PERFORMANCE METRICS IN RENEWALS ENERGY SYSTEMS

• US 20090313056A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 12/17/2009
• 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 7,966,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• 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 (200), aggregating (201), and analyzing data (202, 203) associated with the installation and deployment of systems. Energy systems, specifically renewable energy generating systems, are used as examples. The aggregated data (201) serve as the basis for a variety of services that improve the system performance metrics (209), improve the installation metrics, lower the cost, and provide monitoring and service to improve performance. Finally, services are provided that facilitate the improvement of the performance metrics of various Supply Chain Entities in the supply chain as well as overall system performance metrics.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for improving Supply Chain Entity performance metrics, comprising:

connecting an installed System (300) to a central database (305) via a network (304);

collecting original data comprising at least one of System Identification Data, System Configuration Data, System Installation Data, System Performance Data, or System History Data (200);

entering said original data into said central database (201);

establishing Supply Chain Entity performance metrics based on said original data;

aggregating said original data held within said central database;

establishing original benchmark metrics for Supply Chain Entity performance metrics based on said aggregated data;

comparing said Supply Chain Entity performance metrics against said established benchmark metrics (202);

displaying Supply Chain Entities whose performance metrics exceed said benchmark metrics (204);

displaying Supply Chain Entities whose performance metrics fall below said benchmark metrics (208); and

establishing improved benchmark metrics for Supply Chain Entity performance metrics by adding data from said Supply Chain Entity performance metrics that exceed said original benchmark metrics into said aggregated data (209).

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said System comprises an energy system.

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

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

5. The method of claim 4 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, a waste-to-energy generation system, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said Supply Chain Entity comprises System Integrators, Value Added Resellers, Installation Technicians, or original Equipment Manufacturers.

7. A computer implemented method for improving System Performance metrics, comprising:

connecting an installed System (300) to a central database (305) via a network (304);

collecting original data comprising at least one of System Identification Data, System Configuration Data, System Installation Data, System Performance Data, or System History Data (200);

entering said original data into said central database (201);

establishing System Performance metrics based on said original data;

aggregating said original data held within said central database;

establishing original benchmark metrics for System Performance metrics based on said aggregated data;

comparing said System Performance metrics against said established benchmark metrics (202);

displaying Systems whose System Performance metrics exceed said benchmark metric (207);

displaying Systems whose System Performance metrics fall below the benchmark metrics (208); and

establishing improved benchmark metrics for System Performance metrics by adding data from said System Performance metrics that exceed said original benchmark metrics into said aggregated data (209).

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said System comprises an energy system.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said energy system comprises an energy usage system an energy storage system, an energy management system, or an energy generation system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said energy generation system comprises a renewable energy generation system.

11. The method of claim 10 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, a waste-to-energy generation system, or combinations thereof.

12. A system for improving Supply Chain Entity performance metrics, 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 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

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).

13. The system of claim 12 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.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said energy generation system comprises a renewable energy generation system.

15. The system of claim 14 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, a waste-to-energy generation system, or combinations thereof.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said procedures comprise:

procedures for establishing benchmark metrics for Supply Chain Entity performance;

procedures for establishing Supply Chain Entity performance metrics; and

procedures for comparing said Supply Chain Entity performance metrics to said benchmark metrics.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein said Supply Chain Entity comprises System Integrators, Value Added Resellers, Installation Technicians, or Original Equipment Manufacturers.

19. The system of claim 12 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.

21. The system of claim 19 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, a waste-to-energy generation system, or combinations thereof.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein said procedures comprise:

procedures for establishing benchmark metrics for Energy System performance;

procedures for establishing Energy System performance metrics; and

procedures for comparing said Energy System performance metrics to said benchmark metrics.

18. A system for improving Energy System performance metrics, 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 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

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).

20. The system of claim 18 wherein said energy generation system comprises a renewable energy generation system.