unit 108 further includes a gateway controller (not shown) for other components within the in-vehicle system 100 connected to the communication bus 106 to communicate with the outside, and provides, for example, wireless communication functions for connecting to a cellular network or a wireless local area network, and / or wired communication functions via the charging port 101. For the wired connection via the charging port 101, a communication method such as Ethernet or PLC (Power Line Communication) may be used. In this embodiment, the communication unit 108 is configured to be connectable to the power adjustment device 203 via the communication device 208 by wired connections via the in-vehicle charge / discharge device 109, the charging port 101, and the charging gun 210. The communication unit 108 is also configured to be connectable to the information terminal 22, the communication network 50, and the charge / discharge management server 40 by wireless connection.

[0039] The on-board charging and discharging device 109 is configured to charge the on-board battery 103 using power supplied through the charging port 101, and also to supply power discharged from the on-board battery 103 to the outside through the charging port 101, enabling bidirectional power exchange.

[0040] The on-board charging / discharging device 109 is equipped with a DC / DC converter (not shown) and has the function of charging the on-board battery 103 while changing the voltage and current of the DC power supplied from the EVSE 201. The on-board battery 103 is charged by so-called CC-CV (Constant Current, Constant Voltage) charging, which combines constant current charging and constant voltage charging corresponding to the battery cells of the on-board battery 103.

[0041] For example, if the on-board battery 103 is a lithium-ion secondary battery, excessive current flowing through the battery cell can cause an internal short circuit by preventing lithium ions from being incorporated between the negative electrode active material layers and instead depositing as lithium metal on the negative electrode. This can lead to thermal runaway, potentially resulting in the battery cell igniting or exploding. To prevent this, it is necessary to control the charging speed, i.e., the charging current, to prevent excessive current from flowing. For this reason, the on-board charge / discharge device 109 performs constant current charging when the on-board battery 103 is low, adjusting the charging speed so that the current flowing through the battery cells in the on-board battery 103 does not exceed a predetermined value. On the other hand, if the voltage of the battery cell rises excessively, lithium ions are excessively extracted from the positive electrode active material, making the electrode structure brittle. In addition, the increased reactivity of the positive electrode causes the electrolyte to decompose, generating gas within the battery cell. Furthermore, the decomposition reaction of the electrolyte also generates heat. Since the gases and electrolytes generated within the battery cells are flammable, there is a risk of the battery cells igniting or exploding due to increased gas pressure if these ignite. For this reason, when the charging of the vehicle battery 103 progresses and the voltage of the battery cells rises, the vehicle charge / discharge device 109 switches to constant voltage charging to control the charging voltage and prevent it from becoming excessive.

[0042] When supplying power from the onboard battery 103 to the outside of the vehicle 10, the onboard charge / discharge device 109 discharges the onboard battery 103 and supplies that power to the EVSE 201 via the charging port 101. The onboard charge / discharge device 109 may be configured to acquire the state values ​​of the onboard battery 103 detected by the BCU 105 and calculate the amount of power flowed back from the onboard battery 103. The onboard charge / discharge device 109 may also be equipped with a power meter to measure the amount of power flowed back. The amount of power flowed back obtained by the onboard charge / discharge device 109 can be used in place of the power flowed back from the energy storage device (onboard battery 103) measured by the smart meter 204 or other parts of the customer equipment 20.

[0043] The on-board charging / discharging device 109 may also be configured to exchange AC power with an external source. In this case, the on-board charging / discharging device 109 is equipped with an inverter that performs power conversion between AC and DC, similar to the EVSE 201.

[0044] The HMI (Human Machine Interface) 110 includes an input device 111 and a display device 112. The input device 111 receives various settings from the user of the vehicle 10 and performs settings for each part via the communication bus 106. The display device 112 provides the user with information regarding the setting states of each part sent via the communication bus 106 and information regarding abnormalities of the vehicle 10. Also, the HMI 110 serves as an input / output device of the in-vehicle terminal device 107. Note that part or all of the information set by the input device 111 may be configured to be set from the information terminal 22 via the communication unit 108. Similarly, part or all of the information displayed on the display device 112 may be sent to the information terminal 22 via the communication unit 108 and configured to be displayed on the display screen of the information terminal 22. The HMI 110 may be, for example, one that combines the input device 111 and the display device 112 and enables input operations on the display screen, such as a so-called touch panel.

[0045] The external sensor 120 includes, for example, a temperature sensor 121, a position detection device 122, an imaging device 123, and a solar radiation sensor 124.

[0046] The temperature sensor 121, for example, acquires the outside air temperature around the vehicle 10. The information on the outside air temperature detected by the temperature sensor 121 is provided, for example, to an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) not shown that controls the motor 102 and the power converter 104 and may be used to adjust the cooling capacity of the motor 102 and the power converter 104. The information on the outside air temperature may also be provided to an air conditioner not shown via the communication bus 106 and used for adjusting the temperature inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle 10.

[0047] The position detection device 122 is, for example, a receiving device for information provided by a positioning system including the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and acquires information on the position (latitude, longitude) of the vehicle 10.

[0048] The imaging device 123 acquires information around the vehicle 10 as image information. The acquired image information may be sent to, for example, the HMI 110, displayed by the display device 112, and used to assist the driving operation so that the driver can easily grasp the situation around the vehicle. Also, the image information acquired by the imaging device 123 may be sent via the communication bus 106 to a driving support system (not shown) and used to identify obstacles around the vehicle 10 and locations where the vehicle 10 can travel.

[0049] The solar radiation sensor 124 detects the brightness around the vehicle 10 and acquires information regarding the solar radiation intensity. The information regarding the solar radiation intensity may be sent via the communication bus 106 to an air conditioner (not shown) in the same manner as the temperature information and used for adjusting the temperature inside the vehicle cabin. By adjusting the temperature inside the vehicle cabin using these information, the comfort of the passengers in the vehicle 10 can be improved.

[0050] The navigation device 130 holds map information. For example, based on the position information acquired by the position detection device 122, it marks the current position of the vehicle 10 on the map and can notify the passengers in the vehicle 10 of the current position via the display device 112. Also, for example, it can receive the setting of destination information from the passengers via the input device 111, generate a route to the destination, and provide route guidance for the vehicle 10 to move to the destination.

[0051] In the present embodiment, the information obtained by each unit connected to the communication bus 106 is configured to be able to be sent to the charge / discharge management server 40 via the communication unit 108.

[0052] Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, the processing performed when implementing DR will be described.

[0053] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an overview of the processing performed by the central server 60 when adjusting the power supply and demand.

[0054] When starting DR, the central server 60 predicts the power demand in the power grid 30. The prediction of the power demand is performed, for example, by associating the past power demand with changes in temperature and solar radiation amount based on the weather forecast (step S100).

[0055] Next, the central server 60 estimates the amount of electricity supply and demand necessary to stabilize the electricity supplied by the power grid 30, based on the predicted electricity demand, and the time period during which that electricity is needed. It then determines the amount of electricity supply and demand (DR amount) to be solicited from resource aggregators and the period (time period) during which it will be needed. The DR amount is calculated as the amount of electricity needed to resolve the imbalance between electricity demand and changes in power generation due to the presence of power generation facilities susceptible to weather conditions, such as solar power and wind power (step S102).

[0056] The determined DR quantity and period information is distributed to resource aggregators as DR information, for example, and resource aggregators capable of responding to DR are solicited. Resource aggregators that respond to DR are selected, for example, based on bids from resource aggregators (step S104).

[0057] The processing in steps S100 to S104 is preferably carried out before the time (time period) when DR is actually required, for example, the day before. The recruitment of resource aggregators may be carried out at an earlier time. Once a resource aggregator is determined, the central server 60 waits until the time for DR to be carried out (step S106).

