AU2016293631B2 - Storage battery control system, storage battery control method, and program - Google Patents

Storage battery control system, storage battery control method, and program Download PDF

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Publication number
AU2016293631B2
AU2016293631B2 AU2016293631A AU2016293631A AU2016293631B2 AU 2016293631 B2 AU2016293631 B2 AU 2016293631B2 AU 2016293631 A AU2016293631 A AU 2016293631A AU 2016293631 A AU2016293631 A AU 2016293631A AU 2016293631 B2 AU2016293631 B2 AU 2016293631B2
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Australia
Prior art keywords
power
discharge
electric energy
storage battery
specified period
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AU2016293631A1 (en
Inventor
Naohisa Morimoto
Yoshihiro NAKAMINAMI
Sen'ichi Onoda
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Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
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Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J3/00—Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
    • H02J3/12—Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks for adjusting voltage in ac networks by changing a characteristic of the network load
    • H02J3/14—Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks for adjusting voltage in ac networks by changing a characteristic of the network load by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J13/00—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J3/00—Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
    • H02J3/28—Arrangements for balancing of the load in a network by storage of energy
    • H02J3/32—Arrangements for balancing of the load in a network by storage of energy using batteries with converting means
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J3/00—Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
    • H02J3/38—Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J2310/00—The network for supplying or distributing electric power characterised by its spatial reach or by the load
    • H02J2310/50—The network for supplying or distributing electric power characterised by its spatial reach or by the load for selectively controlling the operation of the loads
    • H02J2310/56—The network for supplying or distributing electric power characterised by its spatial reach or by the load for selectively controlling the operation of the loads characterised by the condition upon which the selective controlling is based
    • H02J2310/58—The condition being electrical
    • H02J2310/60—Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B70/00—Technologies for an efficient end-user side electric power management and consumption
    • Y02B70/30—Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
    • Y02B70/3225—Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y04—INFORMATION OR COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES HAVING AN IMPACT ON OTHER TECHNOLOGY AREAS
    • Y04S—SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS
    • Y04S20/00—Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
    • Y04S20/20—End-user application control systems
    • Y04S20/222—Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Charge And Discharge Circuits For Batteries Or The Like (AREA)
  • Supply And Distribution Of Alternating Current (AREA)
  • Remote Monitoring And Control Of Power-Distribution Networks (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a storage battery control system, a storage battery control method, and a program with which it is possible to perform power reduction over a long period when there is a power reduction request. In the storage battery control system, storage battery control method, and program according to the present invention, the storage battery control system (1) is provided with a request acquisition unit (11) and an instruction unit (13). The request acquisition unit (11) acquires a power reduction request including information representing the discharge mode, the power reduction amount, and the subject period for which a reduction in commercial power is requested. The discharge mode is set to either an output priority mode or a time priority mode. The instruction unit (13) issues an instruction for the operation of discharging a power storage device (3) in the subject period on the basis of the discharge mode and the power reduction amount.

Description

[0001] The present invention generally relates to storage battery control systems, storage battery control methods, and programs.
Background Art [0002] A system in which a utility power supply and a power storage device are coexistent has been known in the art. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration including: a power storage device with a storage battery! and a controller instructing the power storage device the operation 15 mode of operating the storage battery. Examples of the operation modes include a solar power selling priority mode, a solar power charging mode, a peak cut mode, a midnight power application mode, a forced power storage mode, and a forced power discharging mode.
[0003] The solar power selling priority mode is an operation mode in which 20 charging and discharging of the storage battery is controlled to give higher priority to selling the power generated by a solar power generator (i.e., selling the power back to the grid). The solar power charging mode is an operation mode in which charging and discharging of the storage battery is controlled such that the storage battery is charged with the power generated by a solar 25 power generator. The peak cut mode is an operation mode in which charging and discharging of the storage battery is controlled such that the power supplied from a power grid does not exceed a certain value. The midnight power application mode is an operation mode in which charging and discharging of the storage battery is controlled such that the storage battery is 30 charged with the power supplied from a power grid during a period (e.g., at night) when the power supplied from the power grid has a unit price lower than a threshold value. The forced power storage mode is an operation mode
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[0004] If any trouble has occurred on the power-transmitting end of the power 5 grid that supplies utility power (e.g., in a power generation facility, an electric substation facility, or a power transmission facility), then a power reduction request will be conveyed from a utility power company or an aggregator to a consumer facility. However, there will be a situation where the storage battery provided for the consumer facility has not stored sufficient electric 10 energy for a specified period of the power reduction request. In such a situation, according to known discharge control to be performed in response to a power reduction request, the maximum possible power is output from the storage battery, and therefore, the remaining electric energy of the storage battery will be depleted shortly, thus preventing the consumer facility from 15 reducing power for a long time.
Citation List
Patent Literature [0005] Patent Document 1: JP 2014-33591 A
Solution to Problem [0006] Embodiments of the present invention provide a storage battery control system, storage battery control method, and program allowing for reducing power for a long time in response to a power reduction request.
[0007] A storage battery control system according to an aspect of the present invention is designed for use in combination with a consumer facility’s distribution system configured to supply power from a utility power supply and a power storage device to a load. The storage battery control system includes a request receiver configured to receive a power reduction request 30 including: information about a specified period during which utility power supplied from the utility power supply to the load is to be reduced in response to the power reduction request; information about an electric energy of the P0460369
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 utility power to be reduced for the specified period in response to the power reduction request; and information about a discharge mode indicating a mode of a discharge operation to be performed by the power storage device for the specified period in response to the power reduction request. The storage 5 battery control system further includes an instructor configured to instruct the power storage device how to perform the discharge operation. The discharge mode is selectable from either an output priority mode giving higher priority to increasing discharge power or a time priority mode giving higher priority to increasing duration of discharge. The instructor is configured to 10 instruct, according to the discharge mode and the electric energy to be reduced, the power storage device how to perform the discharge operation for the specified period.
[0008] A storage battery control method according to another aspect of the present invention is designed to be used in a storage battery control system to 15 be combined with a consumer facility’s distribution system configured to supply power from a utility power supply and a power storage device to a load. The storage battery control method includes the step of receiving a power reduction request including: information about a specified period during which utility power supplied from the utility power supply to the load is to be 20 reduced in response to the power reduction request; information about an electric energy of the utility power to be reduced for the specified period in response to the power reduction request; and information about a discharge mode indicating a mode of a discharge operation to be performed by the power storage device for the specified period in response to the power reduction 25 request. The storage battery control method also includes the step of instructing the power storage device how to perform the discharge operation. The discharge mode is selectable from either an output priority mode giving higher priority to increasing discharge power or a time priority mode giving higher priority to increasing duration of discharge. The step of instructing 30 includes instructing, according to the discharge mode and the electric energy to be reduced, the power storage device how to perform the discharge operation for the specified period.
