Electric power management system

• US 9,088,182 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2010
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuniyosi, Kenji, Mori, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US13/498,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20120181974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy wind motors F03D
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/46 Controlling of the sharing of output between the generators, converters, or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• 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 10/12 Monitoring or controlling equipment for energy generation units, e.g. distributed energy generation [DER] or load-side generation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/52 Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location

Abstract

An electric power management system includes a power generation apparatus for generating electric power, a power meter for receiving grid-connected information and a power conditioner for outputting the electric power generated by the power generation apparatus to the electric power system based on the grid-connected information. The grid-connected information is information related to stabilization of electric power of an electric power system from a management center for managing the electric power of the electric power system.

Claims

1. An electric power management system connected to an electric power system of a commercial power source, the electric power management system comprising:

a power generation apparatus configured to generate electric power;

an electric appliance configured to consume electric power;

a power meter connected to the electric power system, and configured to detect an amount of electric power inputted from the electric power system and an amount of electric power outputted to the electric power system; and

a power conditioner connected to the power generation apparatus and the electric appliance through respective power lines;

wherein the electric power management system coordinates and manages the amount of the electric power inputted from the electric power system and the amount of the electric power outputted to the electric power system based on an amount of the electric power generated by the power generation apparatus and an amount of the electric power consumed by the electric appliance,

wherein the power conditioner outputs the electric power, generated by the power generation apparatus, to the electric power system based on grid-connected information, which is information related to stabilization of electric power of an electric power system,

wherein the grid-connected information is acquired from a management center managing the power of the electric power system and from a power conditioner of another electric power management system,

wherein the power meter receives the grid-connected information from the management center managing the electric power of the electric power system through a first communications unit, and the power conditioner acquires the grid connected information from the power meter through a second communications unit, and

wherein the power meter receives the grid-connected information from the management center managing the electric power of the electric power system and a power meter of said another electric power management system through the first communications unit.

2. The electric power management system of claim 1, wherein the power generation apparatus is provided in plural numbers, and electric power generated by one of the power generation apparatuses is stored in a battery device storing electric power, the battery device being another one of the power generation apparatuses.

3. The electric power management system of claim 2, wherein if it is determined based on the grid-connected information that the electric power generated by said one of the power generation apparatuses cannot be outputted to the electric power system of the commercial power source, the power conditioner stores the electric power, which is not consumed by the electric appliance, in the battery device.

4. The electric power management system of claim 3, wherein the management center acquires, as the grid-connected information, status information of the power generation apparatus from the power meter through the first communications unit, the status information being acquired by the power meter from the power conditioner corresponding to the power meter connected to the electric power system of the commercial power source through the second communications unit, and the management center generates, based on the acquired information, grid-connected information including conditions for output power under which electric power is outputted to the electric power system of the commercial power source by the power conditioner.

5. The electric power management system of claim 4, wherein the power generation apparatus further includes a photovoltaic power generation apparatus,

wherein the status information of the power generation apparatus includes generation information indicative of an amount of electric power generated by the photovoltaic power generation apparatus, and illuminance information indicative of illuminance of light irradiating the photovoltaic power generation apparatus, which serves as environmental information indicative of surrounding environmental status of the photovoltaic power generation apparatus, and

wherein the management center generates the conditions for output power included in the grid-connected information based on the amount of electric power generated by the photovoltaic power generation apparatus, the amount of the electric power being obtained based on the illuminance information and the generation information of the photovoltaic power generation apparatus.

6. The electric power management system of claim 5, wherein the power meter is provided in plural numbers and the power meters are connected to the electric power system of the commercial power source, and

wherein the management center estimates a change in illuminance of the photovoltaic power generation apparatus corresponding to each of the power meters, based on the illuminance information inputted through each of the power meters and location information indicative of a location of each of the power meters that outputs the illuminance information, and the management center generates the grid-connected information based on the estimated change in illuminance.

7. The electric power management system of claim 2, wherein if it is determined based on the grid-connected information that the electric power generated by said one of the power generation apparatuses can be outputted to the electric power system of the commercial power source, the power conditioner outputs the electric power, which is generated by said one of the power generation apparatuses and stores in the battery device, from the corresponding battery device to the electric power system of the commercial power source.