[0058] When the DR implementation period arrives, the central server 60 notifies the charge / discharge management server 40 of the resource aggregator, which has been determined to participate in the DR, of the details of the DR to be implemented. The notification to the charge / discharge management server 40 is made before the time period in which the DR is implemented; for example, if the DR implementation period is from 14:00 to 14:30, the notification is made earlier, for example, at 13:15. These times are merely examples and will vary depending on the content of the DR. It is preferable that the duration and extent (DR amount) of the DR be notified at least before the event requiring the DR occurs (step S108).

[0059] Subsequently, the central server 60 determines when the DR period has ended and notifies the charge / discharge management server 40 of the DR details at predetermined intervals until the DR period ends (step S110).

[0060] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an overview of the processes performed by the charge / discharge management server 40 when adjusting the amount of electricity supplied and demanded.

[0061] The charge / discharge management server 40 estimates the amount of power supply and demand adjustment (adjustment capacity) that can be achieved by the customer equipment 20 which is managed in advance by the charge / discharge management server 40. Hereinafter, the customer equipment 20 and the energy storage devices connected to it that are managed by the charge / discharge management server 40 will be collectively referred to as the energy storage device group. The charge / discharge management server 40 can estimate the adjustment capacity based on the specifications of the energy storage devices in the energy storage device group, as well as the power adjustment device 203, EVSE 201, onboard charge / discharge device 109, etc., provided by the customer equipment 20, and the participation rate in DR (Step S200).

[0062] When the charge / discharge management server 40 receives the DR information distributed in step S104, it determines the duration and extent of the DR (DR amount) to be implemented, and the content of the DR to be bid on based on the adjustment capacity estimated in step S200. Then, a bid for the DR is made based on the determined content of the DR (step S202).

[0063] The charge / discharge management server 40 determines whether the bid for DR has been successful, and if not, terminates processing. In this case, no request is made for the group of energy storage devices to participate in DR, and each customer can, at their discretion, perform charging and discharging of the energy storage devices at their respective customer facilities 20, for example, to adjust the amount of electricity consumed for self-consumption that does not involve reverse power flow to the power grid 30 (step S204).

[0064] In step S204, if it is determined that the bid for DR has been successful, the charge / discharge management server 40 aggregates the DR participation policies set by the customer for each energy storage device in the group of energy storage devices. The participation policies aggregated here may include information such as whether or not to participate in DR, the time period of participation, and the remaining charge of the energy storage devices, and may also include information regarding the benefits that the customer hopes to gain by participating in DR (hereinafter referred to as incentive orientation).

[0065] Information regarding participation in demand response (DR) includes the customer's choice of whether or not to use their energy storage device for charging and discharging purposes in DR. If the customer does not permit participation in DR, no further guidance information is required.

[0066] Information regarding participation time slots refers to the time slots during which participation in the DR is permitted or not permitted, if participation in the DR is permitted. For example, it may include information prohibiting charging and discharging during quiet nighttime hours to suppress noise such as sounds and vibrations generated from the EVSE 201 and power regulator 203 during the charging and discharging of the energy storage device, or, if the energy storage device is an on-board battery 103, information specifying time slots during which charging and discharging cannot be performed due to the movement of the vehicle 10, etc.

[0067] Information regarding the remaining charge of the energy storage device is used to specify the remaining charge of the energy storage device at a predetermined time, such as when participation in the DR ends or when the connection of the energy storage device to the power grid 30 is terminated for movement of the vehicle 10. By using this information regarding the remaining charge of the energy storage device, consumers can, for example, ensure that even if the remaining charge of the onboard battery 103 decreases during participation in the DR, they can ensure that the necessary remaining charge for driving the vehicle 10 is secured at a certain time, or after participation in the DR, they can ensure that the remaining charge of the battery 202 is secured in preparation for a power outage or the like.

[0068] By participating in DR, consumers receive rewards commensurate with the magnitude of their contribution, while the energy storage devices used in DR deteriorate with each charge and discharge. Incentive-oriented information indicates whether it is desirable to maximize rewards, or, if the energy storage device is an on-board battery 103, whether it is desirable to suppress the deterioration of the on-board battery 103 and increase the economic value of the vehicle 10. In the generation of DR participation conditions, which will be described later, the conditions for participating in DR are generated in accordance with the guidelines indicated by the incentive-oriented information.

[0069] The consolidation of DR participation policies is carried out to determine the operational scope of each customer's energy storage devices and to obtain the guidelines necessary for generating charge and discharge plans in creating DR participation conditions. The charge and discharge plans for energy storage devices used for DR participation are determined in a way that satisfies the incentive preferences of the customers.

[0070] DR participation policies may be obtained from each customer either when the DR participation policies are aggregated, or in advance, for example, via the information terminal 22 or the in-vehicle terminal device 107. Furthermore, information that does not change significantly may be registered in advance, and only information that may fluctuate, such as remaining battery charge, may be obtained from customers when the DR participation policies are aggregated.

[0071] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an input screen displayed on the information terminal 22 or the display device 112 (in the case of the in-vehicle terminal device 107) for incentive-oriented acquisition. Here, the explanation assumes that the display device is a touch panel type display device and that input operations can be performed from the screen. The display format may differ between the information terminal 22 and the in-vehicle terminal device 107, and may be appropriately changed depending on the form and operation method of the input / output device.

[0072] The section for setting the purpose of participating in the DR displays an icon group 601 containing multiple icons indicating items related to rewards, and a slider bar group 602 containing multiple slider bars displayed at positions corresponding to each icon in the icon group 601.

[0073] The icons displayed in icon group 601 indicate that the corresponding sliders in slider group 602 set, for example, orientations related to financial indicators, orientations related to environmental contributions, orientations related to the lifespan of energy storage devices, and orientations related to the remaining charge of energy storage devices, starting from the top of the diagram. Consumers can operate the sliders for each item to set their participation objectives by sliding the sliders to a position that reflects their level of interest or importance to that item. For example, the further to the right the slider is positioned, the higher the interest or importance of that item, and the further to the left the slider is positioned, the lower the interest or importance of that item.

[0074] Slide bar 603 is a slider bar used to set the customer's tolerance level for uncertainty regarding the outlook of earnings obtained by participating in DR. When the range of foreseeable earnings is narrow, the risk is small, and the customer has a high probability of obtaining the expected earnings. Conversely, when the range of foreseeable earnings is wide, the risk is large, and the customer has a high probability of not obtaining the expected earnings as predicted. For example, a customer can indicate that the further left they move slide bar 603, the smaller their acceptable risk (tolerance of uncertainty), and the further right they move it, the larger their acceptable risk.

[0075] The pull-down menu 604 specifies how to calculate the statistics used in comparing revenue distributions set by the slider bar 603. Examples of statistics that can be used include the mean, expected value, percentage, or variance. Alternatively, the maximum or minimum value may be used. Customers can select their preferred statistics from these options using the pull-down menu 604.

[0076] The icon group 605 represents icons indicating the display method for the revenue forecast, which will be displayed when selecting the participation conditions described later. For example, the example shown in Figure 6 includes, from left to right, an icon indicating that the revenue distribution will be displayed as a line shape, showing the height in the Y-axis direction and the spread in the X-axis direction of the graph; an icon indicating a bar display showing the spread of revenue; and an icon indicating that the expected value for the distribution will be displayed numerically. The numerical display may be the upper limit or lower limit of the distribution, or any percentile value. Customers can select the display method for the revenue forecast by selecting the button 606 displayed below each icon. Figure 6 shows, as an example, that the display method using a line shape has been selected.

[0077] After making the above-mentioned settings on the display screen, the customer can confirm the settings by operating the exit button 607. The confirmed incentive preference is sent to the charge / discharge management server 40 and is held by the charge / discharge management server 40 as the customer's incentive preference. The customer can also interrupt the incentive preference setting and move to another screen to perform other processing by operating the back button 608 (step S206).