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 [0009] A program according to another aspect of the present invention is designed to be used in a storage battery control system to be combined with a consumer facility’s distribution system configured to supply power from a utility power supply and a power storage device to a load. The program is 5 defined to make a computer function as a request receiver and an instructor.
The request receiver is configured to receive a power reduction request including: information about a specified period during which utility power supplied from the utility power supply to the load is to be reduced in response to the power reduction request; information about an electric energy of the 10 utility power to be reduced for the specified period in response to the power reduction request; and information about a discharge mode indicating a mode of a discharge operation to be performed by the power storage device for the specified period in response to the power reduction request. The instructor is configured to instruct the power storage device how to perform the discharge 15 operation. The discharge mode is selectable from either an output priority mode giving higher priority to increasing discharge power or a time priority mode giving higher priority to increasing duration of discharge. The instructor is configured to instruct, according to the discharge mode and the electric energy to be reduced, the power storage device how to perform the 20 discharge operation for the specified period.
Brief Description of Drawings [0010] FIG. 1 is block diagram illustrating a distribution system combined with a storage battery control system according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing how the storage battery control system according to the embodiment operates.
FIG. 3A illustrates how charging and discharging control is performed in an output priority mode without DR signals! FIG. 3B illustrates how discharging control is performed based on a DR signal in a situation where 30 reverse power flow is allowed in the output priority mode! and FIG. 3C also illustrates how discharging control is performed based on a DR signal in a situation where reverse power flow is allowed in the output priority mode.
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FIG. 4A illustrates how charging and discharging control is performed in a time priority mode without DR signals! FIG. 4B illustrates how discharging control is performed based on a DR signal in a situation where reverse power flow is allowed in the time priority mode! and FIG. 4C also 5 illustrates how discharging control is performed based on a DR signal in a situation where reverse power flow is allowed in the time priority mode.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a variation of the storage battery control system according to the embodiment.
Description of Embodiments [0011] Embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0012] The following embodiments generally relate to storage battery control systems, storage battery control methods, and programs, and more 15 particularly relate to a storage battery control system to be combined with a distribution system for supplying power from a utility power supply and a power storage device to a load, a storage battery control method, and a program.
[0013] (Embodiments)
FIG. 1 illustrates an overall configuration for a distribution system 10 combined with a storage battery control system 1. The distribution system 10 includes, as major components, a distribution board 2 and a power storage device 3, and supplies power to loads 9. In the embodiment to be described below, the distribution system 10 is applied to a single-family house as an 25 exemplary consumer facility 400. Alternatively, the distribution system 10 is naturally applicable to any other type of consumer facility such as a multi-family dwelling house or a business facility.
[0014] First of all, the distribution system 10 uses, as power supplies for supplying electric power to the loads 9, a utility power supply 8 and the power 30 storage device 3.
[0015] The distribution board 2 is supplied with not only AC power (utility power) from the utility power supply 8 via a power grid 7 but also AC power P0460369
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 (discharge power) from the power storage device 3 as well. The distribution board 2 includes a trunk breaker, a plurality of branch breakers, a switch, and other components, which are all built in the board, and supplies the AC power to the loads 9 via multiple systems of branch circuits, which are provided for 5 the load-side terminals of the plurality of branch breakers. Note that the loads 9 shown in FIG. 1 may be electric devices such as a lighting fixture, an air conditioner, and an information device, which are all connected to the branch circuits.
[0016] The power storage device 3 includes a storage battery 31 and a power 10 conditioner 32.
[0017] The storage battery 31 is connected to the distribution board 2 via the power conditioner 32. The power conditioner 32 has the function of performing charge and discharge operations on the storage battery 31. More specifically, the power conditioner 32 converts the AC power supplied from the 15 distribution board 2 into DC power and charges the storage battery 31 with the DC power. In addition, the power conditioner 32 converts the DC power supplied from the storage battery 31 into AC power and supplies the AC power to the distribution board 2, thereby discharging electricity from the storage battery 31. Furthermore, the power conditioner 32 has the function of 20 regulating the frequency and output voltage of the AC power to be output (i.e., discharge power) so that the power storage device 3 can be interconnected with the power grid 7.
[0018] Then, the discharge power of the power storage device 3 (more particularly, the discharge power of the storage battery 31) is used as either 25 part or all of the overall power to be consumed by the loads 9 (hereinafter referred to as “total demand power,” which is the sum of the powers consumed by the respective loads 9) or the power to flow back toward the power grid 7 (hereinafter referred to as “reverse power”).
[0019] That is to say, this distribution system 10 is configured to perform a 30 power storage operation of charging the storage battery 31 with the utility power and a reverse power flow operation of making the discharge power of the power storage device 3 flow back toward the power grid 7.
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 [0020] The power conditioner 32 further includes a communications device 320, which is configured to be able to communicate with the storage battery control system 1. The communications between the communications device 320 and the storage battery control system 1 may be carried out either 5 wirelessly or through a cable.
[0021] The storage battery control system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is configured as a single storage battery controller.
[0022] The storage battery control system 1 includes a request receiver 11, a remaining electric energy acquisition device 12, an instructor 13, and a 10 reducible electric energy acquisition device 14. The storage battery control system 1 has the function of instructing the power conditioner 32 how to perform charge and discharge operations on the storage battery 31. That is to say, by instructing the power conditioner 32 how to perform charge and discharge operations on the storage battery 31, the storage battery control 15 system 1 allows for regulating the utility power received by the consumer facility 400 from the power grid 7 and the reverse power to flow back from the consumer facility 400 toward the power grid 7.
[0023] The request receiver 11 is connected to a broadband network 100 such as the Internet via a smart meter installed as a remote power meter in the 20 consumer facility 400 or any other network device such as a router or a home gateway. The request receiver 11 is also able to communicate with a host server 200 on the broadband network 100. The host server 200 is managed by a utility power company or aggregator, which makes the host server 200 transmit various types of requests, information, and other data toward the 25 consumer facility 400 based on the supply-demand balance of the utility power supplied from the power grid 7.
[0024] In this case, a service using a demand response for a power peak cut purpose is proposed by a power company or an aggregator. The demand response may be used in the following manner. Specifically, in a situation 30 where it is predicted that the electricity demand will be close to the electricity supply regarding the utility power, the consumers are requested in advance, with a demand response signal, to cut down the use of the utility power during
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 a power consumption reduction period. This demand response signal corresponds to the power reduction request. The demand response signal will be hereinafter referred to as a “DR signal.” [0025] The DR signal includes various kinds of information about the 5 specified period, the electric energy to be reduced, and the discharge mode.
