WO2014123076A1

WO2014123076A1 - Energy management system, energy management method, program, and controller

Info

Publication number: WO2014123076A1
Application number: PCT/JP2014/052308
Authority: WO
Inventors: 矢部　正明; 忠昭坂本; 史郎鈴木; 正之小松; 中村　慎二; 一郎丸山; 聡司峯澤; 雄喜小川
Original assignee: 三菱電機株式会社
Priority date: 2013-02-08
Filing date: 2014-01-31
Publication date: 2014-08-14
Also published as: JP5908931B2; JP2014155435A; JP5474226B1; JP2016106525A; JP6099786B2; JP2014155344A

Abstract

In the present invention, a controller (9) controls control subject devices including at least a premises device (5) and a measurement apparatus (8). The controller (9) detects the state of the control subject devices based on the physical amounts regarding the environment measured by the measurement apparatus (8) and the operation state of the premises device (5), and issues a control instruction limiting the capacity or function of the premises device (5) to the premises device (5) based on at least one of the information showing a resident's desire and the information showing the life pattern of the resident and the detected state of the control subject device, thereby controlling the power consumption by the premises device (5).

Description

Energy management system, energy management method, program, and controller

The present invention relates to an energy management system, an energy management method, a program, and a controller.

Conventionally, in the event of a disaster, a technique for controlling equipment installed in a building such as a house by remote control or the like is known to prevent secondary disasters such as a fire.

For example, in Patent Document 1, the control server stores in advance operation information to be executed by the terminal device when a disaster occurs, and the operation information supplied from the terminal device when the disaster actually occurs And stopping the terminal device based on the disaster level.

Further, in Patent Document 2, the home server stores in advance operation information that should be executed by the home device when a disaster occurs, and based on the operation information and the disaster level when the disaster actually occurs. Instructing the home device to stop it is disclosed.

Patent Document 3 describes that a home gateway device controls a home security device in a home by executing a plurality of service programs. The home gateway device restricts access to in-house information for each service program from the viewpoint of security. When a disaster occurs, the home gateway device grants access to in-house information to the disaster safety notification program, which is one of the service programs, executes the disaster safety notification program, Safety information is generated, and the generated safety information is transmitted to the local government system.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-301802 JP 2007-94925 A JP 2007-316945 A

In the techniques disclosed in

Patent Documents

1, 2, and 3, the controller such as the server defines the operation to be performed by the device to be controlled based on the operation information stored in advance, the level of the disaster that has occurred, and the like. It is uniquely identified. However, when the device is stopped by the control of the server or the like, the minimum functions necessary for the resident to live may not be provided.

The present invention has been made under the circumstances described above, and in the event of a disaster, the energy consumption of a plurality of devices can be reduced so as to provide the minimum functions necessary for a resident to live. An object is to provide an energy management system, an energy management method, a program, and a controller for controlling.

In order to achieve the above object, an energy management system according to the present invention provides:
A controller that controls a control target device including at least a home device that consumes power and a measurement device that measures a physical quantity related to the home environment;
The controller is
Detecting the state of the control target device based on the physical quantity related to the environment measured by the measuring device and the operation state of the home device;
Based on at least one of information indicating the resident's request and information indicating the resident's life pattern and the detected state of the control target device, the capability or function of the home device is limited to the home device. A restriction instruction is issued to control power consumption by the home appliance.

According to this invention, it is possible to control the power consumption of each device so that the minimum functions required by the resident can be provided in accordance with at least one of the resident's request and the resident's life pattern. . As a result, for example, the minimum functions necessary for daily life can be provided even when a self-sustaining operation is performed due to a power failure of the power system due to a disaster.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the energy management system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a controller of the energy management system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of the energy management system according to the first embodiment. It is a graph which shows the fluctuation | variation of the power consumption at the time of not performing overload avoidance control. It is a graph which shows the fluctuation | variation of the power consumption at the time of performing overload avoidance control. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the controller of the energy management system which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a graph which shows the fluctuation | variation of the power consumption of 1 day, and is a graph when power consumption exceeds a limit value. It is an example of the graph which shows the fluctuation | variation of the power consumption of 1 day at the time of changing an operation schedule so that power consumption does not exceed a limit value. It is another example of the graph which shows the fluctuation | variation of the daily power consumption when the driving schedule is changed so that the power consumption does not exceed the limit value. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the energy management system which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
In FIG. 1, the structure of the energy management system 1 which concerns on Embodiment 1 is shown. The energy management system 1 is a system that controls the operation and the like of a plurality of home appliances 5 installed in a house 2 so that the amount of power used by a power consumer does not exceed a target value. Here, the target value is the amount of electric power (contract capacity) with which the electric power consumer is contracted, the upper limit value of the electric energy set by the electric power consumer, and the like.

The house 2 is supplied with power from an external power system 3. The electric power supplied from the electric power system 3 is supplied to a plurality of home appliances 5, measuring devices 8, and the like via a power line 4 installed in the house 2.

The energy management system 1 includes a controller 9 that controls the operation of the home appliance 5 installed in the house 2. The controller 9 controls the home appliance 5, the power generation system 6, the power storage system 7, the measuring device 8, and the like. Hereinafter, the in-home device 5, the power generation system 6, the power storage system 7, and the measuring device 8 may be collectively referred to as control target devices.

The controller 9 and the control target device each include a wireless communication device 10. The controller 9 and the device to be controlled use the wireless communication device 10 to perform wireless communication using the same communication protocol.

