JP7803261B2 - power management device - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a power management device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a power management method in which a surplus power value indicating the amount of surplus power supplied to the power grid from a power generation device corresponding to user identification information is input, and in response to a power supply inquiry from a user, power equal to or less than the amount indicated by the accumulated value of surplus power is supplied as non-chargeable power.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-061429

In light of the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in response to global warming in recent years, there is a desire to curb the use of fossil fuels and promote the use of renewable energy sources that place less strain on the global environment.

The purpose of this invention is to reduce the use of fossil fuels and promote the use of renewable energy.

A power management device according to the present disclosure includes:
A power management device that associates an amount of surplus power obtained by subtracting an amount of power used at a user's home from a total amount of power generated by a renewable energy power generation facility installed at the user's home and registers the amount of surplus power, and virtually supplies part or all of the registered amount of surplus power to a location other than the user's home for charging a vehicle of the user,
The system includes a control unit that calculates the difference between the amount of supplied electricity charged to the vehicle at a location other than the home per unit period and the amount of surplus electricity, and when it is determined that the amount of surplus electricity exceeds the amount of supplied electricity, allows the user to choose whether to carry over the difference as the amount of surplus electricity for the next unit period or to convert the difference into cash, and when it is determined that the amount of supplied electricity exceeds the amount of surplus electricity, requests the user to pay the difference, calculates the proportion of the amount of supplied electricity that is accounted for by the amount of surplus electricity, and notifies the user of the calculated proportion.

This disclosure will reduce the use of fossil fuels and promote the use of renewable energy.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a power management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a power management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

One embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In each figure, identical or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, descriptions of identical or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

The configuration of the system 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1.

The system 10 according to this embodiment includes a power management device 200, a home 100 of a user U1, at least one vehicle 410, a facility 300, and a power transmission network 600. The system 10 may further include a vehicle management device 400 and a power generation management device 700.

The power management device 200 can communicate with the user U1's home 100, vehicle 410, and facility 300 via a network 500 such as the Internet. The power management device 200 may also be able to communicate with the vehicle management device 400 and power generation management device 700 via the network 500. The vehicle management device 400 may also be able to communicate with the vehicle 410 via the network 500.

The power management device 200 is installed in a facility such as a data center and operated by a power manager who manages the system 10. The power management device 200 is, for example, a computer such as a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system. In this embodiment, the power management device 200 is, for example, an EMS. "EMS" is an abbreviation for Energy Management System. The power management device 200 may be installed in a management room of the system 10 and used by the power manager. Alternatively, the power management device 200 installed in the management room of the system 10 may be shared by two or more power managers. In this embodiment, the power management device 200 registers the surplus energy E1 generated at the home 100 of user U1, linking it to user U1. The power management device 200 controls the virtual supply of some or all of the registered surplus energy E1 to charging the user U1's vehicle 410 at a location other than the home 100, such as a facility 300.

User U1's home 100 is equipped with a charging facility 110 and a power generation facility 120. In this embodiment, the charging facility 110 is any charging facility capable of charging the vehicle 410. Charging facilities 110 include, for example, standard charging facilities such as pole-type chargers, rapid charging facilities, and V2H chargers and dischargers. "V2H" is an abbreviation for Vehicle to Home. The power generation facility 120 is, for example, a renewable energy power generation device such as a solar panel. The electricity generated by the power generation facility 120 is used to charge the vehicle 410 via the charging facility 110 and to power electrical appliances in the home 100.

The facility 300 is any commercial facility such as a store, restaurant, hall, amusement park, or office. The facility 300 is equipped with any charging equipment 310 capable of charging the vehicle 410. The charging equipment 310 includes, for example, standard charging equipment such as a pole-type charger, rapid charging equipment, and a V2H charger/discharger.

Vehicle 410 is any type of automobile that uses electricity for at least part of its propulsion, such as an HEV, PHEV, BEV, or FCEV. "HEV" is an abbreviation for hybrid electric vehicle. "PHEV" is an abbreviation for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. "BEV" is an abbreviation for battery electric vehicle. "FCEV" is an abbreviation for fuel cell electric vehicle. In this embodiment, vehicle 410 is an automobile, but it may also be a MaaS-only vehicle. Vehicle 410 may also be an AV with any level of automated driving. "AV" is an abbreviation for autonomous vehicle. The level of automation is, for example, any of levels 1 to 5 in the SAE classification. "SAE" is an abbreviation for Society of Automotive Engineers. The number of vehicles 410 included in system 10 may be determined arbitrarily.

The vehicle management device 400 communicates with the vehicle 410 and receives various types of information from the vehicle 410. The various types of information include information indicating the charging status of the vehicle 410. The information indicating the charging status of the vehicle 410 includes, for example, information indicating the date, time, location, and amount of charge when the vehicle 410 was charged. The vehicle management device 400 may transmit vehicle control software to the vehicle 410 that controls the vehicle 410. The vehicle control software may include supply control software that controls operations related to supplying power to (i.e., charging) the vehicle 410.

The power generation management device 700 is installed at a power generation facility 720. In this embodiment, the power generation facility 720 is equipped with renewable energy power generation equipment 710, such as solar panels, and generates renewable energy.

Network 500 includes the Internet, at least one WAN, at least one MAN, or a combination thereof. "WAN" is an abbreviation for wide area network. "MAN" is an abbreviation for metropolitan area network. Network 500 may include at least one wireless network, at least one optical network, or a combination thereof. A wireless network may be, for example, an ad hoc network, a cellular network, a wireless LAN, a satellite communication network, or a terrestrial microwave network. "LAN" is an abbreviation for local area network.

In system 10, power transmission network 600 is connected to the power company's power grid and distributes grid power. Power transmission network 600 may be part of the power grid. User U1's home 100, at least one vehicle 410, facility 300, and power generation facility 720 are supplied with grid power directly or indirectly via power transmission network 600. Meanwhile, surplus power at user U1's home 100 is supplied to power transmission network 600. Specifically, power generation equipment 120 installed at home 100 is connected to the power company's power grid. All or part of the power generated by power generation equipment 120 is supplied to power transmission network 600 as surplus power. In this way, the flow of surplus power generated by a grid-connected power generation facility back to the grid is referred to as "reverse power flow." Furthermore, power generated at power generation facility 720 may be supplied to power transmission network 600. The power flowed back from home 100 or the power supplied from power generation facility 720 flows through power transmission network 600. The power flowing through power transmission network 600 is used by, for example, a third party who purchases power from the power company that manages power transmission network 600.

In this embodiment, "surplus electricity" refers to the remaining electricity that is not used at user U1's home 100 out of the total amount of electricity generated by the power generation equipment 120 at user U1's home 100. The amount of electricity used at user U1's home 100 includes the amount used by user U1 to charge his vehicle 410 using the charging equipment 110. The "surplus electricity" at user U1's home 100 can be calculated by subtracting the amount of electricity used at home 100 from the total amount of electricity generated by the power generation equipment 120.

In this embodiment, "renewable energy" refers generally to energy derived from solar, geophysical, or biological sources that is replenished by nature at a rate greater than it can be utilized. "Renewable energy" refers to energy derived from energy resources that are constantly replenished by natural forces, such as sunlight, wind, wave/tidal power, flowing water/tides, geothermal heat, or biomass. "Renewable energy sources" include, for example, sunlight, wind, hydroelectric power, geothermal heat, solar heat, atmospheric heat, and other heat or biomass present in nature.

An overview of this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 1.

From the perspective of protecting the global environment, many users want to use renewable energy as much as possible to charge their vehicles, etc. Furthermore, the widespread adoption of renewable energy requires increased adoption by companies and local communities. Furthermore, the role of large-scale fossil fuel power generation facilities is expected to shrink, and the role of renewable energy is expected to become even greater in the future. Therefore, there is great social significance in promoting the use of renewable energy.

In the system 10 according to this embodiment, surplus power at the home 100 of user U1 is reverse-flowed to the power transmission network 600. The power management device 200 registers the amount of surplus power E1 that is reverse-flowed from the home 100 of user U1, linking it to user U1. The power management device 200 then virtually supplies some or all of the amount of surplus power E1 that is registered and linked to user U1 for charging the vehicle 410 of user U1 at a location other than the home 100.