As used herein, the specified period refers to a period during which reduction in the utility power used (i.e., reduction in the utility power supplied from the utility power supply 8 to the loads 9) is requested. For example, if any trouble has occurred on the power grid end 7 (e.g., in a power generation 10 facility, an electric substation facility, or a power transmission facility), then the power company or aggregator is able to estimate, as a recovery period, the period of time it will take to make recovery or the period of time in which power will start to be delivered from another power company. In that case, the specified period will be set based on the recovery period.
[0026] As used herein, the electric energy to be reduced refers to the electric energy of the utility power to be reduced for the specified period in response to the power reduction request. The host server 200 has acquired, in advance, data about the rated capacity of the storage battery 31 of the consumer facility 400, for example, and determines, based on the rated capacity of the storage 20 battery 31, the electric energy to be reduced in the consumer facility 400.
[0027] The discharge mode indicates the mode of the discharge operation to be performed by the storage device 3 for the specified period in response to the power reduction request, and may be selected in this embodiment from an output priority mode or a time priority mode. Note that the discharge mode 25 does not have to be selected from these two discharge modes but may also be selected from the group consisting of three or more discharge modes including the output priority mode and the time priority mode.
[0028] The request receiver 11 acquires (i.e., receives) the DR signal transmitted from the host server 200. This DR signal is transmitted from the 30 host server 200 by just before the beginning of the specified period during which reduction in power is requested, by the morning of the day when the specified period of power reduction request begins, or by the day before that
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 day when the specified period of power reduction request begins.
[0029] Then, at a time when, or a predetermined time before, the specified period during which power reduction is requested by the DR signal begins, the remaining electric energy acquisition device 12 of the storage battery control 5 system 1 acquires data about the remaining electric energy from the power conditioner 32 of the power storage device 3. The power conditioner 32 retains data about the electric energy stored in the storage battery 31 (i.e., data about the remaining electric energy). Then, on receiving an acquisition request from the remaining electric energy acquisition device 12, the power 10 conditioner 32 transmits data about the currently remaining electric energy to the storage battery control system 1. This data about the remaining electric energy corresponds to the electric energy that can be discharged by the storage battery 31 of the power storage device 3 during the specified period.
[0030] The instructor 13 instructs, according to the discharge mode, electric 15 energy to be reduced, and remaining electric energy requested by the DR signal, the power storage device 3 how to perform the discharge operation for the specified period. In this embodiment, the instructor 13 is configured to be able to communicate with the communications device 320 of the power conditioner 32, and transmit the details of the instruction for the power 20 conditioner 32 as an electrical signal. If wired communication is established between the instructor 13 and the communications device 320, then the specification of the wired communication may be appropriately selected from local area network (LAN), leased line communications, and other standards, and is not limited to any particular wired communication standard. On the 25 other hand, if wireless communication is established between the instructor and the communications device 320, then the specification of the wireless communication may be appropriately selected from wireless LAN, Bluetooth™, and other standards, and is not limited to any particular wireless communication standard.
[0031] Next, the discharge control with the DR signal will be described with reference to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 2.
[0032] First, at a time when, or a predetermined time before, the specified
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 period during which power reduction is requested begins after the request receiver 11 has received the DR signal (in Si), the remaining electric energy acquisition device 12 acquires data about the remaining electric energy from the power conditioner 32 (in S2).
[0033] Then, the instructor 13 determines, in S3, the discharge mode requested by the DR signal, which may be either an output priority mode or a time priority mode.
[0034] The output priority mode is an operation mode giving higher priority to increasing the discharge power. This mode is requested when a peak of the 10 electricity demand during the specified period has become so much higher than the electricity supply that it is necessary to lower the peak of the electricity demand during the specified period as much as possible. That is why in the output priority mode, the discharge control is performed such that the discharge operation is performed at as high output as possible in 15 accordance with the electric energy to be reduced that has been requested.
[0035] On the other hand, the time priority mode is an operation mode giving higher priority to increasing the duration of the discharge. This mode is requested when the electricity demand during the specified period becomes so close to the electricity supply for so long a time that it is necessary to lower the 20 electricity demand over the entire specified period. That is why in the time priority mode, the discharge control is performed so that the discharge operation is continued for the entire specified period requested.
[0036] If the discharge mode requested is the output priority mode, the instructor 13 sets an instruction value for the discharge power (hereinafter 25 referred to as “discharge instruction value,” which means the electric energy discharged per unit time) at the value obtained by dividing the electric energy to be reduced by the time length of the specified period (hereinafter referred to as “specified period length”). In the specified period, the instructor 13 instructs the power conditioner 32 to perform a discharge operation at the 30 discharge instruction value thus set (in S6). In response, the power conditioner 32 controls the discharge power of the storage battery 31 during the specified period so that the discharge power agrees with the discharge
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 instruction value given by the instructor 13. In this case, if the remaining electric energy of the storage battery 31 is equal to or greater than the electric energy to be reduced, then the power conditioner 32 is allowed to perform the discharge control so as to meet the discharge instruction value over the entire 5 specified period. Meanwhile, even if the remaining electric energy of the storage battery 31 is less than the electric energy to be reduced, the power conditioner 32 is still allowed to perform the discharge control so as to meet the discharge instruction value as long as some electric energy is still left. However, when the remaining electric energy decreases to a predetermined 10 value or less, the discharge power becomes equal to zero, and the power conditioner 32 stops performing the discharge operation. That is to say, in the output priority mode, the discharge control is performed in accordance with the electric energy to be reduced that has been requested such that the discharge operation may be performed at as high output as possible.
[0037] If the discharge mode requested is the time priority mode, then the instructor 13 determines whether or not the electric energy to be reduced is equal to or greater than the remaining electric energy (in S4). If the electric energy to be reduced is less than the remaining electric energy, the instructor 13 sets the discharge instruction value at the value obtained by dividing the 20 electric energy to be reduced by the specified period length. In the specified period, the instructor 13 instructs the power conditioner 32 to perform a discharge operation at the discharge instruction value thus set (in S6). In response, the power conditioner 32 controls the discharge power of the storage battery 31 during the specified period so that the discharge power agrees with 25 the discharge instruction value given by the instructor 13. In this case, the electric energy to be reduced is less than the remaining electric energy of the storage battery 31, and therefore, the power conditioner 32 is allowed to perform the discharge control so as to meet the discharge instruction value over the entire specified period. In addition, performing such discharge 30 control also allows the discharge operation to be performed at a high output over the entire specified period.