[0078] Once the participation policies have been consolidated, customers whose participation policies align with those of other customers are selected as prospective participants in the DR. For example, customers who do not have available time slots during the DR implementation period, as indicated by the time zone information 804, are excluded from the list of prospective participants. When it is necessary to respond to a so-called downward DR, which involves reducing the apparent power demand to the power grid 30 by discharging from energy storage devices included in a group of energy storage devices, customers who have permitted discharge from their energy storage devices are selected as prospective participants in the DR. Furthermore, when it is necessary to respond to a so-called upward DR, which involves increasing power demand by increasing the amount of electricity charged to energy storage devices due to increased power generation from solar power generation, etc., customers who have permitted participation in the DR through charging or changes in charging timing are selected as prospective participants in the DR. Hereinafter, customers selected as prospective participants will be referred to as prospective DR participants (step S208).

[0079] Once the prospective DR participants are determined, the charge / discharge management server 40 creates a provisional DR plan for each prospective DR participant for the energy storage device they will use to participate in the DR, and uncertainty information for charge / discharge used to obtain accuracy information for revenue corresponding to the provisional DR plan. The provisional DR plan is created by allocating the DR amount won in step S204 to the energy storage devices of the prospective DR participants. The allocation of the DR amount is preferably determined with a margin of adjustment for power supply and demand during the implementation of the DR, for example, by anticipating the existence of prospective DR participants who will decline to participate in the DR in step S214, which will be described later. This eliminates the need to re-select prospective DR participants or recreate the provisional DR plan after excluding the energy storage devices owned by prospective DR participants who have declined to participate in the DR. The provisional DR plan is designed to include the charge / discharge output and its time period. For example, if the DR implementation period is 24 hours, the charge / discharge output every 30 minutes during the 24-hour period is calculated, and DR plan information is created, including a provisional DR plan, expected reward, and charge / discharge uncertainty (step S210).

[0080] Next, the charge / discharge management server 40 requests the prospective DR participants to participate in the DR. The notification of the request to participate in the DR may be sent, for example, via the communication network 50 to the information terminal 22 owned by the prospective DR participant, or to the in-vehicle terminal device 107 installed in the prospective DR participant's vehicle 10 (hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the two, both will be collectively referred to as the user terminal). At this time, the charge / discharge management server 40 notifies the user terminal of the DR plan information created in step S210 along with the participation request (step S212).

[0081] After this, the charge / discharge management server 40 collects responses from user terminals to DR participation requests. The responses from user terminals may include a charge / discharge plan for the energy storage device used to participate in the DR, which is created by a process described later. Based on the responses, the charge / discharge management server 40 determines whether the prospective DR participants have agreed to participate in the DR and whether it is necessary to recreate the DR plan. If there are prospective DR participants who have not agreed to participate in the DR, and the provisional DR plan created for the prospective DR participants who have agreed to participate in the DR is insufficient to meet the required amount of DR, it is determined that the provisional DR plan needs to be recreated. It is also determined that the provisional DR plan needs to be recreated if it is determined that the charge / discharge plan included in the responses as a whole cannot meet the required amount of DR (step S214).

[0082] If it is determined in step S214 that a temporary DR plan needs to be recreated, the charge / discharge management server 40 excludes the prospective DR participants who have not given their consent (step S216) and repeats the process from step S206 onward for the prospective DR participants who have given their consent.

[0083] In step S214, if it is determined that it is not necessary to recreate the provisional DR plan, the charge / discharge management server 40 confirms the provisional DR plan that has been created, or the charge / discharge plan if one is included in the response, as the DR plan, and notifies the user terminals of the DR participants who have given their consent of its contents (step S218).

[0084] After this, the charge / discharge management server 40 waits until the DR implementation period begins (step S220).

[0085] When the DR period begins, the charge / discharge management server 40 waits for notification of the DR details from the central server 60 (step S222). Upon receiving notification of the DR details, the charge / discharge management server 40 calculates the amount of power to be charged and discharged by each DR participant's energy storage device during the DR response as the DR target value. The DR target value is calculated to include the upper and lower limits of the charge / discharge power of each energy storage device used in the DR (step S224).

[0086] The calculated DR target value is sent as a DR command to the customer equipment 20 and / or vehicle 10 of the prospective DR participants, and the amount of electricity supply and demand is adjusted. At the customer equipment 20 and / or vehicle 10, the power adjustment device 203, EVSE 201, or on-board terminal device 107 that controls the charging and discharging of the energy storage device controls the charging and discharging of the energy storage device based on the received DR command, and the charging and discharging of the energy storage device is performed between the upper and lower limits of the charging and discharging power set as the DR target value (step S226).

[0087] The charge / discharge management server 40 also acquires the amount of electricity charged and discharged from the batteries of prospective DR participants, measured by smart meters 204, etc., from the customer equipment 20 and / or vehicles 10. The acquired amount of electricity is compared with the DR target value as DR performance to calculate the degree of contribution of the DR participants' energy storage devices to DR, and a reward corresponding to the degree of contribution is determined. At this time, there is no restriction on imposing penalties such as a reduction in reward or a fine on DR participants whose DR performance did not meet the DR target (step S228).

[0088] The charge / discharge management server 40 repeatedly performs the processes from step S222 onward until it is determined that the DR implementation period has ended, and then terminates the process (step S230).

[0089] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of customer information about a customer held by the charge / discharge management server 40. The customer information 700 registers information such as customer equipment 20 and energy storage devices owned by the customer. Here, the customer information 700 is shown as information in a table format, but the customer information 700 may be managed as information in a list format or other format. The customer information 700 is stored, for example, in a storage device provided by the charge / discharge management server 40.

[0090] Customer ID 701 stores ID information that identifies each individual customer. Customer information 700 stores the following information corresponding to Customer ID 701.

[0091] The power receiving point identification number 702 is registered as a number used to identify the power receiving point in the power system 30 from which power is supplied. The smart meter ID 703 is registered as ID information used to identify the smart meter 204 connected to the power receiving point identified by the power receiving point identification number 702. The power receiving point identification number 702 and the smart meter ID 703 may be information assigned to each power contract between the power company or aggregation coordinator and the consumer, for example, and may also be shared between the resource coordinator operating the charge / discharge management server 40 and the power company or aggregation coordinator.

[0092] The energy storage device ID 704 contains ID information that identifies the energy storage device that exchanges power with the power grid 30 via the smart meter 204 identified by the smart meter ID 703, and the charge / discharge device 705 contains information about the charging device, such as the EVSE 201, used for charging and discharging. The registration terminal 706 contains ID information and type information that identifies the information terminal 22 and in-vehicle terminal device 107 to which notifications such as requests to participate in DR are sent. The DR participation request method 707 contains the method of requesting participation in DR and the method of accepting the request for each energy storage device to which the energy storage device ID 704 is registered.

[0093] If there are multiple corresponding devices or equipment, multiple entries may be registered for the energy storage device ID 704, the charge / discharge device 705, and the registration terminal 706. Similarly, multiple methods may be registered for the DR participation request method 707.

[0094] The above-mentioned provisional DR plan is determined for each power receiving point identification number 702. Therefore, if a customer owns multiple customer equipment 20 with different power receiving points, the information below smart meter ID 703 is registered for each power receiving point identification number 702 of each customer equipment 20.

[0095] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of information regarding participation policies that is aggregated in step S206. The information regarding participation policies 800 is stored in a storage device provided by the charge / discharge management server 40, similar to the customer information 700. Here, the information regarding participation policies 800 is described as being managed in a table format, but it may be managed in other formats such as a list format, not limited to a table format.

[0096] Information regarding participation policies 800 can be obtained, for example, when a consumer purchases a vehicle 10, a storage battery 202, or equipment such as an EVSE 201 or a power adjustment device 203, or when they rent an electric vehicle, through an information terminal 22 or an in-vehicle terminal device 107 in the vehicle 10. Information regarding participation policies 800 may also be obtained when a request to participate in the DR is made.

[0097] As shown in Figure 8, the information 800 regarding the participation policy may include information such as a storage device ID 801 for identifying a storage device within a group of storage devices, storage device type 802, eligibility for participation in DR 803, time period information 804 for participation in DR, incentive coefficient 805, battery capacity 806, discharge limit capacity 807, charge / discharge device 808, maximum charge output 809, and maximum discharge output 810.

[0098] The energy storage device type 802 contains information indicating whether the energy storage device is a stationary battery, an on-board battery, or information about a standalone charge / discharge device such as an EVSE.

[0099] The participation status 803 contains information indicating whether or not participation in DR (use of the energy storage device in DR) is permitted. If permitted, participation status 803 may also include information on whether charging, discharging, or both charging and discharging are permitted. This allows consumers to specify participation in charging only, discharging only, or both charging and discharging.

[0100] The time zone information 804 contains information about the time zones in which participation in DR is permitted or not permitted. Preferably, the time zone information is obtained in the form of a table, such as a time zone table 900 which sets information indicating whether participation in DR is permitted or not for each time zone of the day, as shown in Figure 9, or a time zone table 1000 which is subdivided by day of the week or day, as shown in Figure 10. The width of the time zone may be changed, for example, according to the period during which charging and discharging is performed in DR. In the case of an on-board battery, the time zones in which participation in DR is permitted change depending on how the customer uses the vehicle 10, so the accuracy of creating a provisional DR plan can be improved by setting it according to the actual usage of the customer. In this embodiment, the time zone information itself is held in the form of a time zone table 900 or a time zone table 1000, and the time zone information 804 contains ID information that identifies the time zone table 900 or the time zone table 1000, or link information to these tables. The time zone tables 900 and 1000 may also include not only whether participation is permitted or not for each time zone, but also whether participation is permitted or not for charging, discharging, or both charging and discharging for each time zone.

[0101] The incentive coefficient 805 includes coefficients related to policies such as whether the user desires a DR plan that maximizes rewards, a DR plan that increases the battery charge level, or a DR plan that minimizes greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this embodiment, the incentive coefficient is set to consist of parameters representing the weights of these three indicators. For example, Figure 8 shows that, with the aim of maximizing rewards, the weights of the reward, charge level, and GHG indicators are set to "0.98," "0.01," and "0.01," respectively. The incentive coefficient does not necessarily have to include all of these; it may include only some of them, or it may include coefficients related to other indicators.

[0102] The battery capacity 806 is set to the battery capacity of the battery installed in the energy storage device, and the discharge limit capacity 807 is set to the minimum remaining charge value that is allowed during participation in DR. The battery capacity 806 is set, for example, in the case of an on-board battery, with the aim of securing the amount of power necessary for driving. The battery capacity 806 is also set in the case of a stationary battery to secure a amount of power in preparation for unexpected power outages, etc.

[0103] The charge / discharge device 808 is configured with information about the charge / discharge device used for charging and discharging the energy storage device when participating in DR. The maximum charge output 809 and maximum discharge output 810 are set to the smaller of the charge / discharge output specified in the specifications of the energy storage device and the charge / discharge output specified in the specifications of the charge / discharge device used.

[0104] All of this information does not necessarily need to be set. For example, if the energy storage device is an on-board battery and the charge / discharge device used for charging and discharging is not specified, information indicating uncertainty, such as "N / A," may be set, as shown as an example in Figure 8.

[0105] Furthermore, for example, if a customer participates in a demand response (DR) by charging and discharging their own vehicle (energy storage device) using public facilities such as EVSEs that are rented out to customers at stores, in addition to EVSEs owned by the customer themselves, information regarding participation policies may be set separately for cases where the customer uses their own equipment and cases where they use public facilities. In this case, a DR plan may be created based on pre-set information for EVSEs that the customer normally uses, and information regarding participation policies may be obtained each time the customer participates in a DR when using public facilities. Also, if a vehicle temporarily borrowed by the customer, such as a rental car, is used to participate in a DR, the vehicle owner may decide on the DR participation policy on behalf of the customer. Moreover, if the customer's equipment is a public EVSE and the vehicle (energy storage device) to be used is not specified, only information regarding the EVSE may be provisionally set by the customer, and other information may be modified (set) by users who use the equipment to charge their energy storage device. In this way, the method and timing of obtaining information regarding participation policies may differ.

[0106] Information regarding participation policies, once acquired, may be configured to allow consumers to modify it at any time. For example, if the energy storage device is a stationary battery, it can be linked with the power grid 30 at all times and is installed together with a power adjustment device, so the information that can be changed later would be the time zone information 804 (time zone tables 900, 1000) and the discharge limit capacity 807. Also, if the energy storage device is an on-board battery, when creating a provisional demand response (DR) plan, the discharge limit capacity 807 may be modified to appropriate information, for example, if the vehicle equipped with the on-board battery is used for transportation after participating in the DR.

[0107] In this embodiment, the customer information 700, including the time zone tables 900 and 1000, and the information 800 regarding participation policies do not necessarily have to be stored in the charge / discharge management server 40. For example, they may be stored in another computer system managed by the resource coordinator and retrieved by the charge / discharge management server 40 as needed.

[0108] The following describes the process of creating a provisional DR plan, which is performed in step S210. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the charge / discharge management server 40 in the provisional DR plan creation process.

[0109] The charge / discharge management server 40 acquires information 800 regarding participation policy for each of the DR participants selected in step S208, based on the energy storage device ID 704 of the customer information 700. Here, from the information 800 regarding participation policy, information on the time period in which participation is possible, obtained based on the time period information 804, and information on the magnitude of the charge / discharge output, indicated by the maximum charge output 809 and the maximum discharge output 810 as adjustment power, are acquired (step S300).

[0110] The charge / discharge management server 40, for example, based on the information acquired in step S300, allocates the amount of power supply indicated in the DR information distributed from the central server 60 at the time of successful bidding to the prospective DR participants and creates a charge / discharge plan for each prospective participant. Here, the DR information includes, for example, the minimum, maximum, and target values ​​of the amount of power supply and demand (charge / discharge output) that the group of energy storage devices managed by the charge / discharge management server 40 must satisfy for each time period during the period in which the DR is implemented. The charge / discharge management server 40 creates a provisional DR plan for each prospective DR participant so that the target values ​​indicated in the DR information are met.

[0111] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the method for creating a DR plan. In Figure 12, the top chart is a chart of the power supply and demand amounts that the resource aggregator won the bid for. The darkly shaded areas 1201 and 1202 indicate the period outside the DR period for which the bid was won, and the time period indicated by the arrow 1203 between these periods (14:00-18:00 in the figure) is the DR period. The solid line 1204 shows the power supply and demand amounts that the battery group managed by the charge / discharge management server 40 must meet during the DR period. Here, it is assumed that 5 kW of discharge is required between 14:00 and 15:00, 3 kW between 15:00 and 17:00, and 2 kW between 17:00 and 18:00.

[0112] The chart below the power supply and demand chart is the created DR plan, showing the adjustment capacity that prospective DR participants must provide. Here, as an example, the charts of the adjustment capacity assigned to prospective DR participants A, B, C, and D are shown from top to bottom. In the DR plan, upper and lower limits are set for the required charging and discharging power as the adjustment capacity that prospective DR participants must provide through their energy storage devices, and this range of charging and discharging power is set as the provisional DR plan. In the charts of prospective DR participants, the darkly shaded areas 1211, 1212, 1221, 1222, and 1241 represent time periods in which participation in the DR is not permitted, as indicated by the time period information 804 in the participation policy information 800.

