ENERGY MANAGEMENT

• US 20100207728A1
• Filed: 02/18/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Besore, John Keith, Roscoe, George William, Schork, Brian Michael, Papallo, Thomas Frederick Jr., Rivers, Cecil Jr., Ilickovic, Darko
• Application Number:
  US12/388,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20100207728A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/66 one of the loads acting as master and the other or others acting as slaves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

An energy management system includes a module for an energy consuming device. The module has a module main controller including a computer processor in communication with a module computer readable storage medium containing computer executable code. When the computer executable code is executed by the computer processor, it performs a method including determining whether a demand state is a peak demand state, employing a reduced operational mode of the energy consuming device during a peak demand state, and employing a normal operational mode of the energy consuming device during a demand state other than a peak demand state. In an embodiment, the system also includes a system main controller in communication with the module.

Claims

1. An energy management module for an energy consuming device, the module comprising:

a module main controller including a computer processor in communication with a module computer readable storage medium containing computer executable code that when executed by the computer processor performs a method comprising;

determining whether a demand state is a peak demand state;

employing a reduced operational mode of the energy consuming device during a peak demand state; and

employing a normal operational mode of the energy consuming device during a demand state other than a peak demand state.

2. The module of claim 1 wherein determining whether a demand state is a peak demand state comprises receiving a demand state from a remote demand server.

3. The module of claim 1 further comprising a user interface and wherein determining whether a demand state is a peak demand state comprises receiving a demand state from the user interface.

4. The module of claim 1 wherein determining whether a demand state is a peak demand state comprises receiving a demand state from the computer readable storage medium.

5. The module of claim 1 further comprising a light sensor in communication with the module main controller, a counter in communication with the module main controller, and wherein determining whether a demand state is a peak demand state comprises monitoring a light level, starting a counter when the light level exceeds a predefined value, and determining that the demand state is a peak demand state when the light level exceeds the predefined value for a predefined period.

6. The module of claim 1 further comprising a light sensor in communication with the module main controller employing a reduced operational mode includes reducing lighting energy consumption responsive to a light level detected by the light sensor.

7. The module of claim 1 further comprising a Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tag in selective communication with and responsive to a RFID master.

8. The module of claim 7 wherein the RFID tag has a respective resonant frequency that is unique within a range of the RFID master.

9. The module of claim 7 wherein the RFID tag is an active RFID tag comprising a data storage device and determining whether a demand state is a peak demand state further comprises selectively storing data received from the RFID master via a pulse of energy at a resonant frequency of the RFID tag.

10. An energy management module for an energy consuming device, the module comprising:

a module communications port;

a module main controller including a computer processor in communication with the communications port and with a module computer readable storage medium containing computer executable code that when executed by the computer processor performs a method comprising;

receiving with the communications port information regarding an operational state of the energy consuming device; and

selectively receiving instruction signals via the communications port;

processing received instruction signals;

determining an operational mode to employ in accordance with at least the instruction signals; and

responsive to the determination of an operational mode to employ, instructing the energy consuming device to employ the operational mode.

11. The module of claim 10 wherein the communications port is responsive to an override command of the information received by the module main controller and the method further comprises superseding the signals responsive to an override command having been received by the port.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the module further comprises a user interface.

13. The module of claim 12 wherein the method further comprises selectively providing at least one of energy saving tips, information regarding energy usage, including estimates of energy usage for various operational changes, an indicator during on-peak mode, and a counter to illustrate the energy impact of door opening with the user interface.

14. The module of claim 10 further comprising a receiver connected to the communications port and in communication with a transmitter, and receiving signals further comprises receiving a signal carried by a transmission of the transmitter and indicative of a respective rate.

15. The module of claim 14 wherein the signal comprises a continuous tone.

16. The module of claim 14 wherein the signal comprises a combination of tones.

17. The module of claim 10 wherein the carrier frequency is in the FM band.

18. The module of claim 10 wherein the method comprises monitoring a parameter indicative of a performance of the energy consuming device and, responsive to an indication of performance below a predefined level, sending a trouble signal to an external party.

19. The module of claim 10 wherein the instruction signals originate from a system controller of a facility energy management system.

20. An energy management system comprising:

a module with a module communications port and a module main controller, the module main controller including a computer processor in communication with the module communications port and with a module computer readable storage medium containing computer executable code that when executed by the computer processor performs a method comprising;

receiving with the module communications port information regarding an operational state of at least one energy consuming device;

receiving instruction signals via the module communications port;

determining an operational mode to employ in accordance with at least the instruction signals; and

responsive to the determination of an operational mode to employ, instructing the energy consuming device to employ the operational mode;

a system communications port; and

a system controller including a system computer processor in communication with the system communications port and with a system computer readable storage medium containing computer executable code that when executed by the system computer processor performs a method comprising;

receiving with the system communications port information regarding a demand state of an energy supply; and

sending instruction signals to the module based on the demand state.

21. The system of claim 20 the information regarding a demand state of an energy supply originates from a remote computer based demand server.