JP6903389B2 - Control devices, control systems, control methods and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to control devices, control systems, control methods and programs.

In recent years, there is known a system that supplies hot water used in the daytime by boiling water in a hot water storage tank at midnight when electricity charges are low. However, if such a system is used in a plurality of dwelling units in an apartment house, the power consumption may be concentrated in the midnight time as a result of boiling in the plurality of dwelling units in the midnight time zone.

Therefore, the development of technology to prevent such problems is underway. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a hot water storage type hot water supply device that realizes a reduction in the peak of the total power consumption in a specific time zone even when a plurality of such systems are installed in an apartment house.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-137200

The hot water storage type hot water supply device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a peak power consumption in the midnight time zone by boiling not only in the midnight time zone but also in the morning, noon and evening time zone in the apartment house. Is prevented from occurring. However, if this is done, there will be dwelling units in the housing complex that cannot make use of the low electricity charges during the midnight hours. In addition, Patent Document 1 describes a technique relating to when each of the hot water storage type hot water supply devices of each dwelling unit in an apartment house should be boiled to efficiently boil the entire apartment house. Not.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a control device that enables boiling while suppressing a power peak at a specific time zone for a plurality of houses in which a water heater is installed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a control system, a control method and a program.

In order to achieve the above object, the control device according to the present invention is
It is a control device that controls each water heater installed in each of multiple houses.
A power acquisition means for acquiring a water heater power value which is a value of power consumption of each water heater and a house power value which is a value of power consumption in each of the plurality of houses.
Based on the water heater power value and the house power value acquired by the power acquisition means, the power value other than the water heater, which is the value of the power consumption other than the water heater in each of the plurality of houses, is acquired, and after the current time. The power estimation means for estimating the power value of the water heater and the power value other than the water supply in the specific time zone of
The specific time zone is divided into a plurality of sub time zones, and the power estimation means estimates in each of the allocation combinations indicating which of the sub time zones the boiling time zone of each water heater is assigned. Using the water heater power value and the power value other than the water heater, the peak of the total power consumed by the plurality of houses within the time of the specific time zone is estimated, and in the combination, each water heater The boiling time zone for determining the boiling time zone of each water heater is determined by determining the combination that makes the peak smaller than the case where all the boiling time zones of the above are assigned to the same sub time zone. Means and
A boiling control means for controlling the boiling of each water heater based on the boiling time zone determined by the boiling time zone determining means.
Equipped with a,
The boiling time zone determining means determines the combination in which the peak estimated by using the water heater electric power value estimated by the electric power estimating means and the electric power value other than the water heater is the smallest among all the combinations. By doing so, the boiling time zone of each water heater is determined, but when there are a plurality of the combinations that minimize the peak, the combination that differs depending on the day is adopted to boil each water heater. Determine the time zone .

According to the present invention, the boiling time of each water heater is distributed based on the estimated electric power value of the water heater and the electric power value other than the water heater. It enables boiling at a specific time zone while suppressing the power peak.

The figure which shows the whole structure of the control system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. A block diagram showing a functional configuration of the control device according to the first embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the allocation of the boiling time zone of a water heater A diagram showing an example of the peak of the total power consumption of all houses The figure which shows the 2nd example of the allocation of the boiling time zone of a water heater The figure which shows the second example of the peak of the sum total power consumption of all houses The figure which shows an example of the electric power history stored in the storage part of the control device which concerns on Embodiment 1. Block diagram showing the functional configuration of the water heater according to the first embodiment A block diagram showing a functional configuration of the power measuring instrument according to the first embodiment. A block diagram showing a functional configuration of the HEMS controller according to the first embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the schedule information stored in the storage part of the HEMS controller which concerns on Embodiment 1. Flow chart of the first half of the control process by the control device according to the first embodiment Flow chart of the latter half of the control process by the control device according to the first embodiment Flow chart of power peak calculation processing by the control device according to the first embodiment A block diagram showing a functional configuration of the control device according to the first modification of the present invention. Flow chart of the latter half of the control process by the control device according to the first modification A block diagram showing a functional configuration of the control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Block diagram showing the functional configuration of the water heater according to the second embodiment The figure which shows an example of the hot water consumption history stored in the storage part of the control device which concerns on Embodiment 2. Flow chart of water heater power value estimation processing by the control device according to the second embodiment Flow chart of the first half of the control process by the control device according to the second modification of the present invention. Flow chart of water heater power value estimation processing by the control device according to the second modification A block diagram showing a functional configuration of the control device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. A block diagram showing a functional configuration of the HEMS controller according to the third embodiment. The figure which shows an example of each house schedule information stored in the storage part of the control device which concerns on Embodiment 3. The figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the display part of a control device. The figure which shows the hardware configuration example of a control device

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the figure are designated by the same reference numerals.

(Embodiment 1)
The overall configuration of the control system 10 according to the first embodiment is shown in FIG. The control system 10 is specified by the control device 100 controlling the boiling start time of the water heaters 200, 201 ... Installed in each house in a plurality of houses 500, 501 ... Within the specific range 600. It is a system that suppresses the power peak within the range 600.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control system 10 includes a control device 100, a plurality of houses 500, 501 ... Within a specific range 600, and a network 700. Each house 500, 501 ... is equipped with a water heater 200, 201 ... And a power measuring device 300, 301 .... Among the houses 500, 501 ..., there are also houses equipped with a HEMS (Home Energy Management System) controller 400, such as the house 500.

The control device 100 acquires the value of the power consumption of the house in which the power measuring device is installed from the power measuring devices 300, 301 ... Through the network 700. Further, the control device 100 acquires the value of the power consumption of the water heater from the water heaters 200, 201 ... Through the network 700. Further, the control device 100 controls the boiling of the water heaters 200, 201 ... By transmitting a boiling instruction to the water heaters 200, 201 ... Through the network 700. Since the functions of the water heaters are the same, the water heater 200 will be described below on behalf of the water heaters 200, 201. Further, since the functions of each power measuring device are the same, the power measuring device 300 will be described below on behalf of the power measuring devices 300, 301.

The water heater 200 is a hot water storage type water heater including a hot water storage tank and a heat pump. The water heater 200 stores water in a hot water storage tank and boil it with a heat pump. Hundreds of liters of water can be stored in the hot water storage tank. The water heater 200 consumes a considerable amount of electric power because it boils a large amount of water in the hot water storage tank at the time of boiling, but once it is boiled, the inhabitants can use the boiled water (hot water) after that. it can. Therefore, the resident of the house 500 can save the utility cost in each house by having the water heater 200 boil the water heater 200 at night time when the electricity charge is low.

Further, the water heater 200 has a communication function for transmitting the value of the electric power consumed by the water heater 200. The water heater 200 measures, for example, every 30 minutes the amount of power consumed by the water heater 200 for the 30 minutes, obtains the average power consumption for the 30 minutes based on the amount of power, and determines the average power consumption of the water heater 200. It may be transmitted to the HEMS controller 400 or the control device 100 as the value of the power consumption of.

The electric power measuring device 300 is a smart meter having a function of measuring the electric power used in the house 500 and a communication function of transmitting the value of the measured electric power. The electric power used in the house 500 includes the electric power used by the water heater 200, and also includes the electric power used by the air conditioner, the lighting equipment, the cooking appliances, and the like. The power measuring device 300 measures, for example, every 30 minutes the amount of power consumed in the house 500 for the 30 minutes, obtains the average power consumption for the 30 minutes based on the amount of power, and uses the average power consumption as the power. The measured value may be transmitted to the HEMS controller 400 or the control device 100.

