Energy optimization system and method
First Claim
1. An energy optimization system comprising:
- (a) frequency meter;
(b) control computer; and
(c) switchgear having electrical power grid input and customer load output connections;
whereinsaid frequency meter monitors the power generation grid frequency of electricity supplying said switchgear electrical power grid input;
said control computer activates said switchgear based on said power generation grid frequency obtained from said frequency meter;
said switchgear controls electricity transfer from said electrical power grid input to one or more customer loads connected to said customer load output;
said control computer operates under control of software that is optimized to reduce said switchgear activations when said power generation grid frequency is below a nominal grid frequency and said software is optimized to increase said switchgear activations when said power generation grid frequency is above said nominal grid frequency.
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Abstract
A energy optimization system and method is disclosed that permits energy consumers to minimize their energy costs by purchasing energy on the “spot market” at times wherein the cost of such energy is minimal (or alternatively, at times wherein the cost of such energy has not spiked to abnormally high levels). The invention utilizes information from a load constraint database in conjunction with information on the anticipated spot market energy price to determine when and how long to activate customer power loads. The present invention anticipates that power line frequency monitoring and/or the use of communication to the power providers will provide the necessary information to anticipate the spot market energy price for the desired cost reduction optimization to occur as desired. The present invention is equally applicable to a variety of energy sources, including but not limited to electricity, natural gas, and/or fuel oil.
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Citations
60 Claims
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1. An energy optimization system comprising:
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(a) frequency meter; (b) control computer; and (c) switchgear having electrical power grid input and customer load output connections; wherein said frequency meter monitors the power generation grid frequency of electricity supplying said switchgear electrical power grid input; said control computer activates said switchgear based on said power generation grid frequency obtained from said frequency meter; said switchgear controls electricity transfer from said electrical power grid input to one or more customer loads connected to said customer load output; said control computer operates under control of software that is optimized to reduce said switchgear activations when said power generation grid frequency is below a nominal grid frequency and said software is optimized to increase said switchgear activations when said power generation grid frequency is above said nominal grid frequency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An energy optimization system comprising:
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(a) frequency meter; (b) control computer; (c) load constraint database; (d) load controller; wherein said frequency meter monitors the power generation grid frequency; said control computer communicates with said load constraint database under direction of an operator; said load controller is triggered by said power generation grid frequency to activate one or more customer loads in response to data within said load constraint database; said load constraint database defines the conditions under which said customer loads are activated and the frequency constraints under which the power to said loads constitutes a reduced or optimal spot market price for electricity; and said triggering is optimized to reduce said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency is below nominal grid frequency and said triggering is optimized to increase said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency is above said nominal grid frequency based on load requirements stored in said load constraint database. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An energy optimization method, said method using a system comprising frequency meter, control computer, load constraint database, and load controller, wherein
said frequency meter monitors the power generation grid frequency; -
said control computer communicates with said load constraint database under direction of an operator; said load controller is triggered by said power generation grid frequency to activate one or more customer loads in response to data within said load constraint database; said load constraint database defines the conditions under which said customer loads are activated and the frequency constraints under which the power to said loads constitutes a reduced or optimal spot market price for electricity; and said triggering is optimized to reduce said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency is below a nominal grid frequency and said triggering is optimized to increase said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency is above said nominal grid frequency based on load requirements stored in said load constraint database; said method comprising; (1) monitoring said power generation grid frequency; (2) reducing said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency is below a nominal grid frequency; (3) increasing said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency is above said nominal grid frequency; (4) triggering said customer load activations when said load constraint database dictates said customer load is required to be active; (5) reducing said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency has a high negative derivative; and (6) increasing said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency has a high positive derivative. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A computer usable medium having computer-readable program code means providing energy optimization functionality using a system comprising frequency meter, control computer, load constraint database, and load controller, wherein
said frequency meter monitors the power generation grid frequency; -
said control computer communicates with said load constraint database under direction of an operator; said load controller is triggered by said power generation grid frequency to activate one or more customer loads in response to data within said load constraint database; said load constraint database defines the conditions under which said customer loads are activated and the frequency constraints under which the power to said loads constitutes a reduced or optimal spot market price for electricity; and said triggering is optimized to reduce said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency is below nominal grid frequency and said triggering is optimized to increase said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency is above nominal grid frequency based on load requirements stored in said load constraint database; said computer-readable program means comprising; (1) computer program code means for monitoring said power generation grid frequency; (2) computer program code means for reducing said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency is below nominal grid frequency; (3) computer program code means for increasing said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency is above said nominal grid frequency; (4) computer program code means for triggering said customer load activations when said load constraint database dictates said customer load is required to be active; (5) computer program code means for reducing said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency has a high negative derivative; and (6) computer program code means for increasing said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency has a high positive derivative. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. An electrical grid balancing method, said method using a system comprising frequency meter, control computer, load constraint database, and load controller, wherein
said frequency meter monitors the power generation grid frequency; -
said control computer communicates with said load constraint database under direction of an operator; said load controller is triggered by said power generation grid frequency to activate one or more customer loads in response to data within said load constraint database; said load constraint database defines the conditions under which said customer loads are activated and the frequency constraints under which the power to said loads constitutes a reduced or optimal spot market price for electricity; and said triggering is optimized to reduce said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency is below a nominal grid frequency and said triggering is optimized to increase said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency is above said nominal grid frequency based on load requirements stored in said load constraint database; said method comprising; (1) monitoring said power generation grid frequency; (2) triggering customer load shedding when a minimum frequency trip point is detected; (3) identifying customer load(s) that are eligible for load shedding; (4) activating selected customer load shedding; (5) waiting a predetermined time to permit reactivation of said customer load; (6) enabling reactivation of said customer load once a frequency maximum trip point has been reached; (7) Repeating steps 1-6 as needed until both the customer load demands are met and/or electrical grid stabilization is achieved. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A computer usable medium having computer-readable program code means providing electrical grid stabilization functionality using a system comprising frequency meter, control computer, load constraint database, and load controller, wherein
said frequency meter monitors the power generation grid frequency; -
said control computer communicates with said load constraint database under direction of an operator; said load controller is triggered by said power generation grid frequency to activate one or more customer loads in response to data within said load constraint database; said load constraint database defines the conditions under which said customer loads are activated and the frequency constraints under which the power to said loads constitutes a reduced or optimal spot market price for electricity; and said triggering is optimized to reduce said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency is below nominal grid frequency and said triggering is optimized to increase said customer load activations when said power generation grid frequency is above nominal grid frequency based on load requirements stored in said load constraint database; said computer-readable program means comprising; (1) computer program code means for monitoring said power generation grid frequency; (2) computer program code means for triggering customer load shedding when a minimum frequency trip point is detected; (3) computer program code means for identifying customer load(s) that are eligible for load shedding; (4) computer program code means for activating selected customer load shedding; (5) computer program code means for waiting a predetermined time to permit reactivation of said customer load; (6) computer program code means for enabling reactivation of said customer load once a frequency maximum trip point has been reached; (7) computer program code means for repeating steps 1-6 as needed until both the customer load demands are met and/or electrical grid stabilization is achieved. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification