Computer implemented systems and methods for enhancing renewable energy educational activities

• US 20090043548A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marici Holdings The Netherlands B.V.
• Original Assignee: Power-One Renewable Energy Solutions LLC (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Beekhuis, Christiaan Willem
• Granted Patent: US 8,029,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for collecting, aggregating, and analyzing data associated with the performance of systems. Energy systems, specifically renewable energy generation systems, are used as examples. The aggregated data serve as the basis for a variety of services that facilitate the adoption and deployment of these systems. Services are provided that aid in enhancing energy educational activities . The services represent the quantity of energy generation as energy demands that the students may appreciate. Furthermore, the services are interactive and may allow the students to change System Parameters so that they more fully understand the influence of these parameters on the energy generation efficiency.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for enhancing energy educational activities, comprising:

connecting an installed System to a central database via a network (200);

establishing the quantity of energy generated by said System (201);

representing said quantity of energy generation as an equivalent energy demand that may be appreciated by the students (202);

representing said quantity of energy generation as an equivalent reduction in pollution that may be appreciated by the students (203);

representing said quantity of energy generation as an equivalent savings of natural resources that may be appreciated by the students (204);

using a model of benchmark system response and system performance to generate an expected result of system performance based on said model (205); and

allowing students to interact with said model (206).

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said System comprises an energy usage system an energy storage system, an energy management system, or an energy generation system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said energy generation system comprises a renewable energy generation system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said renewable energy generation system comprises a solar energy generation system, a wind turbine energy generation system, a tidal energy generation system, a geothermal energy generation system, or a waste-to-energy system.

5. A system for enhancing energy educational activities, comprising:

one or more Energy Systems (300);

sensors contained within said Energy Systems to monitor said Energy Systems settings and performance attributes data;

sensors associated with said Energy Systems to measure environmental conditions data (302);

a local communications device for communicating said Energy Systems settings and performance attributes data and said environmental conditions data onto a network (303);

a network capable of transmitting said Energy Systems settings and performance attributes data and said environmental conditions data (304);

a centralized database capable of receiving and storing said Energy Systems settings and performance attributes data and said environmental conditions data (305);

a model of said Energy System performance;

a user interface for interacting with said centralized database (306-309, 403, 408, 409);

a computer readable medium containing procedures for acting upon said Energy Systems settings and performance attributes data and said environmental conditions data (412-417); and

display output devices for displaying the results of said procedure action upon said Energy Systems settings and performance attributes data and said environmental conditions data (306-310, 404, 410).

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said one or more Energy Systems comprise at least one Energy System selected from the group consisting of an energy usage system, an energy storage system, an energy management system, and an energy generation system.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said energy generation system comprises a renewable energy generation system.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said renewable energy generation system comprises a solar energy generation system, a wind turbine energy generation system, a tidal energy generation system, a geothermal energy generation system, or a waste-to-energy generation system.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said procedures comprise:

procedures for establishing the quantity of energy generated by an energy system;

procedures for representing the quantity of energy generation as an equivalent energy demand that may be appreciated by the students;

procedures for representing the quantity of energy generation as an equivalent reduction in pollution that may be appreciated by the students;

procedures for representing the quantity of energy generation as an equivalent savings of natural resources that may be appreciated by the students; and

procedures for allowing students to interact with said model of said Energy System performance.