Demand/supply control device, demand/supply control methodm, and demand/supply control system

A supply-and-demand control apparatus, comprising:

• an obtaining unit configured to obtain (i) power consumption of a device that operates using electric power and (ii) heat consumption of a device that operates using heat;
• a forecast unit configured to obtain demand forecast data on electric power and an amount of heat, using the obtained power consumption and the obtained heat consumption, respectively;
• a planning unit configured to calculate, for each point in time from a current time to a future time, an amount of electricity stored in an electricity storage device, an amount of heat stored in a heat storage device, and a control parameter for controlling operations of the electricity storage device and a heat source device that supplies heat to the heat storage device, by substituting the obtained demand forecast data into a predetermined function;
• a storage unit configured to store a control table in which each of the amount of electricity and the amount of heat is associated with the control parameter for each of the points in time from the current time to the future time, the amount of electricity, the amount of heat, and the control parameter being calculated by said planning unit;
• and
• a control unit configured to obtain current time information, and a current amount of stored electricity and a current amount of stored heat respectively from the electricity storage device and the heat storage device, to identify a target control parameter from the control table using the current time information, the current amount of stored electricity, and the current amount of stored heat that are obtained, and to control operations of the electricity storage device and the heat storage device based on the identified target control parameter,
• wherein said planning unit is configured to calculate the control parameters such that electric power generated by a predetermined power system is distributed to the electricity storage device and the heat source device,
• the predetermined function is a function derived from a system function and a cost function, the system function being for calculating the amount of electricity and the amount of heat at a time next to a certain time, and the cost function being for calculating an operating cost for each of the points in time, and
• said planning unit is configured to add up the operating costs using the cost function for each of the points in time in a direction from the future time to the current time, and to calculate the control parameters such that a value of the cost function is smallest, in a direction from the current time to the future time, toward the opposite direction in which the operating costs are added up.

A supply-and-demand control method, comprising:

• obtaining (i) power consumption of a device that operates using electric power and (ii) heat consumption of a device that operates using heat;
• obtaining demand forecast data on electric power and an amount of heat, using the obtained power consumption and the obtained heat consumption, respectively;
• calculating, for each point in time from a current time to a future time, an amount of electricity stored in an electricity storage device, an amount of heat stored in a heat storage device, and a control parameter for controlling operations of the electricity storage device and a heat source device that supplies heat to the heat storage device, by substituting the obtained demand forecast data into a predetermined function;
• storing a control table in which each of the amount of electricity and the amount of heat is associated with the control parameter for each of the points in time from the current time to the future time, the amount of electricity, the amount of heat, and the control parameter being calculated in said calculating;
• and
• obtaining current time information, and a current amount of stored electricity and a current amount of stored heat respectively from the electricity storage device and the heat storage device, identifying a target control parameter from the control table using the current time information, the current amount of stored electricity, and the current amount of stored heat that are obtained, and controlling operations of the electricity storage device and the heat storage device based on the identified target control parameter,
• wherein in said calculating, the control parameters are calculated such that electric power generated by a predetermined power system is distributed to the electricity storage device and the heat source device,
• the predetermined function is a function derived from a system function and a cost function, the system function being for calculating the amount of electricity and the amount of heat at a time next to a certain time, and the cost function being for calculating an operating cost for each of the points in time, and
• in said calculating, the operating costs are added up using the cost function for each of the points in time in a direction from the future time to the current time, and the control parameters are calculated such that a value of the cost function is smallest, in a direction from the current time to the future time, toward the opposite direction in which the operating costs are added up.

A supply-and-demand control system comprising a server and a supply-and-demand control apparatus,

• said server including:
• a first obtaining unit configured to obtain, from said supply-and-demand control apparatus via a network, (i) power consumption of a device that operates using electric power and (ii) heat consumption of a device that operates using heat;
• a forecast unit configured to obtain demand forecast data on electric power and an amount of heat, using the obtained power consumption and the obtained heat consumption, respectively;
• and
• a planning unit configured to calculate, for each point in time from a current time to a future time, an amount of electricity stored in an electricity storage device, an amount of heat stored in a heat storage device, and a control parameter for controlling operations of the electricity storage device and a heat source device that supplies heat to the heat storage device, by substituting the obtained demand forecast data into a predetermined function,
• said supply-and-demand control apparatus including:
• a second obtaining unit configured to obtain, via the network, the amount of electricity, the amount of heat, and the control parameter that are calculated by said planning unit;
• a storage unit configured to store a control table in which each of the amount of electricity and the amount of heat is associated with the control parameter for each of the points in time from the current time to the future time;
• and
• a control unit configured to obtain current time information, and a current amount of stored electricity and a current amount of stored heat respectively from the electricity storage device and the heat storage device, to identify a target control parameter from the control table using the current time information, the current amount of stored electricity, and the current amount of stored heat that are obtained, and to control operations of the electricity storage device and the heat storage device based on the identified target control parameter,
• wherein said planning unit is configured to calculate the control parameters such that electric power generated by a predetermined power system is distributed to the electricity storage device and the heat source device,
• the predetermined function is a function derived from a system function and a cost function, the system function being for calculating the amount of electricity and the amount of heat at a time next to a certain time, and the cost function being for calculating an operating cost for each of the points in time, and
• said planning unit is configured to add up the operating costs using the cost function for each of the points in time in a direction from the future time to the current time, and to calculate the control parameters such that a value of the cost function is smallest, in a direction from the current time to the future time, toward the opposite direction in which the operating costs are added up.

A supply-and-demand control method, comprising:

• obtaining, from a supply-and-demand control apparatus via a network, (i) power consumption of a device that operates using electric power and (ii) heat consumption of a device that operates using heat, said obtaining being performed by a server;
• obtaining demand forecast data on electric power and an amount of heat, using the obtained power consumption and the obtained heat consumption, respectively, said obtaining being performed by the server;
• calculating, for each point in time from a current time to a future time, an amount of electricity stored in an electricity storage device, an amount of heat stored in a heat storage device, and a control parameter for controlling operations of the electricity storage device and a heat source device that supplies heat to the heat storage device, by substituting the obtained demand forecast data into a predetermined function, said calculating being performed by the server;
• obtaining, via the network, the amount of electricity, the amount of heat, and the control parameter that are calculated in said calculating, said obtaining being performed by the supply-and-demand control apparatus;
• storing a control table in which each of the amount of electricity and the amount of heat is associated with the control parameter for each of the points in time from the current time to the future time, said storing being performed by the supply-and-demand control apparatus;
• and
• obtaining current time information, and a current amount of stored electricity and a current amount of stored heat respectively from the electricity storage device and the heat storage device, identifying a target control parameter from the control table using the current time information, the current amount of stored electricity, and the current amount of stored heat that are obtained, and controlling operations of the electricity storage device and the heat storage device based on the identified target control parameter, said obtaining, said identifying, and said controlling being performed by the supply-and-demand control apparatus,
• wherein in said calculating, the control parameters are calculated such that electric power generated by a predetermined power system is distributed to the electricity storage device and the heat source device,
• the predetermined function is a function derived from a system function and a cost function, the system function being for calculating the amount of electricity and the amount of heat at a time next to a certain time, and the cost function being for calculating an operating cost for each of the points in time, and
• in said calculating, the operating costs are added up using the cost function for each of the points in time in a direction from the future time to the current time, and the control parameters are calculated such that a value of the cost function is smallest, in a direction from the current time to the future time, toward the opposite direction in which the operating costs are added up.