KR20130133552A - Energy managing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An energy management apparatus is disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention enable the energy to be operated at the lowest cost by using real-time price information of the energy provider without inconvenience to the user. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention enable the lowest cost of the energy and at the same time to generate revenue for the customer by operating a power generation device such as a renewable energy generation system.

Description

Energy management device {ENERGY MANAGING APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to an energy management device, and more particularly, to an energy management device of a consumer energy management system.

Recently, as the Smart Grid has attracted attention as a part of the green energy business, the importance of the Home Energy Management System (HEMS) for the Smart Grid is increasing.

The Smart Grid is a next-generation power grid that can optimize energy efficiency and create new value-added by enabling information providers (IT) to connect power networks and real-time information between power suppliers and consumers in both directions.

From the user's point of view, the smart grid uses energy to find the most reasonable time for you as the price of energy changes.

The consumer energy management system (hereinafter, referred to as 'energy management system') is a system for efficiently managing the energy consumption of home appliances using the smart grid. There are many different devices, such as common household appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, etc.), renewable energy (solar, wind, etc.) appliances, batteries, fuel cells, etc.

Embodiments of the present invention have an object to provide an energy management device that can operate energy at the lowest cost by using real-time price information of the energy provider.

Embodiments of the present invention to provide an energy management device that can automatically bid or sell power energy according to the use pattern of home appliances and the development status of the power generation device, the reservation of the use of energy-using equipment, the energy transaction price information Has a different purpose.

An energy management apparatus according to an embodiment may include: a communication unit configured to form an external communication network with an energy provider, and receive energy price information including a real-time energy price and an energy transaction price from the energy provider; And a control unit that bids on the sale of energy using the driving plan information, the energy price information, and the energy usage information.

The control unit monitors the energy price and the energy transaction price in real time. Further, the control unit sells the energy not used by the energy using device by using the energy price information.

Embodiments of the present invention enable the energy management at the lowest cost by using the real-time price information of the energy provider and at the same time improves the user's convenience.

Embodiments of the present invention enable the lowest cost of energy and at the same time to generate revenue for the customer by operating a power generation device such as a renewable energy generation system.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of an energy management system according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of an energy management system according to another embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of an energy management system according to another embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a block diagram illustrating in detail a configuration of an energy management apparatus according to an embodiment;
5 is a graph for explaining an energy management method according to embodiments of the present disclosure; And
6 is a flowchart schematically illustrating an energy management method according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, an energy management system according to an embodiment may include one or more energy-using devices 200, energy price information including driving plan information, real-time energy prices, and energy transaction prices of the energy-using devices, and energy. It is configured to include an energy management device 100 for buying and selling energy using the usage information.

Here, energy is a concept including all of electricity, gas, water and the like, but the following description will focus on electricity. The energy provider 10 is a utility company that supplies electricity, gas, and water as described above, and includes renewable energy source facilities such as solar light and wind power as well as facilities generated by fossil fuels such as petroleum. The energy using device 200 is a device consuming energy by being located at an energy consumer, for example, a customer, a building, or the like. Energy-using devices generally include consumer electronics products in the consumer, such as refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, dishwashers, ovens, gas ranges, microwave ovens, TVs, computers, and the like. Etc.) It includes all kinds of devices such as used devices, batteries and fuel cells.

The energy provider 10 performs schedule control, group control, and automatic control based on setting a target value using information on power usage received from the energy management system. In addition, the energy provider 10 performs alarm message transmission, history data management, and the like. The communication between the energy provider 10 and the energy management system may use wired / wireless communication. As wired communication, a wired LAN using Ethernet is mainly used, and a wireless LAN using Wi-Fi may be configured as wireless communication.

Referring to FIG. 2, in addition to an embodiment, an energy management system may receive energy from an energy provider, supply energy to the energy use device, and acquire total energy usage of the energy use device. It further comprises a smart meter (500).

A smart meter is a digital meter that adds a communication function, which enables real-time investigation of power usage or two-way communication between energy providers and consumers, such as energy management devices or energy-using devices. The smart meter can be remotely read without the meter reader visiting the home, and can be read in real time. The smart meter 300 may transmit and receive energy usage information using the ZigBee communication scheme with the energy management apparatus 100.

Referring to FIG. 2, the energy management system 20 further includes one or more energy display devices 400 displaying the energy usage information.