The HEMS controller 400 displays the electric power consumed by various electric devices in the house 500, and controls the power supply and functions of the various electric devices. The HEMS controller 400 acquires the electric power consumed by the house 500 from the power measuring device 300, and acquires the electric power consumed by the water heater 200 from the water heater 200. Then, the values of those electric powers are transmitted to the control device 100 via the network 700. In FIG. 1, the HEMS controller 400 exists only in the house 500, but the HEMS controller may be provided in another house. Since the functions of the HEMS controller used in the present embodiment are the same for all HEMS controllers, the HEMS controller 400 will be described below on behalf of all the HEMS controllers.

The houses 500, 501, etc. may be single-family houses, or may be one dwelling unit in a condominium, an apartment, or the like. In the present embodiment, all the houses are equipped with the water heater 200 and the electric power measuring device 300 and can be handled in common. Therefore, the house 500 will be described below on behalf of all the houses.

The specific range 600 may be a certain area or the entire housing complex. Further, the specific range 600 may be a part of a certain area or a part of an apartment house. The specific range 600 can also be said to be a range in which a dwelling unit having a water heater 200 that can be controlled by the control device 100 via the network 700 exists.

The network 700 is, for example, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), or a dedicated line. The controller 100, the water heater 200, the power measuring device 300, and the HEMS controller 400 communicate with each other via the network 700.

Next, the functional configuration of the control device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 100 includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, an input unit 131, a display unit 132, and a communication unit 133, which are electrically connected via the bus line 140. It is connected to the.

The control unit 110 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and by executing a program stored in the storage unit 120, each unit (power acquisition unit 111, power estimation unit 112, boiling time zone determination unit 113, boiling) The function of the control unit 114) is realized. Further, the control unit 110 has a multi-thread function, and can execute a plurality of processes in parallel.

The power acquisition unit 111 acquires the house power value, which is the value of the power consumption in the house 500, from the power measuring device 300 via the communication unit 133. Further, the power acquisition unit 111 acquires the water heater power value, which is the value of the power consumption of the water heater 200, from the water heater 200 via the communication unit 133. Since the water heater 200 and the power measuring device 300 are installed in each of the plurality of houses 500, the power acquisition unit 111 can send the water heater of the water heater 200 from each of the water heaters 200 installed in each house 500. The electric power value is acquired, and the residential electric power value of the house 500 is acquired from each electric power measuring device 300 installed in each house 500. The power acquisition unit 111 functions as a power acquisition means.

The power estimation unit 112 acquires a power value other than the water heater, which is a value of power consumption other than the water heater in the house 500, based on the water heater power value and the house power value acquired by the power acquisition unit 111. Specifically, the electric power estimation unit 112 acquires the electric power value other than the water heater of the house 500 by subtracting the electric power value of the water heater of the house 500 from the electric power value of the house 500. Since there are a plurality of houses 500 within the specific range 600, the power estimation unit 112 acquires a power value other than the water heater in each of the plurality of houses 500.

Then, the electric power estimation unit 112 determines the water heater electric power value and the electric power value other than the water heater in the specific time zone after the current time based on the water heater electric power value and the residential electric power value acquired by the electric power acquisition unit 111 for each house 500. presume. The specific time zone here refers to the time zone from 23:00 to 7:00 the next morning. The process of estimating the power value of the water heater and the power value other than the water heater by the power estimation unit 112 will be described later. The power estimation unit 112 functions as a power estimation means.

The boiling time zone determination unit 113 determines the boiling time zone of each water heater 200 based on the water heater power value estimated by the power estimation unit 112 and the power value other than the water heater. More specifically, the boiling time zone determination unit 113 divides a specific time zone, which is a midnight time zone where the electricity charge is cheap, into three sub-time zones, and each water dispenser 200 boil the water stored in the hot water storage tank. The time zone for raising (boiling time zone) is assigned to one of these three sub time zones. Specifically, since the specific time zone is from 23:00 to 7:00 the next morning, each of the three divided sub time zones has the first time zone from 23:00 to 1:40 and the second time zone. Is 1:40 to 4:20, and the third time zone is 4:20 to 7:00.

Assuming that the bedtime of the resident of the house 500 is 0:00 and the wake-up time is 6:00, a part of the first time zone and the third time zone overlaps with the activity time of the resident, so that the power consumption in each house 500 is consumed. In order to suppress the peak of, it is preferable to allocate the boiling time zone of the water heater 200 to the second time zone. However, when the boiling time zone of the water heater 200 of all the houses 500 within the specific range 600 is assigned to the second time zone as shown in FIG. 3, the specific range 600 is within the specific range 600 as shown in FIG. A peak of the total power consumption of all the houses 500 of the above occurs, and the value of this peak becomes considerably large.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the boiling time zone of the water heater 200 of each house 500 within the specific range 600 is distributed and assigned to the first time zone, the second time zone, and the third time zone, FIG. 6 shows. As shown, it is possible to suppress the peak of the total power consumption of all the houses 500 within the specific range 600. Note that FIGS. 3 and 5 show an example in which six houses 500 exist within the specific range 600.

In this way, the boiling time zone determination unit 113 determines the allocation of the boiling time zone of the water heater 200 of each house 500 so as to suppress the peak of the total power consumption of all the houses 500 within the specific range 600. To do. The boiling time zone determining unit 113 functions as a boiling time zone determining means.

Returning to FIG. 2, the boiling control unit 114 controls the boiling of the water heater 200 based on the allocation of the boiling time zone of the water heater 200 of each house 500 determined by the boiling time zone determination unit 113. .. Specifically, at the boiling start time corresponding to the sub time zone assigned to the water heater 200 by the boiling time zone determination unit 113, the water heater 200 is instructed to start boiling water via the network 700. It is transmitted to the machine 200. Upon receiving this instruction, the water heater 200 starts boiling water at the boiling start time included in the instruction. As will be described later, the water heater 200 may have a suppression mode in addition to the normal mode as the boiling operation mode. For such a water heater 200, the control device 100 can give two types of boiling instructions, a boiling instruction in the normal mode and a boiling instruction in the suppression mode. The boiling control unit 114 functions as a boiling control means.

The boiling start time corresponding to the assigned sub time zone is usually the start time of the sub time zone, but is adjusted according to the length of the time (boiling time) for the water heater 200 to boil water. You may. For example, the boiling start time of the water heater 200 assigned to the first time zone is set to 23:00 regardless of the boiling time. Further, in the water heater 200 assigned to the second time zone, when the boiling time is estimated to be 2 hours, the water heater 200 is boiled so that the 2 hours are located at the center (2:30) of the 2nd time zone. The start time is set to 1:30. Then, in the water heater 200 assigned to the third time zone, when the boiling time is estimated to be 2 hours, the boiling start time is 5 so that the 2 hours end at the end time of the 3rd time zone. It is set to: 00.

The same applies when the boiling time is estimated to be longer than the length of each sub time zone. That is, the boiling start time of the water heater 200 assigned to the first time zone is set to 23:00 regardless of the boiling time. Further, in the water heater 200 assigned to the second time zone, when the boiling time is estimated to be 3 hours, the water heater 200 is boiled so that the 3 hours are located at the center (2:30) of the 2nd time zone. The start time is set to 1:00. Then, in the water heater 200 assigned to the third time zone, when the boiling time is estimated to be 3 hours, the boiling start time is 4 so that the 3 hours end at the end time of the 3rd time zone. It is set to: 00. By setting the boiling start time in this way by the boiling control unit 114, the specific time zone can be utilized as effectively as possible.

