JP7233288B2 - Hot water supply system, cloud server, boiling schedule management method and program - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a hot water supply system, a cloud server, a heating schedule management method, and a program.

In recent years, various techniques have been proposed to reduce running costs by causing storage-type water heaters to perform boiling operation during late-night hours when electricity rates are cheaper (for example, Patent Literatures 1 and 2, etc.).

JP-A-2008-8548 JP 2017-223410 A

By the way, it is known that, in collective housing such as condominiums, electricity charges can be reduced by making contracts such as high-voltage collective power receiving, compared to individual contracts for each house. In such a high-voltage bulk power receiving contract, the basic charge is often set based on the value of the average power (that is, demand power) during the demand time period. For this reason, it is desirable to prevent the power demand from jumping as much as possible and to manage the power consumption of each house so that the transition of the power demand is flattened.

As described above, in the storage-type water heater, it is normal to perform the heating operation in the late-night hours. It is important to formulate a schedule for the heating operation of each water heater so that the transition of power demand is flattened.

However, in the boiling operation that relies only on the schedule of the boiling operation created in advance, it is not possible to cope with the deviation of the actual boiling end time that occurs in each water heater. It is difficult to

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a hot water supply system or the like capable of accurately flattening the transition of power demand during the boiling operation of a plurality of water heaters. and

In order to achieve the above object, the hot water supply system according to the present invention includes:
A hot water supply system comprising each water heater installed in each of a plurality of houses and a cloud server,
Each water heater is
an operation control means for controlling the boiling operation according to the boiling schedule notified from the cloud server;
an end time notification means for calculating the end time of the boiling operation and notifying the cloud server of the calculated end time each time a predetermined condition is satisfied;
The cloud server is
A heating schedule for the heating operation of each of the water heaters is created based on the transition of power demand in the plurality of houses in a predetermined time period and the operation history of each of the water heaters, and the created boiling a schedule notification means for notifying each water heater of the raising schedule;
update schedule notification means for updating the boiling schedule of each water heater as necessary based on the end time notified from each water heater, and notifying the water heater of the updated boiling schedule; Prepare.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, in the boiling operation of several water heaters, it becomes possible to flatten the transition of the power demand with sufficient accuracy.

A diagram showing the overall configuration of a hot water supply system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the cloud server according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an energy measuring unit, a water heater, and a home gateway installed in each house in Embodiment 1; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a heat pump unit included in the water heater according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a hot water supply controller included in the water heater according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the cloud server according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining creation of a boiling schedule according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining creation of a boiling schedule according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining creation of a boiling schedule according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining creation of a boiling schedule according to the first embodiment; FIG. A diagram for explaining the updating of the boiling schedule in the first embodiment. A diagram for explaining the updating of the boiling schedule in the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of boiling schedule management processing according to the first embodiment; 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of boiling schedule creation processing according to the first embodiment; Flowchart showing procedure of boiling schedule update process of Embodiment 1 Flowchart showing the procedure of the boiling schedule update process in the modification of the first embodiment FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining updating of the boiling schedule in the modification of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining updating of the boiling schedule in the modification of Embodiment 1. FIG. A diagram showing the overall configuration of a hot water supply system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Diagram showing an example of transition of surplus power in Embodiment 2 Block diagram showing the functional configuration of a cloud server according to Embodiment 2 Flowchart showing procedure of daytime heating schedule creation process of Embodiment 2

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of hot water supply system 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The hot water supply system 1 is a system that manages the schedule of the boiling operation of the water heaters 4 installed in each of a plurality of houses H. As shown in FIG.

The hot water supply system 1 includes a cloud server 2, and an energy measuring unit 3, a water heater 4, and a home gateway 5 installed in each house H, respectively. In the present embodiment, each house H is a house belonging to a collective housing such as a smart city or condominium that has concluded a high-voltage collective power receiving contract with an electric power company.

The cloud server 2 is an example of a cloud server according to the present invention. The cloud server 2 is a server computer installed and operated by the manufacturer or sales company of the water heater 4, and is connected to the Internet. As shown in FIG. 2, the cloud server 2 includes a communication interface 20, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 23, a secondary storage device Prepare. These components are interconnected via a bus 25 .

The communication interface 20 is an interface for connecting to the Internet and communicating with the energy measuring unit 3 and the water heater 4 of each house H through the home gateway 5 of each house H. FIG. The CPU 21 comprehensively controls the cloud server 2 .

The ROM 22 stores multiple pieces of firmware and data used during execution of these pieces of firmware. A RAM 23 is used as a work area for the CPU 21 .

The secondary storage device 24 is a large-capacity storage device such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a readable/writable non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or the like. In the secondary storage device 24, a program for providing services related to the operation of the water heater 4 to customers, that is, each user who purchased the water heater 4, specifically, the water heater 4 of each house H Various programs including a program for managing the schedule of the boiling operation (hereinafter referred to as a boiling schedule management program) and data used when executing these programs are stored.

The details of the functions of the cloud server 2 having the hardware described above will be described later.

Next, the energy measuring unit 3, water heater 4, and home gateway 5 installed in each house H will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the energy measuring unit 3 measures the electric power transmitted via each of the power lines PL1 and PL2 installed in the house H. As shown in FIG. Power line PL<b>1 is provided between commercial power system 6 and distribution board 7 , and power line PL<b>2 is provided between distribution board 7 and water heater 4 . The energy measuring unit 3 measures the line voltage and the phase current by means of a VT (Voltage Transformer) and a CT (Current Transformer), both of which are connected to the power lines PL1 and PL2, respectively. Then, the energy measurement unit 3 calculates the instantaneous power in each of the power lines PL1 and PL2 and the integrated power integrated over a preset time by calculating each measured value with a microcomputer (not shown). do.

The power on the power line PL1 indicates the total power consumption in the house H in question. The power on power line PL2 indicates the power consumption of water heater 4 . The devices 8a, 8b, . are supplied with power via power lines PL3a, PL3b, . . . connected to the distribution board 7, respectively. That is, the total power consumption in the house H is obtained by adding the power consumption of the water heater 4 to the total power consumption of the appliances 8a, 8b, .