The energy display device 400 is an In Home Display (IHD) that displays energy use information of an energy use device, for example, energy use amount and amount used, and performs wired / wireless communication with the energy management device. The energy display device 400 may communicate with the energy management device 100 using a Zigbee communication method and a LAN communication method, and include a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter to perform RS-485 communication. Can be done.

Referring to FIG. 3, the energy usage device 200 may include a current sensor 210 connected to the energy usage device for sensing the amount of current, and provided in an energy supply line of the energy usage device to the device control signal. Accordingly, the switch 220 is configured to supply or cut off energy to the energy-using device, and an earth leakage breaker 230 provided in the energy supply line of the energy-using device.

The current sensor 210 is provided on the power line of the energy use device to measure the amount of current. The current sensor 210 may be a sensor that measures a current value of a line and generates a voltage signal proportional to the current, that is, a current transducer CT. The current sensor measures the current capacity of the energy using device and transmits it to the energy management device 100. The current capacity of an energy-using device is the power consumption and energy consumption of the device.

The switch 220 is a magnetic switch (MC), which is a magnetic contactor of a relay concept that opens and closes a contact by using a magnetic force generated from a coil. The switch is installed at the lower end of the circuit breaker 230 to receive the on / off command of the line to open and close the line.

Electric Leakage Breaker (ELB) is a device to automatically cut off the leakage current when a state such as an overload or short circuit or a short circuit occurs. The earth leakage breaker 230 prevents an electric shock to a human body, a fire caused by a short circuit, and damage to a circuit included in an energy using device due to an arc. The earth leakage breaker may be installed in each power line at the bottom of the circuit breaker and automatically cut off when the earth leakage occurs to protect the energy-using device installed in the corresponding line.

Referring to FIG. 3, the energy management system 20 may further include a circuit breaker 600 to prevent an overload between the energy using device and the smart meter.

Molded Case Circuit Breaker (MCCB) is a device that prevents overload by automatically cutting off the current when the current exceeds the rated current. The circuit breaker 500 protects the energy-using device due to overload by turning on / off the power according to the allowable capacity of the current in the energy management system.

1 or 2, the energy management system further includes an energy storage device 300 for storing energy generated by a power generation device connected to the energy management system or energy not used by the energy-using device. .

An energy storage system is provided in a consumer to store energy supplied from an energy provider, a power generation device connected to the consumer, for example, energy generated by solar, wind, fuel cells, and the like. The energy storage device is made of a battery or the like, and is generally formed of a plurality of battery packs. The energy storage device 300 stores the remaining energy not used by the energy-using devices.

Referring to FIG. 4, the energy management apparatus 100 according to an embodiment may form an external communication network with an energy provider, and receive energy price information including a real-time energy price and an energy transaction price from the energy provider. And a control unit 120 for bidding on the sale of energy using the driving plan information of the one or more energy-using devices, the energy price information, and the energy usage information.

The energy management apparatus 100 may vary according to the configuration of the energy management system, and is a concept encompassing both an Energy Service Portal (ESP) and a gateway.

The energy management apparatus 100 performs wired and wireless communication with the energy provider 10 through the communication unit 110. The communication unit 110 transmits information on energy usage to the energy provider and receives an energy control command from the energy provider. In addition, the communication unit 110 receives energy price information, that is, a real-time energy price, an energy transaction price, and the like from the energy provider 10 and transmits it to the control unit.

For example, the energy provider 10 provides the energy management device 100 with a graph as shown in FIG. 5. The communication unit 110 receives the real-time energy price, energy transaction price data after a certain time.

The control unit 120 monitors the energy price and the energy transaction price in real time. In addition, the control unit 120 sells energy not used by an energy using device using the energy price information. That is, the control unit 120, the remaining energy and the power generation device 30 may generate power to sell energy stored in the energy storage device to the energy provider.

In other words, the energy management apparatus 100 uses the operation plan information of the one or more energy using devices, the energy price information received through the communication unit 110, and the energy use information of the energy using device 200 to make an energy bid. Participate, buy, and supply to home energy-using devices. On the contrary, the energy management apparatus 100 may sell energy to an energy provider using energy price information and energy storage information after a predetermined time.

The energy management device 100 further includes an internal communication unit 130 that forms an internal communication network with the energy using device and transmits a device control signal to the energy using device.