[Home equipment]
Home appliance 5 includes home appliances and / or equipment installed in house 2. These in-home devices 5 receive power supply from the power system 3 and provide various functions to residents. The in-home equipment 5 includes, for example, lighting equipment, ventilation fans, IH (Induction Heating) cooking heaters, microwave ovens, refrigerators, rice cookers, TVs, personal computers, room air conditioners, floor heating (including heat pump type), electric water heaters ( Heat pump type), electric windows, electric blinds and the like. The in-home device 5 receives an instruction or the like from the controller 9 by wireless communication and notifies the controller 9 of the operation state of the own device.

[Power generation system]
The power generation system 6 includes a solar power generation system, a fuel cell, a wind power generation system, and the like, and supplies generated electric power to the home appliance 5, the power storage system 7, and the like. The power generation system 6 causes surplus power to flow backward through the power system 3. Due to this reverse power flow, electricity is sold. The power generation system 6 receives an instruction or the like from the controller 9 by wireless communication, and notifies the controller 9 of the operation state of the own machine.

[Power storage system]
The power storage system 7 is a system capable of storing and discharging electric power. A typical example of the power storage system 7 is an electric vehicle. During off-peak hours when the demand for power in the house 2 is low, the storage battery provided in the electric vehicle is charged by the power supplied from the power system or the like, and when there is a large demand for power, the power is supplied to the house 2 by the discharge from the storage battery. Supply. The power storage system 7 receives an instruction from the controller 9 by wireless communication, and notifies the controller 9 of the state of the own device.

In this embodiment, a power feeding system is configured by the power generation system 6 and the power storage system 7 installed in the house 2. When a power failure occurs in the power system 3, the power supply system supplies power to the home appliance 5, the measuring device 8, and the like according to the control of the controller 9. Note that the power supply system may be configured only by the power generation system 6.

[Measurement equipment]
The measuring device 8 includes a plurality of sensors for measuring physical quantities (environment information) related to various environments in the house 2. For example, the measuring device 8 measures environmental information including the temperature, humidity, and the like of each room at a preset period (or randomly), and transmits the measured value to the controller through wireless communication. For example, the measurement device 8 transmits a measurement value to the controller 9 in response to a request from the controller 9 or periodically.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the measuring device 8 includes a power measuring device 8a and an environment measuring device 8b. The power measuring device 8a measures the power consumption of the entire home, the power consumption of each home device 5 or each branch circuit, and the like. The power measuring device 8 a may measure the amount of power generated by the power generation system 6 and the charge / discharge power amount of the power storage system 7.

The environment measuring device 8b measures the environmental value in the house. The environment measuring device 8b measures, for example, the temperature, humidity, illuminance, CO ₂ concentration, solar radiation amount, and the like of each room. The environment measuring device 8b detects the presence / absence of a person in each room.

[controller]
The controller 9 monitors the control target device so that the power usage amount in the house 2 does not exceed the target value, and controls the capability and function of the control target device (particularly the home device 5). The controller 9 is a computer including a CPU, a memory, and the like. A program for realizing the energy management system 1 is installed in the memory in advance. When the CPU executes this program, the following functions of the controller 9 are realized.

The controller 9 performs wireless communication with the control target device using the wireless communication device 10 included in the own device, and collects various information from the control target device. Here, the information collected by the controller 9 is, for example, data measured by the measuring device 8, information indicating the operating state of the home appliance 5, and the like.

The controller 9 includes an input / output device 9a as input / output means for disclosing information to the resident and receiving instructions and the like from the resident. The input / output device 9a is connected to the controller 9 by wire or wirelessly. The input / output device 9a is a man-machine interface that connects the controller 9 and a resident. The input / output device 9a includes, for example, a wall-mounted remote controller equipped with a touch panel, a hardware switch, and the like, a tablet, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a personal computer, and the like. Or the computer which comprises the controller 9 may be provided with input / output devices, such as a display and a keyboard, as the input / output device 9a.

The resident uses the input / output device 9a to input information such as requests and lifestyle patterns. For example, the resident inputs a request such that the room temperature of a specific room does not fall below 20 degrees in winter (because it is a living space for babies and the elderly). Further, the resident inputs a lifestyle pattern in which all the resident goes out from 10:00 to 16:00 from Monday to Friday. The controller 9 records the resident's request, life pattern, etc. received through the input / output device 9a in the memory.

Based on the measurement value of the measuring device 8, the information indicating the operation state of the home device 5, the resident's request, and the resident's life pattern, the controller 9 prevents the amount of power consumed by the control target device from exceeding the target value. The control content for controlling the control target device is specified. The controller 9 notifies the control target device of the specified control content. Alternatively, the operation of the control target device is directly controlled based on the specified control content. The control content includes, for example, operation stop of the home device 5, operation suppression, partial function stop, and the like.

It should be noted that the controller 9 uses information on at least one of a resident's request and a life pattern when specifying the control content. For example, even if the resident inputs a request and a life pattern, the control content is specified by referring to only one of the information according to the priority specified by the resident. Good.

In addition, the controller 9 provides information such as the operating state of the home appliance 5 and the power consumption via the input / output device 9a. In this way, the controller 9 controls the control target device.

The configuration of the controller 9 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 9 includes a communication unit 20, a system state value database 21, a system control unit 22, a clock unit 23, a system state detection unit 24, and a device function restriction setting unit 25.

The communication unit 20 performs processing necessary for the controller 9 to perform wireless communication with the control target devices (the home device 5, the power generation system 6, the power storage system 7, the measurement device 8, and the like). The communication unit 20 converts a status value acquisition request, a restriction instruction, and the like for the control target device into a predetermined communication format, and transmits the converted communication format to the control target device via the wireless communication device 10. The restriction instruction is an instruction to restrict the function and capability of the control target device that has received the restriction instruction.