In this embodiment, "virtually supplying" means that when user U1 charges vehicle 410 at a location other than home 100, the amount of supplied energy E2 used for charging is offset with the amount of surplus energy E1 registered and linked to user U1, so that part or all of the amount of surplus energy E1 is treated as the amount of supplied energy E2 used to charge user U1's vehicle 410.

In this embodiment, when the amount of supplied power E2 charged to user U1's vehicle 410 exceeds the amount of surplus power E1 registered in association with user U1, the difference d1 is compensated for by power supplied from the power transmission network 600. In this embodiment, the grid power supplied from the power transmission network 600 is assumed to be non-renewable energy, such as electricity generated using fossil fuels.

In this embodiment, the power management device 200 calculates the difference d1 between the amount of supplied energy E2 and the amount of surplus energy E1 charged to the vehicle 410 at a location other than the user U1's home 100 per unit period P1. The unit period P1 can be any period, such as one day, one month, or one year. If the power management device 200 determines that the amount of surplus energy E1 exceeds the amount of supplied energy E2, it prompts the user U1 to choose whether to carry over the difference d1 as the amount of surplus energy E1' for the next unit period P2 or to cash out the difference d1. On the other hand, if it determines that the amount of supplied energy E2 exceeds the amount of surplus energy E1, the power management device 200 requests payment from the user U1 corresponding to the difference d1, calculates the proportion R1 of the amount of supplied energy E2 that the surplus energy E1 accounts for, and notifies the user U1 of the calculated proportion R1.

As described above, according to this embodiment, if the surplus energy amount E1 exceeds the supplied energy amount E2 per unit period P1, user U1 can choose to carry over the difference d1 as the surplus energy amount E1' for the next unit period P2 or convert it into cash. This increases user U1's flexibility in utilizing the surplus energy amount E1. On the other hand, if the supplied energy amount E2 exceeds the surplus energy amount E1 per unit period P1, user U1 incurs a burden, such as a payment corresponding to the difference d1. This is thought to provide user U1 with an incentive to ensure that the supplied energy amount E2 does not exceed the surplus energy amount E1. Furthermore, user U1 is notified of the proportion R1 of the supplied energy amount E2 that the surplus energy amount E1 accounts for. In other words, user U1 is notified of the proportion of renewable energy that the supplied energy amount E2 used by user U1 to charge the vehicle 410 is notified. Therefore, for example, user U1 can easily set a goal to increase the proportion R1 of surplus energy E1, which is renewable energy, in the total amount of supplied energy E2. To increase proportion R1, user U1 can, for example, increase surplus energy E1 or reduce the amount of supplied energy E2. User U1 can increase surplus energy E1 by, for example, conserving the electricity used at home 100. User U1 can also reduce the amount of supplied energy E2 by driving vehicle 410 in an efficient manner. If the proportion R1 of surplus energy E1 in the total amount of supplied energy E2 increases and the difference d1 decreases, the amount of energy supplied from the grid to compensate for the difference d1 also decreases. This reduces the use of grid electricity, which uses fossil fuels. As a result, the use of fossil fuels is reduced and the use of renewable energy is promoted.

The configuration of the power management device 200 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2.

The power management device 200 includes a control unit 201, a memory unit 202, and a communication unit 203.

The control unit 201 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination of these. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. "CPU" is an abbreviation for central processing unit. "GPU" is an abbreviation for graphics processing unit. An example of a programmable circuit is an FPGA. "FPGA" is an abbreviation for field-programmable gate array. An example of a dedicated circuit is an ASIC. "ASIC" is an abbreviation for application specific integrated circuit. The control unit 201 controls each component of the power management device 200 and executes processing related to the operation of the power management device 200.

The memory unit 202 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or any combination thereof. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM or ROM. "RAM" is an abbreviation for random access memory. "ROM" is an abbreviation for read only memory. RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. "SRAM" is an abbreviation for static random access memory. "DRAM" is an abbreviation for dynamic random access memory. ROM is, for example, EEPROM. "EEPROM" is an abbreviation for electrically erasable programmable read only memory. The memory unit 202 functions as, for example, a main memory device, an auxiliary memory device, or a cache memory. The memory unit 202 stores data used in the operation of the power management device 200 and data obtained by the operation of the power management device 200.