[0038] Furthermore, if the discharge mode requested is the time priority
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 mode and the electric energy to be reduced is equal to or greater than the remaining electric energy, then the instructor 13 sets the discharge instruction value at the value obtained by dividing the remaining electric energy by the specified period length. In the specified period, the instructor 13 instructs 5 the power conditioner 32 to perform a discharge operation at the discharge instruction value thus set (in S5). In response, the power conditioner 32 controls the discharge power of the storage battery 31 during the specified period so that the discharge power agrees with the discharge instruction value given by the instructor 13. In this case, the discharge control is performed in 10 accordance with the remaining electric energy of the storage battery 31.
Thus, even if the electric energy to be reduced is equal to or greater than the remaining electric energy, the power conditioner 32 is still allowed to perform the discharge control so as to meet the discharge instruction value over the entire specified period.
[0039] For these reasons, in the time priority mode, the discharge control is performed such that the discharge operation is continued for the entire specified period requested, regardless of the relation in magnitude between the electric energy to be reduced and the remaining electric energy.
[0040] An exemplary operation of the storage battery control system 1 20 performing discharge control in the output priority mode is illustrated in FIGS.
3A and 3B.
[0041] FIG. 3A illustrates how the charging and discharging control is performed by the consumer facility 400 when no DR signals are received. This charging and discharging control is performed based on the total demand 25 power of the loads 9, the remaining electric energy of the storage battery 31, and other factors.
[0042] FIG. 3B illustrates how the charging and discharging control is performed by the consumer facility 400 when a DR signal requesting the output priority mode is received. In response to such a DR signal requesting 30 the output priority mode, the instructor 13 of the storage battery control system 1 sets the discharge instruction value for the power reduction specified period TI at a discharge instruction value Pl obtained by dividing the electric
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 energy to be reduced by the specified period length (i.e., the time length of the specified period Tl). The power conditioner 32 controls the discharge power of the storage battery 31 during the specified period Tl such that the discharge power agrees with the discharge instruction value Pl instructed by 5 the instructor 13. In FIG. 3B, the remaining electric energy decreases to a predetermined value or less at a time tl during the specified period Tl, and the power conditioner 32 stops the discharge operation from the time tl on.
[0043] Next, an exemplary operation of the storage battery control system 1 performing discharge control in the time priority mode is illustrated in FIGS. 10 4A and 4B.
[0044] FIG. 4A illustrates how the charging and discharging control is performed by the consumer facility 400 when no DR signals are received. This charging and discharging control is performed based on the total demand power of the loads 9, the remaining electric energy of the storage battery 31, 15 and other factors.
[0045] FIG. 4B illustrates how the charging and discharging control is performed by the consumer facility 400 when a DR signal requesting the time priority mode is received. In this case, in the consumer facility 400, the electric energy for the power reduction specified period Til is to be reduced by 20 the remaining electric energy or more. In response to such a DR signal requesting the time priority mode, the instructor 13 of the storage battery control system 1 sets the discharge instruction value for the power reduction specified period Til at a discharge instruction value Pll obtained by dividing the remaining electric energy by the specified period length (i.e., the time 25 length of the specified period Til). The power conditioner 32 controls the discharge power of the storage battery 31 in the specified period Til such that the discharge power agrees with the discharge instruction value Pll given by the instructor 13. In FIG. 4B, the discharge control is allowed to be performed so as to meet the discharge instruction value Pll over the entire 30 specified period Til.
[0046] For example, if any trouble has occurred on the power grid 7 end (e.g., in a power generation facility, an electric substation facility, or a power P0460369
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 transmission facility), then the electricity supply decreases, and therefore, a DR signal is transmitted from a power company or aggregator to the consumer facility 400. In that case, the storage battery 31 installed in the consumer facility 400 would not have stored sufficient electric energy when the specified 5 period of the power reduction request begins. According to a known discharge control, the maximum possible power is output from the storage battery 31, and therefore, the remaining electric energy of the storage battery 31 will be depleted shortly, thus preventing the consumer facility 400 from reducing power for a long time. In addition, according to the known 10 discharge control, the discharge operation is performed at the maximum power, thus possibly causing an increase in the grid frequency or grid voltage of the power grid 7.
[0047] Thus, the storage battery control system 1 of this embodiment sets, in response to a power reduction request in the time priority mode giving higher 15 priority to increasing the duration of discharge, a discharge instruction value that allows the demand to be satisfied only by the remaining electric energy over the entire specified period. This allows the storage battery control system 1 to be ready to reduce power for a long time in response to a power reduction request.
[0048] A DR effect priority mode may sometimes be used as another discharge mode requested by the DR signal. The DR effect priority mode may be issued, for example, at least one day before the specified period of power reduction request begins, in order to fully charge the storage battery 31 before the specified period of power reduction request begins so that the fully charged 25 storage battery 31 may be used during the specified period. In that case, it would be possible to achieve the best power reduction effect by using the storage battery 31. However, if any trouble occurred on the power grid 7 end, the consumer facility 400 would need to deal with the power reduction request urgently and the storage battery 31 would not have stored sufficient electric energy yet.
[0049] In contrast, according to this embodiment, either the output priority mode or the time priority mode is set as the discharge mode, thus allowing for P0460369
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 dealing with even an urgent power reduction request using the currently remaining electric energy of the storage battery 31.
[0050] Also, in FIG. 3B, P2 denotes the total demand power of the consumer facility 400 in the specified period Tl. Thus, excessive power representing 5 the surplus of the discharge power in accordance with the discharge instruction value Pl over the total demand power P2 flows back as reverse power P3 toward the power grid 7.
[0051] In FIG. 4B, P12 denotes the total demand power of the consumer facility 400 in the specified period Til. Thus, excessive power representing 10 the surplus of the discharge power in accordance with the discharge instruction value Pll over the total demand power P12 flows back as reverse power P13 toward the power grid 7.
[0052] Depending on the supply-demand balance of the power grid 7, however, the reverse power P3, P13 could cause an increase in the grid frequency or grid 15 voltage of the power grid 7.
[0053] Thus, the distribution system 10 provides a power sensor 6 for the power grid 7. The power sensor 6 measures the reverse power flowing back from the distribution board 2 toward the power grid 7 (i.e., the power to sell) and transmits reverse power data to the power conditioner 32 of the power 20 storage device 3 at regular intervals (in every sampling period). This allows the power conditioner 32 to learn how the reverse power has been generated.