[0113] If the energy storage device used for DR is an on-board battery or a stationary battery, and the time period during which participation in DR is possible and the range of adjustment capacity are determined, then, as shown in the shaded sections 1213, 1223, and 1231, the maximum and minimum values ​​of the charge and discharge power to be supplied are set for each time period during which participation in DR is permitted.

[0114] On the other hand, if the equipment used by a prospective DR participant is a public charging / discharging device, such as one installed in a store, it is not certain whether the vehicle performing the charging / discharging during the DR will be connected to the charging / discharging device. In such cases, the allocation of power supply and demand is made considering the possibility of the vehicle being connected. Figure 12 shows an example of a DR plan in such a case for prospective DR participant D. In such cases, for example, a maximum value for discharge power, as shown in the shaded area 1242, is set assuming that the vehicle is connected to the charging / discharging device and participation in the DR by discharging is permitted, and a maximum value for charging power, as shown in the shaded area 1243, is set assuming that discharging is not permitted and the vehicle is used only for charging.

[0115] Furthermore, for prospective DR participants whose vehicle (energy storage device) is not yet confirmed to be connected during their participation in the DR, in addition to the range of charging and discharging, the expected value and probability distribution of the charging and discharging output are calculated. Such expected values ​​can be calculated, for example, based on the past usage history of the charging and discharging device.

[0116] While participation in the DR is permitted by the prospective DR participants, during periods outside the DR implementation period, charging and discharging at the maximum possible charge / discharge output of the DR participants' energy storage devices is permitted, for example, as indicated by the lightly shaded areas 1214, 1215, 1224, 1232, 1233, and 1244.

[0117] The power supply and demand allocation described here is merely an example for illustrative purposes; in reality, there may be many more prospective DR participants. The DR implementation period may also be longer or shorter, and may be divided into multiple time slots. Furthermore, within the DR period won by the resource aggregator, prospective DR participants may be selected such that some participate in DR during different time slots, for example, from 10:00 to 16:00 and another from 20:00 to 22:00, while other prospective DR participants participate only during the 10:00 to 16:00 time slot. Also, for the sake of simplicity, only the charge and discharge output of energy storage devices is considered here, but in reality, it is sufficient that the magnitude of the power supply and demand at the receiving point of the participating consumers falls within the scope of the DR plan. For example, it is sufficient that the electricity measured by the smart meter 204 at the customer equipment 20 of the prospective DR participant falls within the scope of the DR plan. The entire amount of electricity may be satisfied by charging and discharging from the onboard battery of an electric vehicle, or some or all of the electricity may be satisfied by electricity generated by the solar panel 205 (step S301).

[0118] After a provisional DR plan is formulated, the charge / discharge management server 40 calculates the hourly reward rate for participating in DR, which is necessary for calculating the accuracy of the reward based on the created provisional DR plan. The reward rate may be expressed as a monetary indicator, such as 30 yen per kWh of electricity, or as an indicator such as 0.5 kg of greenhouse gas emissions per kWh of electricity. The reward rate may also be expressed as 100 yen per kg of greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, these may be combined to obtain a reward of 40 yen per kWh when participating in DR using electricity stored in a storage device by solar power generation, and a reward of 20 yen per kWh when participating in DR using electricity stored by thermal power generation.

[0119] Furthermore, the reward may be adjusted depending on the number of participants in the demand response (DR). For example, since the amount of electricity supply and demand that the energy storage group must realize and the number of participants in the DR change depending on the time of day, a larger reward can be set for time periods when the absolute value of the adjustment capacity that the energy storage group must provide is large, or for time periods when there are fewer participants in the DR (step S302).

[0120] Next, the charge / discharge management server 40 calculates the expected value and probability distribution of the fluctuation range of charge / discharge output relative to the charge / discharge output plan of each prospective DR participant, corresponding to the uncertainty of power supply and demand, such as prospective DR participant D mentioned above, as information on the uncertainty of the charge / discharge range. For example, such an expected value can be obtained for each time period by dividing the average charge / discharge output allowed for the energy storage device of a prospective DR participant with uncertain power supply and demand by the number of other prospective DR participants. The expected value and probability distribution may be determined based on past charge / discharge performance of the energy storage device of the prospective DR participant with uncertain power supply and demand (step S303).

[0121] The DR plan, compensation unit price, and uncertainty information of the charge / discharge range created through the above processing are distributed as DR plan information to prospective DR participants in step S212, along with a request to participate in the DR.

[0122] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the processing flow performed on the user terminal (information terminal 22 or in-vehicle terminal device 107) of a prospective participant in a DR who has received a request to participate in a DR.

[0123] When the user terminal receives a request to participate in DR from the charge / discharge management server 40 (step S401), it acquires information regarding the energy storage device (storage battery 202 or on-board battery 103) (hereinafter referred to as energy storage device information) and information regarding the charge / discharge device (power adjustment device 203 or EVSE 201) (hereinafter referred to as charge / discharge device information) (step S402).

[0124] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing information about the on-board battery 103 as energy storage device information. The energy storage device information 1400 of the on-board battery 103 is acquired, for example, by the BCU 105 and stored in the on-board terminal device 107.

[0125] Vehicle ID 1401 is ID information that identifies the vehicle equipped with the onboard battery 103. Vehicle position 1402 is position information detected, for example, by the position detection device 122. The position information can be used as the parking position of vehicle 10, for example, to obtain information related to the weather forecast. Connected EVSE 1403 is information about the EVSE 201 to which vehicle 10 is connected, and is obtained, for example, from the EVSE 201 via the communication unit 108 and the charging port 101.

[0126] The estimated parking environment value 1404 is information representing the environment of the place where the vehicle 10 is parked. The estimated parking environment value is estimated based on information acquired by, for example, a temperature sensor 121, an imaging device 123, and a solar radiation sensor 124. The estimated parking environment value indicates, for example, whether the vehicle is parked in the open or in a covered environment such as a garage. By using the estimated parking environment value 1404, it is possible to detect, for example, that if the vehicle is parked in the open, the temperature of the on-board battery 103 is likely to rise due to solar radiation, and the deterioration of the on-board battery 103 is likely to progress.

[0127] The onboard battery ID 1406 is ID information for identifying the onboard battery 103. For example, the same information as the energy storage device ID used in customer information 700 and participation policy information 800 is used, and is used when referring to the participation policy information 800.

[0128] The following information, obtained by the BCU 105, is registered: battery voltage 1406, state of charge (SOC) 1407, battery temperature 1408, state of health (SOH) 1409, estimated battery resistance 1410, and estimated charging efficiency 1411. This information can be used as initial values ​​and predictive model parameters for creating a DR plan and predicting the battery state.

[0129] If the energy storage device is a stationary battery 202, this information is acquired, for example, by a monitoring device (not shown) provided in the battery 202 and retained by a power adjustment device 203 to which the battery 202 is connected.

[0130] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of charge / discharge device information. The charge / discharge device information 1500 can use information held by the EVSE 201 and the power adjustment device 203 themselves in control units (not shown). In the case of the on-board charge / discharge device 109, the information acquired and held by the on-board terminal device 107 from the on-board charge / discharge device 109 can be used.

[0131] In Figure 15, the charge / discharge device ID 1501 is ID information that identifies the charge / discharge device, and the power receiving point identification number 1502 contains the same information as the power receiving point identification number 702 registered in the customer information 700. The charge / discharge device ID 1501 and the power receiving point identification number 1502 can be used to determine which customer owns the charge / discharge device. In addition, the charge / discharge device ID 1501 is the destination for DR commands sent from the charge / discharge management server 40.