8. The electric power management system of claim 7, wherein the management center acquires, as the grid-connected information, status information of the power generation apparatus from the power meter through the first communications unit, the status information being acquired by the power meter from the power conditioner corresponding to the power meter connected to the electric power system of the commercial power source through the second communications unit, and the management center generates, based on the acquired information, grid-connected information including conditions for output power under which electric power is outputted to the electric power system of the commercial power source by the power conditioner.

9. The electric power management system of claim 8, wherein the power generation apparatus further includes a photovoltaic power generation apparatus,

wherein the status information of the power generation apparatus includes generation information indicative of an amount of electric power generated by the photovoltaic power generation apparatus, and illuminance information indicative of illuminance of light irradiating the photovoltaic power generation apparatus, which serves as environmental information indicative of surrounding environmental status of the photovoltaic power generation apparatus, and

wherein the management center generates the conditions for output power included in the grid-connected information based on the amount of electric power generated by the photovoltaic power generation apparatus, the amount of the electric power being obtained based on the illuminance information and the generation information of the photovoltaic power generation apparatus.

10. The electric power management system of claim 9, wherein the power meter is provided in plural numbers and the power meters are connected to the electric power system of the commercial power source, and

wherein the management center estimates a change in illuminance of the photovoltaic power generation apparatus corresponding to each of the power meters, based on the illuminance information inputted through each of the power meters and location information indicative of a location of each of the power meters that outputs the illuminance information, and the management center generates the grid-connected information based on the estimated change in illuminance.

11. The electric power management system of claim 1,

wherein the management center acquires, as the grid-connected information, status information of the power generation apparatus from the power meter through the first communications unit, the status information being acquired by the power meter from the power conditioner corresponding to the power meter connected to the electric power system of the commercial power source through the second communications unit, and the management center generates, based on the acquired information, grid-connected information including conditions for output power under which electric power is outputted to the electric power system of the commercial power source by the power conditioner.

12. The electric power management system of claim 11, wherein the power generation apparatus further includes a photovoltaic power generation apparatus,

wherein the status information of the power generation apparatus includes generation information indicative of an amount of electric power generated by the photovoltaic power generation apparatus, and illuminance information indicative of illuminance of light irradiating the photovoltaic power generation apparatus, which serves as environmental information indicative of surrounding environmental status of the photovoltaic power generation apparatus, and

wherein the management center generates the conditions for output power included in the grid-connected information based on the amount of electric power generated by the photovoltaic power generation apparatus, the amount of the electric power being obtained based on the illuminance information and the generation information of the photovoltaic power generation apparatus.

13. The electric power management system of claim 12, wherein the power meter is provided in plural numbers and the power meters are connected to the electric power system of the commercial power source, and

wherein the management center estimates a change in illuminance of the photovoltaic power generation apparatus corresponding to each of the power meters, based on the illuminance information inputted through each of the power meters and location information indicative of a location of each of the power meters that outputs the illuminance information, and the management center generates the grid-connected information based on the estimated change in illuminance.

14. The electric power management system of claim 1, wherein the power conditioner functions as a estimation control unit for measuring and storing past power management data and producing estimated power consumption information indicative of an amount of electric power currently consumed, based on the stored power management data, and wherein the management center generates the grid-connected information by referring to the estimated power consumption information acquired from the power conditioner.

15. The electric power management system of claim 1, wherein the management center and the power meter perform relay communications through a base unit provided on a pole, and, among the communications between the management center and the base unit and the communications between the base unit and the power meter, the first communications unit is configured such that the communications between the base unit and the power meter is wireless or wired communications.

16. An electric power management system connected to an electric power system of a commercial power source, the electric power management system comprising:

a power generation apparatus configured to generate electric power;

an electric appliance configured to consume electric power;

a power meter connected to the electric power system, and configured to detect an amount of electric power inputted from the electric power system and an amount of electric power outputted to the electric power system; and

a power conditioner connected to the power generation apparatus and the electric appliance through respective power lines;

wherein the electric power management system coordinates and manages the amount of the electric power inputted from the electric power system and the amount of the electric power outputted to the electric power system based on an amount of the electric power generated by the power generation apparatus and an amount of the electric power consumed by the electric appliance,

wherein the power conditioner outputs the electric power, generated by the power generation apparatus, to the electric power system based on grid-connected information, which is information related to stabilization of electric power of an electric power system,

wherein the grid-connected information is acquired from a management center managing the power of the electric power system and from a power conditioner of another electric power management system, and

wherein, if the grid-connected information has not been received, the electric power generated by the power generation apparatus is outputted to the electric power system based on an arbitrarily appropriately generated value.