In this embodiment, a power management database DB1 is constructed in the storage unit 202. The power management database DB1 is a database that stores information about the power usage of multiple users, including user U1, for each unit period. Specifically, the power management database DB includes information about the power usage of multiple users, such as information indicating the amount of surplus power registered in association with each user, and information indicating the amount of supplied power used by each user to charge their own vehicle at a location other than their home in each unit period. In the power management database DB, the information indicating the amount of surplus power and the amount of supplied power for each user is registered in association with each user's identification information. Each user's identification information may be, for example, the user's name, telephone number, or the license plate number of the vehicle they own.

The communication unit 203 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface. The communication unit 203 receives data used in the operation of the power management device 200 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the power management device 200. In this embodiment, the communication unit 203 communicates with the home 100, the vehicle 410, and the facility 300. The communication unit 203 may also communicate with the vehicle management device 400 and the power generation management device 700.

The functions of the power management apparatus 200 are realized by executing a program according to this embodiment on a processor acting as the control unit 201. That is, the functions of the power management apparatus 200 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operations of the power management apparatus 200, causing the computer to function as the power management apparatus 200. That is, the computer functions as the power management apparatus 200 by executing the operations of the power management apparatus 200 in accordance with the program.

The program can be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include flash memory, magnetic recording devices, optical disks, magneto-optical recording media, and ROM. The program can be distributed by selling, transferring, or lending portable media such as SD cards, DVDs, or CD-ROMs that store the program. "SD" is an abbreviation for Secure Digital. "DVD" is an abbreviation for digital versatile disc. "CD-ROM" is an abbreviation for compact disc read only memory. The program can also be distributed by storing it in server storage and transferring it from the server to other computers. The program can also be provided as a program product.

A computer temporarily stores a program stored on a portable medium or transferred from a server in its main memory. The computer then reads the program stored in its main memory with its processor and executes processing in accordance with the read program. The computer may also read the program directly from the portable medium and execute processing in accordance with the program. The computer may also execute processing in accordance with the received program each time a program is transferred from the server to the computer. Processing may also be executed by a so-called ASP-type service that achieves functionality by issuing execution instructions and obtaining results without transferring the program from the server to the computer. "ASP" is an abbreviation for application service provider. A program is information used for processing by a computer, and includes anything equivalent to a program. For example, data that is not a direct instruction to a computer but has properties that define computer processing falls under the category of "something equivalent to a program."

Some or all of the functions of the power management device 200 may be implemented by a programmable circuit or dedicated circuit serving as the control unit 201. In other words, some or all of the functions of the power management device 200 may be implemented by hardware.

The operation of the power management device 200 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 3. This operation corresponds to the power management method according to this embodiment.

In step S1, the control unit 201 of the power management device 200 acquires surplus energy data D1. The surplus energy data D1 is information indicating the surplus energy E1 per unit period P1. The surplus energy E1 is the amount of energy Ez obtained by subtracting the amount of energy Ey used at user U1's home 100 from the total amount of energy Ex generated by the renewable energy power generation equipment 120 installed at user U1's home 100 per unit period P1. As described above, in this embodiment, the amount of energy Ey used at user U1's home 100 includes the amount of energy used by user U1 to charge the vehicle 410 using the charging equipment 110. In this embodiment, the amount of energy Ez is reverse-flowed from home 100 to the power transmission network 600. The power management device 200 detects this reverse-flowed amount of energy Ez and registers it in the power management database DB as surplus energy E1, linking it to user U1's identification information. The surplus energy data D1 may be acquired using any procedure, but in this embodiment, it is acquired using the following procedure.

The control unit 201 of the power management device 200 acquires the identification information of user U1. The control unit 201 uses the acquired identification information of user U1 as a query to search the power management database DB constructed in the memory unit 202, thereby extracting the amount of surplus energy E1 registered in association with user U1 during the unit period P1. The control unit 201 acquires information indicating the extracted amount of surplus energy E1 as surplus energy data D1. The power management database DB may be constructed, for example, on an external cloud server instead of being constructed in the memory unit 202. The control unit 201 of the power management device 200 may access the external cloud server via the communication unit 203, and acquire, as surplus energy data D1, information indicating the amount of surplus energy E1 during the unit period P1 from the amount of surplus energy extracted using the identification information of user U1 as a query. Alternatively, the control unit 201 may communicate with the home 100 via the communication unit 203 and directly receive information indicating the amount of surplus energy E1 generated at the home 100 during the unit period P1 as surplus energy amount data D1 from the home 100.

In step S2, the control unit 201 of the power management device 200 acquires the power supply amount data D2. The power supply amount data D2 is information indicating the amount of power supply E2 per unit period P1. The amount of power supply E2 is the amount of power Ep charged to the vehicle 410 at a location other than the home 100 of user U1 per unit period P1. The power management device 200 detects the amount of power Ep charged to the vehicle 410 from the charging equipment 310 of each facility 300, and registers this as the amount of power supply E2 in the power management database DB, linking it to the identification information of user U1. The power supply amount data D2 may be acquired using any procedure, but in this embodiment, it is acquired using the following procedure.

The control unit 201 of the power management device 200 searches the power management database DB constructed in the memory unit 202 using the identification information of user U1 acquired in step S1 as a query to extract the amount of supplied power E2 registered in association with user U1 for the unit period P1. The control unit 201 acquires information indicating the extracted amount of supplied power E2 as supplied power amount data D2. Alternatively, if the power management database DB is constructed on an external cloud server, the control unit 201 of the power management device 200 may access the external cloud server via the communication unit 203 and acquire, from the amount of supplied power extracted using the identification information of user U1 as a query, information indicating the amount of supplied power E2 for the unit period P1 as supplied power amount data D2. Alternatively, the control unit 201 may communicate with the vehicle management device 400 via the communication unit 203 and directly receive information indicating the amount of electricity charged to the vehicle 410 at a location other than the user U1's home 100 during the unit period P1 from the vehicle management device 400 as supplied electricity amount data D2.

In step S3, the control unit 201 of the power management device 200 calculates the difference d1 between the amount of surplus energy E1 indicated by the surplus energy data D1 acquired in step S1 and the amount of supplied energy E2 indicated by the supplied energy data D2 acquired in step S2. The difference d1 may be calculated using any procedure, but for example, it is calculated by subtracting the amount of supplied energy E2 from the amount of surplus energy E1.

In step S4, the control unit 201 of the power management device 200 determines whether the surplus energy E1 indicated by the surplus energy data D1 acquired in step S1 exceeds the supplied energy E2 indicated by the supplied energy data D2 acquired in step S2. Specifically, the control unit 201 makes this determination by comparing the surplus energy E1 with the supplied energy E2. For example, if the difference d1 is calculated in step S3 by subtracting the supplied energy E2 from the surplus energy E1, the control unit 201 may determine that the surplus energy E1 exceeds the supplied energy E2 if the calculated difference d1 is a positive value. If it is determined in step S4 that the surplus energy E1 exceeds the supplied energy E2, the process proceeds to step S5.

In step S5, the control unit 201 of the power management device 200 prompts the user U1 to select whether to carry over the difference d1 as surplus energy E1' for the unit period P2 that follows the unit period P1, or to cash out the difference d1. For example, the control unit 201 creates a message inquiring the user U1 as to whether to carry over the difference d1 as surplus energy E1' for the next unit period P2, or to cash out the difference d1. The control unit 201 transmits the created message to the terminal device of the user U1 via the communication unit 203. The terminal device of the user U1 receives the message from the power management device 200 and outputs the received message to an output unit such as a display. Alternatively, the terminal device may output the contents of the message as audio from a speaker that corresponds to the output unit. The terminal device accepts the operation to make the selection made by the user U1 via the input unit. As an example, when user U1 touches the displayed "Carryover" button on a touchscreen serving as an input unit of the terminal device, the terminal device accepts this operation as an operation by user U1 to select to carry over the difference d1 as the surplus energy amount E1' for the next unit period P2. Similarly, when user U1 touches the displayed "Cash Out" button on a touchscreen serving as an input unit of the terminal device, the terminal device accepts this operation as an operation by user U1 to select to cash out the difference d1. Instead of touching the touchscreen, user U1 may input voice commands via a microphone serving as an input unit of the terminal device. If user U1 selects in step S5 to carry over the difference d1 as the surplus energy amount E1' for the next unit period P2, the process of step S6 is performed.