[0132] The maximum charge output 1503, maximum discharge output 1504, charge efficiency map 1505, and discharge efficiency map 1506 are information used to determine the target output of the charge / discharge device in order to provide adjustment power from the connected energy storage device. The control protocol 1507 is information that identifies the communication protocol of the control signals for controlling the charge / discharge device via the communication network 50. For example, the charge / discharge management server 40 can directly control the charge / discharge device according to the control protocol 1507 by acquiring the charge / discharge device information 1500.

[0133] Returning to Figure 13, the user terminal, upon acquiring the energy storage device information 1400 and the charge / discharge device information 1500, calculates a charge / discharge plan and the probability of profit based on that charge / discharge plan. The probability of profit may include, for example, the forecast of the battery temperature during DR participation that could lead to the deterioration of the energy storage device, the forecast of the amount of deterioration of the energy storage device that will progress as a result of participating in DR, and the forecast of profit as information on the range of fluctuation (risk) of these. The calculation of the probability of profit for prospective DR participant A in Figure 12 will be explained below as an example. Prospective DR participant A has customer equipment 20 as shown in Figure 2, and it is assumed that the on-board battery 103 of the vehicle 10 will be used for participation in DR.

[0134] As mentioned above, the charge and discharge outputs in the provisional DR plan created for each prospective DR participant are set with a certain range. The user terminal creates multiple charge and discharge plans to satisfy the incentive orientation of the prospective DR participant, by changing the extent to which it responds within the range of charge and discharge outputs shown in the provisional DR plan, during the time period in which the energy storage device is charged and discharged, including the period shown in the provisional DR plan. The charge and discharge plans can be created by adjusting the magnitude of the charge and discharge outputs so that they fall between the upper and lower limits of the charge and discharge outputs shown in the DR plan, and the incentive orientation is satisfied, for example, using a linear programming algorithm or dynamic programming method.

[0135] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the charge / discharge plan and revenue accuracy information that will be created.

[0136] In Figure 16, the chart shown at the top is a provisional DR plan distributed from the charge / discharge management server 40. The user terminal creates a charge / discharge plan for the vehicle battery 103 (chart (A) in Figure 16) for each time period (for example, every 30 minutes) of the time when the vehicle battery 103 can be charged and discharged (from 12:00 to 20:00 in Figure 16), based on the power demand at the DR participant's customer equipment 20, the power output of the solar panels 205, and the forecast of the outside temperature.

[0137] The forecast for electricity demand at the customer facility 20 is calculated, for example, from actual electricity demand data of the customer facility 20. Actual electricity demand data can be stored, for example, by measuring values ​​from a smart meter 204 in the charge / discharge management server 40 or the central server 60, and can be accessed by reading the stored data from a user terminal. The user terminal can obtain the forecast for electricity demand from the actual electricity demand data using an autoregressive model or a machine learning model. The power output of the solar panels 205 can also be forecasted in the same way as electricity demand by using past power output data. Furthermore, the forecast for outside temperature can be obtained by acquiring information such as temperature forecasts provided by weather information services, based on the location information of the vehicle 10 and the address where the customer facility 20 is installed.

[0138] The charge / discharge plan can be created as a charge / discharge plan that provides the maximum available adjustment power (in this case, discharge power) as shown by the solid line 1601 in Chart (A) of Figure 16, or as a charge / discharge plan that provides the minimum available adjustment power as shown by the dashed line 1602.

[0139] Chart (B) shows the projected temperature changes of the onboard battery 103 when charging and discharging are performed according to the charge and discharge plan in Chart (A). The solid line 1611 shows the projected temperature changes when charging and discharging are performed according to the charge and discharge plan shown by the solid line 1601, and the dashed line 1612 shows the projected temperature changes when charging and discharging are performed according to the charge and discharge plan shown by the dashed line 1602. The projected temperature changes may also include, for example, the projected ambient temperature, as shown by the dashed line 1650 in Chart (B).

[0140] Chart (C) shows the projected degradation of the onboard battery 103 when charging and discharging is performed according to the charge and discharge plan in Chart (A). Regarding the projected degradation, projections for the degradation when charging and discharging is performed with the maximum adjustment power (solid line 1631) and when charging and discharging is performed with the minimum adjustment power (dashed line 1632) are also created.

[0141] The estimated amount of degradation can be calculated, for example, based on the temperature of the on-board battery 103 and the amount of degradation per unit time relative to its charge state, i.e., the degradation rate data, as shown in Figure 17. Specifically, the state of the on-board battery 103, indicated by the battery state information of the on-board battery 103 acquired in step S402, is used as the initial value, and the charge state of the on-board battery is calculated from the charge and discharge amounts calculated in the charge and discharge plan. Then, the amount of degradation is calculated based on the degradation rate data from this charge state and the time-dependent estimated temperature of the on-board battery 103, and the estimated amount of degradation is obtained by integrating this value in the time direction over the time period during which the charge and discharge plan is created.

[0142] Chart (D) shows the projected revenue when charging and discharging are performed according to the charge and discharge plan in Chart (A). The projected revenue is created, for example, by converting the projected degradation of the energy storage device into a cost, and then calculating the revenue from this cost and the unit price of the remuneration received from the charge and discharge management server 40.

[0143] Revenue does not necessarily have to be based on monetary indicators. Revenue could be, for example, the degree of environmental contribution based on greenhouse gas emissions. The lower the greenhouse gas emissions, the higher the environmental contribution and the greater the revenue. Alternatively, revenue could be the lifespan of the energy storage device. In this case, for example, the revenue could be calculated so that the less degradation due to participation in demand response (DR), the greater the revenue. Furthermore, revenue could be the amount of charge added to the energy storage device during participation in demand response (DR). In this case, the revenue could be calculated so that the higher the proportion of charge added to the energy storage device, the greater the revenue.

[0144] Revenue (Rev) may be calculated, for example, by subtracting the cost incurred from participating in the DR from the reward (Rew) obtained from participating in the DR, as shown in Equation 1. In Equation 1, revenue, reward, loss, or any one or all of them are variables with a distribution. Rev = Rew - Cost (Equation 1) Here, the reward may be set as an amount equivalent to legal tender, such as 100 yen, or it may be awarded as points.

[0145] Losses are calculated, for example, based on the degradation that occurs in the energy storage device due to participation in DR. When converting losses into a monetary indicator, they may be calculated as the replacement cost of a new energy storage device, or by multiplying the new car price of vehicle 10 (assuming no degradation) by the degradation rate. The degradation rate may be calculated, for example, by measuring the discharge capacity of the energy storage device and expressing it as a percentage of the discharge capacity to that of a new device or the rated discharge capacity. Alternatively, the degradation rate may be calculated by using the internal impedance or resistance value of the energy storage device in a new state as a baseline and interpreting its increase rate as the amount of degradation. Furthermore, the degradation rate may be calculated based on the total amount of charge and discharge electricity over the lifetime of the energy storage device, from the start of use to the time of loss calculation.

[0146] The revenue forecast is calculated with a range depending on the differences in the charge / discharge plan. In the chart (D) shown in Figure 16, the revenue forecast when charging and discharging is performed with the maximum adjustment capacity is shown by the solid line 1641, and the revenue forecast when charging and discharging is performed with the minimum adjustment capacity is shown by the dashed line 1642. The dashed line 1643 shows the expected value of revenue calculated based on uncertainty information. If the system is operated for the entire duration of the DR implementation shown in the provisional DR plan, the revenue distribution shown in the area enclosed by the dashed line 1644 will be calculated at the end of the DR.

[0147] The revenue forecast and its distribution calculated here can be considered to correspond to, for example, the situation of other prospective DR participants, the fluctuating ambient temperature and temperature conditions of the energy storage device during the implementation of DR, the charge / discharge output which changes depending on the charge / discharge state of the energy storage device, and the degree of degradation of the energy storage device, which affects the error in utility. Multiple versions of the charge / discharge plan and revenue accuracy information may be created, for example, by setting the range of response to DR to the average value of the charge / discharge output shown in the provisional DR plan, or to a predetermined value within the charge / discharge range (step S403).