Note that the power sensor 6 is able to determine, by the phase difference between the measured voltage and measured current of the power grid 7, whether or not the reverse power has been generated. Alternatively, the 25 power grid 7 may include a current sensor so that the reverse power may be measured based on the amount of a current measured by the current sensor and the voltage measured inside the consumer facility 400.
[0054] The DR signal further includes reverse power flow enable/disable information. The instructor 13 transmits not only the discharge instruction 30 value but also the reverse power flow enable/disable information to the power conditioner 32.
[0055] If the reverse power is enabled, the power conditioner 32 performs the
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 discharge control shown in FIGS. 3B and 4B as described above.
[0056] On the other hand, if the reverse power is disabled, the power conditioner 32 performs the discharge control shown in FIGS. 3C and 4C.
[0057] If a DR signal requesting the output priority mode is received and the reverse power is disabled, then the power conditioner 32 performs discharge control so as to generate no reverse power in a range equal to or less than the discharge instruction value Pl as shown in FIG. 3C. That is to say, if the total demand power P2 is equal to or less than the discharge instruction value Pl, then the power conditioner 32 performs discharge control such that the 10 discharge power agrees with the total demand power P2. On the other hand, if the total demand power P2 is greater than the discharge instruction value Pl, then the power conditioner 32 performs discharge control such that the discharge power agrees with the discharge instruction value Pl. In FIG. 3C, the remaining electric energy decreases to equal to or less than a 15 predetermined value at a time t2 during the specified period Tl, and therefore, the power conditioner 32 stops performing the discharge operation from the time t2 on.
[0058] Meanwhile, if a DR signal requesting the time priority mode is received and the reverse power is disabled, then the power conditioner 32 20 performs discharge control so as to generate no reverse power in a range equal to or less than the discharge instruction value Pll as shown in FIG. 4C. That is to say, if the total demand power P12 is equal to or less than the discharge instruction value Pll, then the power conditioner 32 performs discharge control such that the discharge power agrees with the total demand power P12. 25 On the other hand, if the total demand power P12 is greater than the discharge instruction value Pll, then the power conditioner 32 performs discharge control such that the discharge power agrees with the discharge instruction value Pll.
[0059] The storage battery control system 1 suitably further includes a 30 reducible electric energy acquisition device 14 as shown in FIG. 1. The reducible electric energy acquisition device 14 has the function of acquiring data about a reducible electric energy. As used herein, the reducible electric
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 energy refers to the reducible electric energy of the utility power acceptable for the consumer facility 400 during the specified period. For example, the reducible electric energy acquisition device 14 may have the function of communicating with an information terminal 300, which may be a device selected from the group consisting of personal computers, smartphones, cellphones, dedicated terminal devices, and other devices. Data about the reducible electric energy during the specified period may be input by the user to the information terminal 300. In response, the information terminal 300 transmits data about the reducible electric energy to the storage battery 10 control system 1. The communication between the information terminal 300 and the storage battery control system 1 may be established either directly or indirectly via a network device installed in the consumer facility 400 or a network device provided for the broadband network 100 and the consumer facility 400. Alternatively, a manipulator allowing the user to enter data 15 about the reducible electric energy may be provided for the storage battery control system 1.
[0060] Specifically, when the request receiver 11 receives the DR signal, the storage battery control system 1 transmits information about the power reduction specified period and electric energy to be reduced, which has been 20 conveyed by the DR signal, to the information terminal 300. In response, the information terminal 300 displays, on its monitor screen, the information about the specified period and the electric energy to be reduced, and the user enters data about the reducible electric energy acceptable during the specified period. This reducible electric energy may be determined by how power is 25 used in the consumer facility 400. For example, depending on the health and/or the number of persons using the consumer facility 400, it may be impossible to sufficiently reduce the use of the loads 9 such as an air conditioner. In that case, the user enters data about an acceptable, reducible electric energy into the information terminal 300.
[0061] Also, if the electric energy to be reduced as requested by the DR signal is greater than the reducible electric energy, then the instructor 13 uses the reducible electric energy as the electric energy to be reduced. That is to say, if
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 the discharge mode requested is the output priority mode, the instructor 13 sets the discharge instruction value at the value obtained by dividing the reducible electric energy by the specified period length. On the other hand, if the discharge mode requested is the time priority mode and the reducible 5 electric energy is less than the remaining electric energy, then the instructor sets the discharge instruction value at the value obtained by dividing the reducible electric energy by the specified period length. Furthermore, if the discharge mode requested is the time priority mode and the reducible electric energy is equal to or greater than the remaining electric energy, then the 10 instructor 13 sets the discharge instruction value at the value obtained by dividing the remaining electric energy by the specified period length.
[0062] Thus, the storage battery control system 1 is allowed to set a discharge instruction value that would not affect the user-friendliness of the consumer facility 400 depending on how the power is used in the consumer facility 400.
In addition, this also reduces the magnitude of variation in the remaining electric energy of the storage battery 31, thus allowing the storage battery control system 1 to extend the life of the storage battery 31.
[0063] Also, the host server 200 may transmit, after having transmitted a DR signal, a mode change request during the specified period defined by the DR 20 signal. As used herein, the mode change request is a signal requesting that the discharge mode be changed during the specified period. For example, the host server 200 may request that the discharge mode be changed into the output priority mode after having requested the time priority mode on the DR signal. In transmitting the DR signal, the host server 200 does not know how 25 much electric energy is extractible from the storage battery 31. That is why in a situation where the host server 200 has transmitted a DR signal requesting the time priority mode, the remaining electric energy in the storage battery 31 could be too little to actually reduce the electric energy sufficiently.
In that case, the chances of causing a power failure would increase. In view 30 of this consideration, the host server 200 may transmit a mode change request to request a change into the output priority mode even during the specified period.
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 [0064] In the storage battery control system 1, on and after the request receiver 11 receives a mode change request, demanding that the mode be changed into the output priority mode, while the instructor 13 sets the discharge instruction value in the time priority mode, the instructor 13 will set 5 the discharge instruction value in the output priority mode. More specifically, the instructor 13 will set the discharge instruction value from then on by dividing the electric energy yet to be reduced during the specified period by the length of the time left in the specified period. In that case, the remaining electric energy may decrease to the predetermined value or less during the 10 specified period and the power conditioner 32 may stop performing the discharge operation, but the chances of avoiding a power failure does increase. [0065] Meanwhile, in a situation where the host server 200 has transmitted a DR signal requesting that the mode be changed into the output priority mode, the electric energy actually reduced may be so much greater than required 15 that the chances of causing a power failure become very slim. In that case, to continue the discharge operation over the entire specified period requested, the host server 200 may sometimes transmit a mode change request demanding that the mode be changed into the time priority mode even during the specified period.
