Energy management system, energy management method, and unit for providing information on energy-saving recommended equipment

• US 20040260490A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsubayashi, Shigeaki, Nagamitsu, Sachio
• Granted Patent: US 6,983,210 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/60
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/003 Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/221 General power management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/244 the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

An energy management system is provided which is capable of calculating, based on equipment information on electrical equipment which is used by a resident, a power consumption estimated when a replacement is made with energy-saving equipment, then comparing and displaying it and the power consumption of the electrical equipment owned by the resident, and thereby, allowing the resident to become aware of how the replacement helps save energy. This energy management system includes: an equipment adapter 110 which is provided in electrical equipment such as an air conditioner, a lighting apparatus and a refrigerator, and obtains equipment information such as a power consumption and an operating state; a data center 170 which obtains equipment information on the equipment adapter 110; an energy-saving equipment database 190 which provides energy-saving equipment data to the data center 170; and a display unit 130 which displays energy-saving recommended-equipment information created based on the equipment information and the energy-saving equipment data by the data center 170.

Claims

1. An energy management system, comprising:

an equipment-information obtaining means for obtaining equipment information on how equipment has been used;

an energy-saving equipment-information storing means for storing energy-saving equipment information on the performance of a plurality of pieces of energy-saving equipment whose energy consumption is more efficient than that of the equipment;

an energy-saving recommended-equipment information creating means for obtaining energy-saving equipment information from the energy-saving equipment-information storing means, then based on the obtained energy-saving equipment information and the equipment information obtained by the equipment-information obtaining means, from among the plurality of pieces of energy-saving equipment, selecting, as energy-saving recommended equipment, energy-saving equipment according to how the equipment has been used, and creating energy-saving recommended-equipment information on the selected energy-saving recommended equipment; and

a displaying means for displaying the energy-saving recommended-equipment information created by the energy-saving recommended-equipment information creating means.

2. The energy management system according to claim 1, wherein:

the equipment-information obtaining means, the energy-saving recommended-equipment information creating means, the energy-saving equipment-information storing means and the displaying means are connected over a network;

the equipment-information obtaining means obtains equipment information on how equipment has been used, and transmits the obtained equipment information to the energy-saving recommended-equipment information creating means;

the energy-saving recommended-equipment information creating means obtains energy-saving equipment information from the energy-saving equipment-information storing means, then based on the obtained energy-saving equipment information and the equipment information transmitted by the equipment-information obtaining means, from among the plurality of pieces of energy-saving equipment, selects, as energy-saving recommended equipment, energy-saving equipment according to how the equipment has been used, then creates energy-saving recommended-equipment information on the selected energy-saving recommended equipment, and transmits the created energy-saving recommended-equipment information to the displaying means; and

the displaying means displays the energy-saving recommended-equipment information which is transmitted by the energy-saving recommended-equipment information creating means.

3. The energy management system according to claim 1, wherein:

the equipment-information obtaining means obtains, as the equipment information, consumed energy-quantity information which is used to specify the quantity of energy consumed when the equipment is used in a house; and

the energy-saving recommended-equipment information creating means includes,

an energy-saving equipment-information obtaining means for obtaining, from the energy-saving equipment-information storing means, energy-saving equipment information on the same type of energy-saving equipment as equipment which is used in a house at present,

an estimated energy-quantity arithmetically-operating means for calculating, based on the energy-saving equipment information obtained by the energy-saving equipment-information obtaining means and the equipment information, the quantity of energy estimated when the equipment which is used in a house is replaced with the energy-saving equipment, and

an energy-saving recommended-equipment selecting means for comparing the estimated energy quantity calculated by the estimated energy-quantity arithmetically-operating means and the consumed energy quantity obtained by the equipment-information obtaining means, and selecting, as energy-saving recommended equipment, energy-saving equipment which has the estimated energy quantity smaller than the consumed energy quantity.

4. The energy management system according to claim 1, wherein:

the equipment-information obtaining means obtains, as the equipment information, consumed energy-quantity information which is used to specify the quantity of energy consumed when the equipment is used in a house; and

the energy-saving recommended-equipment information creating means includes,

an energy-saving equipment-information obtaining means for obtaining, from the energy-saving equipment-information storing means, energy-saving equipment information on energy-saving equipment whose performance is as good as that of equipment which is used in a house at present,

an estimated energy-quantity arithmetically-operating means for calculating, based on the energy-saving equipment information obtained by the energy-saving equipment-information obtaining means and the equipment information, the quantity of energy estimated when the equipment which is used in a house is replaced with the energy-saving equipment, and

an energy-saving recommended-equipment selecting means for comparing the estimated energy quantity calculated by the estimated energy-quantity arithmetically-operating means and the consumed energy quantity obtained by the equipment-information obtaining means, and selecting, as energy-saving recommended equipment, energy-saving equipment which has the estimated energy quantity smaller than the consumed energy quantity.

5. The energy management system according to claim 3, wherein:

the energy-saving recommended-equipment information includes the product number and price of the energy-saving equipment, and the quantity of energy estimated when a replacement is made with the energy-saving equipment; and

the displaying means displays the product number and the price of the energy-saving recommended equipment, and compares and displays the estimated energy quantity and the consumed energy quantity obtained by the equipment-information obtaining means.

6. The energy management system according to claim 4, wherein:

the energy-saving recommended-equipment information includes the product number and price of the energy-saving equipment, and the quantity of energy estimated when a replacement is made with the energy-saving equipment; and

the displaying means displays the product number and the price of the energy-saving recommended equipment, and compares and displays the estimated energy quantity and the consumed energy quantity obtained by the equipment-information obtaining means.

