System, method and computer program product for enhancing commercial value of electrical power produced from a renewable energy power production facility

• US 20030126060A1
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Power Grids Switzerland AG (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Andren, Lars Anders Tommy, Gertmar, Lars Gustaf Ingolf, Lof, Per-Anders Kristian
• Granted Patent: US 6,671,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/36
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0284 in relation to the state of the electric grid
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/048 controlling wind farms
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/257 the wind motor being part of a wind farm
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2210/16 Air or water being indistinctly used as working fluid, i.e. the machine can work equally with air or water without any modification
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/8211 of the weather
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/20 to optimise the performance of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/20 The dispersed energy generation being of renewable origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/40 wherein a plurality of decentralised, dispersed or local energy generation technologies are operated simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/46 Controlling of the sharing of output between the generators, converters, or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/20 using renewable energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/90 : Financial instruments for climate change mitigation, e.g. environmental taxes, subsidies or financing
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 : Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 : Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product enhance the commercial value of electrical power produced from a wind turbine production facility. Features include the use of a premier power conversion device that provides an alternative source of power for supplementing an output power of the wind turbine generation facility when lull periods for wind speed appear. The invention includes a communications infrastructure and coordination mechanism for establishing a relationship with another power production facility such that when excess electrical power is produced by the wind turbine facility, the excess may be provided to the power grid while the other energy production facility cuts back on its output production by a corresponding amount. A tracking mechanism keeps track of the amount of potential energy that was not expended at the other facility and places this amount in a virtual energy storage account, for the benefit of the wind turbine facility. When, the wind turbine power production facility experiences a shortfall in its power production output it may make a request to the other source of electric power, and request that an increase its power output on behalf of the wind turbine facility. This substitution of one power production facility for another is referred to herein as a virtual energy storage mechanism. Furthermore, another feature of the present invention is the use of a renewal power exchange mechanism that creates a market for trading renewable units of power, which have been converted into “premier power” and/or “guaranteed” by secondary sources of power source to provide a reliable source of power to the power grid as required by contract.

Claims

1. A method for managing an investment portfolio of premier power units, comprising steps of:

receiving contributions in various amounts from respective investors;

assigning shares to said investors based on respective contributions made by the respective investors;

purchasing a portfolio of premier power units with the contributions; and

receiving payment for delivery of respective of said premier power units, wherein said contributions being at least one of money and potential energy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of allocating fund assets in increments after respective of said premier power units are sold.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of receiving meteorological data to assist in determining which premier power units to purchase as part of said portfolio.

4. A system for managing an investment portfolio of premier power units, comprising:

means for receiving contributions in various amounts from respective investors;

means for assigning shares to said investors based on respective contributions made by the respective investors;

means for purchasing a portfolio of premier power units with the contributions; and

means for receiving payment for delivery of respective of said premier power units, wherein respective of said contributions having a monetary value.

5. A computer-based method for managing an investment portfolio of renewable power production facilities, comprising steps of:

receiving contributions in various amounts from respective investors;

assigning shares to said investors based on respective contributions made by the respective investors;

financing a purchase of a predetermined number of renewable power production facilities with said contributions;

receiving a plurality of payments for delivery of premier power units from said predetermined number of renewable power production facilities; and

apportioning said plurality of payments among said shares, wherein said contribution having a monetary value.