The communication unit 20 receives the operation state value from the home device 5, the power generation system 6, and the power storage system 7 via the wireless communication device 10. For example, when the home appliance 5 is a room air conditioner, the operation state value transmitted from the room air conditioner includes the presence / absence of operation of the room air conditioner, the operation mode, the set temperature, and the like. In addition, the operating state transmitted from the power generation system 6 includes the current operating status, the amount of generated power per unit time, and the like.

In addition, the communication unit 20 receives various measurement values from the measurement device 8 via the wireless communication device 10. The measured values include the amount of purchased and sold power in the entire home, the amount of power consumed by the home device 5, the amount of power generated by the power generation system 6, the amount of charge / discharge power in the power storage system 7, etc. measured by the power measuring device 8 a. included. Further, the measurement value includes information indicating the temperature, humidity, illuminance, CO ₂ concentration, solar radiation amount, presence / absence of a person, etc., measured by the environment measurement device 8b. The communication unit 20 outputs the received operation state value and measurement value to the system state value database 21.

The system state value database 21 is output from the communication unit 20, the operation state value of the control target device, various measurement values, the operation mode value output from the system state detection unit 24, and the device function restriction setting unit 25. The function restriction set value 21f and the like are recorded.

Specifically, the system state value database 21 includes measurement values 21a that are various measurement values notified from the measurement device 8, operation state values 21b that are operation state values notified from the home device 5 and the like, and control target devices. A system state value 21d indicating the overall state, an operation mode value 21e, a function restriction setting value 21f for the home device 5, a restriction instruction 21g for the home device 5, request information 21h indicating a resident's request, and a resident's life pattern. The life pattern information 21i, the driving schedule 21j for the home appliance 5 and the like are stored.

The system state value 21d, the operation mode value 21e, the function restriction setting value 21f, and the restriction instruction 21g will be described later. The request information 21h and the life pattern information 21i are information input to the controller 9 by the resident through the input / output device 9a. In addition, the operation schedule 21j includes an operation start time, an operation end time, and the like of each home appliance 5. The resident may input the schedule to the controller 9 via the input / output device 9a. Alternatively, the controller 9 may create a schedule based on the request information 21h, the life pattern information 21i, and the like.

The clock unit 23 measures time in order to manage the system time.

For example, the system state detection unit 24 periodically transmits a state value acquisition request for requesting information (operation state value) indicating the operation state of the control target device to the control target device via the communication unit 20.

Further, the system state detection unit 24 detects the system state based on the operation state value 21b and the measured value 21a of the home appliance 5 or the like stored in the system state value database 21, and obtains the system state value. The system state detection unit 24 determines, for example, whether the state is as follows, obtains a system state value, and outputs the obtained system state value to the system state value database 21.
(1) Presence / absence of power outage in power system 3 (2) Whether the system is in a self-sustained operation state (3) Whether the power consumption is close to the contract power (4) The surplus power from the power generation system 6 is (5) Whether the storage system 7 is charged or discharged (6) Whether the remaining capacity of the rechargeable battery of the storage system 7 is sufficient

The system state detection unit 24 may determine all of the above states at the same time, or may determine a part of the state based on predetermined conditions (time, environmental information based on the measured value 21a, etc.). Also good.

The system state value database 21 records the system state value output from the system state detection unit 24 as the system state value 21d.

Furthermore, the system state detection unit 24 specifies an operation mode based on the obtained system state value, and outputs the specified operation mode to the system state value database 21. The system state value database 21 records the operation mode output from the system state detection unit 24 as the operation mode value 21e.

The device function restriction setting unit 25 is configured to restrict the function and capability of each control target device based on the operation mode value 21e stored in the system state value database 21 and time information indicating the date and time by the clock unit 23. The value is specified and output to the system state value database 21. The system state value database 21 records the setting value output from the device function restriction setting unit 25 as the function restriction setting value 21f.

The system control unit 22 specifies a restriction instruction for each home device 5 or the like based on the set value (function restriction setting value 21f) of the control target device specified by the device function restriction setting unit 25, and sends the specified restriction instruction to the system. Output to the state database 21. The system state value database 21 records the restriction instruction output from the system control unit 22 as a restriction instruction 21g. The restriction instruction includes, for example, the following instruction.
(1) Suppressing power consumption of the home appliance 5 according to the generated power of the power generation system 6 and the amount of stored power of the power storage system 7 (2) Controlling charging / discharging of the power storage system 7 according to the generated power of the power generation system 6 (3) Suppressing the power consumption of the in-home equipment 5 in response to a resident's power saving request (4) Allowing the power generation system 6 and the power storage system 7 to perform self-sustained operation in an emergency (such as during a power failure of the power system 3) thing

The restriction instruction specified by the system control unit 22 may include specific numerical values. For example, the system control unit 22 may instruct the specific home device 5 to reduce the power consumption to the normal 60%.

When the control target devices including the home device 5 and the like are home devices 5 that are capable of restricting functions independently in order to suppress power consumption in accordance with the restriction instruction transmitted from the controller 9, the controller 9 issues a restriction instruction. It is only necessary to transmit to the home device 5. On the other hand, when the home device 5 cannot perform complete control alone with respect to the restriction instruction from the controller 9, or accepts the restriction instruction and cannot perform processing according to the restriction instruction, the controller 9 A command or the like for directly controlling the home device 5 is transmitted to directly control the home device 5.

Next, an operation for controlling the in-home device 5 and the like in cooperation with each other will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG.

In the system state value database 21, a resident's request input via the input / output device 9a is recorded in advance.