In addition, the energy measuring unit 3 is wirelessly connected to a home gateway 5 that functions as a broadband router, and has a wireless communication interface for communicating with the cloud server 2 connected to the Internet via the home gateway 5. Prepare.

The energy measurement unit 3 responds to a request from the cloud server 2 to obtain the current time (meaning the measurement time), the measured value of the total power consumption of the house H, and the measured value of the power consumption of the water heater 4. and the stored power data is transmitted to the cloud server 2 . Each measurement includes instantaneous power and integrated power values. Note that the energy measurement unit 3 may voluntarily transmit power data to the cloud server 2 at regular time intervals (for example, one minute intervals).

The water heater 4 is an example of the water heater according to the present invention. The water heater 4 is a hot water storage type water heater including a heat pump unit 40 and a tank unit 41 . The heat pump unit 40 and the tank unit 41 are connected by a water pipe 42 through which hot water flows. Water heater 4 is electrically connected to commercial power system 6 via power line PL2 branched by distribution board 7 to receive power supply.

The heat pump unit 40 is a heat pump type heat source device using CO ₂ (carbon dioxide) or HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) as a refrigerant. The heat pump unit 40 boils the low-temperature water in the hot water storage tank 410 into high-temperature water using the surrounding air as a heat source. As shown in FIG. 4, the heat pump unit 40 includes a compressor 400, a first heat exchanger 401, an expansion valve 402, a second heat exchanger 403, a blower 404, a circulation pump 405, and a control board 406. and

Compressor 400 , first heat exchanger 401 , expansion valve 402 , and second heat exchanger 403 are annularly connected by refrigerant pipe 407 . This forms a refrigerant circuit through which the refrigerant circulates. A refrigerant circuit is also called a heat pump or a refrigeration cycle. The water pipe 42 is arranged so as to start from the lower portion of the hot water storage tank 410 and return to the upper portion of the hot water storage tank 410 via the circulation pump 405 and the first heat exchanger 401 . This forms a boiling circuit in which hot water circulates.

Compressor 400 compresses the refrigerant to raise the temperature and pressure. Compressor 400 includes an inverter circuit that can change the capacity, which is the amount of delivery per unit, according to the drive frequency. Compressor 400 changes the capacity according to instructions from control board 406 .

The first heat exchanger 401 is a heating source for heating city water to a target boiling temperature. The boiling temperature is also called hot water storage temperature. The first heat exchanger 401 is a plate-type, double-tube heat exchanger, or the like, and performs heat exchange between the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant pipe 407 and the water sent from the hot water storage tank 410 . Due to the heat exchange in the first heat exchanger 401, the refrigerant releases heat and the temperature drops, and the water absorbs heat and the temperature rises.

Expansion valve 402 expands the refrigerant to lower the temperature and pressure. The expansion valve 402 changes the valve opening according to instructions from the control board 406 .

The second heat exchanger 403 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the outside air sent or taken in by the blower 404 . The heat exchange in the second heat exchanger 403 causes the refrigerant to absorb heat and raise its temperature, and the outside air taken in releases heat and lowers its temperature.

Circulation pump 405 conveys low temperature water from the lower part of hot water storage tank 410 to first heat exchanger 401 . The circulation pump 405 has an inverter circuit, and changes the driving rotation speed according to a control value instructed from the control board 406 to change the flow rate of water to be conveyed.

The control board 406 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a communication interface, and a readable and writable nonvolatile semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM and a flash memory, although none of them are shown. The control board 406 is communicably connected to the compressor 400, the expansion valve 402, the blower 404, and the circulation pump 405 via communication lines (not shown), and controls their operations.

In addition, the control board 406 is communicably connected via a communication line to a plurality of sensors (not shown) provided in the heat pump unit 40 that measure information necessary for control, and regularly reports these measured values. to get to. These sensors measure, for example, the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant, the temperature of the outside air, and the temperature of the water entering the first heat exchanger 401 from the tank unit 41 . Also, the control board 406 is communicably connected to the hot water supply controller 420 of the tank unit 41 via a communication line (not shown).

Returning to FIG. 3 , the tank unit 41 includes a hot water storage tank 410 , a hot water supply controller 420 and a mixing valve 430 . These components are housed in a metal outer case. The hot water storage tank 410 is made of metal such as stainless steel, resin, or the like. A heat insulating material is arranged on the outside of the hot water storage tank 410 . As a result, high-temperature hot water can be kept warm in the hot water storage tank 410 for a long period of time.

The hot water supply controller 420 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a communication interface, and a secondary storage device composed of a readable and writable nonvolatile semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM and a flash memory, although none of them are shown. The hot water heater 4 is centrally controlled. Hot water supply controller 420 is communicatively connected via communication lines to a plurality of sensors (not shown) provided in tank unit 41 that measure information necessary for control, and periodically acquires these measured values. do. These sensors include, for example, a flow rate sensor for measuring the amount of discharged hot water, a discharged hot water temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of discharged hot water, and a stored hot water temperature sensor arranged at approximately equal intervals in the height direction in the hot water storage tank 410. A plurality of hot water reservoir temperature sensors are included. The amount of stored hot water is derived based on the measured values of these stored hot water temperature sensors.

Hot water supply controller 420 is communicably connected to control board 406 of heat pump unit 40 via a communication line (not shown), gives operation instructions to heat pump unit 40 , and obtains the status of heat pump unit 40 . The state of the heat pump unit 40 includes the operating state of each component such as the compressor 400 provided in the heat pump unit 40, the measured values of various sensors provided in the heat pump unit 40, and the like.

In addition, the hot water supply controller 420 is connected to a dedicated remote controller (not shown) for wired or wireless communication, and the user uses the dedicated remote controller to start or stop operations such as filling the bathtub with hot water and reheating the water. can be given to the water heater 4. Note that the above instructions may be given to the hot water heater 4 by a user's operation via a smart device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

Furthermore, the hot water supply controller 420 is wirelessly connected to the home gateway 5 and communicates with the cloud server 2 via the home gateway 5 .

The mixing valve 430 is provided to mix the high temperature water in the upper part of the hot water storage tank 410 with the city water so that the high temperature water supplied to the hot water supply terminals such as the shower 43 and the faucet 44 has a temperature desired by the user. ing.

Next, the details of the function of the hot water supply controller 420 provided in the water heater 4 will be described. Hot water supply controller 420 is functionally composed of, as shown in FIG. and a time transmission unit 426 . These functional units are realized by CPU of hot water supply controller 420 executing a hot water supply control program stored in the secondary storage device of hot water supply controller 420 .

In response to a request from the cloud server 2 , the operation information transmission unit 421 reads information (hereinafter referred to as operation information) regarding the latest operation of the hot water heater 4 stored in the operation information table 427 . Then, the operation information transmission unit 421 transmits data storing the read operation information (hereinafter referred to as operation information data) to the cloud server 2 . Operation information table 427 is a data table stored in a secondary storage device included in hot water supply controller 420 . The operation information table 427 stores a history of operation information for a predetermined period (for example, one week). The operation information includes the measured values of the above sensors of the heat pump unit 40 and the measured values of the tank unit 41 , which are acquired via the control board 406 . Note that the operation information transmission unit 421 may transmit operation information data in which a history of operation information for a predetermined period is stored to the cloud server 2 .

In response to a request from the cloud server 2 , the performance information transmission unit 422 reads information about the performance of the water heater 4 (hereinafter referred to as performance information) stored in the performance information table 428 . Then, the performance information transmission unit 422 transmits data storing the read performance information (hereinafter referred to as performance information data) to the cloud server 2 . Performance information table 428 is a data table stored in a secondary storage device included in hot water supply controller 420 . Performance information of the water heater 4 is stored in the performance information table 428 in advance. The performance information includes the rated value (unit: kW) of the heating capacity of the water heater 4 during the boiling operation.

The schedule acquisition unit 423 acquires the boiling schedule by receiving schedule data containing a schedule relating to the boiling operation (hereinafter referred to as a boiling schedule) sent from the cloud server 2 . The boiling schedule includes the boiling start time, the amount of hot water to be boiled, the boiling temperature, and the like. The operation control unit 424 is an example of operation control means according to the present invention. The operation control unit 424 controls the boiling operation of the water heater 4 according to the boiling schedule acquired by the schedule acquisition unit 423 .

The end time calculator 425 calculates the boiling start time shown in the boiling schedule, the measured values of the sensors of the heat pump unit 40, and the measured values of the sensors of the tank unit 41 each time a predetermined condition is satisfied. , the time at which the boiling operation ends (hereinafter referred to as the boiling end time) is calculated. In the present embodiment, the above condition is met when a request for notification of the boiling end time is received from the cloud server 2 . Note that the above condition may be established when the measured value of any one of the hot water temperature sensors in the hot water storage tank 410 reaches a predetermined temperature (eg, 45° C.). The end time calculation unit 425 notifies the end time transmission unit 426 of the calculated boiling end time.

The end time transmission unit 426 transmits to the cloud server 2 data storing the boiling end time notified from the end time calculation unit 425 (hereinafter referred to as end time data). The end time calculation unit 425 and the end time transmission unit 426 are examples of end time notification means according to the present invention.

Next, the details of the functions of the cloud server 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the cloud server 2 functionally includes a power data acquisition unit 200, an operation information acquisition unit 201, a schedule creation unit 203, a schedule transmission unit 204, an end time acquisition unit 205, a schedule and an updating unit 206 . These functional units are implemented by the CPU 21 executing the above-described boiling schedule management program stored in the secondary storage device 24 .

The power data acquisition unit 200 acquires power data from the energy measuring unit 3 of each house H periodically (for example, every minute). The power data acquisition unit 200 periodically transmits data requesting notification of power data to the energy measuring unit 3 of each customer, and obtains the power data transmitted from each energy measuring unit 3 in response to the data. receive and obtain As described above, the measured value of the total power consumption of the house H and the measured value of the power consumption of the water heater 4 of the house H are stored in the power data. The power data acquisition unit 200 stores the acquired power data in customer information corresponding to the customer in the customer DB 207 .

Here, the customer DB 207 is a database for managing information (hereinafter referred to as customer information) about the user (that is, customer) of the water heater 4 and is stored in the secondary storage device 24 . Customer information is registered for each customer in the customer DB 207 . The customer information includes performance information, power data, operation information, and the like. The customer DB 207 stores the latest performance information for each customer, and also stores a history of power data and operation information for a predetermined period (for example, one year).

The operation information acquisition unit 201 acquires operation information from the water heater 4 of each house H periodically (for example, every minute). The operation information acquisition unit 201 periodically transmits data requesting notification of operation information to the water heater 4 of each customer, and acquires the operation information data transmitted from each water heater 4 in response to the data. By receiving, the operation information of the water heater 4 is acquired. As described above, the operation information includes the measured values of the sensors of the heat pump unit 40, the measured values of the sensors of the tank unit 41, and the like. The operation information acquisition unit 201 stores the acquired operation information in customer information corresponding to the customer in the customer DB 207 .

The performance information acquisition unit 202 acquires performance information from the water heater 4 of each residence H periodically (for example, every 24 hours). The performance information acquisition unit 202 periodically transmits data requesting notification of performance information to the water heater 4 of each customer, and acquires the performance information data transmitted from each water heater 4 in response to the data. By receiving, the performance information of the water heater 4 is acquired. As described above, the performance information includes the rated value of the heating capacity of the water heater 4 and the like. The performance information acquisition unit 202 stores the acquired performance information in customer information corresponding to the customer in the customer DB 207 .

The schedule creation unit 203 creates a heating schedule for the water heater 4 of each customer's house (that is, each house H) at a specific time (for example, 22:00) every day based on each customer's information in the customer DB 207. Execute raising schedule creation processing. The boiling schedule creation process will be described in detail below.

First, the schedule creation unit 203 generates data (hereinafter referred to as power demand data) indicating changes in the power demand for all houses H in a predetermined time period in the future in predetermined time units. In this embodiment, the predetermined time period is a so-called late-night time period in which electricity charges are low (for example, from 23:00 to 7:00 the next morning). Also, the predetermined time unit is, for example, 30 minutes, and the time unit is hereinafter referred to as a demand time limit.