The storage unit 120 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory) as hardware. The storage unit 120 is a storage means for storing a program executed by the control unit 110 and necessary data. Further, the storage unit 120 stores the power history 121 as shown in FIG. 7.

The electric power history 121 divides the specific time zone into unit time zones every 30 minutes, and the average value of the residential power value of each house 500 acquired by the electric power acquisition unit 111 in each unit time zone and the electric power acquisition unit 111 acquire it. Includes data for 14 days of the average value of the water heater power value of each water heater 200 in each unit time zone. In FIG. 7, the “house” item indicating the house number indicating which house the power history 121 is the data of, the “date” item indicating how many days ago the data is, and the “day” indicating the day of each day. Item of "day", item of "time zone" which shows which unit time zone of 30 minutes, item of "house average power" which shows average value in each unit time zone of house power value, each unit of water heater power value It is shown that the item of "water heater average power" showing the average value in the time zone and the item of "operating state" showing the operating state of each unit time zone of the water heater are included.

The control unit 110 of the control device 100 receives the water heater power value and the house from each water heater 200 and each power measuring device 300 within the specific range 600 every 30 minutes from 23:00 to 7:00 the next morning every day. Acquires the power value Performs the power value acquisition process. The control unit 110 stores the power value acquired in the power value acquisition process in the storage unit 120 as the power history 121. Then, the control unit 110 deletes the power value 15 days or more ago from the power history 121.

Returning to FIG. 2, the input unit 131 includes a keyboard, a touch panel, operation buttons, and the like. The input unit 131 accepts user operations, data input, and the like. The input unit 131 functions as an input means.

The display unit 132 includes a display such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display. The display unit 132 displays an operation screen presented to the user, a water heater power value estimated by the power estimation unit, a power value other than the water heater, and the like. The display unit 132 functions as a display means.

The communication unit 133 includes a device for communicating with an external device via the network 700. The control device 100 communicates with each water heater 200 and each power measuring device 300 installed in each of the plurality of houses 500 within the specific range 600 by the communication unit 133, obtains the water heater power value and the house power value, and obtains the house power value. , Controls the water heater 200. The communication unit 133 functions as a communication means.

The bus line 140 electrically connects the control unit 110, the storage unit 120, the input unit 131, the display unit 132, and the communication unit 133 of the control device 100 so that data can be exchanged between each unit.

Next, the functional configuration of the water heater 200 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the water heater 200 includes a control unit 210, a storage unit 220, an operation unit 231 and a display unit 232, a communication unit 233, a water heater power measurement unit 234, and a heat pump unit 235. A remaining hot water amount acquisition unit 236 and a hot water storage tank 250 are provided, and these are electrically connected via a bus line 240.

The control unit 210 includes a CPU and realizes the functions of each unit (water heater power acquisition unit 211, water heater power transmission unit 212, boiling execution unit 213) by executing a program stored in the storage unit 220. ..

The water heater power acquisition unit 211 acquires the water heater power value, which is the value of the power consumption of the water heater 200, based on the value measured by the water heater power measurement unit 234.

The water heater power transmission unit 212 transmits the water heater power value acquired by the water heater power acquisition unit 211 to the control device 100 via the communication unit 233. The water heater power transmission unit 212 functions as a water heater power transmission means.

The boiling execution unit 213 boil the water stored in the hot water storage tank 250 based on an instruction from the control device 100 received via the communication unit 233, an instruction from the resident received by the operation unit 231 and the like. Do. Specifically, the boiling execution unit 213 controls the heat pump unit 235 in order to boil the water stored in the hot water storage tank 250. The boiling execution unit 213 functions as a boiling execution means. The water heater 200 may have a suppression mode for suppressing power consumption in addition to the normal mode as the boiling operation mode. When boiling is performed in the suppression mode, the power consumption is reduced, but the time required for boiling is increased. If the received instruction includes information on the operation mode, the boiling execution unit 213 performs boiling in the operation mode.

The storage unit 220 includes a ROM and a RAM as hardware. The storage unit 220 is a storage means for storing a program executed by the control unit 210 and necessary data.

The operation unit 231 is provided with a touch panel, operation buttons, etc., and accepts the operation of the resident. The display unit 232 includes a display such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and displays an operation screen, a setting state of the water heater 200, an operating state, and the like.

The communication unit 233 includes a device for communicating with an external device via the network 700. The water heater 200 communicates with the HEMS controller 400 or the control device 100 by the communication unit 233, transmits the water heater power value, receives a boiling instruction, and the like.

The water heater power measuring unit 234 measures the value of the power consumed by the water heater 200. For example, the water heater power measuring unit 234 measures the power consumption of the water heater 200 using a current transformer connected to the power line of the water heater 200.

The heat pump unit 235 includes a heat pump and is controlled by the boiling execution unit 213 to boil the water stored in the hot water storage tank 250.

The remaining hot water amount acquisition unit 236 acquires the remaining hot water amount from the amount of hot water remaining in the hot water storage tank 250 and the temperature of the hot water. The amount of remaining hot water may simply be the amount of hot water remaining in the hot water storage tank 250, but the temperature of the hot water in the hot water storage tank is, for example, 90 degrees, which is considerably higher than the temperature actually used. Therefore, it is more convenient to define the amount of hot water remaining in the hot water storage tank 250 that can produce hot water at a reference temperature as the amount of remaining hot water. Here, the reference temperature is, for example, 42 degrees. In the following, the amount of remaining hot water is an amount indicating how much hot water of 42 degrees can be made from the hot water in the tank. The remaining hot water amount acquisition unit 236 compares, for example, the measured temperature by a plurality of temperature sensors arranged in the vertical direction on the side surface of the hot water storage tank 250 with the reference temperature, and the measured temperature of the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than the reference temperature. The amount of residual hot water is acquired based on the position and the measured temperature.

The bus line 240 electrically connects the control unit 210, the storage unit 220, the operation unit 231 and the display unit 232, the communication unit 233, the water heater power measurement unit 234, the heat pump unit 235, and the remaining hot water amount acquisition unit 236 of the water heater 200. However, data can be exchanged between each department.

The hot water storage tank 250 stores hot water boiled by the heat pump unit 235. When the residents of the house 500 use the hot water, the hot water in the hot water storage tank 250 is consumed. When the amount of residual hot water acquired by the residual hot water amount acquisition unit 236 is less than the specified amount, the boiling execution unit 213 replenishes the hot water storage tank 250 with water to perform boiling.

Next, the power measuring instrument 300 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the power measuring device 300 includes a control unit 310, a storage unit 320, a communication unit 331, and a residential power measuring unit 332, which are electrically connected via a bus line 340. Has been done.

The control unit 310 includes a CPU and realizes the functions of each unit (residential power acquisition unit 311 and residential power transmission unit 312) by executing the program stored in the storage unit 320.

The residential power acquisition unit 311 acquires the residential power value, which is the value of the power consumption of the house 500, based on the value measured by the residential power measurement unit 332.

The residential power transmission unit 312 transmits the residential power value acquired by the residential power acquisition unit 311 to the control device 100 via the communication unit 331. The residential power transmission unit 312 functions as a residential power transmission means.

The storage unit 320 includes a ROM and a RAM as hardware. The storage unit 320 is a storage means for storing a program executed by the control unit 310 and necessary data.