In step S6, the control unit 201 of the power management device 200 performs carryover processing. The carryover processing may be performed using any procedure, but in this embodiment, it is performed using the following procedure, for example.

In the first step of the carryover process, the control unit 201 of the power management device 200 calculates the amount of power corresponding to the absolute value of the difference d1 calculated in step S3 as the carryover power amount E3. The carryover power amount E3 may be calculated using any procedure, for example, the following procedure. As an example, the control unit 201 may calculate the absolute value of the difference d1 as the corresponding carryover power amount E3. However, renewable energy has the characteristic that the amount of power generated fluctuates depending on the natural environment, such as weather conditions, and the market value of renewable energy fluctuates depending on, for example, the weather. Therefore, the control unit 201 may calculate the carryover power amount E3 by taking into account fluctuations in market value due to, for example, the weather. As an example, the control unit 201 may predict the weather for the unit period P2 and calculate the amount of power corresponding to the absolute value of the difference d1 based on the predicted weather. The weather for the unit period P2 may be predicted using any procedure, for example, the following procedure. The control unit 201 receives information indicating the weather forecast for the unit period P2 from an external server via the communication unit 203 and the network 500, and predicts the weather for the unit period P2 based on the received information indicating the weather forecast. For example, if cloudy or rainy weather is predicted for the unit period P2, the control unit 201 may calculate a value smaller than the absolute value of the difference d1 as the carryover energy amount E3, for example, by multiplying the absolute value of the difference d1 by a predetermined coefficient.

In the second step of the carryover process, the control unit 201 of the power management device 200 links the carryover energy amount E3 calculated in the first step of the carryover process to user U1 and registers it as part of the surplus energy amount E1' for the unit period P2 following unit period P1. For example, the control unit 201 links the carryover energy amount E3 to the identification information of user U1 and registers it in a power management database DB constructed in the memory unit 202 or an external cloud server.

On the other hand, if user U1 selects to cash out the difference d1 in step S5 described above, processing proceeds to step S7.

In step S7, the control unit 201 of the power management device 200 performs a cash conversion process. The cash conversion process may be performed using any procedure, but in this embodiment, it is performed using the following procedure, for example.

In the first step of the cash conversion process, the control unit 201 of the power management device 200 calculates a monetary value V1 corresponding to the absolute value of the difference d1 calculated in step S3. The monetary value V1 corresponding to the absolute value of the difference d1 may be calculated using any procedure, but for example, it can be calculated based on the market value of renewable energy over the unit period P1.

In the second step of the cashing process, the control unit 201 of the power management apparatus 200 notifies user U1 of the refund of the monetary value V1 calculated in the first step of the cashing process. Specifically, the control unit 201 creates a message informing user U1 that the monetary value V1 will be refunded. The control unit 201 may include an inquiry about the refund method in the message. The control unit 201 sends the created message to user U1's terminal device via the communication unit 203. User U1's terminal device receives the message from the power management apparatus 200 and outputs the received message to an output unit such as a display. Alternatively, the terminal device may output the contents of the message as audio from a speaker corresponding to the output unit.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S4 above that the surplus energy amount E1 does not exceed the supplied energy amount E2, i.e., if it is determined that the supplied energy amount E2 exceeds the surplus energy amount E1, processing proceeds to step S8.