[0066] In the storage battery control system 1, on and after the request receiver 11 receives a mode change request, demanding that the mode be changed into the time priority mode, while the instructor 13 sets the discharge instruction value in the output priority mode, the instructor 13 will set the discharge instruction value in the time priority mode. More specifically, if 25 the electric energy yet to be reduced is less than the currently remaining electric energy (i.e., the dischargeable electric energy for the storage battery 31 on and after the mode change request has been received), the instructor 13 will set the discharge instruction value from then on at the value obtained by dividing the electric energy yet to be reduced by the length of the time left in 30 the specified period. On the other hand, if the electric energy yet to be reduced is equal to or greater than the currently remaining electric energy, the instructor 13 will set the discharge instruction value from then on at the value
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 obtained by dividing the currently remaining electric energy by the length of the time left in the specified period. In that case, the discharge operation may be continued for the entire specified period requested.
[0067] Note that the storage battery control system 1 does not have to be implemented as a single storage battery controller but may also be implemented as a plurality of devices inside the consumer facility 400.
[0068] Optionally, the storage battery control system 1 and the power storage device 3 may be integrated together such that the power storage device 3 includes the storage battery control system 1.
[0069] Next, FIG. 5 illustrates a storage battery control system 1A as a variation of this embodiment. This storage battery control system 1A is implemented as a single server on the broadband network 100.
[0070] The storage battery control system 1A includes a request receiver 11A, a remaining electric energy acquisition device 12A, an instructor 13A, a 15 reducible electric energy acquisition device 14A, and a database 15A. The request receiver 11A, the remaining electric energy acquisition device 12A, the instructor 13A, and the reducible electric energy acquisition device 14A respectively have substantially the same function as the request receiver 11, remaining electric energy acquisition device 12, instructor 13, and reducible 20 electric energy acquisition device 14 of the storage battery control system 1 described above.
[0071] The communications device 320 of the power conditioner 32 is connected to the broadband network 100 via a smart meter installed as a remote power meter in the consumer facility 400 or any other network device 25 such as a router or a home gateway. That is to say, the storage battery control system 1A and the power conditioner 32 are able to communicate with each other over the broadband network 100.
[0072] Also, in this storage battery control system 1A, the request receiver
11A receives a DR signal from a host server 200 on the broadband network 30 100.
[0073] Furthermore, the remaining electric energy acquisition device 12A acquires data about the remaining electric energy from the power conditioner
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 over the broadband network 100. The reducible electric energy acquisition device 14A receives data about a reducible electric energy from an information terminal 300 over the broadband network 100. Therefore, this storage battery control system 1A is able to receive data about the remaining electric energy and data about the reducible electric energy from a plurality of consumer facilities 400 (401, 402, 403, and so on).
[0074] In this storage battery control system 1A, the database 15A stores data about the remaining electric energy and data about the reducible electric energy in association with each of the plurality of consumer facilities 400.
[0075] The instructor 13A sets a discharge instruction value for the specified period individually with respect to each of the plurality of consumer facilities 400 in accordance with the discharge mode, electric energy to be reduced, and remaining electric energy requested by the DR signal. The instructor 13A instructs the power conditioner 32 of each of the plurality of consumer facilities 400 how to perform a discharge operation (by giving the power conditioner 32 a discharge instruction value) over the broadband network 100. The respective discharge instruction values of the plurality of consumer facilities 400 are stored in the database 15A and managed on a consumer facility 400 basis.
[0076] This allows the storage battery control system 1A to perform, in response to a power reduction request, power reduction for a long time on an individual basis with respect to the plurality of consumer facilities 400.
[0077] Optionally, the storage battery control system 1A may be implemented as a plurality of servers on the broadband network 100. In that case, the 25 storage battery control system 1A may be implemented as a cloud computing system, for example.
[0078] As can be seen from the foregoing description, a storage battery control system 1 or 1A according to a first aspect of the exemplary embodiment described above is designed to be used in combination with a consumer 30 facility’s 400 distribution system 10 configured to supply power from a utility power supply 8 and a power storage device 3 to a load 9. This storage battery control system 1 or 1A includes a request receiver 11 or 11A and an instructor
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 or 13A. The request receiver 11 or 11A receives a power reduction request including: information about a specified period during which utility power supplied from the utility power supply 8 to the load 9 is to be reduced in response to the power reduction request; information about an electric energy 5 of the utility power to be reduced for the specified period in response to the power reduction request; and information about a discharge mode indicating a mode of a discharge operation to be performed by the power storage device 3 for the specified period in response to the power reduction request. The instructor 13 or 13A instructs the power storage device 3 how to perform the 10 discharge operation. The discharge mode is selectable from either an output priority mode giving higher priority to increasing discharge power or a time priority mode giving higher priority to increasing duration of discharge. The instructor 13 or 13A instructs, according to the discharge mode and the electric energy to be reduced, the power storage device 3 how to perform the 15 discharge operation for the specified period.
[0079] Thus, the storage battery control system 1 or 1A is able to instruct the power storage device 3 to perform a discharge operation such that power will be discharged for a long time in response to a power reduction request in the time priority mode giving higher priority to increasing the duration of the 20 discharge. That is to say, the storage battery control system 1 or 1A is able to perform power reduction for a long time in response to the power reduction request.
[0080] A storage battery control system 1 or 1A according to a second aspect of the exemplary embodiment described above, which is an embodiment of the 25 first aspect, may further include a remaining electric energy acquisition device or 12A configured to acquire information about a remaining electric energy indicating a dischargeable electric energy for the storage battery 31 of the power storage device 3 during the specified period. The instructor 13 or 13A instructs, according to the discharge mode, the electric energy to be reduced, 30 and the remaining electric energy, the power storage device 3 how to perform the discharge operation for the specified period.
[0081] Thus, the storage battery control system 1 or 1A is able to instruct the P0460369
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 power storage device 3 to perform a discharge operation such the remaining electric energy alone can meet, over the entire specified period, the demand in response to the power reduction request in the time priority mode giving higher priority to increasing the duration of the discharge. That is to say, the 5 storage battery control system 1 or 1A is able to perform power reduction for a long time with the remaining electric energy alone in response to the power reduction request.