When the controller 9 is powered on, first, a startup process is executed. In the startup process, the system state detection unit 24 resets the operation mode (step S102). Specifically, the system state detection unit 24 outputs “normal state” to the system state value database 21 as the value of the operation mode. Therefore, the system state value database 21 updates the operation mode value 21e to “normal state”. Here, the normal state is a state in which power is supplied via the power system 3 and it is not necessary to suppress the power consumption of the control target device.

Subsequently, the device function restriction setting unit 25 resets the function restriction setting value (step S103). Therefore, the system state value database 21 updates the function restriction setting value 21f to, for example, a default value.

When the system state value database 21 updates the function restriction setting value 21f, the communication unit 20 transmits the reset function restriction setting value to the home device 5. The above is the activation process of the controller 9.

After executing the startup process, each component of the controller 9 executes the following process at a predetermined time interval, for example.

The system state detection unit 24 transmits an acquisition request for requesting various measurement values to the measurement device 8 via the communication unit 20. The measuring device 8 transmits various measurement values to the controller 9 in response to the measurement value acquisition request. When the communication unit 20 receives various measurement values from the measurement device 8, the communication unit 20 outputs the various measurement values to the system state value database 21. The system state value database 21 records various measurement values output from the communication unit 20 (step S104).

In addition, some measuring devices 8 do not have a function of transmitting various measurement values in response to an acquisition request from the controller 9, and some of them periodically transmit measurement values. In this case, when the communication unit 20 receives various measurement values from the measurement device 8, the measurement values are recorded in the system state value database 21.

The system state detection unit 24 acquires an operation state value from the home appliance 5, the power generation system 6, and the power storage system 7 (step S105). Specifically, the system state value is acquired as follows. The system state detection unit 24 transmits a state value acquisition request to the home appliance 5, the power generation system 6, and the power storage system 7 via the communication unit 20, and requests information indicating each operation state. Accordingly, the home appliance 5, the power generation system 6, and the power storage system 7 transmit information (operation state value) indicating the operation state to the controller 9. The communication unit 20 receives the operation state value transmitted from the home appliance 5, the power generation system 6, and the power storage system 7 and outputs the operation state value to the system state database 21. The system state database 21 updates the operation state value 21b.

The system state detection unit 24 detects the system state value based on the measurement value 21a and the operation state value 21b recorded in the system state database 21 (step S106).

The system state detection unit 24 determines whether or not the system state value 21d recorded in the system state database 21 is the same as the system state value (current system state value) detected in step S106 (step S107). ).

When the system state value 21d recorded in the system state database 21 is the same as the current system state value (step S107; No), the system state detection unit 24 executes the processing from step S104 again.

On the other hand, if the system state value 21d recorded in the system state database 21 is not the same as the current system state value (step S107; Yes), the system state detection unit 24 newly creates a new one based on the current system state value. A specific operation mode value is specified, and the specified operation mode value is output to the system state database 21. Therefore, the system state database 21 updates the operation mode value 21e (step S108). When the operation mode value 21e is updated, the device function restriction setting unit 25 performs the operation for each home device 5 based on the operation mode value 21e, the request information 21h, and the life pattern information 21i recorded in the system state value database 21. The function restriction setting value is specified, and the specified function restriction setting value is output to the system state value database 21. Accordingly, the system state database 21 updates the function restriction setting value 21f (step S109). As described above, the device function restriction setting unit 25 uses at least one of information indicating a resident's desire and information indicating a resident's life pattern when specifying the function restriction setting value.

When the system state value database 21 updates the function restriction setting value 21f, the system control unit 22 performs a control calculation based on the operation mode value 21e and the function restriction setting value 21f stored in the system state value database 21, Restriction instructions for the home appliance 5, the power generation system 6, and the power storage system 7 are specified. The system control unit 22 outputs the specified restriction instruction to the system state value database 21. Therefore, the system state database 21 updates the restriction instruction 21g for the home appliance 5, the power generation system 6, and the power storage system 7, respectively. When the system state database 21 updates the restriction instruction 21g, the communication unit 20 acquires the updated restriction instruction from the system state value database 21, and the home device 5, the power generation system 6, and the power storage system 7 that are the targets of the restriction instruction. A restriction instruction is transmitted to (step S110).

After execution of step S110, the process returns to step S104, and the subsequent processing is repeated.

The following describes what functions of each home appliance 5 are restricted by the restriction instruction transmitted from the controller 9.

(When home device 5 is a lighting device)
The lighting device performs lighting or extinction, adjustment of illuminance, and the like in accordance with instructions from the controller 9. For example, the controller 9 may notify the lighting device of a specific instruction to decrease the illuminance by two levels, and the lighting device may decrease the illuminance in accordance with the instruction. Alternatively, the controller 9 may give the lighting device a limit value of maximum power consumption or maximum current consumption, and the lighting device may operate to turn off the light and reduce the illuminance so as to satisfy the limit value.

(When home appliance 5 is a ventilation fan)
The ventilation fan performs operation stop, change of operation mode, adjustment of ventilation amount, and the like according to instructions from the controller 9. For example, the controller 9 may notify the ventilation fan of a specific instruction to change the operation mode from strong to weak, and the ventilation fan may change the operation mode in accordance with the instruction. Alternatively, the controller 9 may operate such as stopping the operation and changing the operation mode so that the exhaust fan is given a limit value of maximum power consumption or current consumption, and the exhaust fan satisfies the limit value.