In step S8, the control unit 201 of the power management device 200 requests payment from user U1 corresponding to the difference d1. Specifically, the control unit 201 calculates a monetary value V2 corresponding to the absolute value of the difference d1 calculated in step S3. The monetary value V2 corresponding to the difference d1 may be calculated using any procedure, but for example, it may be calculated based on the market value of renewable energy over the unit period P1. The control unit 201 creates a message prompting payment of the calculated monetary value V2 and transmits the created message to user U1's terminal device via the communication unit 203. User U1's terminal device receives the message from the power management device 200 and outputs the received message to an output unit such as a display. Alternatively, the terminal device may output the contents of the message as audio from a speaker corresponding to the output unit.

As a variation of this embodiment, if it is determined in step S4 that the amount of supplied energy E2 exceeds the amount of surplus energy E1, the control unit 201 of the power management device 200 may determine whether the absolute value of the difference d1 is less than a threshold. If it is determined that the absolute value of the difference d1 is less than the threshold, the control unit 201 may prompt the user U1 in step S8 to choose between making a payment corresponding to the difference d1 or carrying over the difference d1 as the amount of surplus energy E1' for the unit period P2 following the unit period P1. If the user U1 selects carrying over the difference d1, the control unit 201 may register the amount of energy corresponding to the absolute value of the difference d1 as a minus of the amount of surplus energy E1' for the unit period P2. The amount of energy corresponding to the absolute value of the difference d1 may be calculated using any procedure, but may be calculated, for example, using a procedure similar to the procedure for calculating the amount of carried-over energy E3 in the first step of the carry-over process described above. This configuration further promotes the use of renewable energy.

In step S9, the control unit 201 of the power management device 200 calculates the proportion R1 of the surplus power E1 in the supplied power E2. Specifically, the control unit 201 calculates the proportion R1 by dividing the surplus power E1 by the supplied power E2.

In step S10, the control unit 201 of the power management device 200 notifies user U1 of the ratio R1 calculated in step S9. The control unit 201 may calculate the ratio R1 of surplus energy to the amount of supplied energy for each of multiple users, including user U1, and rank the multiple users in descending order of the calculated ratio R1. The control unit 201 may also notify user U1 of the ranking assigned to user U1. Furthermore, the control unit 201 may notify user U1 of advice AS to increase the ratio R1' of surplus energy E1' to the amount of supplied energy E2' from the unit period P2 next to unit period P1 onwards. Specifically, the control unit 201 may notify user U1 of advice AS1 to increase the amount of surplus energy E1' or advice AS2 to reduce the amount of supplied energy E2'. The control unit 201 may notify both advice AS1 and advice AS2. For example, advice AS1 includes a suggestion to conserve energy used in home 100. Advice AS2 also includes a suggestion to drive vehicle 410 using so-called eco-driving. "Eco-driving" refers to a driving method or mindset adopted by a vehicle user to reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions and contribute to preventing global warming. For example, if user U1 follows advice AS and drives vehicle 410 using eco-driving during unit period P2, the fuel efficiency of vehicle 410 improves and power consumption decreases. As a result, power consumption decreases even if the mileage remains the same, and the amount of power supply E2' during unit period P2 is reduced.

As described above, the power management device 200 of this embodiment associates the amount of surplus energy E1, calculated by subtracting the amount of energy used at user U1's home 100 from the total amount of energy generated by the renewable energy power generation equipment 420 installed at user U1's home 100, with user U1 and registers this amount, and virtually supplies some or all of the registered amount of surplus energy E1 for charging user U1's vehicle 410 at a location other than home 100. The power management device 200 calculates the difference d1 between the amount of energy supplied E2 charged to the vehicle 410 at a location other than home 100 per unit period P1 and the amount of surplus energy E1. If the power management device 200 determines that the amount of surplus energy E1 exceeds the amount of energy supplied E2, it prompts user U1 to choose whether to carry over the difference d1 as the amount of surplus energy E1' for the next unit period P2 or to cash out the difference d1. If the power management device 200 determines that the amount of supplied power E2 exceeds the amount of surplus power E1, it requests payment from user U1 corresponding to the difference d1, calculates the proportion R1 that the amount of surplus power E1 accounts for in the amount of supplied power E2, and notifies user U1 of the calculated proportion R1.

With this configuration, if the surplus energy E1 exceeds the supplied energy E2, user U1 can choose to carry over the difference d1 as the surplus energy E1' for the next unit period P2 or convert it into cash, thereby improving user U1's flexibility in utilizing the surplus energy E1. On the other hand, if the supplied energy E2 exceeds the surplus energy E1, user U1 incurs a payment or other burden corresponding to the difference d1. This likely creates an incentive for user U1 to ensure that the supplied energy E2 does not exceed the surplus energy E1. Furthermore, user U1 is notified of the proportion R1 of the surplus energy E1 in the supplied energy E2, thereby visualizing the amount of energy charged using renewable energy and grid power. Therefore, for example, user U1 can easily set a goal to ensure that the supplied energy E2 does not exceed the surplus energy E1 after unit period P2. User U1 can prevent the amount of supplied energy E2 from exceeding the amount of surplus energy E1 by increasing the amount of surplus energy E1 or by suppressing the amount of supplied energy E2. For example, user U1 can increase the amount of surplus energy E1 by conserving the electricity used at home 100. User U1 can also suppress the amount of supplied energy E2 by driving vehicle 410 in an efficient manner. Furthermore, if the amount of supplied energy E2 does not exceed the amount of surplus energy E1, there is no need to supply the difference d1 by compensating with grid power. Therefore, the use of grid power that uses fossil fuels is suppressed. As a result, the use of fossil fuels is suppressed and the use of renewable energy is promoted.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, two or more blocks shown in the block diagrams may be combined, or one block may be divided. Instead of executing two or more steps shown in the flowcharts in chronological order as described, the steps may be executed in parallel or in a different order depending on the processing capabilities of the device executing each step, or as needed. Other modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

For example, in the present embodiment, the grid power supplied from the power transmission network 600 is described as being non-renewable energy, such as electricity generated using fossil fuels. However, as a variation of this embodiment, if the system 10 includes the power generation management device 700, when the user U1 charges the vehicle 410 at a location other than the home 100, the user U1 may be able to arbitrarily select either grid power or renewable energy as the supply power to charge the vehicle 410. If the user U1 selects renewable energy as the supply power, renewable energy may be virtually supplied to the user U1 by offsetting the amount of power supplied from the power generation facility 720 to the power transmission network 600 with the amount of power charged to the vehicle 410. If renewable energy is virtually supplied to the user U1 in this manner, the control unit 201 may subtract the amount of virtually supplied renewable energy from the amount of supplied power E2 when calculating the difference d1 in step S3. Alternatively, when making the payment corresponding to the difference d1 in step S8, user U1 may make the payment by purchasing a portion of the electricity supplied from the power generation facility 720 to the power transmission network 600. This configuration further promotes the use of renewable energy.

In addition, in this embodiment, the power management device 200 and the vehicle management device 400 are separate devices, but a single control device may also realize the functions of both the power management device 200 and the vehicle management device 400.

10 System 100 Home 110 Charging equipment 120 Power generation equipment 200 Power management device 201 Control unit 202 Memory unit 203 Communication unit 300 Facility 310 Charging equipment 400 Vehicle management device 410 Vehicle 500 Network 600 Power transmission network 700 Power generation management device 710 Power generation equipment 720 Power generation facility

Claims (1)

a power management device that registers an amount of surplus power obtained by subtracting an amount of power used at a user's home from a total amount of power generated by a renewable energy power generation facility installed at the user's home, and associates the amount of surplus power with the user, and when the user charges a vehicle at a location other than the user's home, the amount of supplied power used for charging is offset with the amount of surplus power associated with the user, thereby treating a part or all of the amount of surplus power as having been used for charging the vehicle ;
a control unit that calculates the difference between the amount of supplied electricity charged to the vehicle at a location other than the home per unit period and the amount of surplus electricity, and if it is determined that the amount of surplus electricity exceeds the amount of supplied electricity, allows the user to choose whether to carry over the difference as the amount of surplus electricity for the next unit period or to convert the difference into cash, and if it is determined that the amount of supplied electricity exceeds the amount of surplus electricity, requests the user to pay the difference, and calculates the proportion of the amount of supplied electricity that is accounted for by the amount of surplus electricity, and notifies the user of the calculated proportion.