The schedule creation unit 203 refers to the customer DB 207 and, for example, calculates the power demand for each house H (however, the power consumption of the water heater 4 is not included) from the history of power data for the past two weeks of each customer. By estimating the transition of , the above power demand data is generated.

The schedule creation unit 203 refers to the customer DB 207, for example, derives the boiling time, which is the time required for the boiling operation of each water heater 4, from the history of operation information for the past two weeks of each customer, and derives the The boiling time is sorted in ascending order or in ascending order.

The schedule creation unit 203 determines a target time zone in which the heating schedule of each water heater 4 is incorporated from the generated power demand data. The condition of the target time period is that the power demand is less than Wm (kW)+Wq (kW) in all the demand time periods included in the target time period.

Here, Wm is the lowest power demand value in the power demand data. Wq is an adjustment value, and the initial value is Weq. Weq is the value of power demand per water heater 4 in the demand time period. This value may be obtained by averaging the actual values of power consumption of all water heaters 4 or may be obtained based on the rated value of each water heater 4 . FIG. 7 shows an example of the target time period determined in this way. Note that if there are multiple time periods that satisfy the above conditions, the schedule creation unit 203 adopts the longest time period as the target time period.

The schedule creation unit 203 determines whether or not there is a water heater 4 whose boiling time is shorter than the determined target time zone. If there is one or a plurality of applicable water heaters 4, the schedule creation unit 203 causes the water heater 4 with the longest boiling time to perform the heating operation within the target time period. Create a boiling schedule for At this time, the schedule creation unit 203 sets the end time of the boiling operation to the end time of the target time period. By doing so, the target time zone can be effectively utilized.

After creating the heating schedule for the water heater 4, the schedule creating unit 203 updates the power demand data. Specifically, the schedule creation unit 203 calculates the power demand of the water heater 4 when the water heater 4 performs the heating operation according to the created heating schedule, based on the current power demand transition (see FIG. 7). By reflecting the change, the power demand data is updated. FIG. 8 shows an example of transition of power demand based on the power demand data after updating.

On the other hand, if there is no water heater 4 whose boiling time is shorter than the determined target time period, schedule creation unit 203 adds Weq to Wq, determines the target time period again, and repeats the above processing. conduct. By doing so, the boiling schedule of the water heater 4 can be set as late as possible after the late-night time zone, and as a result, countermeasures can be taken when the boiling end time is early. FIG. 9 shows an example of the target time zone after the boiling schedule for the two water heaters 4 (water heaters A and B) is created in Wq=Weq×2, and FIG. 4 shows an example of transition of power demand in the power demand data when the transition of power demand of 4 (hot water heater C) is reflected.

The schedule creation unit 203 determines whether or not there is a water heater 4 for which the preparation of the heating schedule has not been completed. reset), the target time zone is determined again, and the above processing is repeated. On the other hand, if there is no water heater 4 for which preparation of the boiling schedule has not been completed, the prepared boiling schedule of each water heater 4 is stored in the schedule table 208 stored in the secondary storage device 24 or RAM 23 .

When the schedule generating unit 203 completes the above-described heating schedule generating process, the schedule transmitting unit 204 refers to the schedule table 208 to store the corresponding heating schedule for the water heater 4 of each house H. Send schedule data. The schedule creation unit 203 and the schedule transmission unit 204 are examples of schedule notification means according to the present invention.

The end time acquiring unit 205 acquires the boiling end time from the water heater 4 of each house H periodically (for example, every 30 minutes). The end time acquisition unit 205 periodically transmits data requesting notification of the boiling end time to each customer's water heater 4, and obtains the end time transmitted from each water heater 4 in response to the data. By receiving the data, the boiling end time calculated by the water heater 4 is acquired. The end time acquiring unit 205 stores the acquired boiling end time of each water heater 4 in the end time table 209 stored in the secondary storage device 24 or the RAM 23 .

The schedule update unit 206 performs a heating schedule update process for periodically (for example, every 30 minutes) updating the heating schedule of each water heater 4 as necessary after the completion of the heating schedule creating process by the schedule creating unit 203. to run. The boiling schedule update process will be described in detail below.

Schedule updating unit 206 refers to schedule table 208 and end time table 209 to determine whether there is a water heater 4 whose boiling end time is scheduled to be advanced by the demand time limit or more. It is determined whether or not there is a water heater 4 scheduled to be shortened by a time limit or more. If there is no corresponding water heater 4, the schedule updating unit 206 terminates the boiling schedule updating process for this period.

When there is a water heater 4 whose boiling end time is scheduled to be advanced by the demand time limit or more (see FIG. 11), the schedule updating unit 206 determines whether there is a water heater 4 whose boiling operation has not yet started at the present time. determine whether For example, in the case shown in FIG. 11, water heaters B, D, and G are before starting the boiling operation. If there is no corresponding water heater 4, the schedule updating unit 206 terminates the boiling schedule updating process for this period.

On the other hand, if there is a water heater 4 before the start of the boiling operation, the schedule updating unit 206 generates power demand data after the current time point. Then, the schedule updating unit 206 determines whether or not the difference between Wx (kW), which is the highest power demand value, and Wm, which is the lowest power demand value, is Weq or more after the present time. If the difference between Wx and Wm is less than Weq, the schedule update unit 206 terminates the boiling schedule update process for this cycle.

On the other hand, if the difference between Wx and Wm is equal to or greater than Weq, the schedule updating unit 206 searches for Tm, which is the time period after the present time when the power demand is less than Wm+Weq. The schedule update unit 206 determines whether or not there is a water heater 4 whose boiling schedule does not include Tm before the start of the boiling operation. For example, in the case shown in FIG. 11, water heater B corresponds to this condition. If there is no corresponding water heater 4, the schedule updating unit 206 terminates the boiling schedule updating process for this period.

On the other hand, if there is a water heater 4 that does not include Tm in the heating schedule before the start of the heating operation, the schedule updating unit 206 determines that the end time of the heating schedule is closest to the start time of Tm. Update the boiling schedule of machine 4 to include Tm. For example, in the case shown in FIG. 11, the boiling schedule of water heater B is updated.

In addition, the schedule update unit 206 updates the power demand data after the present time so as to be consistent with the update of the heating schedule (see FIG. 12). Then, the schedule updating unit 206 again determines whether the difference between Wx and Wm is equal to or greater than Weq, and repeats the above process.

The schedule update unit 206 and the schedule transmission unit 204 are examples of update schedule notification means according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing the procedure of the boiling schedule management process executed by the cloud server 2. As shown in FIG. The cloud server 2 starts executing the boiling schedule management process at a specific time (for example, 22:00) every day.

First, the schedule creation unit 203 of the cloud server 2 executes the boiling schedule creation process (step S101). FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing the procedure of the boiling schedule creation process executed by the schedule creation unit 203. As shown in FIG. In the heating schedule creation process, first, the schedule creation unit 203 generates power demand data (step S201).

The schedule creation unit 203 derives the boiling time of each water heater 4, and sorts the derived boiling times in ascending order or in ascending order (step S202). The schedule creation unit 203 acquires Wm from the power demand data, and substitutes Weq, which is an initial value, for Wq (step S203).

The schedule creation unit 203 determines a target time period based on Wm and Wq (step S204), and determines whether or not there is a water heater 4 whose boiling time is shorter than the determined target time period (step S205). ). If the corresponding water heater 4 does not exist (step S205; NO), the schedule creation unit 203 adds Weq to Wq (step S206). After that, the process returns to step S204. In step S206, the schedule creation unit 203 may add Weq/2 to Wq instead of Weq.

On the other hand, if there is a water heater 4 whose boiling time is shorter than the target time zone (step S205; YES), the schedule creation unit 203 selects the water heater 4 whose boiling time is the longest within the target time zone. A heating schedule for the water heater 4 is created so that the heating operation is performed at step S207, and the power demand data is updated (step S208).

The schedule creation unit 203 determines whether or not there is a water heater 4 for which the creation of the boiling schedule has not been completed (step S209). If there is a corresponding water heater 4 (step S209; YES), the process returns to step S203.

On the other hand, if there is no water heater 4 for which the preparation of the boiling schedule has not been completed (step S209; NO), the schedule creation unit 203 stores the heating schedule of each water heater 4 in the schedule table 208 (step S210 ), ending the boiling schedule creation process.

Returning to FIG. 13, the schedule transmission unit 204 transmits schedule data in which the corresponding heating schedule is stored to the water heater 4 of each house H (step S102).

When a predetermined first time (for example, 30 minutes) elapses (step S103; YES), the end time acquiring unit 205 acquires the boiling end time from the water heater 4 of each house H (step S104), and the schedule The update unit 206 executes the boiling schedule update process (step S105).

FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing the procedure of the boiling schedule update process executed by the schedule update unit 206. As shown in FIG. In the boiling schedule update process, first, the schedule update unit 206 determines whether or not there is a water heater 4 whose boiling end time is scheduled to be advanced by the demand time limit or more (step S301). If there is no corresponding water heater 4 (step S301; NO), the schedule updating unit 206 terminates the boiling schedule updating process in this cycle.

When there is a water heater 4 whose boiling end time is scheduled to be advanced by the demand time limit or more (step S301; YES), the schedule updating unit 206 determines whether there is a water heater 4 whose boiling operation has not yet started at this time. It is determined whether or not (step S302). If there is no corresponding water heater 4 (step S302; NO), the schedule updating unit 206 terminates the boiling schedule updating process in this cycle.

On the other hand, if there is a water heater 4 before the start of the boiling operation (step S302; YES), the schedule updating unit 206 generates power demand data after the current time (step S303). Then, the schedule updating unit 206 determines whether or not the difference between Wx and Wm is equal to or greater than Weq (step S304). If the difference between Wx and Wm is less than Weq (step S304; NO), the schedule update unit 206 terminates the boiling schedule update process for this period.

On the other hand, if the difference between Wx and Wm is equal to or greater than Weq (step S304; YES), the schedule updating unit 206 searches for a time period Tm when the power demand is less than Wm+Weq (step S305), and starts the heating operation. It is determined whether or not there is a water heater 4 whose boiling schedule does not include Tm among the previous water heaters 4 (step S306). If the corresponding water heater 4 does not exist (step S306; NO), the schedule update unit 206 terminates the boiling schedule update process in this period.

On the other hand, if there is a water heater 4 whose heating schedule does not include Tm among the water heaters 4 before the start of the boiling operation (step S306; YES), the schedule updating unit 206 Among the boiling schedules, the boiling schedule whose end time is closest to Tm is updated to include Tm (step S307), and the power demand data after the present time is updated (step S308). After that, the process returns to step S304. Note that in step S307, if there is a water heater 4 whose boiling time is within Tm, the schedule updating unit 206 updates the water heater 4 so that the boiling operation of the water heater 4 is performed within Tm. may update the boiling schedule.

Returning to FIG. 13, the schedule transmission unit 204 transmits the schedule data storing the updated boiling schedule to the water heater 4 whose boiling schedule has been updated (step S106). After that, when the first time period has elapsed (step S107; YES), the cloud server 2 determines whether or not the remaining time until the end of the midnight time period is within a predetermined second time period (for example, 3 hours). (step S108). If the remaining time until the end of the midnight time period exceeds the second time (step S108; NO), the process returns to step S104. On the other hand, if the remaining time until the end of the midnight time zone is within the second hour (step S108; YES), the cloud server 2 terminates the heating schedule management process.

As described above, according to the hot water supply system 1 of the present embodiment, the cloud server 2 sets the heating schedule of the water heater 4 of each house H based on the operation history of the water heater 4 and the It is generated based on the power demand data indicating the transition of the power demand for each demand time period in the late-night hours, and is notified to each hot water heater 4 . Each water heater 4 performs the boiling operation according to the notified boiling schedule, but each time a predetermined condition is satisfied (for example, each time a request is made from the cloud server 2), the boiling end time is calculated and Notify server 2.

Then, the cloud server 2 reviews the boiling schedule of each water heater 4 based on the latest boiling end time notified from each water heater 4, and updates the boiling schedule as necessary. . As a result, it is possible to flatten the transition of power demand, and as a result, it is possible to reduce electricity charges.