(When home device 5 is an IH cooking heater)
In accordance with an instruction from the controller 9, the IH cooking heater stops the operation of the stove and grill, changes the maximum usable output (thermal power), stops the automatic cooking function, and the like. For example, the controller 9 may notify the IH cooking heater of a specific instruction such that one of a plurality of stoves can be used and the other cannot be used, and the IH cooking heater may follow the instruction. Alternatively, the IH cooking heater stops a part of the stove and changes the maximum output (thermal power) of each stove so as to satisfy the limit value of the maximum power consumption or the maximum current consumption given from the controller 9. It may work.

(When home device 5 is a microwave oven)
For example, the controller 9 may instruct the microwave to stop operation, change the maximum value of the range output, stop the automatic cooking function, or the like. Alternatively, an appropriate operation may be selected and executed so that the microwave oven satisfies the limit value of the maximum power consumption or the maximum current consumption given from the controller 9.

(When home appliance 5 is a refrigerator)
For example, the controller 9 may instruct the refrigerator to stop the automatic ice making function, the internal temperature automatic adjustment, the quick freezing function, and the like. Alternatively, an appropriate operation may be selected and executed so that the refrigerator satisfies the restriction instruction given from the controller 9.

(When home device 5 is a rice cooker)
The controller 9 may instruct the rice cooker to stop operation, stop the automatic cooking mode, or the like. Or an appropriate operation | movement may be selected and the operation | movement may be performed so that a rice cooker may satisfy | fill the limitation instruction | indication given from the controller 9. FIG.

(When home device 5 is a television)
The controller 9 may instruct the television to control on / off of screen display, backlight illuminance, limit of viewable content, recording function, and the like. Alternatively, the television may select an appropriate operation so as to satisfy the restriction instruction of the controller 9 and execute the operation.

(When home device 5 is a room air conditioner)
The controller 9 may instruct the room air conditioner to stop the operation, change the operation mode, limit the set temperature, limit the change in wind direction setting, limit the change in wind speed setting, and the like. Alternatively, the room air conditioner may select an appropriate operation so as to satisfy the restriction instruction of the controller 9 and execute the operation.

(When in-home equipment 5 is floor heating equipment (including heat pump type))
The controller 9 may instruct the floor heating device to stop operation, change the operation mode, limit the set temperature, and the like. Alternatively, the floor heating device may select an appropriate operation so as to satisfy the restriction instruction of the controller 9 and execute the operation.

(When home appliance 5 is an electric water heater (including heat pump type))
The controller 9 stops the operation of the electric water heater, stops the automatic boiling, changes the boiling temperature and / or the upper limit of the amount of boiling water, stops the bath water supply, stops the bath reheating function, and sets the upper limit of the hot water temperature. It is a change. Alternatively, the electric water heater may select an appropriate operation so as to satisfy the restriction instruction of the controller 9 and execute the operation.

(When home appliance 5 is an electric window)
For example, the controller 9 may instruct the electric window to stop the automatic opening / closing operation. Alternatively, the electric blind may stop the automatic opening / closing operation so as to satisfy the restriction instruction of the controller.

(When home device 5 is an electric blind)
For example, the controller 9 may instruct the electric blind to stop an automatic opening / closing operation, an automatic blind angle changing operation, and the like. Alternatively, the electric blind may stop the automatic opening / closing operation, the blind angle automatic changing operation, and the like so as to satisfy the restriction instruction of the controller 9.

Each home device 5 notifies the controller 9 of the state of the home device 5 caused by the function restriction when receiving the restriction instruction from the controller 9. The controller 9 that has received the notification may automatically change the control operation based on the notification content. Further, the controller 9 may output a warning to the resident through the input / output device 9a, and prompt the user to limit the operation of the home appliance 5 thereafter by the resident's operation input.

Controller 9 notifies about functions restricted to residents and in-home equipment 5 whose operation is stopped. For example, the controller 9 can notify the occupant through the input / output device 9a of the illuminance that can be achieved by the lighting device, the ventilation volume that can be achieved by the ventilation fan, Notify available automatic cooking modes.

The controller 9 may directly stop the operation of the home device 5 and suppress the capacity in addition to the function restriction on each home device 5 described above. For example, when the power generation system 6 depends on environmental conditions such as the weather, a decrease in power generation capacity due to environmental fluctuations or a rapid increase in power consumption in a transient state after the start of operation of the home appliance 5 It is difficult to suppress. Therefore, in the case of a self-sustained operation that is executed when a disaster occurs, the controller 9 causes the power consumption by the home appliance 5 or the like to exceed the amount of power that can be supplied by the power supply system, and to reduce the system due to overload. In order to prevent the occurrence, the operation / stop of the home device 5 and the capacity control are directly performed. Such an overload suppression function operates with the highest priority regardless of the upper limit (target value) of power consumption from the resident in order to protect the system.

Further, the controller 9 may predict the amount of power that can be generated by the power generation system 6 based on past weather information such as weather, temperature, and humidity. If the controller 9 predicts that the power generation capacity of the power generation system 6 will decrease due to weather conditions, the controller 9 may increase the number of home appliances 5 that limit the capacity and functions. At this time, a priority may be given to each home device 5 based on a resident's request and the like, and the function restriction of the home device 5 having a low priority may be performed. Conversely, when the controller 9 predicts that the amount of power generated by the power generation system 6 will increase due to weather conditions, the controller 9 sells the power generated by the power generation system 6 or sends the generated power to the power storage system 7. Control such as storing electricity may be performed.

Further, the controller 9 records the operation history of the home devices 5 and the history of the amount of power consumed by each home device 5 in a memory, and records the power from each home device 5 based on the stored history. Analyzing day / time of consumption, day / time of peak power consumption, change in power consumption after device operation, etc., and limiting the capability or function of home device 5 based on the analysis result It may be. In this case, the controller 9 may adjust the timing of operating the home device 5 so that the power consumption due to the operation of each home device 5 does not exceed the supply capability of the system. Further, the controller 9 may temporarily suppress the function of the home device 5 or may stop the function of the home device 5. In addition, the controller 9 notifies the occupant of the time period during which the power consumption is large through the input / output device 9a, and prompts the resident to suppress the use of the home appliance 5 during that time period. May be.

For example, during self-sustained operation (including when a disaster occurs), for the time zone when cooking is performed, functional restrictions on the cooking appliance are relaxed or released to improve convenience when using the cooking appliance. At this time, functional restrictions are strengthened for devices not directly related to cooking, for example, room air conditioners, TVs, floor heating, hot water storage type electric water heaters, and the like. Moreover, if there is a margin in the storage energy of the power storage system 7, the controller 9 performs energy management so that usable energy can be used in the cooking appliance by supplying power by discharging from the power storage system 7.

Also, at rest, it is unlikely that residents will cook. Therefore, the controller 9 relaxes the function restriction of the information equipment such as the air conditioner-related equipment and TV or the entertainment equipment, and strengthens the function restriction of the cooking equipment. If it does in this way, the sudden starting of the apparatus which requires large electric power like a cooking appliance will be suppressed, and the sudden load change at the time of a self-supporting operation will be suppressed. Further, when there is a margin in the amount of power generated by the power generation system 6, the power is stored in the power storage system 7, and energy is stored by increasing the boiling of the hot water storage type electric water heater.

In addition, at the time of going to bed, considering that power generation system 6 (especially a solar power generation system) cannot generate power at night, controller 9 stops operation of home appliance 5 that consumes unnecessary power. . At this time, if there is a margin for the operation of the equipment necessary for maintaining the comfort of the resident, such as the air conditioning equipment, the operation of the air conditioning equipment is continued.

As described above, the controller 9 considers information indicating a resident's life pattern (resting, sleeping), and the like, and a device that is often used in a specific time zone and a device that is rarely used. It is possible to limit the capabilities or functions of devices that are rarely used.

The overload avoidance control of the home device 5 by the controller 9 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B. FIG. 4A is a graph showing fluctuations in power when the overload avoidance control by the controller 9 is not performed. In this graph, the horizontal axis indicates time, and the vertical axis indicates power consumption. That is, this graph shows the time transition of power consumption. Here, it is assumed that the function suppression for the device A has already been set by the controller 9. In this case, the device A can operate at the limit instructed by the controller 9 at the normal time. However, in a transient state after startup, the function of the device A may not be sufficiently suppressed in order to ensure the function, performance, and safety of the device A itself. In this case, if the operation of the household device 5 (device A) is started at the timing indicated by the arrow, a system down occurs when the upper limit of power that can be supplied by the entire system is exceeded.

In such a case, the controller 9 suppresses the function of the other home device 5 (device B) to prevent the system from going down. By learning the operation of the device A and the subsequent change in the power consumption, the change in the power consumption due to the operation of the device A can be predicted, and is reflected in the control. As shown in FIG. 4B, when the operation of the device A is requested, the controller 9 strengthens the function restriction setting of the device B in advance or stops the device B and changes the power in the transient state after the device A is activated. After the system A overload is suppressed and the transient state of the device A is completed and stabilized, control is performed to return the device B to the original state.

At this time, if the device A is a device capable of delaying the operation timing, the controller 9 first performs the function suppression of the device B and executes the operation process of the device A. Good. In addition, if the device A cannot be delayed in the operation timing, the controller 9 may execute the suppression of the function of the device B after starting the operation of the device A.

As described in detail above, the controller 9 is configured to limit the capability or function of the home appliance 5 in accordance with the resident's request or lifestyle pattern during independent operation. This makes it possible to provide the minimum necessary functions according to the resident's life even during independent operation. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a self-supporting energy management system that does not require connection to the power system 3. Furthermore, when the power generation system 6 uses natural energy, the power generation capacity is reduced due to fluctuations in environmental conditions, the operation of the home appliance 5 is started, and the sudden change in power consumption due to the transient state after the start of the home appliance 5 is suppressed. It becomes possible to do.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

An energy management system 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. The basic configuration of the energy management system 1 is the same as that of the energy management system 1 according to the first embodiment. The difference from the energy management system 1 according to the first embodiment is the functional configuration of the controller 9.

FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the controller 9. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, the components given the same reference numerals indicate the same components. Since these components are the same as those described in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the controller 9 further includes a schedule change unit 26. The schedule changing unit 26 changes the operation schedule (operating time, driving capability, etc.) of the home appliance 5 according to the system state value and the operation mode value specified by the system state detecting unit 24. When changing the operation schedule, the controller 9 causes the power consumption in the house 2 to fall within the target value.

In the energy management system 1, the home device 5 includes a home device 5 (for example, a cooking device, an air-conditioning device, etc.) that operates according to the resident's operation, and a home device 5 that performs automatic operation (a heat pump water heater, a power storage system). 7 charging operation). In particular, in the home appliance 5 that performs automatic operation, it is necessary to secure a required amount of energy by a predetermined time (time when hot water supply or a rechargeable battery is used). However, if the operations of the plurality of home appliances 5 overlap, there is a possibility that the maximum value of power that can be used in the energy management system 1 may be exceeded. Therefore, the controller 9 (schedule changing unit 26) changes the operation schedule of the home appliance 5 based on the system state value and the operation mode so as not to exceed the maximum usable power.

