Supply and demand adjusting device, supply and demand adjusting system, and energy supply and demand adjusting method

4:

• A supply and demand adjusting system comprising:
• the supply and demand adjusting device according to claim 1;
• and
• a supply and demand mediating device that works cooperatively with the supply and demand adjusting device to adjust energy supply and demand, wherein
• if the supply and demand mediating device receives the requested reduction amount, the scheduled date and time, and a condition for an incentive to be given to the consumer from the supply and demand adjusting device, the supply and demand mediating device determines an incentive unit price corresponding to the scheduled date and time within a range of the condition for the incentive, and notifies the supply and demand mediating terminal of the scheduled date and time and the incentive unit price,
• the supply and demand mediating device receives a reply to the notification from the supply and demand mediating terminal,
• even after the reply is received from the supply and demand mediating terminal, the supply and demand mediating device accepts change in contents of the reply at least in a direction for decreasing an energy reduction amount, and
• if a total energy reduction amount collected in the reply from the supply and demand mediating terminal reaches the requested reduction amount, the supply and demand mediating device notifies the supply and demand mediating terminal of stop of energy reduction request.

6:

• The supply and demand adjusting system according to claim 5, wherein
• after the consumer is adopted, the supply and demand adjusting device notifies the supply and demand mediating device of a final value of the requested reduction amount in response to the scheduled date and time,
• the final value of the requested reduction amount is equal to or less than the requested reduction amount at the time of adoption of the consumer, and
• based on the final value of the requested reduction amount received from the supply and demand adjusting device, the supply and demand mediating device notifies the supply and demand mediating terminal belonging to the consumer qualified to receive the incentive of a final value of an energy reduction amount required to receive the incentive based on the incentive unit price.

8:

• An energy supply and demand adjusting method implemented by a supply and demand adjusting device that works cooperatively with a supply and demand mediating device to adjust energy supply and demand,
• the supply and demand adjusting device and the supply and demand mediating device being connected in a manner that allows bidirectional communication therebetween,
• the supply and demand mediating device being connected to a supply and demand mediating terminal provided to a consumer in a manner that allows bidirectional communication therebetween,
• the method comprising:
• (a) a step in which the supply and demand adjusting device sets a requested reduction amount of energy at date and time when energy usage is scheduled to be reduced to be larger than a target value, and notifies the supply and demand mediating device of the requested reduction amount and the scheduled date and time together;
• (b) a step in which the supply and demand adjusting device receives a total amount of reducible energy from the supply and demand mediating device as a reply to the notification in the step (a);
• and
• (c) a step executed after the step (b) and in which the supply and demand adjusting device inquires of the supply and demand mediating device about a total amount of reducible energy reducible by the consumer at the time of the inquiry as the scheduled date and time approaches, receives a reply to the inquiry from the supply and demand mediating device, decreases the requested reduction amount stepwise so as to make the requested reduction amount approach the target value, notifies the supply and demand mediating device of a resultant requested reduction amount each time the requested reduction amount is decreased, and receives a reply to the notification from the supply and demand mediating device.

10:

• The energy supply and demand adjusting method according to claim 8, wherein
• in the steps (a) and (c), the supply and demand adjusting device notifies the supply and demand mediating device of a condition for an incentive to be given to the consumer when the supply and demand mediating device is notified of the requested reduction amount,
• the method further comprising:
• (d) a step in which the supply and demand adjusting device changes the condition for the incentive in a manner that depends on a relationship between the total amount of reducible energy and the requested reduction amount.

11:

• The energy supply and demand adjusting method according to claim 8, further comprising:
• (e) a step in which, if the supply and demand mediating device receives the requested reduction amount, the scheduled date and time, and a condition for an incentive to be given to the consumer from the supply and demand adjusting device, the supply and demand mediating device determines an incentive unit price corresponding to the scheduled date and time within a range of the condition for the incentive, and notifies the supply and demand mediating terminal of the scheduled date and time and the incentive unit price;
• (f) a step in which the supply and demand mediating device receives a reply to the notification from the supply and demand mediating terminal;
• and
• (g) a step in which the supply and demand mediating device notifies the supply and demand mediating terminal of stop of energy reduction request if a total energy reduction amount collected in the reply from the supply and demand mediating terminal reaches the requested reduction amount, wherein
• even after the reply is received from the supply and demand mediating terminal in the step (f), the supply and demand mediating device accepts change in contents of the reply at least in a direction for decreasing an energy reduction amount.

13:

• The energy supply and demand adjusting method according to claim 12, further comprising:
• (i) a step in which, after the consumer is adopted in the step (h), the supply and demand adjusting device notifies the supply and demand mediating device of a final value of the requested reduction amount in response to the scheduled date and time;
• and
• (j) a step which, based on the final value of the requested reduction amount received from the supply and demand adjusting device, the supply and demand mediating device notifies the supply and demand mediating terminal belonging to the consumer qualified to receive the incentive of a final value of an energy reduction amount required to receive the incentive based on the incentive unit price, wherein
• the final value of the requested reduction amount is equal to or less than the requested reduction amount at the time of adoption of the consumer.