JP7615940B2 - ENERGY-SAVING EFFECT DISPLAY DEVICE, ENERGY-SAVING EFFECT DISPLAY METHOD, AND ENERGY-SAVING EFFECT DISPLAY PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an energy-saving effect display device, an energy-saving effect display method, and an energy-saving effect display program.

For example, energy conservation is being considered in facilities such as factories. Known energy conservation technologies are described in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4. For example, Patent Document 3 discloses a technology that calculates energy costs before and after the application of energy conservation measures based on past performance data of a target facility, and compares the energy costs before and after the application of the energy conservation measures.

JP 2016-106514 A JP 2006-304595 A JP 2005-141403 A JP 2019-193571 A

In the above-mentioned technology, only energy costs are evaluated as the target of the effect of energy-saving measures, but indices other than energy costs (e.g., energy consumption, _CO2 emissions, etc.) are also important points of interest in evaluating the effect of energy-saving measures. Therefore, when evaluating the effect of energy-saving measures, it is desirable to consider the effectiveness of the effect of the energy-saving measures with respect to multiple types of indices, not just a single indices. However, such indices change due to various factors other than the energy-saving measures, and further, the way in which the indices change may differ depending on the type of indices. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately evaluate the effect of energy-saving measures with respect to such indices.

This disclosure describes an energy-saving effect display device, an energy-saving effect display method, and an energy-saving effect display program that can accurately evaluate the effects of energy-saving measures.

The energy-saving effect display device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a calculation unit that calculates, based on performance data related to the past operating conditions of the target facility, first implementation-time index data and second implementation-time index data that are different from each other and include information on the energy usage conditions in the target facility when the energy-saving measure is not being implemented, and first non-implementation-time index data and second non-implementation-time index data that include information on the energy usage conditions in the target facility when the energy-saving measure is not being implemented and correspond to the first implementation-time index data and the second implementation-time index data, respectively, and a display control unit that causes the display unit to display improvement effect information indicating the relationship between first improvement effect data obtained based on the first implementation-time index data and the first non-implementation-time index data, which indicates the improvement effect due to the implementation of the energy-saving measure, and second improvement effect data obtained based on the second implementation-time index data and the second non-implementation-time index data, which indicates the improvement effect due to the implementation of the energy-saving measure.

The energy-saving effect display method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: obtaining, based on performance data relating to the past operating conditions of the target facility, first implementation-time index data and second implementation-time index data that are different from each other and include information on the energy usage status in the target facility when the energy-saving measure is implemented; and first non-implementation-time index data and second non-implementation-time index data that include information on the energy usage status in the target facility when the energy-saving measure is not implemented and correspond to the first implementation-time index data and the second implementation-time index data, respectively; and displaying, on a display unit, improvement effect information indicating the relationship between first improvement effect data obtained based on the first implementation-time index data and the first non-implementation-time index data, which indicates the improvement effect due to the implementation of the energy-saving measure, and second improvement effect data obtained based on the second implementation-time index data and the second non-implementation-time index data, which indicates the improvement effect due to the implementation of the energy-saving measure.

The energy-saving effect display program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure causes a computer to obtain, based on performance data relating to the past operating conditions of the target facility, first implementation-time index data and second implementation-time index data that are different types from each other and include information on the energy usage conditions in the target facility when the energy-saving measure is implemented, and first non-implementation-time index data and second non-implementation-time index data that include information on the energy usage conditions in the target facility when the energy-saving measure is not implemented and correspond to the first implementation-time index data and the second implementation-time index data, respectively; and display, on a display unit, improvement effect information indicating the relationship between first improvement effect data obtained based on the first implementation-time index data and the first non-implementation-time index data, which indicates the improvement effect due to the implementation of the energy-saving measure, and second improvement effect data obtained based on the second implementation-time index data and the second non-implementation-time index data, which indicates the improvement effect due to the implementation of the energy-saving measure.

In the above-mentioned energy-saving effect display device, energy-saving effect display method, and energy-saving effect display program, first implementation time index data and second implementation time index data regarding the energy usage status in the target facility when the energy-saving measure is implemented, and first non-implementation time index data and second non-implementation time index data regarding the energy usage status in the target facility when the energy-saving measure is not implemented are obtained based on the performance data regarding the past operating status of the target facility. Then, improvement effect information showing the relationship between the first improvement effect data obtained based on the first implementation time index data and the first non-implementation time index data and the second improvement effect data obtained based on the second implementation time index data and the second non-implementation time index data is displayed on the display unit. By referring to the improvement effect information, the user can grasp the presence or absence of a correlation between the first improvement effect data and the second improvement effect data. For example, if the second improvement effect data becomes smaller as the first improvement effect data becomes larger, the user can grasp that there is a trade-off relationship between the first improvement effect data and the second improvement effect data. In this way, the user can understand how changes in different types of index data affect each other, and can perform a detailed analysis of the factors behind the changes in the first improvement effect data and the factors behind the changes in the second improvement effect. As a result, the user can accurately evaluate the effectiveness of the energy conservation measures.

