POWER CONTROL UNIT AND PROGRAM

• US 20140358314A1
• Filed: 09/06/2012
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sako, Yoichiro
• Application Number:
  US14/346,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20140358314A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/297
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/472 For selectively connecting the AC sources in a particular order, e.g. sequential, alternating or subsets of sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• 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: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

Provided is a power control unit including a receiving unit that receives information about commercial power, and a control unit that controls use of power generated by private power generation and use of the commercial power in accordance with the information received by the receiving unit.

Claims

1. A power control unit comprising:

a receiving unit that receives information about commercial power; and

a control unit that controls use of power generated by private power generation and use of the commercial power in accordance with the information received by the receiving unit.

2. The power control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further controls whether to perform the private power generation in accordance with the information received by the receiving unit.

3. The power control unit according to claim 2, wherein, when remaining power of an accumulator that accumulates the power by the private power generation falls below a remaining power threshold decided based on the information received by the receiving unit, the control unit controls a start of the private power generation and accumulates excessive power of the private power generation in the accumulator.

4. The power control unit according to claim 3,

wherein the information about the commercial power contains demand forecasting information indicating demand forecasting of the commercial power, and

wherein the control unit decides the remaining power threshold on a lower value with decreasing demand forecasting indicated by the demand forecasting information.

5. The power control unit according to claim 3,

wherein the information about the commercial power contains demand forecasting information indicating demand forecasting of the commercial power, and

wherein the control unit decides the remaining power threshold on an higher value with increasing demand forecasting indicated by the demand forecasting information.

6. The power control unit according to claim 3, wherein, when demand of the commercial power exceeds predetermined criteria, the information about the commercial power contains alarm information.

7. The power control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether a present time is in a peak time zone of power demand and prioritizes the use of the power by the private power generation in the peak time zone and the use of the commercial power outside the peak time zone.

8. The power control unit according to claim 7,

wherein the information about the commercial power contains power demand information about demand in each time zone of the commercial power provided by a commercial power company, and

wherein the control unit determines the peak time zone based on the power demand information.

9. The power control unit according to claim 8, wherein the power demand information indicates a current balance of demand and supply of the commercial power.

10. The power control unit according to claim 8, wherein the power demand information is demand forecasting information indicating demand forecasting of the commercial power.

11. The power control unit according to claim 8, wherein the power demand information is statistical information of past power demand.

12. The power control unit according to claim 8, wherein the control unit determines the peak time zone further based on a season.

13. The power control unit according to claim 8, wherein the control unit determines the peak time zone further based on an outside air temperature or a room temperature.

14. The power control unit according to claim 8, wherein the control unit determines the peak time zone further based on an amount of power generated by the private power generation.

15. A program causing a computer to function as a receiving unit that receives information about commercial power and a control unit that controls use of power generated by private power generation and use of the commercial power in accordance with the information received by the receiving unit.