The communication unit 331 includes a device for communicating with an external device via the network 700. The power measuring device 300 communicates with the HEMS controller 400 or the control device 100 by the communication unit 331 to transmit the residential power value.

The residential power measuring unit 332 measures the value of the electric power consumed in the house 500. For example, the house power measurement unit 332 measures the power consumption of the house 500 using a current transformer connected to the power supply line supplied to the house 500.

The bus line 340 electrically connects the control unit 310, the storage unit 320, the communication unit 331, and the residential power measurement unit 332 of the power measuring device 300 so that data can be exchanged between the units.

Next, the HEMS controller 400 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the HEMS controller 400 includes a control unit 410, a storage unit 420, an operation unit 431, a display unit 432, and a communication unit 433, which are electrically connected via the bus line 440. It is connected to the.

The control unit 410 includes a CPU and realizes the functions of each unit (schedule acquisition unit 411, device control unit 412) by executing the program stored in the storage unit 420.

The schedule acquisition unit 411 acquires schedule information indicating the action schedule of the resident based on the operation of the resident received by the operation unit 431.

The device control unit 412 controls various devices (not shown) capable of communicating with the water heater 200 and the HEMS controller 400 in the house 500 via the communication unit 433 based on the schedule information acquired by the schedule acquisition unit 411. To do.

The storage unit 420 includes a ROM and a RAM as hardware. The storage unit 420 is a storage means for storing a program executed by the control unit 410 and necessary data. Further, the storage unit 420 stores the schedule information 421 as shown in FIG.

The schedule information 421 includes information on the action schedule of the resident of the house 500 and information on home appliance control of the HEMS controller 400 based on the action schedule of the resident. FIG. 11 shows that the schedule information 421 includes a "target" item indicating the target person of the action schedule, a "date and time" item indicating the date and time of the action schedule, and a "plan" item indicating the content of the action schedule. Has been done. When the resident inputs a family schedule from the operation unit 431, for example, the schedule information is stored in the storage unit 420 as the schedule information 421. In FIG. 11, the "target" is HEMS, which is the home appliance control schedule of the HEMS controller 400, and this information is automatically obtained by the HEMS controller 400 based on the resident's schedule input by the resident. It may be generated, or the resident may input it from the operation unit 431 as a schedule of the HEMS controller 400.

The operation unit 431 is provided with a touch panel, operation buttons, etc., and accepts operations by residents. The resident can input the schedule information 421 and control various devices in the house 500 by inputting from the operation unit 431.

The display unit 432 includes a display such as a liquid crystal display and an organic EL display, and displays an operation screen, a setting state and an operating state of various devices in the house 500, a resident's schedule information, and the like.

The communication unit 433 includes a device for communicating with an external device via the network 700. The HEMS controller 400 communicates with the control device 100 by the communication unit 433, transmits the water heater power value, receives the boiling instruction, and the like. Further, the HEMS controller 400 communicates with various devices in the house 500 by the communication unit 433, receives the setting state and the operating state of the various devices, and controls the various devices.

The bus line 440 electrically connects the control unit 410, the storage unit 420, the operation unit 431, the display unit 432, and the communication unit 433 of the HEMS controller 400 so that data can be exchanged between each unit.

Next, the control process, which is the process for the control device 100 to control the water heater 200, will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. When the control device 100 is activated, this process is started in parallel with a thread separate from the other processes.

First, the control unit 110 of the control device 100 determines whether or not the current time has reached 22:00 (step S101). If it is not 22:00 (step S101; No), the process returns to step S101.

If it is 22:00 (step S101; Yes), the variables n, t, and d for acquiring the power history 121 are initialized. Here, supplementary explanations will be given for n, t, and d. n is a variable indicating the house number of the house 500. Here, it is assumed that N houses exist in the specific range 600, and n takes a value from 1 to N. Further, t is a variable indicating a unit time zone number (time zone number) when the specific time zone is divided into unit time zones every 30 minutes. Since the specific time zone is 8 hours from 23:00 to 7:00 the next morning, if it is divided into unit time zones every 30 minutes, it is divided into 16 unit time zones. Therefore, t takes a value from 1 to 16. Further, d represents a date stored as the power history 121. Since the power history 121 contains data for two weeks, d takes a value from 1 to 14. Since the specific time zone starts at 23:00, the day changes on the way, but in order to avoid complication, the value of d is not changed until 7:00 the next day. That is, the power value data at 6 o'clock 13 days ago is treated as the power value data when d = 1.

Returning to FIG. 12, first, the control unit 110 sets 1 to n as the initialization of the variable n (step S102). Next, the control unit 110 sets t to 1 as the initialization of the variable t (step S103). Next, the control unit 110 sets 1 in d as the initialization of the variable d (step S104).

Next, the control unit 110 initializes sep [n] [t], which are two-dimensional array variables for the work for estimating the power value other than the water heater, to 0 (step S105). sep [n] [t] is a variable for calculating the sum of the power values for the past two weeks of the house 500 having the house number n and the power value other than the water heater in the unit time zone having the time zone number t.

Next, the control unit 110 is a three-dimensional array variable ep [n] [t] that stores the power values other than the water heater obtained from the past water heater power value and the residential power value stored as the power history 121. Substituting the value obtained by subtracting the water heater power value from the house power value in the unit time zone of the house 500 having the house number n and the date d and the time zone number t being substituted into [d] (step S106). As a result, the electric power values other than the water heater in the unit time zone of the house 500 having the house number n and the date d and the time zone number t are stored in ep [n] [t] [d].

Then, the control unit 110 adds ep [n] [t] [d] to sep [n] [t] (step S107). Next, the control unit 110 adds 1 to the variable d (step S108) and determines whether or not d is less than 15 (step S109). If d is less than 15 (step S109; Yes), the process returns to step S106.

If d is 15 or more (step S109; No), the control unit 110 sets sep [n] [t] in ep [n] [t], which is a two-dimensional array variable that stores the estimated value of the power value other than the water heater. Substitute ÷ 14 (step S110). As a result, the average value of the electric power values other than the water heater for the past two weeks in the unit time zone of the house 500 having the house number n and the time zone number t is stored in the two-dimensional array variable ep [n] [t]. Will be done. The control device 100 treats the average value of the non-water heater power values for the past two weeks as an estimated value of the non-water heater power in a specific time zone after the current time. Step S110 is called a power value estimation step or a power estimation step other than the water heater.

Next, the control unit 110 adds 1 to the variable t (step S111) and determines whether or not t is less than 17 (step S112). If t is less than 17 (step S112; Yes), the process returns to step S104. If t is 17 or more (step S112; No), the control unit 110 adds 1 to the variable n (step S113) and determines whether n is less than N + 1 (step S114). If n is less than N + 1 (step S114; Yes), the process returns to step S103.

If n is N + 1 or more (step S114; No), the process proceeds to FIG. 13, and the control unit 110 records the combination pattern number at which the peak of the sum of the total housing power values of all the houses 500 within the specific range 600 becomes the lowest. Initialize the variable r to 0 (step S115). Here, the combination pattern number will be supplementarily described. The control unit 110 determines which of the sub-time zones in which the specific time zone is divided to allocate the boiling time zone of each water heater 200 within the specific range 600, and this allocation method (allocation). There are multiple combinations of). Therefore, a number is assigned to all of the combinations of the plurality of allocations in order so that the allocation (combination) can be specified by the number. This number is called a combination pattern number.