In some embodiments, the first improvement effect data may be data indicating the difference between the first non-implementation index data and the first implementation index data, and the second improvement effect data may be data indicating the difference between the second non-implementation index data and the second implementation index data. In this case, the user can quantitatively grasp the relationship between the first improvement effect data and the second improvement effect data, and therefore can analyze in more detail the factors behind the change in the first improvement effect data and the factors behind the change in the second improvement effect. As a result, the user can more accurately evaluate the effect of the energy conservation measure.

In some embodiments, the display control unit may cause an approximation equation that approximates the relationship between the first improvement effect data and the second improvement effect data to be displayed on the display unit together with the improvement effect information. In this case, the user can easily grasp the relationship between the first improvement effect data and the second improvement effect data, which makes it easier to evaluate the effectiveness of the energy-saving measures.

According to some aspects of the present disclosure, an energy-saving effect display device, an energy-saving effect display method, and an energy-saving effect display program are provided that are capable of more accurately evaluating the effects of energy-saving measures.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an energy-saving effect display device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 shows an example of a screen for setting extraction conditions. 3A and 3B are diagrams for explaining the estimation process of the energy index estimation unit. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between "energy cost reduction amount" and " _CO2 emission reduction amount." FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the "energy cost reduction rate" and the " _CO2 emission reduction rate." FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a procedure for operating the energy-saving effect display device. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the energy-saving effect display device.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

[Energy saving effect display device]
First, a configuration of an energy-saving effect display device 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The energy-saving effect display device 1 is used to evaluate the effectiveness of energy-saving measures for a target facility. The target facility is, for example, a factory or a plant. The energy-saving measures include, for example, systematic measures such as reducing the amount of received power or the amount of fuel consumed by optimizing the operation plan of energy equipment (gas turbines, boilers, storage batteries, etc.), as well as manual measures such as encouraging frequent shut-off of lighting, air conditioning, etc.

As shown in FIG. 1, the energy saving effect display device 1 includes, for example, an energy data input unit 21, an energy data storage processing unit 11, an energy database 12, an extraction condition designation unit 22, an energy data extraction unit 13, an energy saving measure implementation data extraction unit 14, an energy index calculation unit 15 (calculation unit), an energy index estimation unit 16 (calculation unit), a graph creation unit 17 (display control unit), a display unit 31, and a display switching unit 23 (display control unit). Of these, the energy data input unit 21, the extraction condition designation unit 22, and the display switching unit 23 may be configured as an input interface 20 that acquires information input by a user. The display unit 31 may be configured as an output interface 30 that outputs information handled by the energy saving effect display device 1 to the user.

The energy data input unit 21 receives energy data D1 (performance data) related to the past operating status of the target facility. The information related to the operating status of the target facility includes, for example, information related to the consumption status of energy required for the operation of the target facility, such as the amount of power consumed, the amount of steam consumed, the amount of fuel consumed, the unit price of electricity, the unit price of steam, and the unit price of fuel, as well as information related to the production status, such as the production volume of products manufactured by the operation of the target facility, and information related to the weather conditions, such as the temperature, when the target facility was operated. Therefore, the energy data D1 includes various data, such as the amount of power consumed, the amount of steam consumed, the amount of fuel consumed, the unit price of electricity, the unit price of steam, the unit price of fuel, the temperature, humidity, and the amount of production. The various data of the energy data D1 may affect the energy index D2. Hereinafter, one of the various data of the energy data D1 may be referred to as the "first energy data" (first performance data), and the other one, i.e., a type of data different from the "first energy data", may be referred to as the "second energy data" (second performance data).

The energy data input unit 21 receives, together with the energy data D1, date and time information indicating the date and time when the energy data D1 was acquired and history information indicating the implementation history of energy saving measures for the target facility when the energy data D1 was acquired. That is, the energy data D1 is input to the energy data input unit 21 in a state where it is associated with the date and time information and history information. The date and time information is information indicating the day or time period when the energy data D1 was acquired. The history information is information indicating whether or not energy saving measures were implemented for the target facility when the energy data D1 was acquired. The energy data D1 may be automatically input to the energy data input unit 21 from an external system, or may be manually input to the energy data input unit 21.

The energy data storage processing unit 11 performs a process of saving (storing) the energy data D1 input to the energy data input unit 21 in the energy database 12. The energy database 12 stores the input energy data D1 together with date and time information and history information. Therefore, the energy data D1 is stored in the energy database 12 in a state associated with the date and time information and history information.

