JP2002330557A - Distributed power generating system, and maintenance system and maintenance method which can use it - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system for maintaining a power receiving device which receives power supply from distributed power generating systems. SOLUTION: The distributed power supply systems 12 supply power to each power receiving device 13 via a feeder, and monitor the operating condition of the power receiving device via the feeder. When maintenance of the power receiving device is required, the maintenance information is sent to a control device 20. Execution of the maintenance is instructed by the control device 20 to an optimum maintenance body selected from among the manufacturer, the distributor and the repair contractor according to the maintenance information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique for maintaining a power receiving device receiving power from a power generation system. The present invention particularly relates to a distributed power generation system, and a maintenance system and a maintenance method using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an era where new technologies such as IT and biotechnology are deployed on a global scale, even in such a situation,
The energy industry remains one of the largest core industries. Recently, with the spread of environmental awareness, including prevention of global warming, expectations for so-called new energy are increasing. In addition to environmental friendliness, the new energy can be produced in a distributed manner close to the power consumers, and therefore has advantages in terms of transmission loss and security of power supply. It is also expected that the development of new energy will have the secondary effect of creating new peripheral industries.

[0003] The approach to new energy is about 30
In response to the oil crisis a year ago, it became a full-fledged energy, and today, renewable energy such as solar power generation, recycling energy such as waste power generation, high-efficiency energy such as fuel cells, and new fields of energy represented by clean energy vehicles Are in the development stage for practical use.

[0004] Among them, fuel cells are one of the most noticeable energies in the industry. Fuel cells are
Hydrogen made by mixing water vapor with natural gas or methanol,
It generates electricity and heat at the same time by chemically reacting oxygen collected from the atmosphere.The only by-product of power generation is water, and it is highly efficient even in low power areas, and power generation is stable without being affected by the weather . The polymer electrolyte fuel cell is regarded as one of the next-generation standard power sources for both stationary and on-vehicle applications, such as residential use.

[0005]

At present, a power generation system using a polymer electrolyte fuel cell is in the process of being prototyped and put into practical use. The spread of fuel cells depends on how costs can be reduced. Initial cost is a development issue,
Operational costs or benefits also depend on the running cost, service life, etc. of the system using the fuel cell.

[0006] Therefore, in order to spread the fuel cell, it is necessary to construct not only a technical improvement of the fuel cell itself but also an environment using the fuel cell as a business model. It is necessary to pursue higher convenience, for example, by developing a maintenance system that includes home appliances that receive power from fuel cells.

[0007] In particular, maintenance of home electric appliances has been left to the user until now. For this reason, even if the same product is used in the same manner, the daily care of the user varies, and the life of the product is different. In the event of a failure, the user must explain the symptoms of the machine, which is not always an accurate explanation, and it takes time and effort to grasp the current situation, which has led to an increase in repair costs. In addition, the user must first search for a repair destination, which causes a great psychological burden in addition to equipment failure. The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and an object of the present invention is to improve services related to maintenance of home electric appliances to which power is supplied from a distributed power generation system.

[0008]

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a distributed power generation system (hereinafter simply referred to as a distributed power generation system). This system includes a power generation device, is connected to a power receiving device that receives power supply from the power generation device, and generates maintenance information on the power receiving device based on a power consumption state of the power receiving device. "Generator"
May be arbitrary, but a fuel cell which can be expected to have stable power generation capacity is one suitable example.

The system may receive the operation information output by the power receiving device and generate the maintenance information. As the operation information, for example, in the case of a refrigerator, information such as the temperature and humidity in the refrigerator may be received. Further, an error message or the like output by the power receiving device may be received.

[0010] The system may specify maintenance information necessary for the temporal change of the power receiving device. Information on changes over time in the power receiving device may be detected in advance, and it may be determined whether maintenance such as periodic inspection, replacement of consumable parts, cleaning of a filter, or replacement of the device itself is necessary.

[0011] The system may include a control unit for controlling the operation of the power receiving device based on the maintenance information. The control unit may instruct a change of the control parameter to maintain the performance of the power receiving device.

[0012] The control unit may stop supplying power to the power receiving device when detecting an abnormality in the power receiving device. Thus, for example, the operation of the electric stove can be stopped during an earthquake to prevent an accident. A configuration in which whether to stop power supply may be set may be used.

This system may transmit and receive information to and from the power receiving device by superimposing a signal on an electric wire for supplying power to the power receiving device. According to this, since it is not necessary to separately provide a communication line, the configuration can be simplified, and the trouble at the time of introducing the system can be reduced.
In general, the output of the fuel cell is low in noise, which is advantageous in terms of the communication environment.

[0014] The system may include a display unit for presenting the maintenance information to a user. If the maintenance can be performed by the user without requesting the maintenance company, such as cleaning the filter of the air conditioner, the user may be instructed to execute the maintenance. Even when requesting maintenance from a maintenance contractor, it is desirable to present that fact to the user.

[0015] The system may further include a communication unit that communicates with a network, and the maintenance information may be transmitted via the network to a management device that integrally controls the plurality of distributed power generation systems.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a maintenance system. The system includes a management device connected via a network to a distributed power generation system having a power generation device,
The management device acquires maintenance information on a power receiving device to be supplied with power from the power generation device from the distributed power generation system, and notifies a main body in charge of the maintenance.

Still another preferred embodiment according to the present invention relates also to a maintenance system. The system includes a power generation device, a distributed power generation system that supplies power to a power reception device connected to the power generation device, and a management entity that is connected to the distributed power generation system via a network and manages maintenance of the power reception device. And a maintenance entity in charge of maintenance of the power receiving device,
The management entity acquires maintenance information on the power receiving device from the distributed power generation system and notifies the maintenance information to the maintenance entity.

Still another preferred embodiment according to the present invention relates also to a maintenance system. The system includes a power generation device, a distributed power generation system that supplies power to a power reception device connected to the power generation device, and a management entity that is connected to the distributed power generation system via a network and manages maintenance of the power reception device. And a maintenance entity in charge of maintenance of the power receiving device,
The management entity acquires information on the operating status of the power receiving device from the distributed power generation system, generates necessary maintenance information based on the information, and notifies the maintenance entity of the maintenance information.

The maintenance entity includes at least one of a manufacturing entity, a sales entity, and a repair entity of the power receiving device, and the management entity determines a maintenance entity for notifying the maintenance information among them from the viewpoint of user convenience. You may choose from.
For example, the maintenance entity to be notified may be selected in consideration of the maintenance entity's fee, speed, serviceability, the area in charge, and the like.

[0020] The maintenance entity may provide maintenance information or advertisement information on the power receiving device to the user based on the maintenance information. For example, the manufacturer of the power receiving device may present the user with maintenance work to be performed on the power receiving device. Further, when it is determined that the life of the power receiving device has expired, the advertisement information of the product may be provided to the user.

Still another preferred embodiment according to the present invention relates to a maintenance method. This method monitors the operation status of a power receiving device that receives power supply from a distributed power generation system having a power generating device, determines whether maintenance of the power receiving device is necessary, and appropriately determines if maintenance is necessary according to the content. The maintenance entity is selected and a maintenance request notification is issued to the maintenance entity.

It is to be noted that any combination of the above-described components and any conversion of the expression of the present invention between a method, an apparatus, a system, a recording medium, a computer program, and the like are also effective as embodiments of the present invention.

[0023]

FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of a maintenance system 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a general electronic network, not a network for power transmission. In the maintenance system 10, a plurality of distributed power generation systems 12 provided in a user's house or building are connected to the Internet 16 respectively. The distributed power generation system 12 includes a fuel cell system capable of expecting stable and highly efficient power generation, and supplies power via a power supply line to a power receiving device 13 such as a television receiver 13a, a radio receiver 13b, and an air conditioner 13c. . Management device 2 that manages the maintenance of these power receiving devices 13
0, a terminal 26 of the manufacturer of the power receiving device 13, a terminal 27 of the distributor, and a terminal 28 of the repairer are also connected to the Internet 16. Manufacturers, distributors,
And repairers will sell, replace,
Related to the maintenance of the power receiving device in some form, such as inspection and inquiry at the time of failure.

In the maintenance system 10, the distributed power generation system 12 or the management device 20 sequentially obtains the operation status of each power receiving device 13, and diagnoses the status. In the present embodiment, an example in which the distributed power generation system 12 monitors the power receiving device 13 will be described. The distributed power generation system 12 acquires the power consumption status of the power receiving device 13 and the operation information output by the power receiving device 13, and when it is determined that maintenance is necessary, directly controls the power receiving device 13 or performs management. Request maintenance to the device 20. The management device 20 selects one or more appropriate maintenance entities in consideration of the content of the maintenance, the characteristics of the maintenance entity, the area in charge, and the like, and notifies them as maintenance information.

According to such a business model, a failure of the power receiving device 13 can be prevented beforehand, and even if a failure occurs, it can be promptly dealt with. This is a great advantage for the user. In addition, there are the following merits for maintenance entities such as manufacturers, distributors, and repairers. First, by obtaining the maintenance information of the power receiving device 13 as needed, the maintenance content can be more clearly and quickly grasped, so that the efficiency of the maintenance work can be improved. In addition, since the management body has a maintenance request accepted on behalf of the customer, it leads to reduction of operating costs and securing of customers. Further, since the usage status of the power receiving device 13 can be grasped, it can be used for effective marketing, such as providing an advertisement for a new product at the time of replacement of the user. Thus, the construction of the business model according to the present embodiment is of great significance.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the distributed power generation system 12. The fuel cell system 30 includes a reformer 34 that obtains hydrogen by reacting water vapor generated from tap water with natural gas or methanol, a fuel cell 36 that obtains water and a DC voltage by reacting the hydrogen with oxygen, An inverter 38 for converting the voltage into AC and a control unit 32 for controlling the inverter 38 are provided.
The control unit 32 also monitors the operation status of the power receiving device 13 and generates maintenance information thereof.

The AC voltage output from the inverter 38 is supplied to the power receiving device 13 via a power supply line. Power receiving device 13
The control unit 32 transmits and receives information to and from each other by superimposing a signal on the power supply line.

The communication unit 56 transmits the maintenance information of the power receiving device 13 generated by the control unit 32 to the management device 20 via the Internet 16. At this time, in addition to the maintenance information, information indicating the operation status of the power receiving device 13 may be transmitted to the management device 20. The display device 40 presents maintenance information to the user.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the control unit 32. Control unit 3
The function 2 can be realized by a microcomputer, a memory, or another LSI in terms of hardware, and is realized by a power receiving device control program or the like in terms of software. Is shown. Therefore, it is understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized by various combinations of hardware and software.

The diagnosis table 74 stores information indicating the operation status of the power receiving device 13 and a diagnosis ID indicating the state of the power receiving device 13 at that time in association with each other. FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration, in which a power receiving device type column 200, a power consumption column 202, an error code column 204, and a diagnosis ID column 206 are provided. Since the type of information necessary for the diagnosis differs depending on the type of the power receiving device 13, other necessary columns may be provided as appropriate. For example, when the power receiving device type is “refrigerator”, if the power consumption is “high”, it is recorded that the state is the diagnosis ID “0001” regardless of the error code.

The maintenance information table 76 contains the diagnosis I
D and information on maintenance required at that time are stored in association with each other. FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration, and the diagnostic ID column 2
20, a notification destination column 222, and a notification content column 224 are provided. As an example, it is recorded that when the diagnosis ID is "0001", "power off" is instructed to "refrigerator".

The maintenance history database 78 stores a history of maintenance performed on the power receiving device 13. FIG. 6 shows an example of such a configuration.
0, use start date column 242, and maintenance history column 2
44 are provided. The maintenance history column 244 is
It is added every time maintenance is performed, and each has an execution date column 246 and a content column 248. As an example, the use start date of the power receiving device type “refrigerator” is “2001”.
"April 20, 2001", the date of the first maintenance is "May 1, 2001", and the content is "initial inspection".

The operation status acquisition section 60 sequentially obtains the operation status of each power receiving device 13 via the power supply line. The operating status is
The information may be a power consumption state of the power receiving device 13, a control parameter, an error message, or the like. The type of information to get,
The content and frequency may be sufficient to perform maintenance, and may be designed according to the type of the power receiving device 13. When the power receiving device 13 has a function of outputting information, the information may be sequentially acquired to grasp the state. Otherwise, the power receiving device 1
State 3 may be inferred. The information acquired by the operation status acquisition unit 60 may be stored in a database (not shown) as necessary.

The diagnosis unit 62 refers to the diagnosis table 74 based on the information acquired by the operation status acquisition unit 60,
The state of each power receiving device 13 is diagnosed. The maintenance information generation unit 64 generates necessary maintenance information based on the diagnosis result of the diagnosis unit 62. At this time, the notification destination of the maintenance information is determined according to the required maintenance level. For example, in the case of minor maintenance such as cleaning of a filter, the user is notified via the display device 40, and when the maintenance can be dealt with only by changing the control parameters of the power receiving device 13, the power receiving device 13 is directly controlled, and When manual operations such as replacement are required, the management device 20 is notified. Choosing an appropriate maintenance route will speed up work,
Improve efficiency. The generated maintenance information is stored in the maintenance history database 78, and is referred to for the next and subsequent maintenance.

When instructing the power receiving device 13 to change the control parameters, the instruction unit 66 issues an instruction to the power receiving device 13. The instruction unit 66 may have a parameter table preset so that the operation state of the power receiving device 13 becomes better.

When requesting maintenance to the management apparatus 20, the notification unit 68 transmits the generated maintenance information to the management apparatus 20.
Notify to The notifying unit 68 may notify the maintenance information by a communication protocol such as TCP / IP,
The notification may be made by e-mail or the like. If a part requiring maintenance can be specified, the name of the part may be notified, and if not specified, only a message indicating that maintenance is required may be notified. By providing several notification levels in this way, a maintenance company can predict and schedule the time and personnel required for maintenance. In addition, it is possible to improve the serviceability of the maintenance company, for example, by preparing parts to be replaced in advance or, if the cause is not identified, dispatching a person having high technical skill.

The maintenance information generating unit 64 refers to the maintenance history database 78 and
It is also possible to read out information on the time-dependent change of No. 3 and specify necessary maintenance information. For example, if one year has passed since the use start date of the air conditioner and the replacement of the filter is not recorded in the maintenance history,
Maintenance information for instructing replacement of the filter may be generated. As a result, a failure or a decrease in output due to the use of a component whose service life has expired can be prevented. A replacement of the device itself may be suggested.

The maintenance information generator 64 may stop supplying power to the power receiving device 13 when detecting an abnormality in the power receiving device 13. Thus, occurrence of an accident or the like due to an abnormal situation can be prevented.

The information acquisition unit 70 includes the management device 20, the manufacturer terminal 26, the dealer terminal 27, and the repairer terminal 2
8 to obtain the information transmitted. This information may be information on maintenance of the power receiving device 13, for example, a cleaning method or the like. Further, the advertisement information may be advertisement information on the power receiving device 13. The display unit 72 displays, on the display device 40, the maintenance information generated by the maintenance information generation unit 64 and various information acquired by the information acquisition unit 70.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the configuration of the management device 20. This configuration is also realized by a combination of hardware and software including a microcomputer.
The communication unit 80 communicates with another device via the Internet 16.

The supplier database 88 stores information on a manufacturer, a seller, and a repairer who are responsible for maintaining the power receiving device 13. FIG. 8 shows an example of such a configuration, in which a trader ID column 260, a trader type column 262, a trader name column 264, and a charge column 2
66, a service column 268, a scale column 270, and an assigned area column 272 are provided. In this embodiment, the level of the fee required for the maintenance of each contractor, the quality of the maintenance service,
The magnitude of the scale is stored in a five-level evaluation. As an example,
As the information of the trader with the trader ID “0001”, the trader type “manufacturing”, the trader name “Company A”, the charge rank “4”, the service rank “2”, the scale rank “5”, and the responsible area “Z”
City "is recorded.

The maintenance information acquisition unit 82 acquires maintenance information of each power receiving device 13 from the management device 20. The notification destination selection unit 84 selects a vendor to which maintenance information is to be notified with reference to the vendor database 88. At this time, the user's convenience is examined from the viewpoints of the fee, service, scale, area in charge, and the like, and an optimal company is selected. The conditions desired by the user may be received in advance and stored in a user database (not shown). For example, for a user who attaches importance to a low charge, a trader with the lowest charge in the area may be selected. The notification unit 86 notifies the selected trader of the maintenance information. It should be noted that the user may be left with a choice, and may be narrowed down to a few preferred companies.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the configuration of the repair agent terminal 28. This configuration is also realized by a combination of hardware and software including a microcomputer. The communication unit 90 communicates with another device via the Internet 16.

The maintenance information acquisition unit 92 acquires maintenance information of each power receiving device 13 from the management device 20. The schedule management unit 94 calculates a schedule and an optimum route of a maintenance person based on the maintenance information. The schedule management unit 94 assigns a charge to each person in charge based on the contents of the maintenance and the address of the user's house. When the maintenance information has a notification level at which the cause of the failure is not specified, a technician with high technical ability may be in charge of maintenance. The schedule management unit 94 further estimates the required time required for maintenance based on the notification level and contents of the maintenance information, and sets up a schedule for the person in charge. Then, based on the required time and the address of the user's house, the inspection route of the person in charge on that day is calculated, and each person in charge is notified. At this time, the person in charge may be notified of necessary parts and equipment. Thereby, the efficiency of the maintenance work can be improved. Note that information such as the address of the user may be stored in a user database (not shown).

The schedule management section 94 may inquire the user of the date and time at which maintenance is desired. Then, the schedule of the person in charge may be adjusted based on the date and time desired by the user. As a result, the situation where the person in charge visits when the user is absent can be reduced, and the work efficiency can be further improved.

The inventory management unit 96 calculates the required number of parts based on the maintenance information. Then, the inventory database 100 storing the number of parts in stock is checked, and if a part is insufficient, an order for the part is given. The ordering of the parts may be performed on-line or off-line to the terminal 27 of the distributor or the terminal 26 of the manufacturer.

The maintenance result notifying section 98 notifies the management device 20 and the distributed power generation system 12 of the contents of the maintenance work performed by the person in charge and the status of the power receiving device 13.

FIG. 10 shows an example of the configuration of the manufacturer terminal 26. This configuration is also realized by a combination of hardware and software including a microcomputer. The communication unit 108 communicates with another device via the Internet 16.

The maintenance information acquisition unit 110 acquires maintenance information of each power receiving device 13 from the management device 20. The information notification unit 112, based on the maintenance information,
Appropriate help information is read from the help database 114 and notified to the distributed power generation system 12. Further, the advertisement information corresponding to the type of the power receiving device 13 is stored in the advertisement database 1.
16 and notifies the distributed power generation system 12.
Thus, accurate help information and advertisement information can be provided in accordance with the usage status of the power receiving device 13.

The dealer terminal 27 is configured by appropriately combining the configuration of the repairer terminal 28 shown in FIG. 9 and the configuration of the manufacturer terminal 26 shown in FIG. 10 according to the business scope of the dealer. The manufacturer terminal 26 may further have the configuration of the repairer terminal 28 shown in FIG. 9 when the manufacturer performs maintenance service. The same applies to the repair company terminal 28.

The present invention has been described based on the embodiments. This embodiment is an exemplification, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the combination of each component and each processing process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. Some examples are given below.

The management company 18 and each terminal of the trader may be connected by a dedicated line. The design also depends on the degree of security required for communication between the two.

The home electric appliance may be connected to the user's home via a network and connected to the Internet via a home server. At this time, a network may be constructed using a power line. The distributed power generation system 12 may function as a home server.

In the present embodiment, the functions of generating diagnosis and maintenance information are provided in each distributed power generation system 12. However, these functions may be provided in the management device 20, and may be centrally managed by the management device 20. This facilitates maintenance such as upgrading the diagnostic software.