[0082] In a storage battery control system 1 or 1A according to a third aspect of the exemplary embodiment described above, which is an embodiment of the 10 second aspect described above, if the discharge mode is the output priority mode, the instructor 13 or 13A may determine the electric energy to be discharged by the storage battery 31 during the specified period by dividing the electric energy to be reduced by a time length of the specified period. Alternatively, if the discharge mode is the time priority mode and the electric 15 energy to be reduced is equal to or greater than the remaining electric energy, the instructor 13 or 13A may determine the discharge power of the storage battery 31 during the specified period by dividing the remaining electric energy by the time length of the specified period. Furthermore, if the discharge mode is the time priority mode and the electric energy to be reduced 20 is less than the remaining electric energy, the instructor 13 or 13A may determine the discharge power of the storage battery 31 during the specified period by dividing the electric energy to be reduced by the time length of the specified period.
[0083] Thus, the storage battery control system 1 or 1A is able to instruct the 25 power storage device 3 to perform a discharge operation such the remaining electric energy alone can meet, over the entire specified period, the demand in response to the power reduction request in the time priority mode giving higher priority to increasing the duration of the discharge. If the electric energy to be reduced is equal to or greater than the remaining electric energy, 30 then the storage battery control system 1 or 1A performs discharge control so as to use up the remaining electric energy over the entire specified period, and therefore, is able to perform power reduction for a long time with the P0460369
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 remaining electric energy alone. On the other hand, if the electric energy to be reduced is less than the remaining electric energy, then the storage battery control system 1 or 1A allows only the electric energy to be reduced to be discharged out of the remaining electric energy, thus ensuring a sufficient 5 remaining electric energy for the storage battery 31 after the discharge control and improved user-friendliness after the discharge control. Furthermore, in the output priority mode giving higher priority to increasing the discharge power, the discharge control is performed such that the discharge operation is performed at as high output as possible in accordance with the electric energy 10 to be reduced that has been requested.
[0084] A storage battery control system 1 or 1A according to a fourth aspect of the exemplary embodiment described above, which is an embodiment of any one of the first to third aspects described above, may further include a reducible electric energy acquisition device 14 or 14A configured to acquire 15 data about a reducible electric energy indicating a reducible electric energy of the utility power acceptable for the consumer facility 400 during the specified period. If the electric energy to be reduced in response to the power reduction request is greater than the reducible electric energy, the instructor 13 or 13A uses the reducible electric energy as the electric energy to be reduced.
[0085] Thus, the storage battery control system 1 or 1A is able to instruct the discharge operation to be performed in accordance with the mode in which the consumer facility 400 uses the power so as not to affect the user-friendliness of the consumer facility 400. In addition, this also reduces the magnitude of variation in the remaining electric energy of the storage battery 31, thus 25 extending the life of the storage battery 31 as well.
[0086] In a storage battery control system 1 or 1A according to a fifth aspect of the exemplary embodiment, which is an embodiment of any one of the first to fourth aspects described above, if the request receiver 11 or 11A has received a mode change request demanding that the discharge mode be changed during 30 the specified period, the instructor 13 or 13A may operate as follows.
Specifically, according to a newly selected discharge mode, the electric energy yet to be reduced during the specified period, and the electric energy to be P0460369
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 discharged by the storage battery 31 of the power storage device 3 on and after the mode change request has been received, the instructor 13 or 13A may instruct the power storage device 3 how to perform the discharge operation on and after the mode change request has been received.
[0087] Thus, changing the operation mode from the time priority mode to the output priority mode increases the chances of avoiding a power failure. Meanwhile, changing the operation mode from the output priority mode to the time priority mode allows the discharge operation to be continued for the entire specified period requested.
[0088] A storage battery control method according to a sixth aspect of the exemplary embodiment described above is designed to be used in a storage battery control system 1 to be combined with a consumer facility’s 400 distribution system 10 configured to supply power from a utility power supply 8 and a power storage device 3 to a load 9. The storage battery control 15 method includes a request receiving step (Si) and an instructing step (S3, S4,
S5). The request receiving step is the step of receiving a power reduction request including: information about a specified period during which utility power supplied from the utility power supply 8 to the load 9 is to be reduced in response to the power reduction request; information about an electric energy 20 of the utility power to be reduced for the specified period in response to the power reduction request; and information about a discharge mode indicating a mode of a discharge operation to be performed by the power storage device 3 for the specified period in response to the power reduction request. The instructing step is the step of instructing the power storage device 3 how to 25 perform the discharge operation. The discharge mode is selectable from either an output priority mode giving higher priority to increasing discharge power or a time priority mode giving higher priority to increasing duration of discharge. The step of instructing includes instructing, according to the discharge mode and the electric energy to be reduced, the power storage device 30 3 how to perform the discharge operation for the specified period.
[0089] Thus, this storage battery control method allows for instructing the power storage device 3 to perform a discharge operation such that power will
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 be discharged for a long time in response to a power reduction request in the time priority mode giving higher priority to increasing the duration of the discharge. That is to say, the storage battery control method allows for performing power reduction for a long time in response to the power reduction 5 request.
[0090] Note that the storage battery control system 1 or 1A includes a built-in computer and the functions of the respective components of the storage battery control system 1 or 1A described above are performed by making the computer execute a program. The computer includes, as major components, a 10 device with a processor executing a program, an interface device for exchanging data with other devices, and a storage device for storing data.
The device with a processor may be a central processing unit (CPU) or microprocessing unit (MPU) provided separately from a semiconductor memory, or a microcomputer including a semiconductor memory as an integral 15 component. As the storage device, a storage device with a short access time such as a semiconductor memory and a storage device with large storage capacity such as a hard disk drive may be used in combination.
[0091] The program may be provided by either having been pre-stored on some storage medium such as a computer-readable read-only memory (ROM) 20 or an optical disc or being downloaded onto a storage medium over a broadband communications network such as the Internet.
[0092] A program according to a seventh aspect of the exemplary embodiment described above is designed to be used in a storage battery control system 1 or 1A to be combined with a consumer facility’s 400 distribution system 10 25 configured to supply power from a utility power supply 8 and a power storage device 3 to a load 9. This program makes a computer function as a request receiver 11 or 11A and an instructor 13 or 13A. The request receiver 11 or 11A receives a power reduction request including: information about a specified period during which utility power supplied from the utility power 30 supply 8 to the load 9 is to be reduced in response to the power reduction request! information about an electric energy of the utility power to be reduced for the specified period in response to the power reduction request; and
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2016293631 21 Jun 2019 information about a discharge mode indicating a mode of a discharge operation to be performed by the power storage device 3 for the specified period in response to the power reduction request. The instructor 13 or 13A instructs the power storage device 3 how to perform the discharge operation.
The discharge mode is selectable from either an output priority mode giving higher priority to increasing discharge power or a time priority mode giving higher priority to increasing duration of discharge. The instructor 13 or 13A instructs, according to the discharge mode and the electric energy to be reduced, the power storage device 3 how to perform the discharge operation for 10 the specified period.