The extraction condition designation unit 22 acquires conditions (extraction conditions) for extracting the energy data D1 to be finally displayed on the display unit 31 from the energy data D1 stored in the energy database 12. The designation of the extraction conditions is performed, for example, by a user. The extraction conditions may include designation of the period to be displayed on the display unit 31 and designation of the energy data D1 to be displayed on the display unit 31. The period to be displayed is designated, for example, in units of hours, days, weeks, months, or years, and is determined by designating the start and end points of the period. When a "period" is designated, the electricity unit price, steam unit price, fuel unit price, and temperature of the energy data D1 may each be expressed as an average value for the period. When the period is designated in months, the power consumption, steam consumption, fuel consumption, and production amount of the energy data D1 may each be expressed as an amount per month.

Screen example X shown in FIG. 2 is an example of a screen for specifying extraction conditions. As shown in FIG. 2, screen example X has items for specifying extraction conditions for each of "period" and "energy data". "Period" in screen example X has an item for specifying the start point of the "period" and an item for specifying the end point of the "period". In screen example X, any month selected by the user is input as the start point and end point of the "period". "Energy data" in screen example X has items for each type of energy data.

Each item of "energy data" in the screen example X shows monthly power consumption [kWh/month], monthly production volume [kWh/month], average temperature [°C], average electricity unit price [yen/kWh], and average fuel unit price [yen/Nm ³ ]. In addition to these, other types of energy data (e.g., steam consumption per month, etc.) may be shown in the "energy data" item in the screen example X. The items provided in the "energy data" in the screen example X may be arbitrarily selected by user input. In addition to the designation of "period" and "energy data", the screen example X may also be provided with the designation of "history information". In this case, the user may select whether or not to implement the energy policy in the "history information" item in the screen example X. In such a case, the history information does not need to be stored in the energy database 12.

Each "energy data" item in screen example X has a checkbox with "specify" or similar written in the input field. Each item is specified by checking or unchecking the checkbox. When a checkbox for a certain item is checked, the energy data D1 related to that item is subject to extraction. On the other hand, when a checkbox for a certain item is not checked, the energy data D1 related to that item is not subject to extraction. Therefore, the energy data D1 to be extracted can be switched depending on whether the checkbox is checked or unchecked. This makes it easy to switch between valid and invalid extraction conditions.

In the screen example X shown in FIG. 2, the check box of the item indicating the average fuel unit price is not checked, so the average fuel unit price of the energy data D1 is excluded from the extraction conditions. In this way, when the check box of a certain item is unchecked (i.e., when a certain item is excluded from the extraction conditions), the background color of the item (for example, the "value" column) may be changed. This allows the user to intuitively understand that the item is not used as an extraction condition. Also, as shown in the screen example X, the lower limit value and the upper limit value of the energy data D1 in the specified period may be displayed for each item of the energy data D1. Also, as shown in the screen example X, the number of months that match the extraction conditions specified by the user (shown as "corresponding months" in FIG. 2) may be displayed. The user can adjust (for example, relax or strengthen) the extraction conditions based on this information. In this way, the screen for specifying the extraction conditions may have a function of assisting the user in specifying the extraction conditions by displaying information that the user can refer to.

Referring again to FIG. 1. The energy data extraction unit 13 extracts energy data D1 that matches the extraction conditions specified by the extraction condition specification unit 22 from the energy data D1 stored in the energy database 12. The energy-saving measure implementation data extraction unit 14 further extracts energy data at the time of implementing the energy-saving measure (hereinafter referred to as "implementation energy data D11") from the energy data D1 extracted by the energy data extraction unit 13. Specifically, the energy-saving measure implementation data extraction unit 14 identifies the implementation energy data D11 from the energy data D1 extracted by the energy data extraction unit 13 by referring to history information associated with the energy data D1. Note that the energy data D1 includes not only the implementation energy data D11 but also energy data at the time the energy-saving measure is not implemented (hereinafter referred to as "non-implementation energy data D12").

The energy index calculation unit 15 obtains an energy index D2 (index data) for a period corresponding to the energy data D1 based on all the energy data D1 extracted by the energy data extraction unit 13. The energy index D2 is data related to the energy usage in the target facility and is used to evaluate energy saving measures. The energy index D2 includes various data such as energy usage, _CO2 emission, and energy cost. For example, when the extraction condition designation unit 22 designates the "period" in months, the energy usage, _CO2 emission, and energy cost may each be amounts per month. The energy usage may be the amount of energy required for one production unit (i.e., the amount of energy required to produce one product). Hereinafter, one of the various data of the energy index D2 may be referred to as a "first energy index" (first index data), and the other one, i.e., a type of data different from the "first energy index", may be referred to as a "second energy index" (second index data).

The energy index calculation unit 15 calculates an energy index D2 when an energy saving measure is implemented (hereinafter referred to as "actual value D21 of the energy index when implemented") based on the energy data D11 at the time of implementation, which is an actual value. The energy index calculation unit 15 also calculates an energy index D2 when an energy saving measure is not implemented (hereinafter referred to as "actual value D22 of the energy index when not implemented") based on the energy data at the time of non-implementation, which is an actual value.

On the other hand, the energy index estimation unit 16 obtains an estimated value D23 of the energy index when the energy saving measure is not implemented (non-implementation index data) based on the implementation energy data D11. As a result, based on the same implementation energy data D11, an estimated value D23 of the energy index when the measure is not implemented, which is the estimation result of the energy index estimation unit 16, is obtained in addition to the actual value D21 of the energy index when the measure is implemented, which is the calculation result of the energy index calculation unit 15. The energy index estimation unit 16, together with the energy index calculation unit 15, is configured as a calculation unit for calculating the energy index D2 based on the energy data D1.

Normally, the energy data D1 fluctuates according to the operating conditions of the target facility, so the implementation energy data D11 does not match the non-implementation energy data D12. Therefore, for one energy data D1, only one of the implementation energy index actual value D21 and the non-implementation energy index actual value D22 exists. In response to this, the energy index estimation unit 16 estimates and calculates the non-implementation energy index estimated value D23 based on the implementation energy data D11 that is the basis for the calculation of the implementation energy index actual value D21. As a result, for one implementation energy data D11, both the implementation energy index actual value D21 and the non-implementation energy index estimated value D23 exist. This makes it possible to compare the implementation energy index actual value D21 and the non-implementation energy index estimated value D23 for the common implementation energy data D11.

The energy saving effect display device 1 does not necessarily have to include the energy index estimation unit 16. For example, by setting an area in which energy saving measures are implemented and an area in which energy saving measures are not implemented within the target facility, it is possible to simultaneously obtain the energy data D11 at the time of implementation and the energy data D22 at the time of non-implementation under common operating conditions. In this case, the energy index calculation unit 15 can obtain the actual value D21 of the energy index at the time of implementation and the actual value D22 of the energy index at the time of non-implementation based on the common energy data D1, so that both the actual value D21 of the energy index at the time of implementation and the actual value D22 of the energy index at the time of non-implementation exist for the common energy data D1. In this case, it is possible to compare the actual value D21 of the energy index at the time of implementation and the actual value D22 of the energy index at the time of non-implementation for the common energy data D11.

The estimation process of the energy index estimation unit 16 will now be described with reference to Figures 3(a) and 3(b). The energy index estimation unit 16 uses the non-execution energy data and the non-execution energy index as learning data, and constructs an estimation model M by machine learning for calculating an estimated value D23 of the non-execution energy index based on the execution energy data D11. For example, supervised learning can be used as the machine learning. For example, supervised learning algorithms include neural networks including deep learning, decision trees, and support vector regression.

Fig. 3(a) conceptually illustrates the process during learning of the energy index estimation unit 16. As illustrated in Fig. 3(a), the energy index estimation unit 16 performs a learning process in which non-implementation energy data (e.g., power consumption, steam consumption, fuel consumption, electricity unit price, fuel unit price, temperature, production volume, etc.) are used as explanatory variables of teacher data, and non-implementation energy indexes (e.g., energy consumption, energy consumption per production, _CO2 emission, energy cost, etc.) are used as objective variables of teacher data, thereby constructing an estimation model M.

3B conceptually illustrates the process of the energy index estimation unit 16 during estimation. As shown in FIG. 3B, the energy index estimation unit 16 uses the constructed estimation model M to estimate the estimated value D23 of the non-execution energy index as a response variable from the explanatory variable based on the implementation energy data D11. In this way, the energy index estimation unit 16 calculates the estimated value D23 of the unknown non-execution energy index based on the known implementation energy data D11. As a result, both the actual value D21 of the implementation energy index and the estimated value D23 of the non-execution energy index are obtained for the common energy data D1. Note that the timing of the machine learning in FIG. 3A is arbitrary as long as it is before the result is displayed on the display unit 31 (i.e., before step S3 in FIG. 7 described later). For example, the estimation model M may be incorporated in the design stage of the energy-saving effect display device 1, or learning and re-learning may be performed each time during the execution of the energy-saving effect display device 1 while using the latest data.

Graph creation unit 17 shown in FIG. 1 creates one or more graphs (improvement effect information) to be displayed on display unit 31 based on the energy indices calculated by energy index calculation unit 15 and energy index estimation unit 16. Hereinafter, the first energy index when not being implemented is referred to as the first non-implementation energy index (first non-implementation index data), and the first energy index when being implemented is referred to as the first implementation energy index (first implementation index data). Also, the second energy index when not being implemented is referred to as the second non-implementation energy index (second non-implementation index data), and the second energy index when being implemented is referred to as the second implementation energy index (second implementation index data). In this case, the first non-implementation energy index and the second non-implementation energy index are different types from each other, and the first implementation energy index and the second implementation energy index correspond to the first non-implementation energy index and the second non-implementation energy index, respectively. In other words, the first implementation energy index is of the same type as the first non-implementation energy index, and the second implementation energy index is of the same type as the second non-implementation energy index.

The graph displayed on the display unit 31 shows the relationship between the first improvement effect data obtained based on the first non-implementation energy index and the first implementation energy index, and the second improvement effect data obtained based on the second non-implementation energy index and the second implementation energy index. The first improvement effect data and the second improvement effect data are data showing the improvement effect of the energy usage situation due to the implementation of the energy saving measure. For example, the first improvement effect data is data showing the difference between the first non-implementation energy index and the first implementation energy index, and the second improvement effect data is data showing the difference between the second non-implementation energy index and the second implementation energy index. The first improvement effect data may be data showing the ratio between the first non-implementation energy index and the first implementation energy index, and the second improvement effect data may be data showing the ratio between the second non-implementation energy index and the second implementation energy index.

The graph creation unit 17 outputs one or more graphs that have been created to the display unit 31, and causes the display unit 31 to display the output graphs. The graph creation unit 17, together with the display switching unit 23, is configured as a display control unit for controlling the content displayed on the display unit 31. The graph creation unit 17 may create an approximation equation that approximates the relationship between the first improvement effect data and the second improvement effect data. As a method for creating the approximation equation, any method may be adopted, such as power approximation, polynomial approximation, exponential approximation, linear approximation, logarithmic approximation, and moving average. In addition, the degree of the polynomial approximation when it is adopted is not particularly limited. The graph creation unit 17 may cause the display unit 31 to display the approximation equation and an approximation line indicated by the approximation equation together with the created graph.

The display unit 31 displays one or more graphs created by the graph creation unit 17 on the screen. The display switching unit 23 acquires instructions to switch and change the content and format displayed on the display unit 31. The instruction to switch the display content is given, for example, by a user. The display switching unit 23 instructs the display unit 31 to change the display content based on the content instructed by the user. The display switching unit 23 may have various functions to improve the visibility of the graph, such as a function to enlarge, reduce, and change the scale of the graph, or a function to switch between displaying and hiding the graph. Note that the energy-saving effect display device 1 does not need to have a display unit 31. In this case, the graph creation unit 17 may display the graph on a display unit such as an external display.

Next, examples of graphs displayed by the display unit 31 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 and 5. For example, the display unit 31 displays graph G1 shown in Figure 4 and graph G2 shown in Figure 5.

In the graph G1 of FIG. 4, the plot P1 shows the relationship between the "energy cost reduction amount" which is an example of the first improvement effect data and the "emission _CO2 reduction amount" which is an example of the second improvement effect data. The graph G1 is represented by a matrix arrangement with the "monthly energy cost reduction amount [yen]" in the column direction (horizontal axis) and the "monthly emission _CO2 reduction amount "t"" in the vertical direction (vertical axis). The "energy cost reduction amount" shows the difference between the estimated value D23 of the "energy cost" which is an example of the first non-implementation energy index and the actual value D21 of the "energy cost" which is an example of the first implementation energy index. The "emission _CO2 reduction amount" shows the difference between the estimated value D23 of the "emission _CO2 amount" which is an example of the second non-implementation energy index and the actual value D21 of the "emission _CO2 amount" which is an example of the second implementation energy index.

As shown in graph G1, it can be seen that there is a negative correlation between "energy cost reduction amount" and " _CO2 emission reduction amount". Specifically, the larger the "energy cost reduction amount", the smaller the " _CO2 emission reduction amount". In other words, the greater the effect of an energy-saving measure on "energy cost", the smaller the effect of the energy-saving measure on " _CO2 emission amount". Therefore, if the effect of an energy-saving measure on "energy cost" is increased, the effect of the energy-saving measure on " _CO2 emission amount" is conversely reduced. Furthermore, if the effect of an energy-saving measure on " _CO2 emission amount" is increased, the effect of the energy-saving measure on "energy cost" is conversely reduced. In this way, it can be seen that there is a trade-off between "energy cost reduction amount" and " _CO2 emission reduction amount".

The graph G1 also shows an approximation equation that approximates the relationship between the "energy cost reduction amount" and the "emission _CO2 reduction amount" with a polynomial, and an approximation line L1 shown by the approximation equation. The approximation line L1 is a straight line obtained by approximating the relationship between the "energy cost reduction amount" and the "emission _CO2 reduction amount" with a linear equation. In this way, when the approximation line L1 is approximated with a linear equation, the relationship between the "energy cost reduction amount" and the "emission _CO2 reduction amount" is quantitatively shown by the slope of the approximation line L1. In the example shown in the graph G1, the absolute value of the slope of the approximation line L1 is 0.00089, so the "energy cost" per ton of "emission _CO2 amount" can be converted to about 1,124 yen (≒1.0÷0.00089). This value can be used for investment decisions regarding the reduction of the emission _CO2 amount. For example, when introducing energy equipment with low _CO2 emissions, if the cost-effectiveness (i.e., investment cost divided by expected _CO2 emissions) is 1,124 yen or less, it is reasonable to invest in the energy equipment from the perspective of reducing _CO2 emissions. On the other hand, if the cost-effectiveness exceeds 1,124 yen, it is more reasonable to change the current energy policy while placing emphasis on reducing _CO2 emissions, rather than investing in the energy equipment.

