Distributed power generation system, and power supply system and power supply method utilizing the same

• US 20020143438A1
• Filed: 03/25/2002
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kadowaki, Masataka, Ueda, Masatoshi, Akiyama, Yukinori, Tajima, Osamu, Kanai, Takeshi, Tajima, Kazuhiro, Nishizawa, Nobuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,105,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A plurality of distributed power generation systems are connected via the Internet to a managing apparatus in a managing company. A power company communicates with the managing apparatus via another line. At peak times of power consumption in the midsummer and so forth, the power company requests the managing company to supply the power. The managing company controls to remotely set generation capacity of the distributed generation systems at maximum so as to reverse surplus power therefrom to a power system. A normal power rate is discounted for a user of the distributed generation system for his/her cooperation with the power company. The managing company charges the power company based on the surplus electric energy supplied to the power company.

Claims

1. A distributed power generation system having a generator, the system comprising:

a communication unit which communicates with a network; and

a control unit which controls generation capacity of the generator in accordance with an instruction issued via the network.

4. A distributed power generation system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit further controls opening and closing of a path to reverse-feed power generated by the generator to a power system.

7. A distributed power generation system according to claim 1, wherein the generator includes a fuel cell.

2. A distributed power generation system having a generator, the system comprising:

an instruction table which describes an instruction as to generation capacity of the generator in a time-dependent manner; and

a control unit which controls the generation capacity in accordance with description of said instruction table.

5. A distributed power generation system according to claim 2, wherein said control unit further controls opening and closing of a path to reverse-feed power generated by the generator to a power system.

8. A distributed power generation system according to claim 2, wherein the generator includes a fuel cell.

3. A distributed power generation system having a generator, the system including:

a control unit which controls generation capacity of the generator,

said control unit including;

a first setting unit which receives from a user of the distributed power generation system a setting of the generation capacity; and

a second setting unit which receives a setting of the generation capacity via a network,

wherein processing of a setting content in said second setting unit is given higher priority compared to that of a setting content in said first setting unit.

6. A distributed power generation system according to claim 3, wherein said control unit further controls opening and closing of a path to reverse-feed power generated by the generator to a power system.

9. A distributed power generation system according to claim 3, wherein the generator includes a fuel cell.

10. a power supply system including a managing apparatus which is connected via a network to a plurality of distributed power generation systems each having a generator, and which remotely controls generation capacity of the generator.

11. A power supply system according to claim 10, wherein when power to be supplied from a power supply party to a power system becomes short, said managing apparatus increases the generation capacity and causes said distributed power generation systems to generate surplus power which is to be reversed to the power system.

13. A power supply system according to claim 12, wherein a series of processings are performed based on

a first contract concluded between said power supply party and said managing party to the effect that a rate of power supplied from the power system to a user of said distributed power generation system that supplied the surplus power is set to a discounted rate in exchange for the surplus power supplied thereby, and

a second contract concluded between said managing party and the user to the effect that the user allows the managing party to remotely control the generation capacity in exchange for a merit realized by the discounted rate, and

the power supply system further including:

a storage which stores an amount of power supplied by said reversing from said distributed power generation system to the power system so that effectiveness of the first and second contracts is secured.

14. A power supply system according to claim 13, further including a charge unit which calculates an amount to be charged to at least one of said power supply party and the user by said managing party, based on at least one of a merit received by the user in terms of a rate to be paid and a merit which said power supply party receives by power supplied by said reversing.

15. A power supply system according to claim 12, wherein said managing party manages a plurality of said distributed power generation systems at each area where said power supply party exits, so that the generation capacity is controlled in units of area and said reversing of the surplus power is performed and controlled over a plurality of areas.

16. A power supply system according to claim 12, wherein said managing party is provided for each area where said power supply party exits, so that the generation capacity is controlled in units of area and said reversing of the surplus power is performed by said managing party for each area.

17. A power supply system according to claim 12, wherein said managing party includes a surplus power confirming unit which confirms, as appropriate, surplus power that can be supplied from said distributed power generation system.

18. A power supply system according to claim 12, wherein said managing party and said power supply party are realized substantially by a same party, so that a series of processings are carried out in an integrated manner.

12. A power supply system, comprising:

a distributed power generation system which includes a generator;

a managing party, connected to said distributed power generation system via a network, which remotely controls generation capacity of the generator; and

a power supply party which supplies electric power to a power system and communicates with said managing party,

wherein when a power demand exceeds a power supply capacity, said power supply party notifies accordingly to said managing party,

wherein when notified accordingly from said power supply party, said managing party sends, via the network, said distributed power generation system an instruction instructing to increase the generation capacity, and

wherein said distributed power generation system increases the generation capacity in accordance with the instruction, so that a surplus power produced as a result thereof is supplied to the power system by reversing the surplus power thereto.

19. A power supply method, comprising:

increasing, by a remote operation, generation capacity of a distributed power generation system which has a generator whose generation capacity is controlled independently at a site where the generator is normally installed, in the event of a power supply shortage in the power system; and

reversing to the power system a surplus power generated as a result of said increasing.