Control device, control method and air conditioning system

Abstract

A control device refers to power fluctuation information in which change in a power consumption relative to change in a setting temperature is defined for each indoor unit, and specifies a relaxation amount of the setting temperature at which the total power consumption of a plurality of indoor units is reduced by a target power-saving amount or more. The control device changes the setting temperature of each of the plurality of indoor units by the relaxation amount specified. In this manner, it is possible to realize power saving by the target power-saving amount or more without excessively deteriorating comfortableness of a user in a part of a space.

1 . A control device to perform control of an air conditioning system including a plurality of indoor units, the control device comprising
 processing circuitry   to refer to power fluctuation information in which change in a power consumption relative to change in a temperature difference between an inside and an outside of a room is defined for each of the plurality of indoor units, and to specify a relaxation amount of a setting temperature at which a total power consumption related to the plurality of indoor units is reduced by a target power-saving amount or more, and   to change the setting temperature of each of the plurality of indoor units by the relaxation amount specified,   wherein   the processing circuitry temporarily specifies the relaxation amount regardless of a relaxation allowable amount determined for each of the plurality of indoor units, and   when an excess indoor unit being an indoor unit whereof the relaxation amount specified exceeds the relaxation allowable amount exists, adjusts the relaxation amount by setting, with respect to the excess indoor unit, the relaxation allowable amount regarding the excess indoor unit as the relaxation amount, and by specifying again, with respect to a remaining non-excess indoor unit other than the excess indoor unit, the relaxation amount at which the total power consumption related to the plurality of indoor units is reduced by the target power-saving amount or more in a case where the relaxation allowable amount is set as the relaxation amount with respect to the excess indoor unit.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The control device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein
 the processing circuitry specifies again the relaxation amount of the setting temperature with respect to the non-excess indoor unit, by specifying the relaxation amount with respect to the non-excess indoor unit at which a total power consumption related to the non-excess indoor unit is reduced by a remaining power-saving amount or more, when a value obtained by subtracting, from the target power-saving amount, a total reduction amount of a power consumption related to the excess indoor unit in the case where the relaxation allowable amount is set as the relaxation amount with respect to the excess indoor unit is regarded as the remaining power-saving amount.   
     
     
         5 . The control device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein
 the processing circuitry displays the setting temperature changed.   
     
     
         6 . The control device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the air conditioning system includes an airflow generation device to generate an airflow for a space in which each of the plurality of indoor units is installed, and wherein
 the processing circuitry controls the airflow generation device in accordance with the relaxation amount and generates an airflow.   
     
     
         7 . The control device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein
 the processing circuitry   decides whether a person is present in an area in which each of the plurality of indoor units is installed,   sets, with respect to an absence indoor unit being an indoor unit installed in an absence space in which no one is decided to present, an absence allowable amount determined for the absence indoor unit among the absence allowable amount determined for each of the plurality of indoor units, as the relaxation amount, and   specifies, with respect to a remaining presence indoor unit other than the absence indoor unit, a relaxation amount of a setting temperature at which the total power consumption related to the plurality of indoor units is reduced by the target power-saving amount or more in a case where the absence allowable amount is set as the relaxation amount with respect to the absence indoor unit.   
     
     
         8 . A control method of an air conditioning system including a plurality of indoor units, the control method comprising
 referring to power fluctuation information in which change in a power consumption relative to change in a temperature difference between an inside and an outside of a room is defined for each of the plurality of indoor units, and temporarily specifying a relaxation amount of a setting temperature at which a total power consumption related to the plurality of indoor units is reduced by a target power-saving amount or more regardless of a relaxation allowable amount,   when an excess indoor unit being an indoor unit whereof the relaxation amount specified exceeds the relaxation allowable amount exists, adjusting the relaxation amount by setting, with respect to the excess indoor unit, the relaxation allowable amount regarding the excess indoor unit as the relaxation amount, and by specifying again, with respect to a remaining non-excess indoor unit other than the excess indoor unit, the relaxation amount at which the total power consumption related to the plurality of indoor units is reduced by the target power-saving amount or more in a case where the relaxation allowable amount is set as the relaxation amount with respect to the excess indoor unit, and   changing the setting temperature of each of the plurality of indoor units by the relaxation amount.   
     
     
         9 . An air conditioning system including a plurality of indoor units and a control device, wherein
 the control device includes   processing circuitry   to refer to power fluctuation information in which change in a power consumption relative to change in a temperature difference between an inside and an outside of a room is defined for each of the plurality of indoor units, and to specify a relaxation amount of a setting temperature at which a total power consumption related to the plurality of indoor units is reduced by a target power-saving amount or more, and   to change the setting temperature of each of the plurality of indoor units by the relaxation amount specified,   wherein the processing circuitry   temporarily specifies the relaxation amount regardless of a relaxation allowable amount determined for each of the plurality of indoor units, and   when an excess indoor unit being an indoor unit whereof the relaxation amount specified exceeds the relaxation allowable amount exists, adjusts the relaxation amount by setting, with respect to the excess indoor unit, the relaxation allowable amount regarding the excess indoor unit as the relaxation amount, and by specifying again, with respect to a remaining non-excess indoor unit other than the excess indoor unit, the relaxation amount at which the total power consumption related to the plurality of indoor units is reduced by the target power-saving amount or more in a case where the relaxation allowable amount is set as the relaxation amount with respect to the excess indoor unit, and   each of the plurality of indoor units operates in accordance with the setting temperature changed.   
     
     
         10 . The control device as defined in  claim 4 , wherein
 the processing circuitry displays the setting temperature changed.   
     
