Power-supply control apparatus, power-supply control method, server, power-supply control system, and storage medium

A method performed by a power-supply control apparatus, the method comprising:

• calculating, for a first time period, a first predictive value of total power consumption by the power-supply control apparatus and one or more other power-supply control apparatuses to which power is supplied from a power supply;
• determining whether to allow a storage battery to be charged in the first time period based on the first predictive value for the first time period and previous information that is related to the first predictive value and obtained in a second time period before the first time period;
• determining whether current charge-and-discharge plans and current information for multiple time periods, which include the first time period and subsequent time periods, are received at a start time of the first time period, the current charge-and-discharge plans indicating operations for controlling charging and discharging of the storage battery, and the current information being related to the current charge-and-discharge plans;
• when the current charge-and-discharge plans and the current information are not received at the start time of the first time period, calculating predictive values of the total power consumption for the multiple time periods at the start time of the first time period;
• determining whether a previous charge-and-discharge plan and the previous information that are for the first time period and obtained in the second time period are stored in a memory of the power-supply control apparatus;
• determining whether the first predictive value for the first time period is largest in the predictive values calculated for the multiple time periods and a past predictive value of the total power consumption stored in the memory;
• and
• determining whether to allow the storage battery to be charged in the first time period based on whether the previous charge-and-discharge plan and the previous information are stored in the memory and whether the first predictive value is largest;
• and
• when the previous charge-and-discharge plan and the previous information are not stored in the memory and the first predictive value is not largest, causing the power from the power supply to bypass the storage battery and to be supplied directly to a load connected to the storage battery in the first time period.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a power-supply control apparatus to execute a process comprising:

• calculating, for a first time period, a first predictive value of total power consumption by the power-supply control apparatus and one or more other power-supply control apparatuses to which power is supplied from a power supply;
• determining whether to allow a storage battery to be charged in the first time period based on the first predictive value for the first time period and previous information that is related to the first predictive value and obtained in a second time period before the first time period;
• and
• determining whether current charge-and-discharge plans and current information for multiple time periods, which include the first time period and subsequent time periods, are received at a start time of the first time period, the current charge-and-discharge plans indicating operations for controlling charging and discharging of the storage battery, and the current information being related to the current charge-and-discharge plans;
• when the current charge-and-discharge plans and the current information are not received at the start time of the first time period, calculating predictive values of the total power consumption for the multiple time periods at the start time of the first time period;
• determining whether a previous charge-and-discharge plan and the previous information that are for the first time period and obtained in the second time period are stored in a memory of the power-supply control apparatus;
• determining whether the first predictive value for the first time period is largest in the predictive values calculated for the multiple time periods and a past predictive value of the total power consumption stored in the memory;
• and
• determining whether to allow the storage battery to be charged in the first time period based on whether the previous charge-and-discharge plan and the previous information are stored in the memory and whether the first predictive value is largest;
• and
• when the previous charge-and-discharge plan and the previous information are not stored in the memory and the first predictive value is not largest, causing the power from the power supply to bypass the storage battery and to be supplied directly to a load connected to the storage battery in the first time period.

A server connected to a plurality of power-supply control apparatuses, the server comprising:

• a processor that executes a process including:
• calculating, for multiple time periods, predictive values of total power consumption by the power-supply control apparatuses to which power is supplied from a power supply;
• generating charge-and-discharge plans for the multiple time periods for each of the power-supply control apparatuses based on the calculated predictive values, the charge-and-discharge plans indicating operations to be performed by the power-supply control apparatuses to control charging and discharging of a storage battery;
• calculating, for each of the multiple time periods, information including a total increase in the total power consumption and a total decrease in the total power consumption that are caused when the charge-and-discharge plans are executed by the power-supply control apparatuses in a corresponding one of the multiple time periods;
• and
• delivering the charge-and-discharge plans and the information for the multiple time periods to each of the power-supply control apparatuses causing at least one of the power-supply control apparatuses to
• determine whether current charge-and-discharge plans and current information for the multiple time periods, which include a first time period and subsequent time periods, are received at a start time of the first time period, the current charge-and-discharge plans indicating operations for controlling charging and discharging of the storage battery, and the current information being related to the current charge-and-discharge plans;
• when the current charge-and-discharge plans and the current information are not received at the start time of the first time period, calculate predictive values of the total power consumption for the multiple time periods at the start time of the first time period;
• determine whether a previous charge-and-discharge plan and the previous information that are for the first time period and obtained in the second time period are stored in a memory of the power-supply control apparatus;
• determine whether the first predictive value for the first time period is largest in the predictive values calculated for the multiple time periods and a past predictive value of the total power consumption stored in the memory;
• and
• determine whether to allow the storage battery to be charged in the first time period based on whether the previous charge-and-discharge plan and the previous information are stored in the memory and whether the first predictive value is largest;
• and
• when the previous charge-and-discharge plan and the previous information are not stored in the memory and the first predictive value is not largest, causing the power from the power supply to bypass the storage battery and to be supplied directly to a load connected to the storage battery in the first time period.

A power-supply control system, comprising:

• a server;
• and
• a plurality of power-supply control apparatuses,
• wherein the server includes a first processor that executes a first process including:
• calculating, for multiple time periods, predictive values of total power consumption by the power-supply control apparatuses to which power is supplied from a power supply,
• generating charge-and-discharge plans for the multiple time periods for each of the power-supply control apparatuses based on the calculated predictive values, the charge-and-discharge plans indicating operations to be performed by the power-supply control apparatuses to control charging and discharging of a storage battery,
• calculating, for each of the multiple time periods, information including a total increase in the total power consumption and a total decrease in the total power consumption that are caused when the charge-and-discharge plans are executed by the power-supply control apparatuses in a corresponding one of the multiple time periods, and
• delivering the charge-and-discharge plans and the information for the multiple time periods to each of the power-supply control apparatuses;
• and
• wherein each of the power-supply control apparatuses includes a second processor that executes a second process including:
• when a current charge-and-discharge plan for a first time period and current information related to the current charge-and-discharge plan are not received from the server at a start time of the first time period, calculating a first predictive value of the total power consumption for the first time period,
• determining whether to allow the storage battery to be charged in the first time period based on the first predictive value for the first time period and previous information that is related to the first predictive value and obtained in a second time period before the first time period;
• determining whether current charge-and-discharge plans and current information for multiple time periods, which include the first time period and subsequent time periods, are received at a start time of the first time period, the current charge-and-discharge plans indicating operations for controlling charging and discharging of the storage battery, and the current information being related to the current charge-and-discharge plans;
• when the current charge-and-discharge plans and the current information are not received at the start time of the first time period, calculating predictive values of the total power consumption for the multiple time periods at the start time of the first time period;
• determining whether a previous charge-and-discharge plan and the previous information that are for the first time period and obtained in the second time period are stored in a memory of the power-supply control apparatus;
• determining whether the first predictive value for the first time period is largest in the predictive values calculated for the multiple time periods and a past predictive value of the total power consumption stored in the memory;
• determining whether to allow the storage battery to be charged in the first time period based on whether the previous charge-and-discharge plan and the previous information are stored in the memory and whether the first predictive value is largest;
• and
• when the previous charge-and-discharge plan and the previous information are not stored in the memory and the first predictive value is not largest, causing the power from the power supply to bypass the storage battery and to be supplied directly to a load connected to the storage battery in the first time period.