In the present embodiment, the specific time zone is divided into three sub time zones. Therefore, assuming that the number of 500 houses in the specific range 600 is N, there are three types of boiling time zone options for each of the N units. is there. Therefore, the combination of the boiling time zones in all the houses 500 within the specific range 600 is 3 to the Nth power. However, if the "normal mode" as well as the "suppression mode" is included as the boiling operation mode, three types of boiling time zones can be selected, and two types of boiling can be performed in either of the two modes. Since you can select, the combination of boiling time zones is (3 x 2) ^N = 6 to the Nth power. Here, the total number of patterns of this combination is represented by M. For each of the patterns of the M combinations, the peak of the sum of the housing power values of all the houses 500 within the specific range 600 is obtained, and the combination pattern number that minimizes this peak is assigned to the variable r. become.

Next, the control unit 110 initializes the variable p, which is a variable for recording the lowest value of the peak of the sum of the residential power values, to ∞ (step S116). If the control unit 110 cannot handle an infinite value, the variable p may be initialized with the value of the peak power when the combination pattern number is 1, by performing the same processing as in step S118 described later. .. In this case, the variable r is initialized to 1. Next, the control unit 110 initializes the variable m indicating the combination pattern number to 1 (step S117).

Then, the peak of the sum total of the housing power values of all the houses 500 within the specific range 600 when the boiling time zone of each water heater 200 is set by the combination pattern represented by the variable m is substituted into the variable w ( Step S118). The power peak calculation process for obtaining the value to be assigned to this variable w will be described later. Then, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the value of the variable w is less than the value of the variable p (step S119). If the value of the variable w is equal to or greater than the value of the variable p (step S119; No), the process proceeds to step S122. If the value of the variable w is less than the value of the variable p (step S119; Yes), the control unit 110 assigns the value of the variable m to the variable r (step S120) and assigns the value of the variable w to the variable p. (Step S121). Step S120 is called a boiling time zone determination step.

Then, the control unit 110 adds 1 to the variable m (step S122) and determines whether or not the variable m is larger than M (step S123). If the variable m is M or less (step S123; No), the process returns to step S118, and if the variable m is larger than M (step S123; Yes), the control unit 110 sets the boiling time zone of each water heater 200 by the variable r. Set to the sub time zone according to the combination pattern shown. Then, the control unit 110 transmits an instruction for performing boiling control based on the set boiling time zone to each water heater 200 (step S124). Step S124 is called a boiling control step. Then, the process returns to step S101 of FIG.

Next, the power peak calculation process performed in step S118 described above will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the control unit 110 is in the sub time zone of the house 500 having the house number n and the time zone number t when the boiling time zone of each water heater 200 is set by the combination pattern represented by the variable m. The estimated value of the water heater power value is substituted into the two-dimensional array variable ekp [n] [t] (step S201). The control unit 110 obtains this estimated value by the water heater power value estimation process. Step S201 is called a water heater power value estimation step or a power estimation step.

Here, the water heater power value estimation process is a process obtained by using the data of the item of "water heater average power" of the house 500 having the house number n in the power history 121. For example, in the data of the house 500 having the house number n, the average power of the water heater in the same operating state as the operating state of the water heater in the sub time zone where the time zone number in the combination pattern m is t is extracted from the power history 121. This is a process in which the average value of the extracted data is used as the estimated value of the water heater power value.

Next, the control unit 110 initializes ejp [t], which is a one-dimensional array variable for work for obtaining the sum of the estimated values of the housing power values, to 0 for all t (t = 1 to 16). (Step S202). Then, the control unit 110 initializes pejp, which is a variable for storing the peak of the sum of the estimated values of the housing power values, to 0 (step S203).

Next, the control unit 110 initializes the variable t indicating the sub-time zone number to 1 (step S204), and initializes the variable n indicating the house number of the house 500 to 1 (step S205). Then, the control unit 110 sets the array variable ejp [t] to the two-dimensional array variable ekp [n] [t] of the estimated value of the water heater power value and the two-dimensional array variable ep [t] of the estimated value of the power value other than the water heater. The sum of n] and [t] is added (step S206).

Then, the control unit 110 adds 1 to the variable n (step S207) and determines whether or not n is less than N + 1 (step S208). If n is less than N + 1 (step S208; Yes), the process returns to step S205. If n is N + 1 or more (step S208; No), the control unit 110 determines whether or not the variable pejp is less than the array variable ejp [t] (step S209). If the variable pejp is equal to or greater than the array variable ejp [t] (step S209; No), the process proceeds to step S211. If the variable pejp is less than the array variable ejp [t] (step S209; Yes), the value of the array variable ejp [t] is assigned to the variable pejp (step S210).

Then, the control unit 110 adds 1 to the variable t (step S211) and determines whether or not the variable t is less than 17 (step S212). If the variable t is less than 17 (step S212; Yes), the process returns to step S204. If the variable t is 17 or more (step S212; No), the control unit 110 assigns the value of the variable pejp to the variable w (step S213), and ends the process.

By the above power peak calculation process, the peak of the sum total of the housing power values of all the houses 500 within the specific range 600 when the boiling time zone is assigned by the combination pattern represented by the variable m is assigned to the variable w. Stored. Then, in the control process described above, the combination pattern number when the value of the variable w becomes the smallest is stored in the variable r. Since the control device 100 controls each water heater 200 based on the combination pattern represented by the variable r in the allocation of the boiling time zone, the peak of the total residential power of the houses 500 within the specific range 600 is suppressed. be able to.

In the above-described first embodiment, the specific time zone is divided into three sub time zones, but the number of divisions is only an example. It may be divided into two sub time zones, or it may be divided into four or more sub time zones. In this case, the number of combination patterns in the boiling time zone is D to the Nth power when the boiling operation mode is only the normal mode, where D is the number of divisions (when the suppression mode is included in the boiling operation mode). (2 x D) ^N ).

Further, in the above-described first embodiment, one sub-time zone of the sub-time zones divided into the specific time zones is set as the boiling time zone, but a plurality of sub-time zones may be set as the boiling time zones. In this case, assuming that the number of divisions in the specific time zone is D, even if only one house of the house 500 is considered, the combination pattern of the boiling time zone is ^{2D when the boiling operation mode is only the normal mode.} the kinds -1 (a 3 ^D -1 ways including also boiling suppression mode to the operating mode). Therefore, in N units, there are (2 ^D -1) ^N ways (when the suppression mode is included in the boiling operation mode, there are (3 ^D -1) ^N ways).

Further, in the above-described first embodiment, when there are a plurality of combination patterns that minimize the peak of the total housing power of the houses 500 within the specific range 600 in the control process, the combination pattern found first is adopted. The boiling time zone is determined. However, instead of adopting only the pattern found first, it is possible to adopt a combination pattern that minimizes the peak and that differs from day to day. As a result, for example, the sub-time zones assigned in a certain house 500 can be evenly different, and a situation in which the first time zone is always used can be avoided. Considering that the temperature of the hot water in the hot water storage tank 250 gradually decreases with the passage of time, when the boiling time zone is assigned to any of these three sub time zones, it is assigned to the third time zone. Is the most efficient, and the one assigned to the first time zone is the least efficient.

(Modification example 1)
In the above-mentioned control process, the pattern in which the peak of the total sum of the residential power values is the lowest is obtained from all the combination patterns in the boiling time zone. However, it may take too much time to calculate all the combination patterns, such as when the number of dwelling units is large or when the number of divisions in a specific time zone is increased. Therefore, the control device 101 according to the first modification, which can set the reference value of the peak of the sum of the residential power values, will be described.