Although the distributed power generation system 12 generates power using the fuel cell system 30, this may be another power generation device. For example, a solar cell system can be used because the power generation capacity generally increases during the midsummer daytime when power consumption is at its peak. If the distributed power generation system 12 is dispersed over a wide range, the influence of weather can be reduced. Of course, various types of power generation devices may be mixed as the distributed power generation system 12.

[0056]

According to the present invention, a highly convenient maintenance technique can be provided for home electric appliances supplied with power from a distributed power generation system.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a maintenance system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a distributed power generation system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a control unit in the distributed power generation system.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a diagnosis table in the distributed power generation system.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a maintenance information table in the distributed power generation system.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a maintenance history database in the distributed power generation system.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a management device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a trader database in the management device.

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of a repair agent terminal.

FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of a manufacturer terminal.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 maintenance system, 12 distributed power generation system, 1
3 power receiving device, 20 management device, 26 manufacturer terminal, 27 seller terminal, 28 repairer terminal,
30 fuel cell system, 32 control unit.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Katsuya Oda 2-5-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Yukinori Akiyama 2-5-2 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka No. 5 Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 5G064 AA07 AA09 AB03 AC01 AC08 CB08 CB14 CB18 DA05

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. A distributed power generation system having a power generation device, wherein a power reception device receiving power from the power generation device is connected, and maintenance information on the power reception device based on a power consumption state of the power reception device. And a distributed power generation system. 2. The distributed power generation system according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance information is generated by receiving operation information output by the power receiving device. 3. The distributed power generation system according to claim 1, wherein maintenance information required for a temporal change of the power receiving device is specified. 4. The distributed power generation system according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls an operation of the power receiving device based on the maintenance information. 5. The distributed power generation system according to claim 4, wherein the control unit stops supplying power to the power receiving device when detecting an abnormality in the power receiving device. 6. The distributed power generation system according to claim 1, wherein information is transmitted / received to / from the power receiving device by superimposing a signal on an electric wire for supplying power to the power receiving device. 7. The distributed power generation system according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit for presenting the maintenance information to a user. 8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a communication unit that communicates with a network, wherein the maintenance information is transmitted via the network to a management device that controls the plurality of distributed power generation systems. 8. The distributed power generation system according to any one of 7. 9. The distributed power generation system according to claim 1, wherein the power generation device includes a fuel cell. 10. A distributed power generation system including a power generation device, the management device being connected to a distributed power generation system via a network, wherein the management device acquires from the distributed power generation system maintenance information on a power receiving device to be supplied with power from the power generation device. A maintenance system for notifying an entity in charge of the maintenance. 11. A distributed power generation system having a power generation device and supplying power to a power reception device connected to the power generation device, and a management entity connected to the distributed power generation system via a network and managing maintenance of the power reception device And a maintenance entity in charge of maintaining the power receiving device, wherein the management entity acquires maintenance information on the power receiving device from the distributed power generation system, and notifies the maintenance information to the maintenance entity. Maintenance system. 12. A distributed power generation system having a power generation device and supplying power to a power reception device connected to the power generation device, and a management entity connected to the distributed power generation system via a network and managing maintenance of the power reception device And a maintenance entity responsible for maintenance of the power receiving device, wherein the management entity acquires information on the operation status of the power receiving device from the distributed power generation system, and generates necessary maintenance information based on the information. A maintenance system for notifying the maintenance subject of the maintenance information. 13. The maintenance entity includes at least one of a manufacturing entity, a sales entity, and a repair entity of the power receiving device, and the management entity determines a maintenance entity for notifying the maintenance information from among them, The maintenance system according to claim 11, wherein the maintenance system is selected from the viewpoint of convenience. 14. The maintenance system according to claim 11, wherein the maintenance entity provides maintenance information or advertisement information on the power receiving device to a user based on the maintenance information. . 15. An operating status of a power receiving device receiving power from a distributed power generation system having a power generating device is monitored, and it is determined whether maintenance of the power receiving device is necessary. A maintenance method characterized by selecting an appropriate maintenance entity and issuing a maintenance request notification to the maintenance entity.