In the graph G1, a straight line L2 corresponding to the reciprocal of the _CO2 price in the trading market [t/yen] is shown together with the approximation line L1. Since the straight line L2 shows the reciprocal of the _CO2 price, the greater the slope of the straight line L2, the lower the _CO2 price. Comparing the slope of the straight line L2 with the slope of the approximation line L1, the slope of the approximation line L1 is greater than the slope of the straight line L2, so it can be seen that the implementation of the energy-saving measures makes it possible to reduce the amount of CO2 _emissions at a lower price than the market _CO2 price. From this result, it can be seen that the implemented energy-saving measures are effective in terms of reducing the amount of _CO2 emissions. In this way, if there is information (for example, the approximation line L1 and the straight line L2, etc.) that is effective in evaluating the effect of the energy-saving measures, the information may be shown in addition to the graph G1.

On the other hand, in the graph G2 of FIG. 5, the plot P2 shows the relationship between the "energy cost reduction rate" which is another example of the first improvement effect data and the "emission _CO2 reduction rate" which is another example of the second improvement effect data. The graph G2 is represented by a matrix arrangement with the "monthly energy cost reduction rate [%]" in the column direction (horizontal axis) and the "monthly emission _CO2 reduction rate "%"" in the vertical direction (vertical axis). The "energy cost reduction rate" indicates the ratio between the estimated value D23 of the "energy cost" and the actual value D21 of the "energy cost". The "emission _CO2 reduction rate" indicates the ratio between the estimated value D23 of the "emission _CO2 amount" and the actual value D21 of the "emission _CO2 amount". From the graph G2, no correlation is seen between the "energy cost reduction rate" and the "emission _CO2 reduction rate". In addition, in the graph G2, information corresponding to the approximation line L1 and the straight line L2 may be written together, as in the graph G1.

The display unit 31 may simultaneously display the graphs G1 and G2 side by side on one screen, or may display the graphs G1 and G2 separately on different screens. When the display unit 31 displays the graphs G1 and G2 separately on different screens, the display unit 31 may be configured to switch between the screens using a button or the like. The display unit 31 may display graphs other than the graphs G1 and G2. For example, the display unit 31 may display a graph showing the relationship between "reduction in energy usage" and "energy cost reduction", which are other examples of the energy index D2, or may display a graph showing the relationship between "reduction in energy usage" and " _CO2 emission reduction". In this way, the type of the energy index D2 shown in the graph is not particularly limited.

[How to display energy saving effects]
Next, a method for displaying energy-saving effects using the energy-saving effect display device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 shows an example of a procedure for using the energy-saving effect display device 1.

First, the user starts the energy-saving effect display device 1 (step S1). Next, the user sets the extraction conditions for the energy data D1 using the extraction condition designation unit 22 (step S2). After that, the energy data D1 is extracted based on the set extraction conditions, and an energy index D2 is calculated based on the extracted energy data D1. Next, graphs G1 and G2 are created by the graph creation unit 17 based on the energy data D1 and the energy index D2, and the created graphs G1 and G2 are displayed on the display unit 31 (step S3). After that, the user stops the energy-saving effect display device 1 (step S4).

In the example shown in FIG. 6, the energy-saving effect display device 1 is started and stopped each time the graphs G1 and G2 are displayed on the display unit 31, but once the energy-saving effect display device 1 is started, it does not have to be stopped unless specifically required. In this case, energy data D1 may be input sequentially to the energy-saving effect display device 1, and the graphs G1 and G2 created based on the energy data D1 may be redrawn on the display unit 31 at regular intervals (e.g., every hour or every day). This type of configuration is particularly effective when the effects of energy-saving measures are displayed on a signage or large display.

[Hardware configuration]
Next, the hardware configuration of the energy-saving effect display device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the energy-saving effect display device 1. The energy-saving effect display device 1 includes one or more computers 100. The computer 100 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a main memory unit 102, an auxiliary memory unit 103, a communication control unit 104, an input device 105, and an output device 106. The energy-saving effect display device 1 is configured by one or more computers 100 configured by these hardware and software such as programs. When the energy-saving effect display device 1 is configured by multiple computers 100, these computers 100 may be connected locally or may be connected via a communication network such as the Internet or an intranet. By this connection, one energy-saving effect display device 1 is logically constructed.

