Abstract: A power control system, which enables more effective utilization of electrical power generated by using renewable energy, includes a monitoring unit, an output control unit, and a power storage control unit. The monitoring unit monitors the amount of electrical power generated by a power generation device using renewable energy and the amount of electrical power purchased by a consumer through utility grid. When the amount of purchased electrical power is less than a first threshold on the basis of a monitoring result of the monitoring unit, the output control unit suppresses output of electrical power generated by the power generation device. When the amount of the purchased electrical power is less than a second threshold which is greater than the first threshold on the basis of the monitoring result, the power storage control unit charges a storage battery with the generated electrical power outputted by the power generation device.

Abstract: An abnormality determination system includes a power generation amount measurement unit that measures a power generation amount of the photovoltaic facility; a data acquisition unit that acquires data of a solar radiation amount; a calculation unit that divides a summed value of the power generation amount per day by a summed value of the solar radiation amount per day to calculates a division value; and a data accumulation unit that accumulates a combination of the power generation amount and the solar radiation amount, or the division value, and is configured to determine that there is an abnormality based on a slope of the division values.

Abstract: A matching device comprises an answer acquisition unit, a biometric information acquisition unit, an assessment unit, a classification unit, and a matching unit. The answer acquisition unit acquires an answer from a subject person to a question that is addressed to the subject person for matching the subject person with other persons. The biometric information acquisition unit acquires the biometric information of the subject person. The assessment unit assesses the state of the subject person on the basis of the biometric information acquired by the biometric information acquisition unit. The classification unit performs classification on the basis of the answer acquired by the answer acquisition unit and the state of the subject person assessed by the assessment unit in order to achieve matching of the subject person. The matching unit matches the subject person with other persons on the basis of the classification result of the classification unit.

Abstract: A classification device enables more appropriate classification of users from various standpoints. A classification device is provided with an answer acquisition unit, a biological information acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a classification unit. The answer acquisition unit acquires, from a subject person, an answer to a prescribed question posed to the subject person. The biological information acquisition unit acquires biological information of the subject person. The determination unit determines the state of the subject person on the basis of the biological information acquired by the biological information acquisition unit. The classification unit classifies the subject person on the basis of the answer acquired by the answer acquisition unit and the state of the subject person determined by the determination unit.

Abstract: A power storage control system reduces the operating cost in a power storage system, and comprises a monitoring section and a charge/discharge control section. The monitoring section monitors a prescribed index value that correlates with the degradation degree of a storage battery for each storage battery included in a plurality of power storage systems. The charge/discharge control section controls the period in which the prescribed index value of each storage battery changes to a prescribed value by degradation accompanying charging and discharging of the storage battery, by performing control relating to at least one of the charge amount or the charge/discharge speed in charging and discharging of the storage battery based on the monitoring results of the monitoring section.

Abstract: A power control system and method for suppressing purchase power peaks or controlling surplus power household consumption according to changes. The power control system comprises a monitoring unit, an electricity storage quantity acquisition unit, and an electricity storage controller. The monitoring unit monitors a generated power quantity which an electricity generator generates using renewable energy and a purchase power quantity which a consumer purchases via a power grid. The electricity storage controller executes processes of discharging power from an electricity storage cell if the purchase power quantity is greater than or equal to a first threshold value; charging the storage cell if the generated power quantity is greater than zero and the purchase power quantity is less than or equal to a second threshold value less than the first threshold value; and charging and discharging the storage cell such that the acquired electricity storage quantity reaches a target value.

Abstract: A power control system, which enables more effective utilization of electrical power generated by using renewable energy, includes a monitoring unit, an output control unit, and a power storage control unit. The monitoring unit monitors the amount of electrical power generated by a power generation device using renewable energy and the amount of electrical power purchased by a consumer through utility grid. When the amount of purchased electrical power is less than a first threshold on the basis of a monitoring result of the monitoring unit, the output control unit suppresses output of electrical power generated by the power generation device. When the amount of the purchased electrical power is less than a second threshold which is greater than the first threshold on the basis of the monitoring result, the power storage control unit charges a storage battery with the generated electrical power outputted by the power generation device.

Abstract: The present invention conducts an analysis on a user who has actually seen a commercial product or the like. An assessment system is provided with a biological information measurement device, a response state assessment unit, and a notification unit. The biological information measurement device measures biological information of a customer who has been presented with a provided commercial product and/or a provided service. The response state assessment unit identifies a response state of the customer who has been provided with the presentation, by making an assessment based on the biological information measured by the biological information measurement device. The notification unit gives notice based on the customer's response state identified by the response state assessment unit.

Abstract: Provided is a photoelectric conversion device with an excellent conversion efficiency in which a series resistance between a semiconductor substrate and an electrode is reduced. The photoelectric conversion device includes a semiconductor substrate; a first conductivity region formed on the semiconductor substrate; and an electrode electrically connected to the first conductivity region, in which the first conductivity region includes an electrode region which faces the electrode, and crystal defects in the semiconductor substrate which faces the electrode region.

Abstract: A transparent conductive substrate (1) in which a transparent conductive film (12) is placed on a light-transmissive base plate (11) is brought into a reaction chamber of a plasma apparatus without being rinsed (Step (a)) and the transparent conductive film (12) is treated with plasma using a CH4 gas and an H2 gas (Step (b)). After Step (b), semiconductor devices are deposited on the transparent conductive film (12) in series (Steps (c) and (d)) and a semiconductor device (10) is manufactured (Step (e)).