[0093] Thus, this program making a computer function as the storage battery control system 1 or 1A also allows for instructing the power storage device 3 to perform a discharge operation such that power will be discharged for a long time in response to a power reduction request in the time priority mode giving 15 higher priority to increasing the duration of the discharge. That is to say, the program allows for performing power reduction for a long time in response to the power reduction request.
[0094] Although the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, those embodiments should not be construed as 20 limiting but numerous modifications or variations can be readily made by those skilled in the art depending on their design choice or any other factor without departing from the true spirit and scope of this invention, which is defined by the appended claims.
[0095] For example, the distribution system 10 may include a distributed 25 power supply such as a solar power generator or a wind power generator, and may use the power generated by the distributed power supply to charge the storage battery 31 or to drive the load 9.
[0096] In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express 30 language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of
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[0097] It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.
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Reference Signs List [0096] 1, 1A Storage Battery Control System
Distribution System
11, 11A Request Receiver
12, 12A Remaining Electric Energy Acquisition Device
13, 13A Instructor
14, 14A Reducible Electric Energy Acquisition Device
Distribution Board
Power Storage Device
Storage Battery
Power Conditioner
Power Sensor
Power Grid
Utility Power Supply
Load
100 Broadband Network
200 Host server
300 Information Terminal
400 (401, 402, 403, ...)
Consumer Facility
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Claims (6)

  1. Claims
    1. A storage battery control system for use in combination with a consumer facility’s distribution system configured to supply power from a
    5 utility power supply and a power storage device to a load, the storage battery control system comprising:
    a request receiver configured to receive a power reduction request including:
    information about a specified period during which utility power 10 supplied from the utility power supply to the load is to be reduced in response to the power reduction request!
    information about an electric energy of the utility power to be reduced for the specified period in response to the power reduction request! and
    15 information about a discharge mode indicating a mode of a discharge operation to be performed by the power storage device for the specified period in response to the power reduction request! and an instructor configured to instruct the power storage device how to perform the discharge operation, wherein
    20 the discharge mode is selectable from either an output priority mode giving higher priority to increasing discharge power or a time priority mode giving higher priority to increasing duration of discharge, the instructor being configured to instruct, according to the discharge mode and the electric energy to be reduced, the power storage device how to 25 perform the discharge operation for the specified period.
  2. 2. The storage battery control system of claim 1, further comprising a remaining electric energy acquisition device configured to acquire information about a remaining electric energy indicating a dischargeable electric energy
    30 for a storage battery of the power storage device during the specified period, wherein the instructor is configured to instruct, according to the discharge
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    2016293631 21 Jun 2019 mode, the electric energy to be reduced, and the remaining electric energy, the power storage device how to perform the discharge operation for the specified period.
  3. 5 3. The storage battery control system of claim 2, wherein the instructor is configured to: if the discharge mode is the output priority mode, determine the discharge power of the storage battery during the specified period by dividing the electric energy to be reduced by a time length of the specified period;
    10 if the discharge mode is the time priority mode and the electric energy to be reduced is equal to or greater than the remaining electric energy, determine the discharge power of the storage battery during the specified period by dividing the remaining electric energy by the time length of the specified period; and
    15 if the discharge mode is the time priority mode and the electric energy to be reduced is less than the remaining electric energy, determine the discharge power of the storage battery during the specified period by dividing the electric energy to be reduced by the time length of the specified period.
    20 4. The storage battery control system of any one of claims 1-3, further comprising a reducible electric energy acquisition device configured to acquire data about a reducible electric energy indicating a reducible electric energy of the utility power acceptable for the consumer facility during the specified period, wherein
    25 the instructor is configured to, if the electric energy to be reduced in response to the power reduction request is greater than the reducible electric energy, use the reducible electric energy as the electric energy to be reduced.
    5. The storage battery control system of any one of claims 1—4, wherein
    30 the instructor is configured to, if the request receiver has received a mode change request demanding that the discharge mode be changed during the specified period, give the power storage device an instruction on how to
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    2016293631 21 Jun 2019 perform the discharge operation on and after the mode change request has been received, the instruction being given according to a newly selected discharge mode, the electric energy yet to be reduced during the specified period, and the 5 electric energy to be discharged by the storage battery of the power storage device on and after the mode change request has been received.
  4. 6. A storage battery control method for use in a storage battery control system to be combined with a consumer facility’s distribution system
    10 configured to supply power from a utility power supply and a power storage device to a load, the storage battery control method comprising the steps of: receiving a power reduction request including:
    information about a specified period during which utility power supplied from the utility power supply to the load is to be reduced in response 15 to the power reduction request!
    information about an electric energy of the utility power to be reduced for the specified period in response to the power reduction request! and information about a discharge mode indicating a mode of a 20 discharge operation to be performed by the power storage device for the specified period in response to the power reduction request! and instructing the power storage device how to perform the discharge operation, wherein the discharge mode is selectable from either an output priority mode 25 giving higher priority to increasing discharge power or a time priority mode giving higher priority to increasing duration of discharge, and the step of instructing includes instructing, according to the discharge mode and the electric energy to be reduced, the power storage device how to perform the discharge operation for the specified period.
  5. 7. A program for use in a storage battery control system to be combined with a consumer facility’s distribution system configured to supply power from
    P0460369
    11459986_1 (GHMatters) P107907.AU
    2016293631 21 Jun 2019 a utility power supply and a power storage device to a load, the program being designed to make a computer function as a request receiver configured to receive a power reduction request including:
    5 information about a specified period during which utility power supplied from the utility power supply to the load is to be reduced in response to the power reduction request;
    information about an electric energy of the utility power to be reduced for the specified period in response to the power reduction request;
  6. 10 and information about a discharge mode indicating a mode of a discharge operation to be performed by the power storage device for the specified period in response to the power reduction request; and an instructor configured to instruct the power storage device how to 15 perform the discharge operation, wherein the discharge mode is selectable from either an output priority mode giving higher priority to increasing discharge power or a time priority mode giving higher priority to increasing duration of discharge, and the instructor instructs, according to the discharge mode and the
    20 electric energy to be reduced, the power storage device how to perform the discharge operation for the specified period.
    P0460369
    11459986_1 (GHMatters) P107907.AU
    1/5
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US20120242148A1 (en) * 2011-03-25 2012-09-27 Green Charge Networks Energy allocation for energy storage cooperation

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US20120242148A1 (en) * 2011-03-25 2012-09-27 Green Charge Networks Energy allocation for energy storage cooperation

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