Patent ID: 7463949

Claim:
A power control apparatus for an electrical system for supplying power from a plurality of power supply sources to an electrical load, the apparatus comprising: allocation determination means that makes a determination of an allocation amount of power for each of the power supply sources so that a power cost of an entirety of the electrical system is minimized, by taking into account a variation in a power cost, which is indicative of a cost per unit amount of power with respect to a supply amount of each of the power of respective power supply sources; control means that controls power generation of each of the power supply sources in accordance with a determined allocation amount of power; demand power acquiring means that acquires a demand amount of power indicative of an amount of power necessary to be supplied overall from the plurality of power supply sources to the electrical system; power information calculation means that performs calculation of information of a maximum supply amount of power indicative of a power suppliable from each power supply source and of the power cost, which is the cost per unit amount of power, for the supply amount of power of respective power supply source, wherein the allocation determination means makes a determination of the allocation amount of power for each power supply source with which the power cost of the entirety of the electrical system is minimized, the determination being made to satisfy a condition that a total amount of power of the supply amounts of power of respective power supply sources is equal to the demand amount of power and the supply amount of power of respective power supply source is within a maximum supply amount of power of respective power supply source; necessary power acquiring means that acquires a load-required amount of power indicative of a necessary amount of power of the electrical load; and charge request power acquiring means that acquires a charge request amount of power of power storage means of the power supply sources, wherein the demand power acquiring means acquires a sum of the load-required amount of power and the charge request amount of power to be the demand amount of power.