In the control device 101 according to the first modification, as shown in FIG. 15, the control unit 110 includes the power reference value setting unit 115, and the storage unit 120 also stores the power reference value 122. The other functional configurations are the same as those of the control device 100 according to the first embodiment. The power reference value setting unit 115 sets a reference value that is the upper limit of the peak of the sum total of all the housing power values of the houses 500 within the specific range 600, for example, based on the input from the user from the input unit 131. This reference value is stored in the storage unit 120 as the power reference value 122. The power reference value setting unit 115 functions as a power reference value setting means.

Since the control process by the control device 101 is common to the control process by the control device 100 except for a part, the differences will be mainly described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 16. The first half of the control process by the control device 101 is the same as the control process by the control device 100, and is as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 16, the latter half of the control process by the control device 101 is different in that step S131 is added after step S116 and step S132 is added after step S121.

In step S131, the control unit 110 substitutes the power reference value 122 stored in the storage unit 120 into the variable k. Further, in step S132, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the value of the variable k is less than the variable p. If the value of the variable k is less than the variable p (step S132; Yes), the process proceeds to step S122, and if the value of the variable k is greater than or equal to the variable p (step S132; No), the process proceeds to step S124.

By this process, the control device 101 according to the first modification proceeds to step S124 when it finds a combination having a reference value k or less even when there are a large number of combination patterns, so that the power peaks in all the combination patterns are calculated. You don't have to. As a result, even when there are a large number of combination patterns, the processing can be completed within a realistic time.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the control device 100 uses the power history 121 to estimate the water heater power value in a specific time zone after the current time. This is an estimation based on past power consumption, but by using the current amount of residual hot water, a more accurate estimation can be performed. Therefore, the second embodiment using the amount of residual hot water will be described.

In the control device 102 according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, the control unit 110 includes the remaining hot water amount acquisition unit 116, and the storage unit 120 also stores the hot water consumption history 123. Further, in the water heater 202 according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18, the control unit 210 includes the remaining hot water amount transmitting unit 214. The other functional configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

In FIG. 17, the remaining hot water amount acquisition unit 116 acquires the remaining hot water amount of the hot water storage tank 250 of the water heater 202 from the water heater 202 via the communication unit 133. The residual hot water amount acquisition unit 116 functions as a residual hot water amount acquisition means.

As shown in FIG. 19, the hot water consumption history 123 is a history of the daily hot water consumption in each house 500 for the past two weeks. In FIG. 19, the item of "house" indicating the house number indicating which house 500 the data of the hot water consumption history 123 is, the item of "date" indicating how many days ago the data, and the day of the week of each day are shown. It is shown that the item of "day of the week" to be shown and the item of "hot water consumption" to show the amount of hot water consumed on that day are included.

The control device 102 uses the remaining hot water amount acquisition unit 116 to obtain the remaining hot water amount before the start of boiling and the remaining hot water amount after the boiling of the water heater 202 from each water heater 202 of the house 500 within the specific range 600 every day. get. Then, the amount of remaining hot water before the start of boiling is subtracted from the amount of remaining hot water after the end of boiling to obtain the amount of hot water consumed on the previous day. Then, the obtained hot water consumption amount is stored in the storage unit 120 as the hot water consumption amount history 123. Then, the control unit 110 deletes the hot water consumption 15 days or more ago from the hot water consumption history 123.

Returning to FIG. 18, the remaining hot water amount transmitting unit 214 transmits the remaining hot water amount acquired by the remaining hot water amount acquisition unit 236 to the control device 102 via the communication unit 233.

The control process by the control device 102 is the same as the control process by the control device 100 according to the first embodiment in the range of FIGS. 12 and 13. The difference from the control device 100 is the water heater power value estimation process in step S201 of the power peak calculation process described with reference to FIG. Therefore, this water heater power value estimation process will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the control unit 110 of the control device 102 sets the maximum value of the daily hot water consumption in the past two weeks in the house 500 of the house number n in the variable ma (step S301). The maximum value of the daily hot water consumption in the house 500 of the house number n in the past two weeks can be obtained by referring to the hot water consumption history 123.

Next, the control unit 110 multiplies the variable ma by the target hot water amount coefficient (step S302). The target hot water amount coefficient is a coefficient for adjusting the boiling water amount, and usually 1 is used, but it may be changed according to the boiling time zone in the house 500 of the house number n. For example, if the boiling time zone represented by the variable m indicating the combination pattern number is assigned to the house 500 of the house number n in the first time zone, the target hot water amount coefficient is set to 1.4 and the second time. If it is a band, the target hot water volume coefficient is 1.2.

Next, the control unit 110 acquires the current remaining hot water amount in the house 500 of the house number n by the remaining hot water amount acquisition unit 116, and substitutes the value obtained by subtracting the remaining hot water amount from the variable ma into the variable ta (step S303). .. The variable ta is an estimated value of the amount of boiling water this time in the house 500 of the house number n.

Next, the control unit 110 obtains an estimated value of the current boiling time by multiplying the boiling time per unit amount of hot water by the variable ta, and substitutes it into the variable ti (step S304). The control unit 110 may increase or decrease the value of the boiling time per unit amount of hot water according to the air temperature at that time and the temperature of the water entering the water heater. For example, since the air temperature and the water temperature are low in winter, the control unit 110 sets the boiling time per unit amount of hot water to a value larger than the normal value.

Then, the control unit 110 allocates the time of the variable ti to the boiling time zone represented by the combination pattern number m assigned to the house 500 of the house number n. At this time, if the boiling time zone is the first time zone, it is assigned in order from 23:00, if it is the second time zone, it is assigned so that 3 o'clock is in the center, and if it is the third time zone, the boiling time is 7 o'clock. Assign to end. Then, the boiling power of the water heater 202 is set in the two-dimensional array variable ekp [n] [t] indicated by the house number n and the sub-time zone number t including the time corresponding to the allocated time. Substitute the value of (step S305). The value of the boiling power of the water heater 202 may be the rated value of the water heater 202, or may be obtained from the power history 121 as in step S201 in the first embodiment.

In this way, the control unit 110 of the control device 102 according to the second embodiment sets the estimated value of the water heater power value at the time zone number t in the house 500 of the house number n as the two-dimensional array variable ekp [n] [ It can be set to [t]. Since this value is more accurate than the estimated value obtained in step S201 of the first embodiment, the power peak can be suppressed more accurately.

(Modification 2)
In the control process according to the above-described embodiment, the data for the past 14 days included in the power history 121 is used when obtaining the power value other than the water heater and the estimated value of the water heater power value. However, since the behavior of residents differs depending on the day of the week, it may be better to use only the data of the same day of the week. Therefore, the control device 102 according to the second modification that uses the data of the same day of the week in the past when obtaining the estimated values of these power values will be described.

The functional configuration of the control device 102 according to the second modification is the same as that of the control device 102 according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG.

Since the control process by the control device 102 according to the second modification is partially different from the control process by the control device 102 according to the second embodiment, FIGS. 21, 13, 14, and 22 are used mainly for the differences. I will explain. As shown in FIG. 21, the first half of the control process by the control device 102 according to the second modification is the process described with reference to FIG. 12, except that step S108 is replaced with step S141 and step S110 is replaced with step S142. It is the same.

