SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FACILITATING AGGREGATION OF SOCIAL CREDITS

• US 20090287543A1
• Filed: 05/05/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: April Allderdice, James Dailey
• Original Assignee: April Allderdice, James Dailey
• Inventors: Allderdice, April, Dailey, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,032,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/10 Tax strategies

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to systems and methods for facilitating the aggregation of carbon reduction credits resulting from finance loans financing the purchase of energy technology. For example, a credit aggregator may receive from a finance institution estimate parameters describing a loan type. The credit aggregator may calculate a value of a carbon reduction credit associated with each loan of the loan type considering the estimate parameters and display the value to the finance institution. In addition, the credit aggregator may receive bid data and booking data from the finance institution. When a credit is booked, the credit aggregator may receive from the finance institution periodic indications of a status of the intervention technology.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for facilitating the aggregation of carbon reduction credits resulting from loans financing the purchase of energy technology, wherein the loans are originated by finance institutions, the system comprising:

at least one computer device, wherein the at least one computer device comprises;

at least one processor; and

an operatively associated with memory circuit, wherein the memory circuit comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one computer device to;

receive from a finance institution selected from the plurality of finance institutions, estimate parameters describing a loan type, wherein the estimate parameters comprise data describing an intervention technology to be financed by the loans and data describing a baseline technology to be replaced by the first energy technology type;

calculate a value of a carbon reduction credit associated with each loan of the loan type considering the estimate parameters;

display the value of the carbon reduction credit associated with each loan to the finance institution;

receive bid data from the finance institution, wherein the bid data indicates the loan type and an estimated number of loans of the loan type to be made;

receive from the finance institution booking data for a first loan of the loan type, wherein the booking data comprises a local address of a first location where the first energy technology financed by the loan is installed, a latitude and longitude of the first location; and

a tracking number indicative of the installation;

receive from the finance institution periodic indications of a status of the intervention technology at the first location, wherein the periodic indications are received according to a predetermined schedule;

direct a payment to the finance institution in return for a carbon reduction credit associated with the first loan.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the periodic indications are received from the finance institution via a mobile device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data describing the baseline technology comprises data indicating the first location wherein the intervention technology is to be installed and wherein the memory further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one computer device to derive additional data describing the baseline technology considering the first location.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the loan type indicated by the bid data comprises an indication of the intervention technology and the baseline technology.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein receiving from the finance institution booking data for a first loan of the loan type comprises interrogating a Global Positioning System (GPS) functionally associated with a mobile device of the finance institution and present at the first location to obtain the latitude and the longitude of the first location.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory circuit further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one computer device to review the bid data, wherein reviewing the bid data comprises:

calculating a value of at least one carbon reduction credit that would result from the bid;

retrieving data describing the finance institution.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein reviewing the bid data further comprises providing the bid data, the value of the at least one carbon reduction credit and the data describing the finance institution to an administrative user of the system and receiving from the administrative user an indication of whether the bid is approved or rejected.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein reviewing the bid data further comprises generating a first score describing the finance institution, a second score describing a demand for credits to be generated by the bid and a third score describing the quality of the bid and automatically determining whether to approve the bid based on the first, second and third scores.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory circuit further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one computer device to:

calculate a value of a non-carbon reduction credit associated with each loan of the loan type considering the estimate parameters; and

direct a payment to the finance institution in return for the non-carbon reduction credit associated with the first loan.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the non-carbon credit comprises at least one credit selected from the group consisting of a Millennium Development Goal (MDG) credit, a biodiversity credit and a fair trade agricultural credit and a fair trade craft credit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory circuit further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one computer device to:

aggregate the carbon reduction credit associated with the first loan with a plurality of similar carbon reduction credits to form a lot of carbon reduction credits;

book a sale of the lot of carbon reduction credits to a third party.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the memory circuit further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one computer device to:

determine whether any of the carbon reduction credit associated with the first loan and the plurality of similar carbon reduction credits have been downgraded;

conditioned upon a downgrade, substituting the downgraded carbon credit for a replacement carbon credit.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory circuit further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one computer device to provide to a retail user interface to a retail user, wherein the retail user interface is configured to receive a payment from the retail user in return for at least one carbon reduction credit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the amount of the payment is determined based on a demand for the at least one carbon reduction credit.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the retail user interface comprises an indication of a plurality of available carbon reduction credits and data describing each of the plurality of available carbon reduction credits.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the data describing each of the plurality of available carbon reduction credits comprises the intervention technology generating an associated carbon reduction, and a location of origin of the carbon reduction.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory circuit further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one computer device to:

review data received from the finance institution and a plurality of additional finance institutions;

identify at least one finance institution selected from the finance institution and the plurality of finance institutions that is a candidate for an advance purchase of carbon reduction credits;

identify at least one finance institution selected from the finance institution and the plurality of finance institutions that is a candidate for receiving additional financing; and

identify at least one finance institution selected from the finance institution and the plurality of finance institutions that is a candidate for receiving additional training.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory circuit further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one computer device to provide to the finance institution information describing at least one supplier of the intervention technology.