Modification.
If the heating capacity of each water heater 4 is changeable, the cloud server 2 may include a value (for example, a ratio to the rated value) relating to the heating capacity of the water heater 4 in the heating schedule. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the boiling schedule update process executed by schedule update unit 206 of cloud server 2 in hot water supply system 1 according to the modification of Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG.

First, the schedule update unit 206 executes the boiling schedule update process A (step S401). In the boiling schedule update process A, the same process as the above-described boiling schedule update process (see FIG. 15) of the first embodiment is performed. FIG. 17 shows an example of transition of power demand in the power demand data after the heating schedule update process A is completed.

After completion of the heating schedule update process A, the schedule updating unit 206 determines that the difference between Wx (kW), which is the highest power demand value, and Wm (kW), which is the lowest power demand value, is Wi (kW). It is determined whether or not it is larger (step S402). Wi is the minimum variable width of the water heater 4, and is 25% of Weq in this modification.

If the difference between Wx and Wm is less than or equal to Wi (step S402; NO), the schedule updating unit 206 terminates the boiling schedule updating process in this cycle. On the other hand, if the difference between Wx and Wm is greater than Wi (step S402; YES), the schedule updating unit 206 searches for Tx in which the power demand is Wx after the current time (step S403).

The schedule updating unit 206 determines whether or not there is a water heater 4 whose heating schedule includes Tx (step S404). For example, in the case shown in FIG. 17, water heaters A, B, D, and G meet this condition.

If there is no corresponding water heater 4 (step S404; NO), the schedule update unit 206 ends the boiling schedule update process in this period. On the other hand, if the corresponding water heater 4 exists (step S404; YES), the schedule updating unit 206 changes the heating capacity of the water heater 4 with the shortest boiling time during Tx from the original schedule. A hot water amount L to be reduced from the calculated hot water amount is calculated (step S405). For example, in the case shown in FIG. 17, L is calculated for the water heater G. As shown in FIG.

The schedule updating unit 206 determines whether the calculated L is equal to or less than a predetermined allowable value (step S406). A permissible value is, for example, 50L. When L is equal to or less than the allowable value (step S406; YES), the schedule updating unit 206 updates the boiling schedule of the water heater 4 (step S407). Specifically, the schedule update unit 206 updates the boiling schedule so that the water heater 4 reduces the heating capacity by Wi during Tx. After step S407, the schedule update unit 206 terminates the boiling schedule update process for this period.

On the other hand, if L is greater than the allowable value (step S406; NO), the schedule update unit 206 determines that the time zone following the current time point Tx and the power demand is Wx−(Weq−Wi) or less. is determined (step S408). If there is no corresponding time period (step S408; NO), the schedule updating unit 206 terminates the boiling schedule update process in this cycle.

On the other hand, if the corresponding time period exists (step S408; YES), the schedule updating unit 206 determines whether or not there is a schedule for the boiling operation of the water heater 4 in the time period (step S409). If there is no plan for the water heating operation of the water heater 4 during the time period (step S409; YES), the schedule updating unit 206 causes the water heater 4 to have a low heating capacity (for example, 75% of the rated capacity) during the time period. L is recalculated including the case where the boiling operation is performed with the heating capacity) (step S410). In this case, the recalculated L is smaller than the value calculated in step S406.

After step S410, returning to step S406, the schedule updating unit 206 determines whether or not the recalculated L is equal to or less than a predetermined allowable value (step S406). When the recalculated L is equal to or less than the allowable value (step S406; YES), the schedule updating unit 206 updates the boiling schedule of the water heater 4 (step S407). In this case, the schedule updating unit 206 causes the water heater 4 to lower the heating capacity by Wi during Tx, and perform the boiling operation with the low heating capacity before or after Tx. Update the raising schedule. On the other hand, when L is greater than the allowable value (step S406; NO), the process proceeds to step S408.

In the case of NO in step S409, the schedule updating unit 206 determines whether or not there is a time period in which the power demand is equal to or less than Wx-Weq (step S411). If there is no corresponding time zone (step S411; NO), the schedule updating unit 206 terminates the boiling schedule update process in this cycle. On the other hand, if there is a corresponding time period (step S411; YES), including the case where the hot water heater 4 is operated at a high heating capacity (for example, 175% of the rated heating capacity) during the relevant time period. L is recalculated (step S412). The schedule updating unit 206 determines whether or not the recalculated L is equal to or less than a predetermined allowable value (step S413).

If L is equal to or less than the allowable value (step S413; YES), the schedule updating unit 206 updates the boiling schedule of the water heater 4 (step S407). Specifically, the schedule update unit 206 reduces the heating capacity by Wi during Tx, and sets the boiling schedule so that the water heater 4 performs the boiling operation based on step S410 and/or step S412. update. On the other hand, if L is greater than the allowable value (step S413; NO), the schedule updating unit 206 terminates the boiling schedule update process in this cycle without updating the boiling schedule of the hot water heater 4.

FIG. 18 shows an example of transition of power demand in the power demand data when the heating schedule of the water heater G is updated by the above process.

By appropriately adjusting the heating capacity of the hot water heater 4 in this way, it is possible to further flatten the transition of the power demand.

In step 410, by extending the boiling time, it is possible that L becomes a negative value, that is, the planned amount of hot water for the hot water heater 4 exceeds the initially planned amount of hot water. In that case, the schedule updating unit 206 may reduce the increase (that is, the absolute value of L) by shortening the extension time.

Also, in step 412, even if L becomes a negative value, the schedule updating unit 206 shortens the operation time at high heating capacity or reduces the rate of increase in heating capacity from the rated value ( For example, by changing from 175% to 150% to 125%), the increment may be reduced.

Embodiment 2.
Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. In addition, in the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the components and the like that are common to the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of hot water supply system 1A according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The hot water supply system 1A is a system that manages the schedule of the boiling operation of the water heaters 4 installed in each of the plurality of houses H, like the hot water supply system 1 of the first embodiment.

The hot water supply system 1A includes a cloud server 2A, an energy measuring unit 3, a water heater 4 and a home gateway 5 installed in each house H, and a power generator 9. As in the first embodiment, each house H is a house belonging to a collective housing such as a smart city or condominium that has concluded a high-voltage collective power receiving contract with an electric power company.