In step S141, the control unit 110 adds 7 to the variable d. As a result, the data of the same day of the week is used. Further, in step S142, the control unit 110 substitutes sep [n] [t] ÷ 2 for ep [n] [t], which is a two-dimensional array variable that stores the estimated value of the electric power value other than the water heater. Since there are two data on the same day of the week in the power history 121, the control device 102 according to the second modification takes the average of these two data to be a water heater in a specific time zone after the current time. It will be treated as an estimated value of power values other than.

The second half of the control process by the control device 102 according to the second modification is the same as the second half of the control process by the control device 102 according to the second embodiment, and is as shown in FIG. Further, the power peak calculation process by the control device 102 according to the second modification is as shown in FIG. 14, but a part of the water heater power value estimation process in step S201 is different. Therefore, the water heater power value estimation process will be described with reference to FIG. 22.

In the water heater power value estimation process by the control device 102 according to the second modification, as shown in FIG. 22, the control device according to the second embodiment described with reference to FIG. 20 except that step S301 is replaced with step S311. This is the same as the water heater power value estimation process according to 102.

In step S311, the control unit 110 sets the larger value of the daily hot water consumption 14 days ago and 7 days ago in the house 500 of the house number n in the variable ma with reference to the hot water consumption history 123. To do. By this treatment, the amount of hot water consumed on the same day of the week as the estimated day can be used. The processing other than this is the same as the water heater power value estimation processing by the control device 102 according to the second embodiment described with reference to FIG. 20.

As described above, the control unit 110 of the control device 102 according to the second modification estimates the water heater power value and the power value other than the water heater using the data of the same day of the week in the past, and thus suppresses the power peak. Can be done more accurately.

(Embodiment 3)
As described above, the HEMS controller 400 can manage the schedule of the inhabitants of the house 500. Therefore, the third embodiment using the information of this schedule will be described.

In the control device 103 according to the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 23, the control unit 110 includes the schedule acquisition unit 117, and the storage unit 120 also stores each house schedule information 124. Further, in the HEMS controller 401 according to the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24, the control unit 410 includes the schedule transmission unit 413. The other functional configurations of the third embodiment are the same as those of the second embodiment.

In FIG. 23, the schedule acquisition unit 117 acquires schedule information indicating the action schedule of the resident of the house 500 from the HEMS controller 401 via the communication unit 133. The schedule acquisition unit 117 functions as a schedule acquisition means.

As shown in FIG. 25, each house schedule information 124 includes information on the action schedule of the resident in each house 500 within the specific range 600, and information on home appliance control of the HEMS controller 400 based on the action schedule of the resident. In FIG. 25, the item of "house" indicating the house number indicating which house 500 the schedule information 421 is the data of which house 500, the item of "target" indicating the target person of the action schedule, and the "date and time" indicating the date and time of the action schedule. It is shown that the item of "plan" including the item of "plan" indicating the content of the action schedule is included.

The control device 103 acquires the schedule information 421 stored in the HEMS controller 401 from each HEMS controller 401 of the houses 500 within the specific range 600 by the schedule acquisition unit 117 every day, for example, at 21:00, and each house schedule information. As 124, it is stored in the storage unit 120.

Returning to FIG. 24, the schedule transmission unit 413 transmits the schedule information 421 stored in the storage unit 420 to the control device 103 via the communication unit 433.

The control process by the control device 103 uses each house schedule information 124 when calculating the ep [n] [t] which is an estimated value of the power value other than the water heater in step S110 of FIG. 12, and the step of FIG. 20. The point that the target hot water amount coefficient in S302 is changed by using each house schedule information 124 is different from the control process by the control device 102 according to the second embodiment.

In step S110 of FIG. 12, the control unit 110 corrects ep [n] [t], which is an estimated value of the electric power value other than the water heater, with reference to each house schedule information 124. For example, when the resident is absent on the day of the house 500 of the house number n, the value is reduced by multiplying ep [n] [t] by the absentee coefficient. The absence coefficient is, for example, 0.5. Conversely, if there is an event that is expected to consume more power than usual, such as a party being held on that day at house 500 with house number n, or inviting customers, ep [n] [t] ] Is multiplied by the event coefficient to increase the value. The event coefficient is, for example, 1.5.

In step S302 of FIG. 20, the control unit 110 corrects the value of the target hot water amount coefficient with reference to each house schedule information 124. For example, when the resident is absent on the day of the house 500 of the house number n, the value of the target hot water amount coefficient is set to a value smaller than 1 such as 0.5. On the contrary, if it is expected that the resident of the house 500 with the house number n will consume more hot water in the bath, shower, etc. than usual, such as participating in a sports competition or participating in the morning training on that day, the goal is Set the value of the hot water coefficient to a value larger than 1 such as 1.5.

In this way, the control unit 110 of the control device 103 according to the third embodiment can estimate the water heater power value and the power value other than the water heater in consideration of the schedule of the resident of each house 500. The power peak can be suppressed more accurately.

In any of the above-described embodiments, the screen illustrated in FIG. 26 may be displayed on the display unit 132 of the control devices 100, 101, 102, 103. In the screen shown in FIG. 26, the sum of the residential power value, which is the sum of the water heater power value estimated by the control unit 110 and the power value other than the water heater, and the water heater power value, is the sum of the total time of each within the specific range 600. The values are shown graphically. This screen is displayed at the beginning of the process of step S124 of FIG. 13 or FIG. Further, the control devices 100, 101, 102, and 103 are the sum of the actual water heater power value and the residential power value within the specific range 600, not the estimated value, at the end of the process of step S124 of FIG. A screen showing the value for each time in a graph may be displayed on the display unit 132.

It should be noted that each of the above-described embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, by combining the configuration of the first modification with the second embodiment, the control process can be performed using the information of both the power reference value 122 and the hot water consumption history 123. The same applies to other embodiments and other modifications, and it is possible to combine three or more of these at the same time.

As shown in FIG. 27, the hardware of the control devices 100, 101, 102, and 103 according to the above-described embodiment is composed of a processor 810, a memory 820, and an interface 830. In the control unit 110 of the control devices 100, 101, 102, 103, the processor 810 executes the program stored in the memory 820, so that the power acquisition unit 111, the power estimation unit 112, the boiling time zone determination unit 113, and the boiling time zone are determined. It functioned as a raising control unit 114, a power reference value setting unit 115, a remaining hot water amount acquisition unit 116, and a schedule acquisition unit 117, respectively.

However, in the present invention, the control unit 110 may be 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. When the control unit 110 is dedicated hardware, the functions of each unit may be realized by individual hardware, or the functions of each unit may be collectively realized by a single hardware. Further, although FIG. 27 shows an example in which the processor 810 and the memory 820 are each configured by one, a plurality of processors and a plurality of memories may cooperate to execute the above function. The interface 830 is for the control devices 100, 101, 102, 103 to connect to other devices and establish communication, and may include a plurality of types of interfaces as required.

Further, some of the functions of each part may be realized by dedicated hardware, and the other part may be realized by software or firmware. In this way, the control unit 110 can realize each of the above-mentioned functions by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.

By applying an operation program that defines the operation of the control devices 100, 101, 102, 103 according to the present invention to an existing computer such as a personal computer or an information terminal device, the computer can be applied to the control device 100, according to the present invention. It is also possible to function as 101, 102, 103.

Further, the distribution method of such a program is arbitrary, and for example, a computer-readable recording such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk ROM), a DVD (Digital Versaille Disk), an MO (Magnet Optical Disk), or a memory card. It may be stored in a medium and distributed, or may be distributed via a communication network such as the Internet.

