Load adjustment sharing system and method

• US 10,122,170 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Lighting Holding BV (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Wen, Yao-Jung, Delp, William Woody
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Inge, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/008,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20140021787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,420 Days
• Field of Search: 307 39
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/62 The condition being non-electrical, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A method (3000) of load adjustment sharing for a space (100) including a first zone (110) and a second zone (120), and a control unit (10) for a load adjustment sharing system (1) are provided. The method comprises the steps of receiving (301) information (130) related to a load adjustment for the space, and receiving (302) environment information (113) about the first zone and environment information (123) about the second zone. Further, based on the environment information about the first zone, the environment information about the second zone and the information related to the load adjustment for the space, a load adjustment share (114) for the first zone and a load adjustment share (124) for the second zone are determined. The present invention may be utilized in buildings including a plurality of zones. The present invention is advantageous in that the load adjustment sharing is intelligently adapted to the environment circumstances in the different zones.

Claims

1. A method of load adjustment sharing for a space including a first zone and a second zone, wherein each zone defines a physical area within the space and each physical area includes one or more energy using loads, the method comprising:

receiving information related to a load adjustment for the space from a service provider or user input;

receiving environment information from one or more sensors in a respective zone or user input about the first zone and environment information about the second zone;

determining a load adjustment share for the first zone and a load adjustment share for the second zone based on the environment information about the first zone, the environment information about the second zone and the information related to the load adjustment for the space;

subsequently receiving information related to a load recovery adjustment for the space from the service provider or user input;

receiving new environment information from the one or more sensors in a respective zone or user input about the first zone and new environment information about the second zone;

determining a load recovery adjustment share for the first zone and a load recovery adjustment share for the second zone based on the new environment information about the first zone, the new environment information about the second zone and the information related to the load recovery adjustment for the space;

wherein the load recovery adjustment share is adapted to restore environmental conditions of each zone to a condition each had prior to the load reduction adjustment.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the load adjustment share for a zone indicates a load reduction share for the zone.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information related to the load adjustment for the space indicates a demanded load reduction associated with a demand response event.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising assigning the load adjustment share for a zone to the zone.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the environment information about a zone provides information about one or more of the following:

zone type of the zone, orientation of the zone, location of the zone; and

information about load conditions, wherein the information about load conditions is selected from the group consisting of current load conditions associated with the zone, predicted load conditions associated with the zone, and combinations thereof.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

the information about current load conditions associated with a zone includes information about load type/types currently used in the zone and amount of load used by the load type/types; and

the information about predicted load conditions associated with a zone includes information about load type/types predicted to be used in the zone and amount of load predicted to be used by the load type/types.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a load to be adjusted according to an adjustment share relates to one or more of the following:

illumination load, cooling load, heating load and ventilation load.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining environment settings in a zone based on the determined load adjustment share for the zone.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising weighting the zones of the space based on the received environment information about the zones, wherein the determining of the load adjustment shares of the zones is based on the weighting of the zones.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the environment information about a zone indicates a required load recovery for the zone, and the load adjustment share for a zone indicates a load recovery profile for the zone.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information related to the load adjustment for the space comprises information about energy pricing.

12. A control unit for load adjustment sharing in a space having a first zone and a second zone, wherein each zone defines a physical area within the space and each physical area includes one or more energy using loads, the control unit being configured to:

receive information related to a load adjustment for the space from a service provider or user input;

receive environment information about the first zone and environment information about the second zone from one or more sensors in a respective zone or user input;

determine a load adjustment share for the first zone and a load adjustment share for the second zone based on the environment information about the first zone, the environment information about the second zone and the information related to the load adjustment for the space;

subsequently receive information related to a load recovery adjustment for the space from the service provider or user input;

receive new environment information from the one or more sensors in a respective zone or user input about the first zone and new environment information about the second zone;

determine a load recovery adjustment share for the first zone and a load recovery adjustment share for the second zone based on the new environment information about the first zone, the new environment information about the second zone and the information related to the load recovery adjustment for the space;

wherein the load recovery adjustment share is adapted to restore environmental conditions of each zone to a condition each had prior to the load reduction adjustment.

13. A load adjustment sharing system comprising:

a control unit as defined in claim 12;

a first zone controller for the first zone configured to send environment information about the first zone to the control unit; and

a second zone controller for the second zone configured to send environment information about the second zone to the control unit.

14. The load adjustment sharing system as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the control unit is further configured to assign the load adjustment share for the first zone to the zone controller for the first zone and the load adjustment share for the second zone to the zone controller for the second zone;

the zone controller for the first zone is further configured to determine environment settings for the first zone based on the assigned load adjustment share for the first zone; and

the zone controller for the second zone is further configured to determine environment settings for the second zone based on the assigned load adjustment share for the second zone.

15. The load adjustment sharing system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the zone controller for a zone is further configured to monitor current load conditions and/or to predict load conditions in the zone.