SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ELECTRICITY PROVISION, USAGE MONITORING, ANALYSIS, AND ENABLING IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFICIENCY

• US 20100076615A1
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Moixa Energy Holdings Limited (Lunar Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Moixa Energy Holdings Limited (Lunar Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daniel, Simon Richard, Wright, Christopher Verity
• Granted Patent: US 8,849,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/293
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/34 on stationary objects or on stationary man-made structures
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/211 with vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/221 with horizontal axis
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/911 already existing for a prior purpose
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/9112 which is a building
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/40 wherein a plurality of decentralised, dispersed or local energy generation technologies are operated simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/28 Arrangements for balancing of the load in a network by storage of energy
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/388 Islanding, i.e. disconnection of local power supply from the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 10/12 Hybrid wind-PV energy systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 30/20 Collapsible or foldable PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 50/00 Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40045 Details regarding the feeding of energy to the node from the bus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/30 Wind power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 : Onshore wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 : Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 : Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

The invention relates generally to systems, devices and methods for the efficient use of utilities, more particularly to the distribution and provision of electricity supply at appropriate voltages, monitoring and usage by end devices, and to facilitating consumers in changing their energy usage behaviour, and to adopt and easily install appropriate sustainable, energy efficient or renewable technologies. Said end devices typically including traditional electric, electronic and lighting appliances requiring AC or DC power provision or low voltage DC power via AC/DC converters.

Claims

1. An energy management and power provisioning system comprising at least one or any combination of:

an Energy Environment (EE) for managing, distributing and providing electricity supply at appropriate voltages and currents to circuits, sockets and end devices;

an Energy Monitoring Environment (EME) for monitoring and sensing energy use by end devices; and

, an Energy Change Environment (ECE) for facilitating control, change, or reduction in energy usage.

2. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 1, where said end devices selectively include electric, electronic or lighting appliances requiring Alternating Current (AC) or Direct Current (DC) power provision or low voltage DC power via AC/DC converters.

3. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 1, wherein said Energy Environment (EE) comprises power supplies, sockets, circuits and power control devices, where said power supplies include power from at least one or combination of;

an external grid AC (alternating current) mains supply via a building fuse box (consumer unit), or local power generation from local renewable supplies (LRS), or local battery storage; and

, said power control devices are placed on the circuits to integrate and convert available power supplies and provide appropriate voltages and currents to sub-circuits or sockets or end-devices or to form DC sub-circuits or variable voltage network where voltage can vary within a range, where said circuits may further selectively include;

efficient AC/DC convertors;

solar photovoltaic sources as local renewable supplies;

batteries to provide power to or store power from said circuits;

other sources of local renewable supply such as micro-generation devices, energy harvesting, wind resources, large energy storage (e.g. vehicle batteries), or shared neighbourhood resources;

monitoring and or sensing devices;

devices that control and/or switch sub-circuits or devices attached to the circuits;

devices to display the status of, and allow control of the functions available on the circuit;

devices to control and/or monitor devices connected to, or powered from a traditional AC mains supply;

devices or sockets that convert the voltage available on the circuit to a set voltage and/or current required by an end device or sub circuit;

devices to monitor and/or control the voltage on the circuit;

devices to monitor and optimise the efficiency of the variable voltage network.

4. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 1, wherein power control devices are placed within the Energy Environment (EE), and are at least one of or combination of:

a Home Energy Server (HES) as a central unit to manage and control said power supplies, circuits, further power control devices, sockets and end devices, and provide and mediate a DC power sub-circuit or variable voltage network;

a Zone Energy Module (ZEM) that can receive power from a DC power sub-circuit or variable voltage network, or back-up AC mains supply via an efficient AC/DC convertor or local renewable resource, and provide DC power to a further sub-circuit or plurality of sockets or end devices;

a Light Switch Socket Unit (LSSU) that can receive power from a DC power sub-circuit or variable voltage network or local renewable resource, and can perform a power conversion via a power delivery control module to provide an appropriate required output voltage and current to connector sockets to power end devices.

5. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 1, where said connector sockets are capable of accepting and providing the appropriate voltage and current to standard and/or custom connector formats, which may selectively include:

standard formats such as round pin sockets, Ethernet, Firewire, USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 plugs with standard voltage requirements, or custom connectors, such as custom plugs, custom connector plugs resembling a standard format but supporting additional prongs, custom connector forming a variant of a USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 plug with side prongs to fit a connector socket shaped to be both compatible with a regular USB plug and this variant, where said custom connector formats support indicating means to inform the connector socket of the required parameters for voltage and current to be provided by the power delivery control module, where said indicating means is achieved by means of either;

shape, embedded chip and data communication, wireless communication, side prongs and contact, circuitry or resistors of specific values, circuitry or resistors of specific values between data pins on standard formats such as Ethernet, Firewire, USB 2.0 or USB 3.0.

9. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 1, wherein said Energy Monitoring Environment (EME) comprises, sensing apparatus, software analysis means, communication means, reporting means, for monitoring energy usage by said end devices, and further comprising at least some of:

sensors that track voltage, current or phase of electric supply;

calibration sensors that track interference or noise on electric circuits;

sensors that track water or gas utility use;

sensors that track status of end device use;

sensors that track environmental properties such as temperature;

communication between a Home Energy Server (HES) and power control devices or devices on DC sub-circuits;

sensing apparatus that may selectively attach or embed sensors, circuitry and communication in utility metres or overall fuse box level;

sensor apparatus in individual circuit breakers or RCD'"'"'s (residual current devices);

sensors embedded selectively in switches, sockets, storage, fuses, plugs, local renewable resources or end devices.

10. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 9, wherein said Energy Monitoring Environment (EME) is arranged to provide real time energy data or energy use over a time interval, where said data may selectively be:

at the overall load, circuit level or appliance/device level;

obtained through signal processing or algorithmic means to disaggregate a measured overall or circuit level loads to enable appliance inference and end device usage monitoring, or through voltage, current and phase change analysis;

tracking of routine and unusual or new behaviour e.g. fault detection;

inference of overall wiring circuit topography and mapping of load distribution;

where said inference of individual devices may be further selectively aided through measuring current load/magnitude or identifying unique power signatures or profiles as types of appliances turn on/off or are in use, or where segmented within a circuit level measurement, or by comparison against an established database, or through learned behaviour, or through consumer interview or peer group comparison, or via a trained neural network learning algorithmic model, or through convolution of a simulated model and comparison with measured data.

11. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 9, wherein said Energy Monitoring Environment (EME), said calibration sensors are arranged to provide a higher monitoring and detection accuracy resolution with reference to at least some of:

measuring reference devices or loads on the circuits;

correlation with events captured on the Home Energy Server);

correlation with other utility usage monitoring (e.g. measuring water or gas use);

periodically placing AC or other signals onto the power circuits within the Energy Environment;

periodically placing a high frequency AC signal and phased in a manner as to be measurable, interfere or suffer noise interference with certain load spikes or characteristics of end devices;

correlating such interference with light switch events or lighting types to infer a lighting topology—

such as estimated number of lights, or lighting circuit branches.

12. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 9, wherein said Energy Monitoring Environment (EME), said sensing apparatus is arranged to be embedded inside at least one of an RCD (Residual Current Detector) or MCB (Micro-circuit breaker) within a fuse box (consumer unit), comprising at least some of:

self power by energy scavenging;

charging a battery by power from using differential voltage across a coil within the circuit breaker;

communication by wireless means;

zigbee wireless communication means;

powerline communication (e.g. a mainline or X10 comms protocol);

control circuitry and memory;

measuring a voltage, current and phase on a circuit;

current measurement by Shunt method;

current measurement by induction;

measurement of AC signal quality and harmonic distortion;

placing a reference signal onto a circuit;

encapsulation of said circuitry or insulation from heat/spark dissipation;

encapsulation in outer plastic casing of circuit-breaker.

13. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 1, wherein an Energy Change Environment (ECE) helps facilitate control, change or reduction in energy usage, by software means and using said data on energy, appliance or device use, selectively through at least some of;

effective information display;

analysing said data;

displaying usage and pricing information;

provision of information or selective control means on consumer displays;

said consumer displays selectively including computer software or web pages, TV set-top box apparatus, remote control units, portable displays, mobile phones;

reporting to consumers and stakeholders on utility statements, household reports;

implementing billing variations to incentivize changes;

psychological profiling/scoring of such energy and device use optionally aided by surveys to enable a household energy usage change or Type to be determined;

learning behaviour of routine and unusual use patterns to generate advice and recommendations (e.g. hot water, heating, lighting adjustment times if house unoccupied);

savings illustrations based on peer comparison and scoring;

intelligent control opportunities to switch off or minimize wasted energy, or dynamically control integrating renewable or storage supplies at the appropriate circuit and device level;

reporting and tracking savings impact (for example to enable ROC/REC environmental credits)

14. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 13, where said appliance/device use and contextual behaviour data enables at least some of;

precise targeting or brokering to third-party sponsors or stakeholders of appropriate advice, adverts or cross sell of product opportunities;

algorithmic modelling of the benefit case, for example over further intelligent control devices or DC power server applications, LED/OLED solutions, kitchen appliances, outsourced services;

advice on product substitution (e.g. for washing appliances enabling a cross sell of a lower temperature washing powder based on usage observation);

scoring and profiling of said recommendations based on their take-up and actual measured energy savings impact in real world situations by consumers;

scoring of advice and options based on Peer group commentary and feedback;

access to advice and options via an appropriate search tool;

analysis of overall usage data and circuitry knowledge to help identification of prospects for retro-fitting, future fitting, or potential migration paths for renewable installations;

workflow/modelling of potential installation cost and complexity for changing and improving the Energy Environment;

evaluation of changes such as migrating entire circuits at the central fuse box level, or room level to low power DC sub-circuits for low power lighting and end devices;

evaluating localizing micro-generation efficiency or opportunities;

analysis of integrating other suitable energy efficient products and solutions (e.g. insulation, extractor fans, air conditioning, heat recovery).

15. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 1, wherein the combination of the Energy Environment (EE), Energy Monitoring Environment (EME), Energy Change Environment (ECE), software means and interaction between said parts and preferred components being at least some of:

a Home Energy Server (HES), Zone Energy Module(s) (ZEM), Light Switch Socket Unit(s) (LSSU), Local Renewable Supply (LRS), wiring circuitry, end devices, sensor apparatus, consumer display(s), local and remote communications and Remote Server Resources;

overall act to selectively provide real-time measurements, advice and education, advertisements and recommendations, dynamic control and actions, to directly reduce energy use or enable migration towards more efficient use.

16. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 15, wherein a usage of an end electric appliance is captured by means of a sensor apparatus located in or near a fuse box, communicated to a Home Energy Server (HES) for analysis and processing, where said Home Energy Server (HES) may selectively:

show the energy usage via a display;

or by communication means convey usage information to end consumer units such as a phone or portable display;

by inference analysis identify the type of electric appliance in use e.g. via an onboard signal processing means, power signature analysis or by means of access to a remote server resource;

identify the type and usage of said electric device in correlation with other utility (gas or water) usage monitoring;

provide an analysis or comparison of the efficiency of the device vs. an alternative;

seek an improvement advice or third party product substitution via the remote server resource and external parties;

provide said usage advice or product substitution back to the consumer, or to a stakeholder;

analyse what renewable resources might be appropriate to power such end device;

analyse what local storage means might be appropriate to power such end device;

learn from the usage behaviour to update household energy use characteristics, behaviour types or management and efficiency control information;

update default or scheduled setting of household—

e.g. scheduled battery storage charging, heating or hot-water settings;

identify cross sell opportunities associated with such end device usage;

audit the usage of end devices.

17. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 1, where said sensing apparatus measures resource loads and volumes of water or gas use or household temperatures, whereby events such as taps, sink use, shower use, bath-tub use, toilet flushing, washing machine, dish washer, cooking preparation, water heating, room heating, or heating effectiveness maybe identified when analysed and processed by the Home Energy Server (HES).

18. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 1, comprising a portable charger unit for use therewith, the portable charger unit comprising a rechargeable battery pack, communication means, display for energy usage data or advice, processing means, power delivery control module and connector socket for providing power to an end device, where said portable charge unit may selectively be chargeable from a cradle on the Home Energy Server or alternate supply.

19. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 1, comprising a connector plug for use therewith, the connector plug, comprising a means of indicating key parameters for required voltage and current when connected to a connector socket.

20. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 1, comprising a connector socket for use therewith, the connector socket comprising a means of detecting a key parameter for voltage and current from a connector plug, and providing an appropriate voltage and current via a power delivery control module.

21. An energy management and power provisioning system according to claim 1, comprising a wind powered local renewable supply (LRS) for use therewith, the wind powered local renewable supply being capable of being mounted on a wall, window, roof or vent structure, and being formed selectively as a;

transparent apparatus;

fixable to a extractor fan or bathroom vent;

extractor fan and wind power device.

6. A Home Energy Server (HES), arranged to connect to available power supplies such as an AC mains supply, Local renewable supply or electricity storage device, and selectively uses these supplies to mediate a variable DC power circuit supply at least one of;

power delivery control modules and connector sockets, Zone Energy Modules and Light Switch Socket Units, to provide appropriate voltages and current requested by end devices; and

where said Home Energy Server (HES), comprises at least some of;

a casing, power supply circuit connection, connection sockets for local renewable or battery storage devices, variable DC power circuit connection, control circuitry, software means, processing means, power delivery control module devices, DC to DC voltage conversion, plurality of connector sockets, communication means, wireless communication support, connection to remote server resources or to web pages, phone units or interactive television, communication means to other devices on the circuits and local display units, security means, consumer display, control interfaces, battery charging cradle and removable battery unit, temperature or environmental sensors, communication means to remote energy monitoring sensors (such as smart metres, voltage and current sensors, electricity calibration sensors, water or gas monitors).

22. A Home Energy Server (HES) according to claim 6, arranged to connect to available power supplies such as an AC mains supply, Local renewable supply or electricity storage device, and selectively uses these supplies to mediate a variable DC power circuit supply to at least one of:

a power delivery control module and connector socket, or circuit connected to further power control devices and light switch socket units capable of receiving an power input or providing appropriate voltages and current requested by end devices.

7. A Light Switch Socket Unit (LSSU), arranged to receive power from a DC power supply, sub-circuit or variable voltage network or local renewable resource, and with a power delivery control module device perform a power conversion to provide an appropriate required output voltage and current to connector sockets to power end devices;

and comprising at least some of;

a support casing and a face panel, power supply circuit connection, power delivery control module, inverter apparatus, communication circuitry, communication for control purposes with the Home Energy Server (HES) or other devices, wireless communication means, control software, lighting control switches, temperature or environmental sensors, an interchangeable Light Switch Socket Module (LSSM) on the face panel for supporting different combinations of connector socket formats (such as for USB plugs, round pin plugs, custom socket plugs) acting as power outlets for end devices or inlets for local renewable supplies.

8. A Zone Energy Module (ZEM), arranged to receive power from a DC power supply, DC power circuit or variable voltage network or local renewable resource, or be placed in an existing AC circuit to receive an AC/DC converted supply as back-up or to top up current required, and to provide a DC sub-circuit or provide appropriate voltages and current to connector sockets and end-devices;

and comprising at least some of;

a casing, ceiling or wall unit mounting, software control means, communication support, communication for control purposes with the Home Energy Server (HES) or other devices, plurality of connector sockets, connection to a Light Socket Switch Unit (LSSU), DC power circuit for network of lighting units, connections for local renewable resources such as a wind resource, battery storage, solar device or energy scavenging device (such as a thermo-electric heat recovery unit), environment sensors, wireless ceiling speaker unit, combination with a ceiling or wall extractor fan, self-management means to be able to function independently of a central Home Energy Server (HES) unit, or to recognize and dynamically adapt should an existing AC circuit input become a DC sub-circuit.