The present invention allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Moreover, the above-described embodiment is for explaining the present invention, and does not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention is indicated not by the embodiment but by the claims. And various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the equivalent meaning of the invention are considered to be within the scope of the invention.

10 Control system, 100, 101, 102, 103 Control device, 110, 210, 310, 410 Control unit, 111 Power acquisition unit, 112 Power estimation unit, 113 Boiling time zone determination unit, 114 Boiling control unit, 115 Power Reference value setting unit, 116 remaining hot water amount acquisition unit, 117 schedule acquisition unit, 120, 220, 320, 420 storage unit, 121 power history, 122 power reference value, 123 hot water consumption history, 124 each housing schedule information, 131 input unit, 132,232,432 display unit, 133,233,331,433 communication unit, 140,240,340,440 bus line, 200,201,202 water heater, 211 water heater power acquisition unit, 212 water heater power transmission unit, 213 Boiling execution unit, 214 Residual hot water amount transmission unit, 231 and 431 operation unit, 234 Water supply machine power measurement unit, 235 Heat pump unit, 236 Residual hot water amount acquisition unit, 250 hot water storage tank, 300, 301 Power measuring instrument, 311 Unit, 312 Residential power transmission unit, 332 Residential power measurement unit, 400,401 HEMS controller, 411 Schedule acquisition unit, 412 Equipment control unit, 413 Schedule transmission unit, 421 Schedule information, 500,501 Housing, 600 Specific range, 700 network , 810 processor, 820 memory, 830 interface

Claims (4)

It is a control device that controls each water heater installed in each of multiple houses.
A power acquisition means for acquiring a water heater power value which is a value of power consumption of each water heater and a house power value which is a value of power consumption in each of the plurality of houses.
Based on the water heater power value and the house power value acquired by the power acquisition means, the power value other than the water heater, which is the value of the power consumption other than the water heater in each of the plurality of houses, is acquired, and after the current time. The power estimation means for estimating the power value of the water heater and the power value other than the water supply in the specific time zone of
The specific time zone is divided into three sub time zones, and the power estimation means estimates in each of the allocation combinations indicating which of the sub time zones the boiling time zone of each water heater is assigned. Using the water heater power value and the power value other than the water heater, the peak of the total power consumed by the plurality of houses within the time of the specific time zone is estimated, and in the combination, each water heater The boiling time zone for determining the boiling time zone of each water heater is determined by determining the combination that makes the peak smaller than the case where all the boiling time zones of the above are assigned to the same sub time zone. Means and
A boiling control means for controlling the boiling of each water heater based on the boiling time zone determined by the boiling time zone determining means.
Equipped with a,
The boiling time zone determining means determines the combination in which the peak estimated by using the water heater electric power value estimated by the electric power estimating means and the electric power value other than the water heater is the smallest among all the combinations. By doing so, the boiling time zone of each water heater is determined, but when there are a plurality of the combinations that minimize the peak, the combination that differs depending on the day is adopted to boil each water heater. Determine the time zone,
Control device. A control system including each water heater installed in each of a plurality of houses, each power measuring device installed in each of the plurality of houses, and a control device for controlling each of the water heaters.
Each of the water heaters
A water heater power transmitting means that transmits a water heater power value, which is a value of power consumed by the water heater, to the control device.
A boiling execution means for boiling hot water according to an instruction from the control device is provided.
Each of the power measuring instruments is
A housing power transmission means for transmitting a housing power value, which is a value of power consumption in the house, to the control device is provided.
The control device is
An electric power acquisition means for acquiring the electric power value of the water heater from each of the water heaters and acquiring the residential electric power value from each of the electric power measuring instruments.
Based on the water heater power value and the house power value acquired by the power acquisition means, the power value other than the water heater, which is the value of the power consumption other than the water heater in each of the houses, is acquired, and the power value other than the water heater is specified. Power estimation means for estimating the power value of the water heater and the power value other than the water supply in the time zone, and
The specific time zone is divided into three sub time zones, and the power estimation means estimates in each of the allocation combinations indicating which of the sub time zones the boiling time zone of each water heater is assigned. Using the water heater power value and the power value other than the water heater, the peak of the total power consumed by the plurality of houses within the time of the specific time zone is estimated, and in the combination, each water heater The boiling time zone for determining the boiling time zone of each water heater is determined by determining the combination that makes the peak smaller than the case where all the boiling time zones of the above are assigned to the same sub time zone. Means and
A boiling control means for controlling the boiling of each water heater based on the boiling time zone determined by the boiling time zone determining means is provided .
The boiling time zone determining means determines the combination in which the peak estimated by using the water heater electric power value estimated by the electric power estimating means and the electric power value other than the water heater is the smallest among all the combinations. By doing so, the boiling time zone of each water heater is determined, but when there are a plurality of the combinations that minimize the peak, the combination that differs depending on the day is adopted to boil each water heater. Determine the time zone,
Control system. It is a control method that controls each water heater installed in each of multiple houses.
The plurality of houses are based on the water supply machine power value which is the value of the power consumption of each of the water heaters installed in each of the plurality of houses and the house power value which is the value of the power consumption in each of the plurality of houses. The power estimation step of acquiring the power value other than the water heater, which is the value of the power consumption other than the water heater in each of the above, and estimating the power value of the water heater and the power value other than the water heater in a specific time zone after the current time.
The specific time zone is divided into three sub time zones, and each of the allocation combinations indicating which of the sub time zones the boiling time zone of each water heater is assigned to is estimated by the power estimation step. Using the water heater power value and the power value other than the water heater, the peak of the total power consumed by the plurality of houses within the time of the specific time zone is estimated, and in the combination, each of the hot water supplies. A boiling time zone that determines the boiling time zone of each water heater by determining the combination that makes the peak smaller than when all the boiling time zones of the water heater are assigned to the same sub time zone. The decision step and
A boiling control step that controls the boiling of each water heater based on the boiling time zone determined in the boiling time zone determination step, and a boiling control step.
Only including,
In the boiling time zone determination step, the combination in which the peak estimated using the water heater power value estimated in the power estimation step and the power value other than the water heater is the smallest among all the combinations is determined. By doing so, the boiling time zone of each water heater is determined, but when there are a plurality of the combinations that minimize the peak, the combination that differs depending on the day is adopted to boil each water heater. Determine the time zone,
Control method. The computer of the control device that controls each water heater installed in each of multiple houses,
Based on the water supply machine power value which is the power consumption value of each of the water heaters and the housing power value which is the power consumption value of each of the plurality of houses, the power consumption of each of the plurality of houses other than the water heater A power estimation means that acquires a power value other than the water heater, which is a value, and estimates the power value of the water heater and the power value other than the water heater in a specific time zone after the current time, and
The specific time zone is divided into three sub time zones, and the power estimation means estimates in each of the allocation combinations indicating which of the sub time zones the boiling time zone of each water heater is assigned. Using the water heater power value and the power value other than the water heater, the peak of the total power consumed by the plurality of houses within the time of the specific time zone is estimated, and in the combination, each water heater By determining the combination that makes the peak smaller than when all the boiling time zones of the above are assigned to the same sub time zone, the boiling time zone of each water heater is determined, and the determined boiling time zone is determined. A boiling control means for controlling the boiling of each water heater based on the heating time zone,
To function as,
The boiling control means determines the combination in which the peak estimated by using the water heater power value estimated by the power estimation means and the power value other than the water heater is the smallest among all the combinations. When there are a plurality of the combinations that minimize the peak, the combination that differs depending on the day is adopted to determine the boiling time zone of each water heater. To decide,
program.

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