[0148] The created charge / discharge plan and information such as the likelihood of profitability are presented to prospective DR participants as conditions for participation in the DR, and the DR participation conditions to be sent as a response to the charge / discharge management server 40 are selected.

[0149] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a screen for selecting DR participation conditions displayed on a user terminal. In the following explanation, it will be assumed that the system is operated using a touch panel display device, similar to the input screen shown in Figure 6.

[0150] On the participation conditions selection screen, information regarding each of the DR participation conditions created in step S403 is displayed in the information display area. In Figure 18, the three participation conditions are displayed in the information display areas 1800a, 1800b, and 1800c, respectively.

[0151] For example, the information display area 1800a displays an information window 1801, a profit indicator 1802, a text display 1803, and a selection button 1804. The information window 1801 displays information such as the forecast of the charge status of the energy storage device, which changes as a result of participation in DR.

[0152] The revenue indicator 1802 displays the revenue forecast corresponding to the DR participation conditions, using the display method selected in the pull-down menu 604 on the input screen shown in Figure 6 when incentive orientation is acquired. For example, in Figure 18, the revenue forecast is displayed in a distributed manner on the revenue indicator 1802.

[0153] Text display 1803 displays a text explanation of the DR participation conditions. Text display 1803 may also display information regarding the maximum, upper, and lower limits of the State of Charge (SOC) of the charge / discharge output, and this information may be notified to prospective DR participants.

[0154] The selection button 1804 indicates whether the participation condition displayed in the corresponding display area is selected or not. For example, in Figure 18, a black selection button indicates a selected state, and a white selection button indicates a deselected state. DR participants can, for example, select or deselect the relevant participation condition by operating the selection button 1804.

[0155] The information displayed in the other information display areas 1800b and 1800c is the same as that displayed in information display area 1800a, so we will omit the explanation here.

[0156] Participants in the DR can set the planned departure time setting field 1805 for the time they intend to end their participation in the DR due to vehicle movement, etc., and the target SOC value at the time of completion of charging in the target SOC setting field 1806.

[0157] Prospective DR participants can select their participation conditions and / or set their planned departure time and target SOC on the participation conditions selection screen, and then confirm their participation in the DR under the selected conditions by operating the response button 1807. If a prospective DR participant does not wish to participate in the DR for any reason, such as none of the participation conditions being suitable, they can decline participation by operating the farewell button 1808.

[0158] Furthermore, the user terminal may be configured to display multiple participation conditions and accept priority settings for the participation conditions from prospective DR participants. It is also not necessary to display all of the multiple participation conditions; for example, it may be possible to extract and display a few of the highest-priority participation conditions from those created. By narrowing down the displayed participation conditions in this way, the burden and effort required for prospective DR participants to select their participation conditions can be reduced (step S404).

[0159] The user terminal waits for the prospective DR participant to operate the response button 1807 or the rejection button 1808 to select either the DR participation conditions or to decline participation in the DR. Once the prospective DR participant has made a selection, the user terminal saves the DR participation conditions selected by the prospective DR participant and sends the charge / discharge plan information included in the selected DR participation conditions to the charge / discharge management server 40 as a response. If the prospective DR participant chooses to decline participation in the DR, this is also notified to the charge / discharge management server 40 as a response (step S405).

[0160] Subsequently, in step S214, as explained with reference to Figure 5, it is determined whether or not a provisional DR plan needs to be recreated based on the response from the user terminal, and the finalized DR plan is delivered to the user terminal.

[0161] In this embodiment, the charge / discharge management server 40 and the user terminal cooperate to create DR participation conditions (charge / discharge plan and revenue accuracy information). This distributes the computing resources required to calculate the DR participation conditions, thereby reducing the computational load on the charge / discharge management server 40. Alternatively, the information required to create the DR participation conditions described above may be collected in advance on the charge / discharge management server 40, and the DR participation conditions may be created on the charge / discharge management server 40. In this case, for example, it is possible to create DR conditions even when the vehicle 10 is in motion and stable communication cannot be established between the charge / discharge management server 40 and the in-vehicle terminal device 107. In this case, it is preferable that the system is configured to periodically transmit energy storage device information 1400 and charge / discharge device information 1500 from the user terminal to the charge / discharge management server 40.

[0162] In the embodiment described above, participation in DR was determined by selecting conditions from the participation conditions generated on the user terminal. However, when a prospective DR participant selects the DR participation conditions, it may be possible to adjust the DR participation conditions created on the user terminal, such as the amount of power to be charged or discharged.

[0163] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an adjustment screen displayed on the user terminal when adjusting the amount of power being charged and discharged. The adjustment screen shown in Figure 19 can be displayed, for example, by transitioning from the DR participation condition selection screen shown in Figure 18.

[0164] The time display unit 1901 indicates the different time periods within the period in which the DR is implemented. Here, the time is divided into 30-minute intervals, but the time intervals can be set arbitrarily, for example, to 15-minute intervals or 1-hour intervals. Furthermore, the time intervals do not need to be fixed and may be changed as appropriate, for example, depending on the length of time the DR is implemented.

[0165] The slider bar group 1902 displays multiple slider bars for adjusting the upper limit of the amount of power to be charged, corresponding to each time period displayed on the time display unit 1901. Above each slider bar, the upper limit of the amount of power to be charged, set by the corresponding slider bar, is shown in text. Participants in the DR can increase the upper limit of the amount of power charged to the energy storage device for each time period by moving the slider bar of the slider bar group 1902 upwards, and conversely, decrease the upper limit of the amount of power to be charged by moving the slider bar downwards.

[0166] The slide bar group 1903 displays multiple slide bars for adjusting the upper limit of the discharge amount corresponding to each time period displayed on the time display unit 1901. Below each slide bar, the upper limit of the discharge amount set by the corresponding slide bar is shown in text. Participants in the DR can lower the upper limit of the amount of power discharged from the energy storage device for each time period by moving the position of the slide bar group 1903 upwards, and conversely, raise the upper limit of the amount of power discharged by moving the position of the slide bar downwards.

[0167] Normally, during DR participation, vehicle 10 is not moved, and the EVSE 201 to which vehicle 10 is connected is not changed. For this reason, for example, by making the variable range of power amount by the slide bars included in each slide bar group the same for both slide bar group 1902 and slide bar group 1903, it is possible to easily compare the magnitude of the charge and discharge power amount for each time period from the setting position of the slide bars. Furthermore, by setting the upper limit setting position of the charge and discharge power amount as described above, it is possible to easily compare the magnitude of the change in power charged and discharged for each time period from the degree of spread of the slide bars in each time period of slide bar group 1902 and slide bar group 1903.

[0168] Temperature Chart 1904 provides a forecast of outside temperatures during the DR implementation period using a line chart and text. The forecast of outside temperatures can utilize information obtained from, for example, weather information services as described above.

[0169] Participants in the DR (Digital Review) can adjust the upper limit of the charge / discharge power amount using the sliders 1902 and 1903, then confirm the result by, for example, operating the finish button 1905, and return to the DR participation conditions selection screen. Alternatively, if the back button 1906 is operated, the system may be configured to cancel the operation result on the adjustment screen and return to the DR participation conditions selection screen.

[0170] The time and charge / discharge values ​​shown in Figure 19 are examples, and the number of slider bars can be any number. It is desirable that the time period and slider bars be displayed so that the power adjustment can be made over the time period during which participation in DR is scheduled. If it is not possible to display the entire period at once due to the display area, the system may be configured so that the slider bars can be adjusted by scrolling the screen, for example.