Here, the power storage system 7 is an electric vehicle. In this case, use of the power storage system 7 means using an electric vehicle.

The operation of the schedule changing unit 26 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C. 6A, 6B, and 6C are graphs showing an example of the daily power usage amount by the energy management system 1 as the electric power amount per hour. In FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, and FIG. 6C, the broken line indicating the power consumption limit value indicates the maximum power consumption (power consumption) that can be used by the entire system during the independent operation.

FIG. 6A shows a change in the amount of power per day when the energy management system 1 is in a normal state. In this case, the energy management system 1 is connected to the power system 3. For this reason, it is possible to use electric power larger than the maximum power consumption that can be used during the autonomous operation of the system. In this case, the controller 9 uses the maximum power (contracted power) supplied from the power system 3 side or the occupant's input / output device 9a as the limit value of the power consumption, without using the maximum power consumption at the time of independence. The target value to be set can be used.

According to FIG. 6A, the power consumption limit value exceeds 6 o'clock, 19 o'clock, 20 o'clock, and 21 o'clock. The schedule changing unit 26 restricts the capability or function of each home device 5 based on the history information indicating the relationship between the operation state of each home device 5 and the power change, that is, the power usage history, and operates the home device 5. Set the timing and rebuild the operation schedule. The reconstructed operation schedule is stored in the system state value database 21.

FIG. 6B shows an example of a change in the amount of power per day when the schedule is reconstructed by the schedule changing unit 26. In FIG. 6B, the operation schedule is updated so that the power consumption limit value is the contract power of the power system 3 and the contract power amount is not exceeded. Specifically, the charging time of the electric vehicle is set to 22:00, 23:00, 0:00 to 4:00, and the start of the air conditioner operation is shifted from 6:00 to 7:00.

FIG. 6C shows another example of a change in the amount of power per day when the schedule change unit 26 rebuilds the schedule. FIG. 6C shows a case where the energy management system 1 is performing a self-sustained operation. During the self-sustaining operation, power supply from the power system 3 side cannot be obtained, and power supply cannot be obtained from the power generation system 6 (solar power generation system) at night time. For this reason, the controller 9 reconstructs the schedule so that the heat pump water heater and the electric vehicle are operated in the daytime when the power generation system 6 (solar power generation system) is operating. During the independent operation, the controller 9 suppresses the amount of hot water stored in the heat pump water heater, the amount of charge of the electric vehicle, and the like compared to when the power system 3 is connected.

6A, 6B, and 6C may be an upper limit value according to the resident's request input via the input / output device 9a.

The operation of the energy management system 1 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, only operations different from those of the first embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, operations after step S107 shown in FIG. 7 will be described.

If the system state detection unit 24 determines that the system state value recorded in the system state database 21 is not the same as the current system state value (step S107; Yes), the system state detection unit 24 determines that the current system state value is Based on the value, a new operation mode value is specified, and the specified operation mode value is output to the system state database 21. Therefore, the system state database 21 updates the operation mode value 21e (step S108). When the operation mode value is changed, the device function restriction setting unit 25 applies the new operation mode value, the request information 21h recorded in the system state value database 21, and the life pattern information 21i to each home device 5. The function restriction setting value is specified, and the specified function restriction setting value is output to the system state value database 21. Accordingly, the system state database 21 updates the function restriction setting value 21f (step S109).

Subsequently, the schedule changing unit 26 reconstructs a schedule relating to the operation timing or capability of the home appliance 5 according to the system state value 21d and the operation mode 21e stored in the system state database 21 (step S111).

After execution of step S111, the system control unit 22 determines each home appliance 5, the power generation system 6, and the power storage system based on the operation mode set in step S108 and the function restriction setting value of each home appliance 5 set in step S109. 7 is performed (step S110). At this time, the system control unit 22 performs a control calculation based on the data value obtained from the system state value database 21. As a result, a restriction instruction including function restriction setting values for each home appliance 5, power generation system 6 and power storage system 7 is set in the system state value database 21. The communication unit 20 acquires the updated control command from the system state value database 21 and transmits it to each in-home device 5.

On the other hand, if the system state detection unit 24 determines that the system state value recorded in the system state database 21 and the current system state value are the same (step S107; No), the previous system state value and the current system state value are determined. It is determined whether or not a state in which the system states match has been continued for a predetermined number of days (for example, two weeks, one month, etc.) (step S112). When the system state detection unit 24 determines that the state in which the previous system state value matches the current system state has continued for a predetermined number of days (for example, two weeks, one month, etc.) (step S112; Yes), the system state The state detection unit 24 notifies the schedule change unit 26 to that effect. Accordingly, the schedule changing unit 26 reconstructs the schedule based on various histories stored in the system state value database 21 (step S113).

When the system state detection unit 24 determines that the state in which the previous system state value matches the current system state has not been continued for a predetermined number of days (step S112; No), the system control unit 22 performs step S110. Execute.

As described in detail above, according to this embodiment, the controller 9 reconstructs the operation schedule of the home appliance 5 in accordance with the resident's request or life pattern at the time of a disaster or autonomous operation. For this reason, it becomes possible to provide the minimum necessary functions in accordance with the lives of residents even during disasters or during independent operation. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a self-supporting energy management system 1 that does not require connection to the power system 3. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress a sudden change in generated power due to a change in environmental conditions by the power generation system 6 using natural energy, a sudden change in power due to operation or stop of the home appliance 5, or a transient state.

FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration in which a wireless communication function is added by connecting the wireless communication device 10 to a control target device retrospectively, but each control target device may have a built-in wireless communication function.