The power generation equipment 9 is an example of the power generation equipment according to the present invention. The power generation equipment 9 is a photovoltaic power generation equipment including a PV (photovoltaic) panel and a power conditioning system, although none of them are shown. PV panels generate electricity by converting solar energy into electrical energy. The power conditioning system converts the DC power generated by the power generation of the PV panels into AC power to generate generated power and supply it to each house H. The power generation equipment 9 also includes a communication interface (not shown) that communicates with the cloud server 2A via the Internet. In response to the request from the cloud server 2A, the power generation equipment 9 transmits to the cloud server 2A power generation data in which the current time (meaning the measurement time) and the measured value of the generated power are stored. Measured values of generated power include values of instantaneous power and integrated power. Note that the power generation equipment 9 may voluntarily transmit the power generation data to the cloud server 2A at regular time intervals (for example, one minute intervals).

Cloud server 2A is an example of a cloud server according to the present invention. The cloud server 2A is a server computer installed and operated by the manufacturer or sales company of the water heater 4, and is connected to the Internet, like the cloud server 2 of the first embodiment. The hardware configuration of the cloud server 2A is the same as that of the cloud server 2 (see FIG. 2). The cloud server 2A has functions equivalent to those of the cloud server 2, and further has a function of utilizing surplus power generated by the power generation equipment 9 (see FIG. 20) for heating the water heater 4 of each house H (hereinafter referred to as surplus utilization function). The surplus power refers to the power remaining after removing the power consumed by all the houses H from the power generated by the power generation equipment 9 .

As shown in FIG. 21, the cloud server 2A is functionally composed of a power data acquisition unit 200, an operation information acquisition unit 201, a performance information acquisition unit 202, a schedule creation unit 203A, a schedule transmission unit 204, an end It includes a time acquisition unit 205 , a schedule update unit 206 and a power generation data acquisition unit 210 . These functional units are implemented by the CPU 21 executing a boiling schedule management program stored in the secondary storage device 24 .

The power generation data acquisition unit 210 acquires power generation data from the power generation equipment 9 periodically (for example, every minute). The power generation data acquisition unit 210 periodically transmits data requesting notification of power generation data to the power generation facility 9, and receives and acquires the power generation data transmitted from the power generation facility 9 in response to the data. . As described above, the power generation data stores the measured value of the power generation. The power generation data acquisition unit 210 stores the acquired power generation data in the power generation record DB 211 . The power generation record DB 211 is a database for managing the power generation record of the power generation equipment 9 and is stored in the secondary storage device 24 . The power generation record DB 211 stores a history of power generation data for a predetermined period (for example, one year).

Similar to the schedule creation unit 203 of Embodiment 1, the schedule creation unit 203A performs a heating schedule creation process for creating a heating schedule for the water heater 4 of each house H at a specific time (for example, 22:00) every day. Execute. Further, the schedule creating unit 203A creates a daytime boiling schedule for the water heater 4 of each house H, for which the user permits the daytime boiling operation at a specific time (for example, 8:00 am) every day. Execute the daytime heating schedule creation process. FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the daytime heating schedule creation process executed by the schedule creation unit 203A.

203 A of schedule creation parts generate|occur|produce surplus electric power data with reference to power generation performance DB211 and customer DB207 (step S501). The surplus power data is data indicating transition of surplus power averaged in predetermined time units in a future predetermined time period. Here, the predetermined time period is the time period from 9:00 to 17:00 (an example of the daytime time period of the present invention) in the present embodiment. Also, the predetermined time unit is, for example, 30 minutes, and the time unit is hereinafter referred to as a demand time limit.

Note that the schedule creation unit 203A may also create surplus power data in consideration of information such as the weather forecast for the day and the amount of solar radiation. Also, the schedule creation unit 203A may change the above time period according to the season.

The schedule creating unit 203A refers to the customer DB 207, and, for example, from the history of operation information for the past two weeks for each customer, determines the boiling time, which is the required time for the daytime boiling operation of each target water heater 4. is derived, and the derived boiling times are sorted in ascending order or in ascending order (step S502).

The schedule creation unit 203A determines whether or not there is a time period in which the surplus power is equal to or greater than Weq (step S503). If the corresponding time period does not exist (step S503; NO), the schedule creation unit 203A determines whether or not the daytime boiling schedule has already been created in the process of step S506, which will be described later (step S504). If the boiling schedule has been created (step S504; YES), the process proceeds to step S509, and if not (step S504; NO), the schedule creation unit 203A ends the daytime heating schedule creating process.

On the other hand, if there is a time slot in which the surplus power is equal to or greater than Weq (step S503; YES), the schedule creation unit 203A determines whether or not there is a water heater 4 with a shorter boiling time than the corresponding time slot ( step S505). If the corresponding water heater 4 does not exist (step S505; NO), the process proceeds to step S504.

On the other hand, if there is one or a plurality of applicable water heaters 4 (step S505; YES), the schedule creation unit 203A selects the water heater 4 that has the longest boiling time to start the boiling operation within the time zone. A boiling schedule for the hot water heater 4 is created so as to perform the operation (step S506). The schedule creating unit 203A then updates the surplus power data (step S507). Specifically, the schedule creation unit 203A calculates the demand of each demand time period of the water heater 4 in the period from the average surplus power of each demand time period in the period in which the water heater 4 performs the heating operation according to the created heating schedule. By subtracting the power, the surplus power data is updated.

The schedule creation unit 203A determines whether or not there is a water heater 4 that is to be heated during the daytime and for which the preparation of the water heating schedule for the daytime is not completed (step S508). If the corresponding water heater 4 exists (step S508; YES), the process returns to step S503, and if the corresponding water heater 4 does not exist (step S508; NO), the process proceeds to step S509.

In step S509, the schedule creation unit 203A stores the created heating schedule in the schedule table 208 for one or a plurality of water heaters 4 for which the daytime heating operation is permitted, and ends the daytime heating schedule creation processing. do. The schedule transmission unit 204 transmits schedule data in which each heating schedule created by the schedule creation unit 203A is stored to each corresponding water heater 4 . The schedule creation unit 203A and the schedule transmission unit 204 are examples of schedule notification means according to the present invention.