The internal communication unit 130 receives energy from the energy provider 10 and communicates with the smart meter 500 that supplies the energy using device 200. The internal communication unit 130 transmits and receives information on energy usage using the smart meter 500 and the Zigbee communication method, the Ethernet communication method, the serial communication method, and the like. In addition, the internal communication unit 130 transmits the energy usage information to the energy display device 400 displaying the energy usage information. The internal communication unit 130 transmits and receives information on energy usage using the Zigbee communication method, the Ethernet communication method, the serial communication method, etc. with the energy display device 400.

Referring back to FIG. 4, the energy management apparatus 100 may include a detection unit 140 that receives a current amount from a current sensor connected to each of the energy-using devices, and outputs the energy price information or the energy usage information on a screen. And an output unit 150, and a storage unit 160 that stores the energy price information, the energy usage information, and the driving program. In addition, the energy management device 100 may further include an input unit 170 that receives an operation command, an energy use device control command, and the like from a user.

The detection unit 140 receives an amount of current acquired by the current sensor 210, converts it into a digital signal, and outputs the digital signal to the control unit 120. The control unit 120 may calculate the energy consumption of the energy using device by converting the amount of current into power consumption. The control unit 120 calculates the energy usage information based on the amount of current, and generates the device control signal. The control unit 120 may also control the energy using device by comparing the target value with the calculated value. The output unit 150 is configured with a display device, for example, an LCD, to display various information and data.

Referring to FIG. 6, an energy management system including one or more energy-using devices and an energy management device for supplying or cutting off energy to the energy-using device, the energy management by the energy management device according to an embodiment The energy management method of the system may include receiving energy price information including an energy price and a transaction price from the energy provider (S10), monitoring the energy price information in real time (S20), and transmitting the Calculating (S30) energy usage information, and bidding on energy sales using driving plan information, the energy price information, and the energy usage information for the energy-using device (S40). . The configuration of the apparatus will be described with reference to Figs.

The energy management method may further include storing the generated energy or energy not used by the energy using device (S50), and selling energy not used by the energy using device using the energy price information (S50). S60) is configured to further include.

The energy management system performs wired and wireless communication with energy providers. The energy management system sends information about energy usage to the energy provider and receives energy control commands from the energy provider. In addition, the energy management system receives energy price information, that is, real-time energy price, energy transaction price, etc. from the energy provider (S10). For example, the energy provider provides a graph as shown in FIG. 5 to the energy management system. That is, the energy management system receives the real-time energy price, energy transaction price data after a certain time (t0, t1, etc.).

Referring to FIG. 5, first, the energy management system monitors the energy price and the energy transaction price in real time (S20). The energy management system may participate in an energy bid, purchase, and supply the energy-using device in the home using driving plan information, energy price information, and energy usage information of the energy-using device, using one or more energy-using devices. Time point t0 of FIG. 5). On the contrary, the energy management system may sell energy to the energy provider using energy price information and energy storage information after a predetermined time t1 (S60). That is, the energy management system may use the energy price information to generate the remaining energy and the power generation device and sell the energy stored in the energy storage device to the energy provider (for example, at time t1 in FIG. 5).

As described above, the energy management apparatus according to the embodiments of the present invention, the energy management system including the same, and the energy management method thereof, using the real-time price information of the energy provider without the inconvenience to the user, using the energy at the lowest cost Make it operational. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention enable the lowest cost of the energy and at the same time to generate revenue for the customer by operating a power generation device such as a renewable energy generation system.

10: Energy Operator 20: Energy Management System
30: power generation device 100: energy management device
200: energy-using device 300: energy storage device
400: energy display device 500: smart meter
600: circuit breaker

Claims (6)

A communication unit for forming an external communication network with an energy provider and receiving energy price information including real time energy price and energy transaction price from the energy provider; And
And a control unit for bidding on the sale and sale of energy using driving plan information, energy price information, and energy usage information of one or more energy-using devices. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit comprises:
Monitoring the energy price and the energy transaction price in real time. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit comprises:
And use the energy price information to sell energy not used by the energy-using device. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
And an internal communication unit forming an internal communication network with the energy using device and transmitting a device control signal to the energy using device. 5. The method of claim 4,
A detection unit for receiving a current amount from a current sensor respectively connected to the energy-using device;
An output unit for outputting the energy price information or the energy usage information on a screen; And
And a storage unit for storing the energy price information, the energy usage information, and a driving program. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the control unit comprises:
And calculating the energy use information based on the amount of current and generating the device control signal.

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