In the above embodiments, the network configuration of the energy management system 1 is described as a wireless network configuration here, but a network configuration using a wire may be used. When a wired network is used, a wired communication device is used instead of the wireless communication device 10.

Further, the power storage system 7 and the environment measuring device 8b are not necessarily provided.

In the above embodiment, the program to be executed is a computer-readable recording such as a flexible disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), and an MO (Magneto-Optical Disk). A system that executes the above-described processing may be configured by storing and distributing the program on a medium and installing the program.

Further, the program may be stored in a disk device or the like included in a server device that can be connected via a communication network such as the Internet, and may be downloaded, for example, superimposed on a carrier wave.

Further, when the above functions are realized by sharing an OS (Operating System), or when the functions are realized by cooperation between the OS and an application, only the part other than the OS may be stored in a medium and distributed. You may also download it.

The present invention is capable of various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiments are for explaining the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. In other words, the scope of the present invention is shown not by the embodiments but by the claims. Various modifications within the scope of the claims and within the scope of the equivalent invention are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

The present invention is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-23503 filed on Feb. 8, 2013. The specification, claims, and entire drawing of Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-23503 are incorporated in this specification as a reference.

The present invention is suitable for managing power consumption by a plurality of devices installed in a house when, for example, a power failure occurs.

1. Energy management system, 2. Housing, 3. Power system, 4. Power line, 5. Home equipment, 6. Power generation system, 7. Storage system, 8. Measuring device, 8.a Power measuring device, 8.b. Environment measuring device, 9. Controller, 9.a input / output device. 10 wireless communication device, 20 communication unit, 21 system status value database, 21a measurement value, 21b operation status value, 21d system status value, 21e operation mode value, 21f function restriction setting value, 21g restriction instruction, 21h request information, 21i life Pattern information, 21j operation schedule, 22 system control unit, 23 clock unit, 24 system state detection unit, 25 device function restriction setting unit, 26 schedule change unit

Claims

A controller that controls a control target device including at least a home device that consumes power and a measurement device that measures a physical quantity related to the home environment;
The controller is
Detecting the state of the control target device based on the physical quantity related to the environment measured by the measuring device and the operation state of the home device;
Based on at least one of information indicating the resident's request and information indicating the resident's life pattern and the detected state of the control target device, the capability or function of the home device is limited to the home device. Issuing a restriction instruction to control power consumption by the home appliance;
Energy management system.
The controller is
Adjusting the operation timing of the home appliance so that the amount of power consumed by the home appliance does not exceed a predetermined limit value;
The energy management system according to claim 1.
The controller is
During self-sustaining operation that operates with power supplied from a power supply system including a power generation system that generates power,
Restrict the capabilities or functions of the home appliance;
The energy management system according to claim 1 or 2.
The controller is
It has information indicating an operation schedule in which the timing of operation of the home appliance is determined,
Changing the operation schedule so that the amount of power consumed by the home appliance does not exceed a predetermined limit value;
The energy management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The controller is
Record history information indicating the relationship between the state of operation of the home appliance and the change in the amount of power consumed by the home appliance;
Restricting the capability or function of the home appliance based on the recorded history information;
The energy management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The controller is
Record history information indicating the relationship between the operation state of the plurality of home devices and the change in the amount of power consumed by the plurality of home devices,
Based on the recorded history information, the specific device of the plurality of home devices from when the specific device of the plurality of home devices is activated until the specific device changes from a transient state to a steady state. Limit the capabilities or functions of non-equipment devices,
The energy management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
The in-home equipment is
In accordance with the restriction instruction from the controller, limit the capability or function of the own machine
The energy management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The in-home equipment is
As a result of limiting the capability or function of the own device according to the restriction instruction from the controller, information indicating the state of the own device is returned to the controller.
The energy management system according to claim 7.
The controller is
With input and output means,
Providing the resident with information indicating the status of the home device returned from the home device via the input / output means;
The energy management system according to claim 8.
The controller is
With input and output means,
Accepting information indicating the resident's request and information indicating the resident's life pattern via the input / output means,
The energy management system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
The controller is
Based on weather information, predict the power generated by the power generation system that generates power,
If a decrease in the generated power is expected, strengthen the restriction of the capacity or function of the home appliance,
When surplus is predicted to occur in the generated power, the generated power is sold or stored,
The energy management system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
An energy management method for managing power consumption,
Control controlled devices including at least devices that consume power and measuring devices that measure physical quantities related to the environment in the home,
A detection step of detecting a state of the control target device based on a physical quantity related to the environment measured by the measurement device and an operation state of the home device;
Control power consumption by the home appliance based on at least one of information indicating the resident's request and information indicating the resident's life pattern and the state of the control target device detected in the detection step. A control step to
An energy management method comprising:
A computer that controls at least a control target device including a home device that consumes power and a measurement device that measures a physical quantity related to the home environment, and manages a power consumption by the home device,
A detection function for detecting a state of the control target device based on a physical quantity related to the environment measured by the measurement device and an operation state of the home device;
Based on at least one of information indicating the resident's request and information indicating the resident's life pattern and the state of the control target device detected by the detection function, the capability or function of the home device is limited. A control function for specifying a restriction instruction for
A program that realizes
In an energy management system that manages power consumption, a controller that controls a control target device including at least a home device that consumes power and a measurement device that measures a physical quantity related to the environment in the home,
A detection unit that detects a state of the control target device based on a physical quantity related to the environment measured by the measurement device and an operation state of the home device;
Based on at least one of the information indicating the resident's request and the information indicating the resident's life pattern and the state of the control target device detected by the detection unit, A control unit that issues a restriction instruction to restrict the function, and controls power consumption by the home device;
With a controller.