As described above, the cloud server 2A of the hot water supply system 1A according to the present embodiment performs the same processing as the cloud server 2 according to the first embodiment, and also performs the daytime heating operation using surplus power. Execute the process to create a daytime boiling schedule for Therefore, according to the hot water supply system 1A, as with the hot water supply system 1 of the first embodiment, it is possible to flatten the transition of power demand, reduce the electricity bill, and utilize surplus power.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are of course possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, the water heater according to the present invention is not limited to a heat pump type water heater, and may be an electric water heater that boils water with a heater installed in a hot water storage tank.

Further, instead of calculating and notifying the boiling end time, each water heater 4 may calculate the required time until the boiling end and notify the calculated required time to the cloud servers 2 and 2A.

Also, the hot water supply controller 420 of the hot water supply machine 4 may be incorporated in the heat pump unit 40, a dedicated remote controller, or the like instead of the tank unit 41. FIG.

Also, water heater 4 may transmit data on its own power consumption to cloud servers 2 and 2A.

In addition, when a power meter having a communication function called a smart meter is installed in the house H, the cloud servers 2 and 2A acquire data on the total power consumption of the house H from the server of the electric power company (not shown). You may

Also, all or part of the functional units (see FIGS. 6 and 21) of the cloud servers 2 and 2A may be realized by dedicated hardware. Dedicated hardware is, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof.

In addition, each of the above heating schedule management programs can be used in CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), magneto-optical disc (Magneto-Optical Disc), USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, memory card , HDD, or other computer-readable recording medium for distribution. By installing each heating schedule management program distributed in this way on a specific or general-purpose computer, it is possible to make the computer function as the cloud servers 2 and 2A in each of the above embodiments.

Also, each heating schedule management program may be stored in a storage device of another server on the Internet, and each heating schedule management program may be downloaded from this server to the cloud servers 2 and 2A.

1, 1A hot water supply system, 2, 2A cloud server, 3 energy measurement unit, 4 water heater, 5 home gateway, 6 commercial power supply system, 7 distribution board, 8a, 8b equipment, 9 power generation equipment, 20 communication interface, 21 CPU , 22 ROM, 23 RAM, 24 secondary storage device, 25 bus, 40 heat pump unit, 41 tank unit, 42 water pipe, 43 shower, 44 faucet, 200 power data acquisition unit, 201 operation information acquisition unit, 202 performance information acquisition 203, 203A schedule creation unit 204 schedule transmission unit 205 end time acquisition unit 206 schedule update unit 207 customer DB 208 schedule table 209 end time table 210 power generation data acquisition unit 211 power generation performance DB 400 compressor, 401 first heat exchanger, 402 expansion valve, 403 second heat exchanger, 404 blower, 405 circulation pump, 406 control board, 407 refrigerant pipe, 410 hot water storage tank, 420 hot water supply controller, 421 operation information transmission unit, 422 performance information transmission unit, 423 schedule acquisition unit, 424 operation control unit, 425 end time calculation unit, 426 end time transmission unit, 427 movement information table, 428 performance information table, 430 mixing valve

Claims (6)

A hot water supply system comprising each water heater installed in each of a plurality of houses and a cloud server,
Each water heater is
an operation control means for controlling the boiling operation according to the boiling schedule notified from the cloud server;
an end time notification means for calculating the end time of the boiling operation and notifying the cloud server of the calculated end time each time a predetermined condition is satisfied;
The cloud server is
A heating schedule for the heating operation of each of the water heaters is created based on the transition of power demand in the plurality of houses in a predetermined time period and the operation history of each of the water heaters, and the created boiling a schedule notification means for notifying each water heater of the raising schedule;
update schedule notification means for updating the boiling schedule of each water heater as necessary based on the end time notified from each water heater, and notifying the water heater of the updated boiling schedule; Hot water system provided. The cloud server periodically requests each of the water heaters to notify the end time of the boiling operation,
2. The hot water supply system according to claim 1, wherein the end time notifying means of each water heater calculates the end time when receiving the request from the cloud server, and notifies the cloud server of the calculated end time. further comprising a power generation facility capable of supplying the generated power to each of the plurality of houses,
The schedule notification means of the cloud server includes transition of power demand in a predetermined daytime period different from the time period in the plurality of houses, an operation history of one or more water heaters selected in advance, and the power generation Based on the actual power generation performance of the facility, a heating schedule for the heating operation during the daytime hours of each of the selected one or more water heaters is created as necessary, and the created heating schedule is created. 3. The hot water supply system according to claim 1, wherein the hot water supply system is notified to the water heater. A heating schedule relating to the heating operation of each of the water heaters based on the transition of power demand in a plurality of houses in a predetermined time period and the operation history of each of the water heaters installed in each of the plurality of houses. and schedule notification means for notifying each of the water heaters of the created heating schedule;
The boiling schedule of each water heater is required based on the end time of the boiling operation of the water heater calculated by the water heater each time a predetermined condition is satisfied, which is notified from each of the water heaters. and update schedule notification means for updating the boiling schedule according to the request and notifying the water heater of the updated heating schedule. A heating schedule relating to the heating operation of each of the water heaters based on the transition of power demand in a plurality of houses in a predetermined time period and the operation history of each of the water heaters installed in each of the plurality of houses. and notify each water heater of the created boiling schedule,
The boiling schedule of each water heater is required based on the end time of the boiling operation of the water heater calculated by the water heater each time a predetermined condition is satisfied, which is notified from each of the water heaters. update accordingly,
A heating schedule management method for notifying the water heater of an updated heating schedule. the computer,
A heating schedule relating to the heating operation of each of the water heaters based on the transition of power demand in a plurality of houses in a predetermined time period and the operation history of each of the water heaters installed in each of the plurality of houses. and schedule notification means for notifying each of the water heaters of the created heating schedule;
The boiling schedule of each water heater is required based on the end time of the boiling operation of the water heater calculated by the water heater each time a predetermined condition is satisfied, which is notified from each of the water heaters. A program for functioning as update schedule notification means for updating the water heating schedule according to the water heater and notifying the water heater of the updated heating schedule.

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