Abstract: A photovoltaic device (10) includes a photovoltaic layer (3) in which a p-type semiconductor layer (31), an i-type semiconductor layer (32), and an n-type semiconductor layer (33) are successively stacked. The p-type semiconductor layer (31) is formed from a p-type thin silicon films (311 to 313). The p-type thin silicon films (311 and 312) are formed by depositing silicon thin films having a p-type conductivity type and then by nitriding the silicon thin films using pulse power in which a 100 Hz to 1 kHz low-frequency pulse power is superimposed on a 1 MHz and 50 MHz high-frequency power as plasma excitation power, and using conditions in which the density of the high-frequency power is 100 to 300 mW/cm2, the pressure during plasma processing is 300 to 600 Pa, and the substrate temperature during plasma processing is 140° C. to 190° C. The p-type thin silicon film (313) is deposited under the above conditions.

Abstract: A laminated body, comprising: a supporting body having a concave-convex surface; and a semiconductor layer laminated on a surface of the supporting body, wherein a part of the supporting body includes a layer thickness measurement portion for optically measuring a layer thickness of the semiconductor layer, and the layer thickness measurement portion includes a reduced surface roughness region whose surface roughness is smaller than that of the concave-convex surface.

Abstract: A substrate 1 for a photoelectric conversion device includes a first transparent conductive layer 5 formed on at least a part of the surface region of a transparent substrate 3, the first transparent conductive layer 5 having at least an opening portion 7 exposing the substrate 3.

Abstract: An integrated thin-film solar battery is disclosed. The integrated thin film solar battery includes a plurality of series connected solar cell strings with one or more power collecting electrodes electrically joined to the string. The thin-film photoelectric conversion elements have a first transparent electrode layer and a second transparent electrode layer sandwiching a photoelectric conversion layer. The string has an element separating groove and the first electrode layer has an extending section having one end that crosses the element separating groove and extends to a region of an adjacent element. At least a portion of the first electrode layer just below the power collecting electrodes and another portion of the first electrode layer are insulated and separated from each other by at least one of an electrode separating line and an insulating line.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a silicon-containing film includes a first step of drying cleaning a chamber with a fluorine-containing gas, a second step of loading a substrate into the chamber, a third step of purging the chamber with a silane-based gas, with the substrate being provided in the chamber, and a fourth step of forming the silicon-containing film on the substrate after the third step.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device for forming a semiconductor layer on a substrate by the plasma CVD method. The method includes a first plasma processing step in which a processing temperature reaches a first temperature; a second plasma processing step in which the processing temperature reaches a second temperature; a temperature regulating step of lowering the processing temperature to a third temperature lower than the first temperature and the second temperature after the first plasma processing step and before the second plasma processing step; and a temperature raising step of raising the processing temperature from the third temperature to the second temperature. The first plasma processing step, the temperature regulating step, the temperature raising step, and the second plasma processing step are carried out within the same reaction chamber.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a silicon-containing film includes the steps of loading a substrate, depositing a silicon-containing unloading the substrate, dry cleaning, reducing fluoride and exhausting gas. In the step of reducing fluoride, a reducing gas is supplied into a chamber in such a way that a partial pressure of CF4 gas in the chamber is A×(2.0×10?4) Pa or less at the end of the step of exhausting gas.

Abstract: Semiconductor layer forming gas is introduced into a reaction chamber, and the gas generates a plasma discharge, so that a semiconductor layer is formed. In addition to the gas, impurity gas is introduced into the chamber, and first conductivity type layer forming gas including the semiconductor layer forming gas and the impurity gas generates a plasma discharge, so that a first conductivity type layer of a first conductivity type is formed so as to cover the semiconductor layer. In the step of forming the first conductivity type layer, a composition set value of gas supplied to the chamber is shifted from a composition of the semiconductor layer forming gas to a composition of the first conductivity type layer forming gas in a state where a pressure in the chamber is not reduced to ultimate vacuum even after a plasma discharge processing for forming the semiconductor layer is terminated.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device including a substrate and a pin type photoelectric conversion layer disposed on the surface of the substrate is provided. The pin type photoelectric conversion layer includes a first pin type photoelectric conversion layer formed by stacking a p type semiconductor layer, an i type semiconductor layer serving as an amorphous semiconductor layer and an n type semiconductor layer. The first pin type photoelectric conversion layer includes the first portion located on a part of the surface of the substrate and the second portion located on another part of the surface of the substrate. The first portion is higher in concentration of at least one impurity element selected from oxygen, nitrogen and carbon than the second portion. The first portion is less in thickness than the second portion.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device which can improve photoelectric conversion efficiency is provided. The photoelectric conversion device has at least one p-i-n type photoelectric conversion part which includes a first conductivity type layer, a first i-type layer, a second i-type layer and a second conductivity type layer stacked in this order, and it is characterized in that a crystallization ratio of the first i-type layer is lower than that of the second i-type layer and a change rate of a crystallization ratio in a film-thickness direction at an interface between the first i-type layer and the second i-type layer is 0.013 to 0.24 nm?1.