Electric power controller, electric power management device, electric power control method, and electric power management system for trading and distributing electric power

• US 9,866,024 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ukita, Masakazu, Yoshida, Asami, Moriai, Shiho, Katagi, Masanobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US13/540,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20130015708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,016 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/20 The dispersed energy generation being of renewable origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• 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 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

An energy control device, an energy management device, an energy control method, and an energy management system are provided. The energy management system includes the energy management device and the energy control device. The energy management device includes an electric power management unit configured to generate an instruction specifying a supply destination for electric power generated by an electric power generator, and includes a communication unit configured to transmit the instruction to the energy control device. The energy control device includes a power conditioner configured to distribute the electric power to the supply destination based on the instruction, and includes a control unit configured to control an operation of the power conditioner.

Claims

1. An energy control device, comprising:

a power conditioner configured to;

output electric power generated by an electric power generator to a storage battery module;

measure an amount of the electric power output to the storage battery module; and

measure a discharge amount of the electric power discharged from the storage battery module; and

a control unit configured to;

determine a surplus power based on a difference between a generation amount of the electric power generated by the electric power generator and a charge amount of the electric power required to charge the storage battery module; and

control the power conditioner to distribute a first amount of the surplus power for personal consumption and a second amount of the surplus power for sale to a supply destination based on a determination that a maximum amount of the electric power required for the personal consumption is less than the surplus power.

2. The energy control device of claim 1, wherein the supply destination is at least one of an electric power network or electric power equipment of an electric power market.

3. The energy control device of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive an instruction that indicates the supply destination,

wherein the control unit is further configured to control the distribution of the electric power by the power conditioner based on the instruction.

4. The energy control device of claim 3, wherein the communication unit is further configured to receive the instruction via a network.

5. The energy control device of claim 3, wherein the communication unit is further configured to transmit electric storage amount information that indicates an electric storage amount stored in the storage battery module.

6. The energy control device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to switch a mode of the power conditioner between a plurality of modes including:

a charging mode in which the electric power is output to the storage battery module connected to the power conditioner,

a discharging mode in which the electric power stored in the storage battery module is extracted and output to at least one of an electric power market or electric power equipment, and

an autonomous operation mode.

7. The energy control device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to acquire an electric power selling price and an electric power purchasing price in an electric power market.

16. The energy control device of claim 1, wherein the power conditioner includes an electric power meter configured to measure the electric power passing through the storage battery module.

8. An energy management device, comprising:

an electric power management unit configured to generate an instruction that indicates a supply destination for electric power generated by an electric power generator; and

a communication unit configured to;

transmit the instruction to an energy control device that controls supply of the electric power to the supply destination, wherein the energy control device is connected to a storage battery module,

receive electric storage amount information that indicates an electric storage amount stored in the storage battery module,

wherein the energy control device determines a surplus power based on a difference between a generation amount of the electric power generated by the electric power generator and a charge amount of the electric power to charge the storage battery module; and

wherein the energy control device distributes a first amount of the surplus power for personal consumption and a second amount of the surplus power for sale to the supply destination based on a determination that a maximum amount of the electric power required for the personal consumption is less than the surplus power.

9. The energy management device of claim 8, wherein the supply destination is at least one of an electric power network or electric power equipment of an electric power market.

10. The energy management device of claim 8, wherein the communication unit is further configured to transmit the instruction to the energy control device via a network.

11. The energy management device of claim 8, wherein the electric power management unit is further configured to specify the supply destination based on the electric storage amount information.

12. The energy management device of claim 11, wherein the communication unit is further configured to acquire an electric power selling price and an electric power purchasing price in an electric power market based on a connection to at least one of a first server of an electric power company or a second server of a broker mediating electricity trading in the electric power market, and

wherein the electric power management unit is further configured to specify the supply destination based on the electric storage amount information and the electric power selling price and the electric power purchasing price.

13. An energy control method, comprising:

receiving an instruction from an electric power management device, the instruction indicating a supply destination of electric power generated by an electric power generator;

receiving electric storage amount information indicating an electric storage amount stored in a storage battery module;

receiving a discharge amount discharged from the storage battery module to an electric power market;

determining a surplus power based on a difference between a generation amount of the electric power generated by the electric power generator and a charge amount of the electric power required to charge the storage battery module; and

distributing a first amount of the surplus power for personal consumption and a second amount of the surplus power for sale to the supply destination based on a determination that a maximum amount of the electric power required for the personal consumption is less than the surplus power.

14. The energy control method of claim 13, wherein the supply destination is at least one of an electric power network or electric power equipment of the electric power market.

15. The energy control method of claim 13, wherein the instruction is received via a network.

17. The energy control method of claim 13, further comprising:

switching a mode of a power conditioner configured to distribute the electric power to the supply destination between a plurality of modes including;

a charging mode in which the electric power is output to the storage battery module connected to the power conditioner,

a discharging mode in which the electric power stored in the storage battery module is extracted and output to at least one of the electric power market or an electric power equipment, and

an autonomous operation mode.

18. The energy control method of claim 13, further comprising acquiring an electric power price in the electric power market by connecting to at least one of a first server of an electric power company or a second server of a broker mediating electricity trading in the electric power market.

19. An energy management system, comprising:

an energy management device including;

an electric power management unit configured to generate an instruction that indicates a supply destination for electric power generated by an electric power generator; and

a first communication unit configured to transmit the instruction to an energy control device;

the energy control device including;

a power conditioner configured to;

output the electric power generated by the electric power generator to a storage battery module;

measure an amount of the electric power output to the storage battery module; and

measure discharge amount of electric power discharged from the storage battery module; and

a control unit configured to;

determine a surplus power based on a difference between a generation amount of the electric power generated by the electric power generator and a charge amount of the electric power required to charge the storage battery module; and

control the power conditioner to distribute a first amount of the surplus power for personal consumption and a second amount of the surplus power for sale to the supply destination based on a determination that a maximum amount of the electric power required for the personal consumption is less than the surplus power.

20. The energy management system of claim 19, wherein the supply destination is at least one of an electric power network or electric power equipment of an electric power market.

21. The energy management system of claim 19, wherein the energy control device includes a second communication unit configured to transmit electric storage amount information to the energy management device that indicates an electric storage amount stored in the storage battery module, and

wherein the electric power management unit is further configured to specify the supply destination based on the electric storage amount information.

22. The energy management system of claim 21, wherein the first communication unit is further configured to acquire an electric power selling price and an electric power purchasing price in an electric power market from at least one of a first server of an electric power company or a second server of a broker mediating electricity trading in the electric power market,

wherein the electric power management unit is further configured to specify the supply destination based on the electric storage amount information and the electric power selling price and the electric power purchasing price.

23. The energy management system of claim 19, wherein the control unit is further configured to switch a mode of the power conditioner between a plurality of modes including:

a charging mode in which the electric power is output to the storage battery module connected to the power conditioner,

a discharging mode in which the electric power stored in the storage battery module is extracted and output to at least one of an electric power market or an electric power equipment, and

an autonomous operation mode.