Multi-building control for demand response power usage control
First Claim
1. A system for controlling energy usage within a portfolio of buildings, each building receiving energy service from a same energy company, the system comprising:
- an energy usage estimation system for tracking a projected energy usage of the buildings in the portfolio of buildings and for determining if a condition requires a change in energy usage by at least one building in the portfolio of buildings; and
an energy usage coordinator for communicating (1) a first request with a first controller of a first high energy device at a first building in the portfolio of buildings to request that the first high energy device enter a different power mode and (2) a second request with a second controller of a second high energy device at a second building in the portfolio of buildings to request that the second high energy device enter a different power mode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An energy usage coordinator controls the energy usage of individual buildings of a group (or portfolio) of buildings in one or more load zones. These buildings have all contracted with an energy company which controls (directly or indirectly) the energy usage coordinator. By agreeing to lower energy usage during times of peak usage (when the energy company may otherwise have to pay very high prices on the spot or short term market), the owners or managers of the buildings receive a preferential energy rate from the energy company. Such a preferential rate may be in the form of a fixed rate reduction or a variable rate reduction. Alternatively, the energy company may determine that the energy is currently selling for twice what its building portfolio has contracted to pay for it so it requests some portion of the portfolio to reduce usage so that it can sell the excess/saved energy in the market.
57 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A system for controlling energy usage within a portfolio of buildings, each building receiving energy service from a same energy company, the system comprising:
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an energy usage estimation system for tracking a projected energy usage of the buildings in the portfolio of buildings and for determining if a condition requires a change in energy usage by at least one building in the portfolio of buildings; and an energy usage coordinator for communicating (1) a first request with a first controller of a first high energy device at a first building in the portfolio of buildings to request that the first high energy device enter a different power mode and (2) a second request with a second controller of a second high energy device at a second building in the portfolio of buildings to request that the second high energy device enter a different power mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for controlling energy usage within a portfolio of buildings, each building receiving energy service from a same energy company, the method comprising:
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tracking a projected energy usage of the buildings in the portfolio of buildings; determining if a condition requires a change in energy usage by at least one building in the portfolio of buildings; communicating a first request with a first controller of a first high energy device at a first building in the portfolio of buildings to request that the first high energy device enter a different power mode; and communicating a second request with a second controller of a second high energy device at a second building in the portfolio of buildings to request that the second high energy device enter a different power mode. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification