Control apparatus, control system, control method, and recording medium for controlling devices to charge or discharge electricity storage apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10135248-B2
Application number	US-201515118906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2015
Priority date	Apr 16, 2014
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A control apparatus is configured to control a control target device among load devices for which power supply from an electricity storage apparatus is controlled based on total power consumption of the load devices. The control apparatus includes a power monitor and a device controller. The power monitor is configured to acquire a value of the total power consumption of the load devices. The device controller is configured to control the control target device to change the power consumption of the control target device so that the value of the total power consumption changes to a value having a level where the electricity storage apparatus supplies the power to the load devices when the value of the total power consumption acquired by the power monitor is at a level where the power is not supplied from the electricity storage apparatus to the electrical devices.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control apparatus for controlling a control target device among a plurality of electrical devices for which supply of power from an electricity storage apparatus is controlled based on a total power consumption of the plurality of electrical devices, the control apparatus comprising:
a memory; and
a hardware processor coupled to the memory, the processor performs operations to:
acquire a value of the total power consumption of the plurality of electrical devices,
determine that the value of the total power consumption is greater than a current power generation of the electricity storage apparatus, and
compare a remaining level of power of the electricity storage apparatus with a first threshold, wherein when the remaining level of power of the electricity storage apparatus is not equal to or greater than the first threshold then the processor controls the electricity storage apparatus to supply power to the electrical devices from to a commercial power source, and wherein when the remaining level of power of the electricity storage apparatus is equal to or greater than the first threshold then the processer controls the control target device to satisfy a predetermined discharge condition and starts discharging the electricity storage apparatus.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs operations to
store an operation schedule indicating a scheduled operation state of the plurality of electrical devices,
acquire a projected value of the total power consumption,
determine that the predetermined discharge condition is not satisfied by the operation schedule,
determine that the predetermined discharge condition will be satisfied by changing the operation schedule,
change the operation schedule and
control the plurality of electrical devices based on the changed operation schedule after the operation schedule is changed.

3. The control apparatus according, to claim 2 , wherein the processor further performs operations to
store a user schedule, and
change the operation schedule based on the stored user schedule.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor further performs operations to
select a time slot of a plurality of time slots prior to determining that the predetermined discharge condition is not satisfied by the operation schedule, and
determine that all of the plurality of time slots have been selected prior to controlling the plurality of electrical devices based on the changed operation schedule.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs operations to
notify a user that the control target device is to be controlled prior to controlling the target device to satisfy the predetermined discharge condition.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs operations to
control the control target device after obtaining permission from a user.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electricity storage apparatus supplies power to, the plurality of electrical devices when the value of the total power consumption exceeds a second threshold, and the second threshold is a value based on a conversion efficiency at which the electricity storage apparatus converts direct-current power to alternating-current power to supply the alternating-current power to the plurality of electrical devices.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electricity storage apparatus supplies power to the plurality of electrical devices when the value of the total power consumption exceeds a second threshold, and the second threshold is a value based on an electricity billing rate of the commercial power source to which the electricity storage apparatus is connected.

9. A control apparatus for controlling a control target device among a plurality of electrical devices supplied with power generated by a power generation apparatus and an electricity storage apparatus, the control apparatus comprising:
a memory; and
a hardware processor coupled to the memory, the processor performs operations to:
acquire a value of a total power consumption of the plurality of electrical devices:
acquire a value of the power generation;
determine that the value of the total power consumption is not greater than the value of the power generation; and
compare a remaining level of power of the electricity storage apparatus with a first threshold, wherein when the remaining level of power of the electricity storage apparatus is not equal to or lower than the first threshold then the processor controls the electricity storage apparatus to sell surplus power to a commercial power source, and wherein when the remaining level of power of the electricity storage apparatus is equal to or lower than the first threshold then the processor controls the control target device to satisfy a predetermined charge condition and starts charging the electricity storage apparatus.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the processor further performs operations to
store an operation schedule indicating a scheduled operation state of the plurality of electrical devices;
acquire a projected value of the total power consumption;
acquire a projected value of the power generation;
determine that the predetermined charge condition is not satisfied by the operation schedule;
determine that the predetermined charge condition will be satisfied by changing the operation schedule,
change the operation schedule; and
control the plurality of electrical devices based on the changed operation schedule after the operation schedule is changed.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor further performs operations to
determine that the predetermined charge condition is satisfied by the operation schedule and that the surplus power exists;
determine that at least one of the electrical devices is operable with the surplus power by changing the operation schedule;
change the operation schedule; and
control the plurality of electrical devices based on the changed operation schedule.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the electricity storage apparatus stores the surplus power when the value of the surplus power exceeds a second threshold, and the second threshold is a value based on a conversion efficiency at which the electricity storage apparatus converts alternating-current power to direct-current power to store the direct-current power.

13. A control system, comprising:
an electricity storage apparatus of which power supply to a plurality of electrical devices is controlled based on a total power consumption of the plurality of electrical devices;
a control target device that is a control target among the plurality of electrical devices; and
a control apparatus configured to control the control target device, wherein the control apparatus comprises:
a memory; and
a hardware processor coupled to the memory, the processor performs operations to:
acquire a value of the total power consumption;
determine that the value of the total power consumption is greater than a current power generation of the electricity storage apparatus, and
compare a remaining level of power of the electricity storage apparatus with a threshold, wherein when the remaining level of power of the electricity storage apparatus is not equal to or greater than the threshold then the processor controls the electricity storage apparatus to supply power to the electrical devices from a commercial power source, and wherein when the remaining l

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Sato Kaori
• Yano Hirotoshi
• Yabe Masaaki
• Minezawa Satoshi
• Endo Satoshi
• Maruyama Ichiro

Classifications

• H02J2101/24

  Photovoltaics · CPC title

• H02J2101/20

  Dispersed power generation using renewable energy sources · CPC title

• H02J2207/20

  Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter · CPC title

• H02J7/35

  with light sensitive cells · CPC title

• H01M10/44

  Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) · CPC title