     
         11 . The control device as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the air conditioning system includes an airflow generation device to generate an airflow for a space in which each of the plurality of indoor units is installed, and wherein
 the processing circuitry controls the airflow generation device in accordance with the relaxation amount and generates an airflow.   
     
     
         12 . The control device as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the air conditioning system includes an airflow generation device to generate an airflow for a space in which each of the plurality of indoor units is installed, and wherein
 the processing circuitry controls the airflow generation device in accordance with the relaxation amount and generates an airflow.   
     
     
         13 . The control device as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the air conditioning system includes an airflow generation device to generate an airflow for a space in which each of the plurality of indoor units is installed, and wherein
 the processing circuitry controls the airflow generation device in accordance with the relaxation amount and generates an airflow.   
     
     
         14 . The control device as defined in  claim 4 , wherein
 the processing circuitry   decides whether a person is present in an area in which each of the plurality of indoor units is installed,   sets, with respect to an absence indoor unit being an indoor unit installed in an absence space in which no one is decided to present, an absence allowable amount determined for the absence indoor unit among the absence allowable amount determined for each of the plurality of indoor units, as the relaxation amount, and   specifies, with respect to a remaining presence indoor unit other than the absence indoor unit, a relaxation amount of a setting temperature at which the total power consumption related to the plurality of indoor units is reduced by the target power-saving amount or more in a case where the absence allowable amount is set as the relaxation amount with respect to the absence indoor unit.   
     
     
         15 . The control device as defined in  claim 5 , wherein
 the processing circuitry   decides whether a person is present in an area in which each of the plurality of indoor units is installed,   sets, with respect to an absence indoor unit being an indoor unit installed in an absence space in which no one is decided to present, an absence allowable amount determined for the absence indoor unit among the absence allowable amount determined for each of the plurality of indoor units, as the relaxation amount, and   specifies, with respect to a remaining presence indoor unit other than the absence indoor unit, a relaxation amount of a setting temperature at which the total power consumption related to the plurality of indoor units is reduced by the target power-saving amount or more in a case where the absence allowable amount is set as the relaxation amount with respect to the absence indoor unit.   
     
     
         16 . The control device as defined in  claim 6 , wherein
 the processing circuitry   decides whether a person is present in an area in which each of the plurality of indoor units is installed,   sets, with respect to an absence indoor unit being an indoor unit installed in an absence space in which no one is decided to present, an absence allowable amount determined for the absence indoor unit among the absence allowable amount determined for each of the plurality of indoor units, as the relaxation amount, and   specifies, with respect to a remaining presence indoor unit other than the absence indoor unit, a relaxation amount of a setting temperature at which the total power consumption related to the plurality of indoor units is reduced by the target power-saving amount or more in a case where the absence allowable amount is set as the relaxation amount with respect to the absence indoor unit.   
     
     
         17 . The control device as defined in  claim 10 , wherein
 the processing circuitry   decides whether a person is present in an area in which each of the plurality of indoor units is installed,   sets, with respect to an absence indoor unit being an indoor unit installed in an absence space in which no one is decided to present, an absence allowable amount determined for the absence indoor unit among the absence allowable amount determined for each of the plurality of indoor units, as the relaxation amount, and   specifies, with respect to a remaining presence indoor unit other than the absence indoor unit, a relaxation amount of a setting temperature at which the total power consumption related to the plurality of indoor units is reduced by the target power-saving amount or more in a case where the absence allowable amount is set as the relaxation amount with respect to the absence indoor unit.   
     
     
         18 . The control device as defined in  claim 11 , wherein
 the processing circuitry   decides whether a person is present in an area in which each of the plurality of indoor units is installed,   sets, with respect to an absence indoor unit being an indoor unit installed in an absence space in which no one is decided to present, an absence allowable amount determined for the absence indoor unit among the absence allowable amount determined for each of the plurality of indoor units, as the relaxation amount, and   specifies, with respect to a remaining presence indoor unit other than the absence indoor unit, a relaxation amount of a setting temperature at which the total power consumption related to the plurality of indoor units is reduced by the target power-saving amount or more in a case where the absence allowable amount is set as the relaxation amount with respect to the absence indoor unit.   
     
     
         19 . The control device as defined in  claim 12 , wherein
 the processing circuitry   decides whether a person is present in an area in which each of the plurality of indoor units is installed,   sets, with respect to an absence indoor unit being an indoor unit installed in an absence space in which no one is decided to present, an absence allowable amount determined for the absence indoor unit among the absence allowable amount determined for each of the plurality of indoor units, as the relaxation amount, and   specifies, with respect to a remaining presence indoor unit other than the absence indoor unit, a relaxation amount of a setting temperature at which the total power consumption related to the plurality of indoor units is reduced by the target power-saving amount or more in a case where the absence allowable amount is set as the relaxation amount with respect to the absence indoor unit.   
     
     
         20 . The control device as defined in  claim 13 , wherein
 the processing circuitry   decides whether a person is present in an area in which each of the plurality of indoor units is installed,   sets, with respect to an absence indoor unit being an indoor unit installed in an absence space in which no one is decided to present, an absence allowable amount determined for the absence indoor unit among the absence allowable amount determined for each of the plurality of indoor units, as the relaxation amount, and   specifies, with respect to a remaining presence indoor unit other than the absence indoor unit, a relaxation amount of a setting temperature at which the total power consumption related to the plurality of indoor units is reduced by the target power-saving amount or more in a case where the absence allowable amount is set as the relaxation amount with respect to the absence indoor unit.