19. A computer-implemented method for facilitating the aggregation of carbon reduction credits resulting from loans financing the purchase of energy technology, wherein the loans are originated by finance institutions, the method comprising:

receiving with at least one computer device from a finance institution selected from the plurality of finance institutions, estimate parameters describing a loan type, wherein the estimate parameters comprise data describing an intervention technology to be financed by the loans and data describing a baseline technology to be replaced by the first energy technology type, wherein the at least one computer device comprises at least one processor and an operatively associated with memory circuit;

calculating with the at least one computer device a value of a carbon reduction credit associated with each loan of the loan type considering the estimate parameters;

displaying with the at least one computer device the value of the carbon reduction credit associated with each loan to the finance institution;

receiving with the at least one computer device bid data from the finance institution, wherein the bid data indicates the loan type and an estimated number of loans of the loan type to be made;

receiving with the at least one computer device from the finance institution booking data for a first loan of the loan type, wherein the booking data comprises a local address of a first location where the first energy technology financed by the loan is installed, a latitude and longitude of the first location; and

a tracking number indicative of the installation;

receiving with the at least one computer device from the finance institution periodic indications of a status of the intervention technology at the first location, wherein the periodic indications are received according to a predetermined schedule;

with the at least one computer device, directing a payment to the finance institution in return for a carbon reduction credit associated with the first loan.

20. A computer-implemented system for verifying the continuing validity of carbon reduction credits resulting from loans financing the purchase of energy technology, wherein the loans are originated by finance institutions, the system comprising:

an electronic data storage comprising a database; and

at least one computer device comprising;

at least one processor;

a memory circuit operatively associated with the at least one processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one computer device to;

provide an electronic user interface to a mobile device associated with a finance user, wherein the user interface comprises a first screen associated with a first finance institution loan financing the purchase of an intervention technology at a first location, wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of fields configured to receive;

a name of a borrower of the loan;

a physical address of the first location; and

an indication of the operability of the intervention technology;

receive from the finance institution user and via the user interface verification data, wherein the verification data comprises the name of the borrower of the loan, the physical address of the first location;

the latitude and longitude of the first location; and

the indication of the operability of the intervention technology;

save the verification data to a database entry corresponding to the first finance institution loan; and

conditioned upon the intervention technology being below a predetermined level of operability, downgrading a carbon reduction credit associated with the first finance loan.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the memory circuit further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one computer device to, conditioned upon the carbon reduction credit associated with the first finance loan being downgraded, substituting the carbon reduction credit from a lot of carbon reduction credits.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein receiving from the finance institution the latitude and longitude of the first location comprises interrogating a Global Positioning System (GPS) functionally associated with the mobile device of the finance institution and present at the first location.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the memory circuit further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one computer device to conditioned upon the intervention technology being below a predetermined level of operability, downgrading a second credit associated with the first finance loan, wherein the second credit is selected from the group consisting of a Millennium Development Goal (MDG) credit, a biodiversity credit and a fair trade agricultural credit and a fair trade craft credit.

24. A computer-implemented method for verifying the continuing validity of carbon reduction credits resulting from loans financing the purchase of energy technology, wherein the loans are originated by finance institutions, the method comprising:

with at least one computer device, providing an electronic user interface to a mobile device associated with a finance user, wherein the user interface comprises a first screen associated with a first finance institution loan financing the purchase of an intervention technology at a first location, wherein the at least one computer device comprises at least one processor operatively associated with a memory, and wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of fields configured to receive;

a name of a borrower of the loan;

a physical address of the first location; and

an indication of the operability of the intervention technology;

with the at least one computer device, receiving from the finance institution user and via the user interface verification data, wherein the verification data comprises the name of the borrower of the loan, the physical address of the first location;

the latitude and longitude of the first location; and

the indication of the operability of the intervention technology;

with the at least one computer device, saving the verification data to a database entry corresponding to the first finance institution loan; and

conditioned upon the intervention technology being below a predetermined level of operability, downgrading a carbon reduction credit associated with the first finance loan with the at least one computer device.