Energy control device

• US 9,459,644 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: Kinugasa, Nanae, Kawai, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US14/371,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20150005969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 700/291
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/065 with a plurality of evaporators or condensers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power

Abstract

An energy control device adjusts an amount of energy of a plurality of pieces of equipment placed at a property. The energy control device includes a receiving unit, a basic adjustable amount calculation unit, and a control instruction generation unit. The receiving unit receives an energy suppression request including information related to a requested suppressed amount of energy at the property. The calculation unit calculates, upon receipt of the energy suppression request, a basic adjustable amount of energy for each piece of equipment independently of the requested suppressed amount based on an operating status of the piece of equipment when the energy suppression request is received. The generation unit instructs the equipment to perform energy amount adjustment control so that a total of suppressed amounts of energy at the property becomes equal to the requested suppressed amount based on the basic adjustable amount of energy for each piece of equipment.

Claims

1. An energy control device adapted to adjust an amount of energy of a plurality of pieces of equipment placed at a property, the energy control device comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive an energy suppression request including information related to a requested suppressed amount of energy that is an amount of energy to be suppressed at the property;

a basic adjustable amount calculation unit configured to calculate, upon receipt of the energy suppression request, a basic adjustable amount of energy for each of the pieces of equipment independently of the requested suppressed amount of energy based on an operating status of the piece of equipment at the time when the energy suppression request is received;

a control instruction generation unit configured to instruct the equipment to perform energy amount adjustment control so that a total of suppressed amounts of energy at the property becomes equal to the requested suppressed amount of energy based on the basic adjustable amount of energy for each of the pieces of equipment;

a difference amount calculation unit configured to calculate as an energy difference amount a difference between a total of the basic adjustable amounts of energy for each of the pieces of equipment and the requested suppressed amount of energy; and

a distribution unit configured to distribute the energy difference amount to the equipment,

the control instruction generation unit being further configured to instruct the equipment to perform the energy amount adjustment control based on the basic adjustable amount of energy and a result of the distribution of the energy difference amount performed by the distribution unit.

2. The energy control device according to claim 1, wherein

the basic adjustable amount calculation unit is further configured to calculate a plurality of said basic adjustable amounts of energy for each of the pieces of equipment,

the difference amount calculation unit is further configured to calculate a plurality of said energy difference amounts from differences between totals of a plurality of the basic adjustable amounts of energy and the requested suppressed amount of energy, and

the distribution unit is further configured to distribute to the equipment a smallest energy difference amount of the plurality of said energy difference amounts.

3. The energy control device according to claim 2, further comprising

a first storage unit configured to store information of user comfort/discomfort associated with the equipment,

the distribution unit is further configured to distribute the energy difference amount to the equipment based on the information of user comfort/discomfort.

4. The energy control device according to claim 2, further comprising

a comfort/discomfort decision unit configured to decide on user comfort/discomfort associated with the equipment,

the distribution unit is further configured to distribute the energy difference amount to the equipment based on the information if user comfort/discomfort.

5. The energy control device according to claim 1, further comprising

a second storage unit configured to store information related to an energy supply-demand contract with an energy supplier supplying energy to the property,

the energy suppression request including information related to the requested suppressed amount of energy calling the information related to the requested suppressed amount of energy defined in the energy supply-demand contract from the second storage unit.

6. The energy control device according to claim 1, further comprising

a first storage unit configured to store information of user comfort/discomfort associated with the equipment,

the distribution unit is further configured to distribute the energy difference amount to the equipment based on the information of user comfort/discomfort.

7. The energy control device according to claim 1, further comprising

a comfort/discomfort decision unit configured to decide on user comfort/discomfort associated with the equipment,

the distribution unit is further configured to distribute the energy difference amount to the equipment based on the information of user comfort/discomfort.

8. An energy control device adapted to adjust an amount of enemy of a plurality of pieces of equipment placed at a property, the energy control device comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive an energy suppression request including information related to a requested suppressed amount of energy that is an amount of energy to be suppressed at the property;

a basic adjustable amount calculation unit configured to calculate, upon receipt of the energy suppression request, a basic adjustable amount of energy for each of the pieces of equipment independently of the requested suppressed amount of energy based on an operating status of the piece of equipment at the time when the energy suppression request is received; and

a control instruction generation unit configured to instruct the equipment to perform energy amount adjustment control so that a total of suppressed amounts of energy at the property becomes equal to the requested suppressed amount of energy based on the basic adjustable amount of energy for each of the pieces of equipment,

the basic adjustable amount calculation unit being further configured to calculate a plurality of said basic adjustable amounts of energy for each of the pieces of equipment, and

the control instruction generation unit being further configured to instruct the equipment to perform the energy amount using a combination of the basic adjustable amounts of energy for each of the pieces of equipment in which a difference between a total of the basic adjustable amounts of energy for each of the pieces of equipment and the requested suppressed amount of energy is smallest.

9. The energy control device according to claim 8, further comprising

a first storage unit configured to store information of user comfort/discomfort associated with the equipment, wherein

the control instruction generation unit, when there are a plurality of combinations of the basic adjustable amounts of energy for each of the pieces of equipment in which the difference between the total of the basic adjustable amounts of energy for each of the pieces of equipment and the requested suppressed amount of energy is smallest, is further configured

to decide on one combination of the basic adjustable amounts of energy on the basis of the information of user comfort/discomfort, and

to instruct the equipment to perform the energy amount adjustment control.

10. The energy control device according to claim 8, further comprising

a comfort/discomfort decision unit configured to decide on user comfort/discomfort associated with the equipment, wherein

the control instruction generation unit, when there are a plurality of combinations of the basic adjustable amounts of energy for each of the pieces of equipment in which the difference between the total of the basic adjustable amounts of energy for each of the pieces of equipment and the requested suppressed amount of energy is smallest, is further configured

to decide on one combination of the basic adjustable amounts of energy on the basis of the information of user comfort/discomfort, and

to instruct the equipment to perform the energy amount adjustment control.

15. The energy control device according to claim 8, further comprising

a second storage unit configured to store information related to an energy supply-demand contract with an energy supplier supplying energy to the property,

the energy suppression request including information related to the requested suppressed amount of energy calling the information related to the requested suppressed amount of energy defined in the energy supply-demand contract from the second storage unit.

11. An energy control device adapted to adjust an amount of energy of a plurality of pieces of equipment placed at a property, the energy control device comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive an energy suppression request including information related to a requested suppressed amount of energy that is an amount of energy to be suppressed from an energy management device;

a basic adjustable amount calculation unit configured to calculate, upon receipt of the energy suppression request, a basic adjustable amount of energy for each of the pieces of equipment independently of the requested suppressed amount of energy based on an operating status of the piece of equipment at the time when the energy suppression request is received;

a control instruction generation unit configured to instruct the equipment to perform energy amount adjustment control so that a total of suppressed amounts of energy at the property becomes equal to the requested suppressed amount of energy based on the basic adjustable amount of energy for each of the pieces of equipment;

a reference adjustable amount calculation unit configured to calculate as a reference adjustable amount of energy a total of adjustable amounts of energy of the equipment in a first operating status; and

a presentation unit configured to present the reference adjustable amount of energy to the energy management device prior to the energy suppression request.

12. The energy control device according to claim 11, wherein

the requested suppressed amount of energy is less than or equal to the reference adjustable amount of energy.

13. An energy control device adapted to adjust an amount of energy of a plurality of pieces of equipment placed at a property, the energy control device comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive an energy suppression request including information related to a requested suppressed amount of energy that is an amount of energy to be suppressed at the property from an energy management device;

a basic adjustable amount calculation unit configured to calculate, upon receipt of the energy suppression request, a basic adjustable amount of energy for each of the pieces of equipment independently of the requested suppressed amount of energy based on an operating status of the piece of equipment at the time when the energy suppression request is received;

a control instruction generation unit configured to instruct the equipment to perform energy amount adjustment control so that a total of suppressed amounts of energy at the property becomes equal to the requested suppressed amount of energy based on the basic adjustable amount of energy for each of the pieces of equipment;

a reference demand value calculation unit configured to calculate as a reference demand value a demand value achievable by the equipment in a first operating status; and

a presentation unit configured to present the reference demand value to the energy management device prior to the energy suppression request.

14. The energy control device according to claim 13, wherein

the requested suppressed amount of energy is less than or equal to a value obtained by subtracting the reference demand value from an amount of energy being used by the equipment at the time when the energy suppression request is received.