RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM MAINTENANCE BUSINESS MODEL

• US 20090234685A1
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Solarcity, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Solarcity, Inc.
• Inventors: Tarbell, Ben, Rive, Peter, Cooper, Chebar Ivan, Poklemba, Roland, Ho, Nelson David
• Application Number:
  US12/047,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234685A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• 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

A renewable energy system maintenance method comprises network server based system for monitoring and repairing, for example, a solar power installation. Such comprises solar panels to convert sunlight to DC electricity, one or more inverters to convert the DC to AC electricity, and a metered utility connection for selling to or offsetting energy charges for AC electricity from an electric utility. A monitor with sensors and connections to the inverter provides system operation measurements and data through a wireless or wired connection the Internet. A centralized server collects measurements and data from many solar installation monitors and analyzes the inputs to provide useful information to the users and their systems integrator and third parties. In particular, such information is employed in several ways to conduct various parts of a solar energy business.

Claims

1. A renewable energy system maintenance model for a working procedure or computer program, comprising:

collecting system data from renewable energy system installation monitors;

separating data streams by client or account, and further separating data substreams by system component; and

comparing data received to at least one of standards, averages, histories, projections, targets, to detect if such data readings indicate an out-of-bounds condition.

2. The model of claim 1, further comprises in the step of collecting:

providing a network server based system for monitoring and repairing a solar power installation, which comprises solar panels to convert sunlight to DC electricity, one or more inverters to convert the DC to AC electricity, and a metered utility connection for selling to or offsetting energy charges for AC electricity from an electric utility, and further comprises a monitor with sensors and connections to the inverter provides system operation measurements and data through a wireless or wired connection the Internet;

wherein, a centralized server collects measurements and data from many solar installation monitors and analyzes the inputs to provide useful information to the users and their systems integrator and third parties, and such information is employed in a plurality of ways to conduct parts of a solar energy business.

3. The model of claim 1, further comprises:

analyzing a cause of trouble, given its symptoms;

deciding if a download for software is available that could fix this particular problem, and if so, selecting and downloading a software fix;

deciding if notifying a client user could have a positive result, and if so, providing appropriate instructions to such client user via an email message;

deciding if sending a repair crew is likely to fix such kind of trouble, and if so, dispatching a repair crew.

4. The model of claim 3, further comprises:

if after repairs have been tried, asking if such repairs have resolved the trouble, and if not, calling for operator intervention, and producing an appropriate problem information dump.

5. A renewable energy system maintenance system, comprising:

a monitor for collecting system data from renewable energy system installation monitors;

a webserver for separating data streams by client or account, and further separating data substreams by system component; and

a device for comparing data received to at least one of standards, averages, histories, projections, targets, to detect if such data readings indicate an out-of-bounds condition.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a network server based system for monitoring and repairing a solar power installation, which comprises solar panels to convert sunlight to DC electricity, one or more inverters to convert the DC to AC electricity, and a metered utility connection for selling to or offsetting energy charges for AC electricity from an electric utility, and further comprises a monitor with sensors and connections to the inverter provides system operation measurements and data through a wireless or wired connection the Internet; and

a centralized server for collecting measurements and data from many solar installation monitors and analyzes the inputs to provide useful information to the users and their systems integrator and third parties, and such information is employed in a plurality of ways to conduct parts of a solar energy business.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a program for analyzing a cause of trouble, given its symptoms;

a program for deciding if a download for software is available that could fix this particular problem, and if so, selecting and downloading a software fix;

a program for deciding if notifying a client user could have a positive result, and if so, providing appropriate instructions to such client user via an email message;

a program for deciding if sending a repair crew is likely to fix such kind of trouble, and if so, dispatching a repair crew.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a program for if after repairs have been tried, asking if such repairs have resolved the trouble, and if not, calling for operator intervention, and producing an appropriate problem information dump.