7. The energy management system according to claim 3, wherein:

the equipment-information obtaining means obtains, as the equipment information, at least either of operating-state information including the operating time and operation mode of the equipment, and environmental-condition information including the temperature around the equipment and the outside-air temperature, the product number of the equipment, and the consumed energy quantity of the equipment;

the energy-saving equipment-information obtaining means obtains the product number, price and energy-consumption efficiency of the energy-saving equipment;

the estimated energy-quantity arithmetically-operating means includes,

an actual-load calculating means for calculating an actual thermal load of the equipment, based on at least either of the operating-state information and the environmental-condition information which are obtained by the equipment-information obtaining means, and

an estimated energy-quantity calculating means for calculating the quantity of energy estimated when the energy-saving equipment which has the energy-consumption efficiency obtained by the energy-saving equipment-information obtaining means is used at the thermal load calculated by the actual-load calculating means; and

the energy-saving recommended-equipment selecting means compares the estimated energy quantity calculated by the estimated energy-quantity calculating means and the consumed energy quantity obtained by the equipment-information obtaining means, then selects, as energy-saving recommended equipment, energy-saving equipment which has the estimated energy quantity smaller than the consumed energy quantity, and creates energy-saving recommended-equipment information which includes the product number of the equipment obtained by the equipment-information obtaining means, the product number and price of the energy-saving equipment which are included in the energy-saving equipment information obtained by the energy-saving equipment-information obtaining means, the estimated energy quantity calculated by the estimated energy-quantity calculating means, and the consumed energy quantity obtained by the equipment-information obtaining means.

8. The energy management system according to claim 4, wherein:

the equipment-information obtaining means obtains, as the equipment information, at least either of operating-state information including the operating time and operation mode of the equipment, and environmental-condition information including the temperature around the equipment and the outside-air temperature, the product number of the equipment, and the consumed energy quantity of the equipment;

the energy-saving equipment-information obtaining means obtains the product number, price and energy-consumption efficiency of the energy-saving equipment;

the estimated energy-quantity arithmetically-operating means includes,

an actual-load calculating means for calculating an actual thermal load of the equipment, based on at least either of the operating-state information and the environmental-condition information which are obtained by the equipment-information obtaining means, and

an estimated energy-quantity calculating means for calculating the quantity of energy estimated when the energy-saving equipment which has the energy-consumption efficiency obtained by the energy-saving equipment-information obtaining means is used at the thermal load calculated by the actual-load calculating means; and

the energy-saving recommended-equipment selecting means compares the estimated energy quantity calculated by the estimated energy-quantity calculating means and the consumed energy quantity obtained by the equipment-information obtaining means, then selects, as energy-saving recommended equipment, energy-saving equipment which has the estimated energy quantity smaller than the consumed energy quantity, and creates energy-saving recommended-equipment information which includes the product number of the equipment obtained by the equipment-information obtaining means, the product number and price of the energy-saving equipment which are included in the energy-saving equipment information obtained by the energy-saving equipment-information obtaining means, the estimated energy quantity calculated by the estimated energy-quantity calculating means, and the consumed energy quantity obtained by the equipment-information obtaining means.

9. An energy management method, which is executed by using an equipment-information obtaining unit which obtains predetermined information from equipment, an energy-saving equipment-information storage unit which stores energy-saving equipment information on the performance of a plurality of pieces of energy-saving equipment whose energy consumption is more efficient than that of the equipment, an energy-saving recommended-equipment information creation unit which creates energy-saving recommended-equipment information on energy-saving recommended equipment whose energy consumption is more efficient than that of the equipment from among the pieces of energy-saving equipment, and a display unit which displays the energy-saving recommended-equipment information, comprising:

an equipment-information obtaining step of, by using the equipment-information obtaining unit, obtaining equipment information on how equipment which is used in a house has been used;

an energy-saving recommended-equipment information creating step of, by using the energy-saving recommended-equipment information creation unit, obtaining the energy-saving equipment information stored in the energy-saving equipment-information storage unit, then based on the obtained energy-saving equipment information and the equipment information obtained in the equipment-information obtaining step, from among the plurality of pieces of energy-saving equipment, selecting, as energy-saving recommended equipment, energy-saving equipment according to how the equipment has been used, and creating energy-saving recommended-equipment information on the selected energy-saving recommended equipment; and

a displaying step of, by using the display unit, displaying the energy-saving recommended-equipment information created in the energy-saving recommended-equipment information creating step.

10. A unit for providing information on energy-saving recommended equipment, which provides, as energy-saving recommended-equipment information, information on energy-saving equipment whose energy efficiency is higher than that of equipment which is used in a house at present, comprising:

an equipment-information obtaining means for obtaining equipment information on how the equipment which is used in a house has been used;

an energy-saving equipment-information obtaining means for obtaining energy-saving equipment information from an energy-saving equipment-information storing means which stores energy-saving equipment information on the performance of a plurality of pieces of energy-saving equipment whose energy consumption is more efficient than that of the equipment;

an estimated energy-quantity arithmetically-operating means for calculating, based on the energy-saving equipment information obtained by the energy-saving equipment-information obtaining means and the equipment information obtained by the equipment-information obtaining means, the quantity of energy estimated when the equipment which is used in a house is replaced with the energy-saving equipment;

an energy-saving recommended-equipment selecting means for comparing the estimated energy quantity calculated by the estimated energy-quantity arithmetically-operating means and the consumed energy quantity obtained by the equipment-information obtaining means, and selecting, as energy-saving recommended equipment, energy-saving equipment which has the estimated energy quantity smaller than the consumed energy quantity; and

a transmitting means for transmitting, to a display unit, the energy-saving recommended-equipment information on the energy-saving recommended equipment selected by the energy-saving recommended-equipment selecting means.