[0171] If a prospective DR participant changes their DR participation conditions via the adjustment screen, the system may be configured to provide information on the potential increase or decrease in risks resulting from the change. For example, if an adjustment is made to increase the amount of power charged under conditions of high ambient temperature, the temperature of the energy storage device is more likely to rise, and the charge level of the energy storage device will also increase due to the charging, which may accelerate the deterioration of the energy storage device. If the result of such an adjustment deviates from the prospective DR participant's policy on participating in the DR, information on the increase or decrease in risks can be provided, for example, through a text display unit 2001 such as a pop-up window or callout, as shown in Figure 20. In this case, the relevant section may be displayed in a form different from the normal display method, for example, as in the text display unit 2002, to draw the attention of the prospective DR participant.

[0172] According to the embodiment described above, when a request is made to participate in DR as energy management, users such as consumers are provided with information on the benefits of participating in energy management, such as revenue, and the likelihood of such benefits, as well as the conditions for participation. This allows users to select the participation conditions that will provide the desired benefits from the information on the conditions for participation, and makes it easier for them to decide whether or not to participate in energy management.

[0173] The present invention has been described above using representative embodiments as examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto and can be implemented in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention as described in the claims. The embodiments described above are explained in detail for the purpose of making the present invention easy to understand, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described.

[0174] 10...Vehicle, 20...Customer equipment, 22...Information terminal, 30...Power system, 40...Charge / discharge management server, 50...Communication network, 60...Central server, 100...In-vehicle system, 101...Charging port, 102...Motor, 103...In-vehicle battery, 104...Power converter, 105...BCU, 107...In-vehicle terminal device, 108...Communication unit, 109...In-vehicle charge / discharge device, 110...HMI, 120...External sensor, 201...EVSE, 202...Storage battery, 203...Power adjustment device, 204...Smart meter, 205...Solar cell, 206...Distribution board, 208...Communication device

Claims

1. An energy management method for adjusting the amount of electricity supply and demand in a power grid using energy storage devices owned by multiple consumers receiving electricity from the power grid, comprising: aggregating participation policy information which includes at least one of the following: information indicating whether each of the multiple consumers can participate in the adjustment of the amount of electricity supply and demand and information indicating whether each of the multiple consumers can participate in the adjustment of the amount of electricity supply and demand and information indicating whether each of the multiple consumers can participate in the adjustment of the amount of electricity supply and demand and information regarding the type of reward each of the multiple consumers expects to receive by participating in the adjustment of the amount of electricity supply and demand; calculating the amount of electricity to be allocated to the energy storage devices owned by each of the multiple consumers based on the participation information; calculating the reward each of the multiple consumers will receive by participating in the adjustment of the amount of electricity supply and demand based on the amount of electricity to be supplied and demanded; and creating electricity supply and demand plan information which includes information regarding the amount of electricity to be supplied and demanded and information regarding the reward; and creating charge and discharge plan information which includes information regarding the status of the energy storage devices, information regarding the type of reward, and the electricity supply and demand plan information, relating to the charge and discharge plan of the energy storage devices owned by each of the multiple consumers. An energy management method comprising: creating accuracy information indicating the certainty of profit when each of the multiple consumers participates in the power supply and demand adjustment based on the aforementioned reward information and the aforementioned charge and discharge plan information; presenting participation condition information including the aforementioned charge and discharge plan information and the aforementioned accuracy information to each of the multiple consumers and accepting the selection by each of the multiple consumers whether or not to participate in the power supply and demand adjustment in accordance with the participation condition information; determining whether or not the amount of power supply and demand in the power supply and demand adjustment can be met based on the selection whether or not to participate; and if it is determined that the amount of power supply and demand can be met, controlling the energy storage devices owned by each of the multiple consumers based on the charge and discharge plan information included in the participation condition information selected as acceptable to participate in the power supply and demand adjustment, and implementing the power supply and demand adjustment.

2. The energy management method according to claim 1, wherein the calculation of the power adjustment amount includes calculating the maximum and minimum values ​​of the power adjustment amount for each time period during the period of power supply and demand adjustment to be requested from the energy storage device.

3. The energy management method according to claim 2, wherein the creation of the charge / discharge plan information includes calculating the maximum and minimum values ​​of charge / discharge power that the energy storage device can supply for each time period, based on information regarding the status of the energy storage device, the participation policy information, and the power supply and demand plan information.

4. The energy management method according to claim 3, wherein the creation of the accuracy information includes calculating an estimated amount of degradation of the energy storage device when the energy storage device is charged and discharged based on the charge and discharge plan information, and calculating an estimated amount of revenue when participating in the power supply and demand adjustment based on the estimated amount of degradation and the reward information.

5. The energy management method according to claim 4, wherein the creation of the power supply and demand planning information includes calculating uncertainty information on the amount of charge and discharge supplied by each of the plurality of consumers' energy storage devices based on the amount of power adjustment allocated to the energy storage devices of consumers whose amount of electricity supplied in the power supply and demand adjustment is uncertain, and the creation of the accuracy information includes calculating the expected value and distribution of the revenue forecast based on the uncertainty information.

6. The energy management method according to claim 5, wherein the acceptance of the choice of whether or not to participate includes presenting the customer with the accuracy information, which includes any of the expected value, average value, maximum value, minimum value, and variance regarding the revenue forecast.

7. The energy management method according to claim 5, wherein the creation of the charge-discharge plan information includes creating a plurality of the charge-discharge plan information, the creation of the accuracy information includes creating a plurality of the accuracy information corresponding to each of the plurality of the charge-discharge plan information, and the acceptance of the selection of eligibility to participate includes presenting the customer with a plurality of the participation condition information, each including a combination of the plurality of charge-discharge plan information and the plurality of accuracy information, and accepting the selection of the participation condition information.

8. The energy management method according to claim 2, wherein the creation of the power supply and demand planning information involves calculating at least one of the following: a monetary indicator that the consumer can obtain as compensation for participating in the power supply and demand adjustment, the amount of charge to the energy storage device, and the degree of contribution of the power supply and demand adjustment to the environment.

9. A charge / discharge management system for adjusting the supply and demand of electricity in a power grid using energy storage devices owned by multiple consumers receiving electricity from the power grid, comprising: an information aggregation unit that aggregates participation policy information including participation availability information, which includes at least one of the following: information indicating whether each of the multiple consumers can participate in the adjustment of electricity supply and demand; information indicating whether each of the multiple consumers can participate in the adjustment of electricity supply and demand; and information regarding the type of reward each of the multiple consumers expects to receive by participating in the adjustment of electricity supply and demand; a power supply and demand planning unit that calculates the amount of power adjustment to be allocated to the energy storage devices owned by each of the multiple consumers so as to satisfy the supply and demand of electricity in the adjustment of electricity supply and demand based on the participation availability information, calculates the reward each of the multiple consumers will receive by participating in the adjustment of electricity supply and demand based on the amount of power adjustment, and creates power supply and demand planning information including information regarding the amount of power adjustment and reward information regarding the reward; A charge and discharge management system comprising: a participation condition creation unit that creates participation condition information including charge and discharge plan information relating to the charge and discharge plan of the charge and discharge 10. The charge and discharge management system according to claim 9, wherein the power supply and demand planning information includes information on the uncertainty of the charge and discharge amounts supplied by each of the plurality of consumers' energy storage devices, and the power supply and demand planning unit calculates the uncertainty information based on the amount of power adjustment allocated to the energy storage devices of consumers whose power supply amounts are uncertain in the power supply and demand adjustment.

11. The charge / discharge management system according to claim 10, wherein the participation condition creation unit creates the accuracy information of the revenue based on the uncertainty information.

12. The charge / discharge management system according to claim 11, wherein the participation condition creation unit creates a plurality of participation condition information with different ranges of charge / discharge power, and the input / output unit displays the plurality of participation condition information and accepts the selection of participation condition information from the plurality of participation condition information that is capable of participating in the power supply and demand adjustment.

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