SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR STANDARDIZED BILLING FOR AT-PREMISE RENEWABLE POWER SYSTEMS

• US 20090099915A1
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Locus Energy, LLC (Also Energy Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Locus Energy, LLC (Also Energy Incorporated)
• Inventors: Herzig, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/872,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20090099915A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/14 Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards

Abstract

A computer implemented method of enabling standardized billing for an at-premise renewable Power System as it is generated at a consumer'"'"'s premises comprising: providing at least one Power System to a consumer; at least one Calendar having at least one Period, each Period having at least one Segment; providing at least one consumer variable associated with the consumer; assigning a Calendar to the consumer; assigning at least one Rate and at least one characteristic to each Segment; determining the power generated by Power System for the Segment to provide the power generated; determining the usage for the Segment to provide usage; determining a Segment Charge on an ongoing basis according to the consumer'"'"'s power generated, the usage, the customer variables, the Rate and the at least one characteristic to provide a Segment Charge and summing the Segment Charges to provide a consumer bill.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of enabling standardized billing for an at-premise renewable Power System as it is generated at a consumer'"'"'s premises, said method comprising:

providing at least one at-premise renewable Power System to a consumer;

providing at least one Calendar, wherein said Calendar is comprising at least one period and each at least one period has at least one Segment;

providing at least one consumer variable associated with said consumer;

assigning a unique Calendar to said consumer;

assigning at least one Rate and at least one characteristic to each said at least one Segment;

determining the power generated by said at least one at-premise renewable Power System for said at least one Segment to provide the power generated;

determining the usage of said at least one at-premise renewable Power System for said at least one Segment to provide usage;

determining a Segment Charge on an ongoing basis according to said consumer'"'"'s power generated, said usage, said customer variables, said Rate and said at least one characteristic for at least one Segment to provide a Segment Charge and summing said Segment Charges for said Period to provide a bill for a specific duration within said Period; and

billing said consumer said bill.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

calculating an equivalent amount of carbon which would have been created to generate the power utilized for said at least one Period to provide a carbon deficit.

3. A method as in claim 2, further comprising the step of:

offering to said consumer an offer for carbon credits according to said carbon deficit.

4. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

monitoring said consumer'"'"'s customer variables to provide an actual customer variable; and

adjusting said consumers monthly payment according to said actual customer variable.

5. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

wherein said step of assigning a Rate is performed by a third party supply company.

6. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining said at least one at-premise renewable Power System'"'"'s available incentives;

adjusting said Segment Charge according to said at least one at-premise renewable poser system'"'"'s available incentives.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein said at least one at-premise renewable Power System'"'"'s characteristics are selected from the group consisting of initial Power System cost, component cost, installation costs, total wattage, average sunny days per year, average prime sunlight hours per day, monthly generation estimates, current usage of electricity and estimated percentage generation for net metering.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein said consumer'"'"'s customer characteristics are selected from the group consisting of local weather, current energy usage, desirable temperature, percentage used during sunlight hours, percentage used during peak hours, temperature zones and local utility policies on net metering, current utility costs during peak hours, current utility cost during off peak hours and client payment for system.

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein said at least one at-premise renewable Power System is selected from the group consisting of solar system, solar panel system, photovoltaic, thermal, wind powered, geothermal, hydropower.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein said at least one at-premise renewable Power System'"'"'s available incentives are selected from the group consisting of state, federal, local and equipment.

11. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

monitoring said system from a remote location.

12. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

Monitoring said usage from a remote location.

13. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

Generating an alert when said customer variables are a prescribed percentage different than historical averages.

14. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

monitoring and storing said consumer'"'"'s customer variables and said usage.

15. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

remotely changing at least one of said consumer'"'"'s customer variables according to said consumer'"'"'s desired consumer monthly payment.

16. A method as in claim 1, further comprising at least one third party owner, wherein said third party owner owns said at least one at-premise renewable Power System and leases said at least one at-premise renewable Power System to said consumer.

17. A method as in claim 1, further comprising at least one third party owner, wherein said third party owner owns said at least one at-premise renewable Power System and leases said at least one at-premise renewable Power System to a third party financer.

18. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

selling energy from said at least one at-premise renewable Power System to a recipient;

receiving income from said recipient;

adjusting said customer variables including usage and

adjusting said consumers monthly payment.

19. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

Accepting an updated Period for at least one customer.

20. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

grouping at least two customers to provide a group of customers;

accepting at least one of an updated Period, an updated customer variable and an updated Segment Charge for said group of customers.

21. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

checking said at least one Period to ensure that a first at least one period does not overlap with a second at least one Period.

22. A method as in claim 1, wherein said rate is further comprised of rate characteristics, said rate characteristics comprising energy unit charge, additional charge for peak billing systems, additional charge for tiered billing system and threshold limits.

23. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

providing a remote monitoring device in communication with said at least one at-premise renewable Power System;

providing a computer implemented central database in communication with said remote monitoring device; and

determining when a unit of energy is generated by said at least one at-premise renewable Power System to provide a unit update for said Segment;

communicating said unit update by said remote monitoring device to said computer implemented central database.