The CPU 101 executes an operating system, application programs, and the like. The main memory unit 102 is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The auxiliary memory unit 103 is a storage medium composed of a hard disk, a flash memory, and the like. The auxiliary memory unit 103 generally stores a larger amount of data than the main memory unit 102. At least a part of each unit constituting the energy-saving effect display device 1 is realized by the auxiliary memory unit 103. The communication control unit 104 is composed of a network card or a wireless communication module. At least a part of each unit constituting the energy-saving effect display device 1 may be realized by the communication control unit 104. The input device 105 is composed of a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, and a microphone for voice input, and the like. For example, at least a part of the input interface 20 is realized by the input device 105. The output device 106 is composed of a display, a printer, and the like. At least a part of the output interface 30 is realized by the output device 106. For example, the output device 106 may display data output by the output interface 30 on a display or the like.

The auxiliary storage unit 103 stores the program 110 and data necessary for processing in advance. The program 110 causes the computer 100 to execute each functional element of the energy-saving effect display device 1. The program 110 causes, for example, the processing related to steps S1 to S4 described above to be executed in the computer 100. For example, the program 110 is read by the CPU 101 or the main storage unit 102, and operates at least one of the CPU 101, the main storage unit 102, the auxiliary storage unit 103, the communication control unit 104, the input device 105, and the output device 106. For example, the program 110 reads and writes data in the main storage unit 102 and the auxiliary storage unit 103. The program 110 may be provided after being recorded on a tangible recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or a semiconductor memory. The program 110 may be provided via a communication network as a data signal.

[Action and Effect]
The effects of the energy-saving effect display device 1, the energy-saving effect display method, and the energy-saving effect display program described above will be described. In this embodiment, the graphs G1 and G2 are displayed on the display unit 31. The user can evaluate the effect of the energy-saving measures by referring to the displayed graphs G1 and G2. As described above, referring to the graph G1 in FIG. 4, it can be seen that the "energy cost reduction amount" and the "emission CO ₂ reduction amount" are in a trade-off relationship. From this result, the user can understand how the changes in the different types of energy indexes D2 affect each other. Specifically, the user can understand that the change in the "energy cost" affects the change in the "emission CO ₂ ", and specifically, that the greater the effect of the energy-saving measures on the "energy cost", the smaller the effect of the energy-saving measures on the "emission CO ₂ amount". In this way, the user can analyze in detail the factors of the change in the "energy cost" and the factors of the change in the "energy cost" from the result of the graph G1. As a result, the user can accurately evaluate the effect of the energy-saving measures. This enables the user to thoroughly consider the continuation of the energy-saving measures and the effect of investing in the energy-saving measures, based on the evaluation results of the energy-saving measures.

In this embodiment, the graph G1 shows the relationship between the "energy cost reduction amount" which is the difference between the estimated value D23 of the "energy cost" and the actual value D21 of the "energy cost", and the "emission _CO2 amount" which is the difference between the estimated value D23 of the "emission _CO2 amount" and the actual value D21 of the "emission _CO2 amount". In this case, the user can quantitatively grasp the relationship between the "energy cost reduction amount" and the "emission _CO2 reduction amount", and therefore can analyze the factors of the change in the "energy cost reduction amount" and the factors of the change in the "emission _CO2 reduction amount" in more detail. As a result, the user can more accurately evaluate the effect of the energy saving measures.

In this embodiment, the graph creation unit 17 displays the approximation line L1 together with the graph G1 on the display unit 31. In this case, the user can easily grasp the relationship between the "energy cost reduction amount" and the " _CO2 emission reduction amount", which makes it easier to evaluate the effect of the energy saving measures.

[Modification]
As described above, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

For example, in the above embodiment, the case where graphs G1 and G2 are displayed on the display unit has been described, but the improvement effect information displayed on the display unit is not limited to a graph format. For example, the improvement effect information may be shown in other data formats such as a table format, or may be shown as text including numerical descriptions of the improvement effect. Also, graphs other than graphs G1 and G2 may be displayed on the display unit. Also, the type of energy data is not limited to the above examples. For example, water may be considered as energy, and "water bill" and "water usage" may be included in the energy data.

In the above-described embodiment, the display unit may highlight, for each graph G1, G2, only the plots corresponding to the current month (or, in some embodiments, day, week, hour, or year, etc.) by coloring, etc. This makes it easier to understand the effect of energy saving in the most recent operation. In addition, the display unit may also display, for each graph G1, G2, information on the uncertainty of the estimated value of the non-implementation energy index (for example, a width of ±3σ (standard deviation)).

In the above-described embodiment, the target facility has been described mainly assuming a factory, but the target facility may be a general commercial facility, a hospital facility, an accommodation facility, or a transportation facility. If the target facility is a commercial facility, the energy data may include floor area x business hours, and total working hours of employees. If the target facility is a hospital facility or an accommodation facility, the energy data may include the number of hospitalized patients and the number of overnight guests. If the target facility is a transportation facility, the energy data may include fuel consumption, transportation volume (e.g., weight of goods), transportation distance, and transportation time.

In the above-described embodiment, the energy-saving measures are not necessarily limited to organizational operation rules. For example, the energy-saving measures may be the introduction of specific energy equipment or the modification of a control program. For example, when a battery charge/discharge program is modified, the energy-saving effect display device, the energy-saving effect display method, and the energy-saving effect display program according to the present disclosure can be used to evaluate the effect of the modification on the energy indicators of the entire factory, such as operating costs.

Many energy-saving measures are centered on cost reduction, and for example, in Patent Document 3, only cost is evaluated. However, in recent years, from the viewpoint of preventing global warming, companies are required to make further efforts to reduce the amount of _CO2 emissions. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the improvement effect of energy-saving measures can be evaluated from multiple angles, not only in terms of cost but also in terms of the amount of _CO2 emissions, and therefore, this contributes to Goal 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) led by the United Nations, "take urgent measures to mitigate climate change and its impacts." Therefore, the energy-saving effect display device 1, the energy-saving effect display method, and the energy-saving effect display program according to this embodiment are superior to Patent Document 3 and the like from this viewpoint as well.

1 Energy saving effect display device 15 Energy index calculation unit (calculation unit)
16 Energy index estimation unit (calculation unit)
17 Graph creation unit (display control unit)
23 Display switching unit (display control unit)
31 Display unit 100 Computer D1 Energy data (performance data)
D2 Energy Index (Index Data)
D21 Actual value of energy index at the time of implementation (indicator data at the time of implementation)
D22 Actual value of energy index when not implemented (indicator data when not implemented)
D23 Estimated non-implementation energy index (non-implementation index data)
G1, G2 graph (improvement effect information)
L1 Approximation line

Claims (5)

a calculation unit that calculates, based on performance data on past operating conditions of a target facility, first implementation-time index data and second implementation-time index data that are different in type and include information on energy usage conditions in the target facility when an energy-saving measure is implemented, and first non-implementation-time index data and second non-implementation-time index data that include information on energy usage conditions in the target facility when the energy-saving measure is not implemented and correspond to the first implementation-time index data and the second implementation-time index data, respectively;
a display control unit that causes a display unit to display improvement effect information indicating a relationship between first improvement effect data that indicates an improvement effect due to the implementation of the energy-saving measure, the first improvement effect data being obtained based on the first implementation-time index data and the first non-implementation-time index data, and second improvement effect data that indicates an improvement effect due to the implementation of the energy-saving measure, the second improvement effect data being obtained based on the second implementation-time index data and the second non-implementation-time index data;
An energy saving effect display device comprising: the first improvement effect data is data indicating a difference between the first non-implementation index data and the first implementation index data,
The energy-saving effect display device according to claim 1 , wherein the second improvement effect data is data indicating a difference between the second non-implementation index data and the second implementation index data. The energy-saving effect display device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display control unit causes the display unit to display an approximation formula that approximates the relationship between the first improvement effect data and the second improvement effect data together with the improvement effect information. determining, based on performance data relating to past operating conditions of a target facility, first implementation-time index data and second implementation-time index data which are different in type from each other and which include information relating to energy usage conditions in the target facility when an energy-saving measure is being implemented, and first non-implementation-time index data and second non-implementation-time index data which include information relating to energy usage conditions in the target facility when the energy-saving measure is not being implemented and which correspond to the first implementation-time index data and the second implementation-time index data, respectively;
displaying, on a display unit, improvement effect information indicating a relationship between first improvement effect data, which is obtained based on the first implementation-time index data and the first non-implementation-time index data and indicates an improvement effect due to the implementation of the energy-saving measure, and second improvement effect data, which is obtained based on the second implementation-time index data and the second non-implementation-time index data and indicates an improvement effect due to the implementation of the energy-saving measure;
A method for displaying energy saving effects, including: determining, based on performance data relating to past operating conditions of a target facility, first implementation-time index data and second implementation-time index data which are different in type from each other and which include information relating to energy usage conditions in the target facility when an energy-saving measure is being implemented, and first non-implementation-time index data and second non-implementation-time index data which include information relating to energy usage conditions in the target facility when the energy-saving measure is not being implemented and which correspond to the first implementation-time index data and the second implementation-time index data, respectively;
displaying, on a display unit, improvement effect information indicating a relationship between first improvement effect data, which is obtained based on the first implementation-time index data and the first non-implementation-time index data and indicates an improvement effect due to the implementation of the energy-saving measure, and second improvement effect data, which is obtained based on the second implementation-time index data and the second non-implementation-time index data and indicates an improvement effect due to the implementation of the energy-saving measure;
An energy saving effect display program that causes a computer to execute the above.

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