Centralized Renewable Energy System With Fractional Ownership and a Method of Disaggregated Net Metering of its Renewable Energy Output Among Utility Customers Who Are Fractional Owners

• US 20100293045A1
• Filed: 05/14/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Communitysun, LLC, Southwest Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Communitysun, LLC
• Inventors: Burns, James Moeller, Burns, Thomas Warren
• Application Number:
  US12/780,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20100293045A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/14 Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards

Abstract

Systems and methods for off-site centralized renewable energy generation systems for utility customers to remotely generate renewable energy that can be credited to their utility bill at their residence or place of business. Fractional ownership of a centralized facility provides cost savings through economies of scale and allows fractional owners to receive all available tax incentives for renewable energy production.

Claims

1. A system for providing input of energy into a utility grid from an off-site renewable energy source, wherein the source is owned by a plurality of customers of the utility grid whereby the connection of the source to the grid and the connection of the grid to each customer'"'"'s utility meter are within the same regulatory jurisdiction, the system comprising:

one or more advanced metering infrastructure compatible power meters at the off-site source location electrically linked to one or more renewable energy production devices and electrically linked to the utility grid, wherein the power meter output is disaggregated by the utility company'"'"'s billing system to credit a predetermined fraction of the total energy output to each owner'"'"'s account by aggregation of the energy use indicated by each owner'"'"'s utility meter less the credit due each owner from the off-site renewable energy source power meter.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a management system comprising:

a host computer system comprising one or more processors, memory, computer readable media with storage for one or more databases, one or more network interfaces;

an electronic link from the host computer to the utility grid operator'"'"'s billing system computer, effective to receive and to transmit billing and energy usage data comprising meter usage and charges for customers connected to the utility grid;

wherein the host computer comprises computer readable media with software instructions encoded thereon to retrieve energy use data from each owner'"'"'s utility meter and energy output from the off-site power meters and calculate the aggregated utility use less energy input credit for each owner and transmit the sum to the utility company'"'"'s billing system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the host computer further comprises computer storage media with one or more databases to store utility production and use data and computer readable memory with software instructions encoded thereon to monitor energy production by the off site renewable energy source and to generate usage and savings reports from data stored in the databases.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the off-site renewable energy source is a production facility comprising a plurality of customer owned lots, each with one or more renewable energy production devices located thereon and a separate power production meter electrically connected to the production devices on each customer owned lot.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the off-site renewable energy source is a production facility comprising a plurality of customer owned lots, each with one or more renewable energy production devices located thereon and a commonly owned advanced metering infrastructure compatible power production meter electrically connected to every owner'"'"'s renewable energy production devices.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein customer ownership is structured as direct condominium ownership.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the off-site renewable energy source is a production facility comprising a plurality of renewable energy production devices located on a commonly owned site and a commonly owned advanced metering infrastructure compatible power production meter electrically connected to the renewable energy production devices, wherein the power meter output is disaggregated in the utility billing system to credit each owner with a predetermined percentage of the total energy output.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the power production devices comprise solar panels connected to a DC to AC converter.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the power production devices comprise one or more wind turbines.

10. A system for management of an off-site renewable energy production facility connected to a utility grid, wherein the production facility is owned by customers of the utility grid in which the connection of the production facility to the grid, and the connection of the grid to the customers'"'"' utility meter are within or are enabled by the same regulatory jurisdiction, the system comprising:

one or more host computer systems comprising one or more processors, memory, user input devices, computer readable media with storage for one or more databases, and one or more network interfaces; and

an electronic link from the host computer to the utility grid operator'"'"'s billing system computer, effective to receive and to transmit billing and energy usage data comprising meter usage and charges for customers connected to the utility grid, wherein the total energy output from the off-site renewable energy production facility is disaggregated to credit each owner with a predetermined percentage of the total energy output;

wherein the host computer comprises computer readable media with software instructions encoded thereon to retrieve energy use data from each owner'"'"'s utility meter and the disaggregated energy output data from the off-site power meters and to calculate for each owner, the sum of the owner'"'"'s energy use less the energy input credit for each owner.

11. The system of claim 10, comprising a host computer comprising computer readable media with software instructions encoded thereon to provide an online application and approval process for purchase of a portion of the off-site renewable energy production facility comprising the following steps:

providing a graphical user interface through an internet connection accessible by applicants for ownership of a portion of off-site renewable energy property;

collecting application data and utility bill reduction goals from applicants through the internet connection;

determining type of proposed interest in the renewal energy system based on applicant information;

determining federal tax credit applicability;

determining state and local tax credit applicability;

electronically retrieving applicant historical utility bills;

calculating proposed renewable energy system kilowatt size for purchase based on historical utility bills of applicant;

calculating available owner incentives and applying incentives to purchase price;

calculating estimated investment required for purchase;

providing an interface to a financing institution to consider an application for financing of the purchase;

displaying financing offer and commitment from financing institution to applicant;

displaying purchase terms to applicant and to provide electronic interface for applicant to indicate acceptance of terms;

communicating with utility group computer to obtain state and local tax incentive commitments and to secure commitments for incentives to applicant for proposed kilowatt generation;

generating customer closing documents;

providing interface for applicant to complete and submit closing documents to close sale;

notifying utility provider of transaction to configure disaggregation of production meter and aggregation of utility bill; and

initiating title, mortgage, universal commercial code filings or a combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the ownership interest a direct condominium ownership.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the off-site renewable energy production facility comprises solar panels electrically connected to the grid through a DC to AC converter and an advanced metering infrastructure compatible power output meter.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the off-site renewable energy production facility comprises one or more wind turbines connected to the grid through a DC to AC converter and an advanced metering infrastructure compatible power output meter.

15. A method of applying off-site renewable energy to a utility user'"'"'s total utility bill to reduce the user'"'"'s net energy consumption charges while permitting the user to obtain incentives for the off-site renewable energy interest, the method comprising:

providing an off-site renewable energy production facility connected to a utility grid where the connection of the off-site renewable energy production facility to the grid and the connection of the user'"'"'s utility meter to the grid are within or are enabled by the same regulatory jurisdiction;

providing to a plurality of users the purchase of a fractional interest in the off-site renewable energy production facility such that the total energy output of the facility to the grid is disaggregated and credited to each purchaser in accordance with the percentage of ownership purchased by each user after subtraction of any applicable fees;

providing an aggregated utility bill to the users in which each user'"'"'s total utility bill includes a credit for the user'"'"'s percentage of the total energy output subtracted from the user'"'"'s utility usage.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the applicable fees comprise utility wheeling charges or management fees.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing an electronic interface through which utility users can apply for and purchase fractional ownership in the off-site renewable energy production facility, wherein the electronic interface provides:

connection to a source for obtaining the user'"'"'s historical energy use to use in calculating an appropriate maximum amount of energy output to be purchased to avoid allowing a user becoming a net provider of energy to the grid;

an offer for sale of a fractional ownership of the off-site renewable energy production facility at a predetermined price;

connection to a source for calculating and obtaining tax incentives for renewable energy production;

calculation of a net purchase price including subtraction of the available tax incentives;

connection to a source for financing the purchase;

all forms for closing the financing and the purchase; and

initiation of title, mortgage, universal commercial code filings or a combination thereof for the user.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing an electronic interface for owners of a fractional interest in the off-site renewable energy production facility to offer all or part of that interest for sale to other users within the same utility jurisdiction.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing management services to the owners of the off-site renewable energy production facility, wherein the services comprise at least one of managing and maintaining the off-site facility, monitoring energy production of the facility, interfacing with the utility company to manage billing and credits including utility bill aggregation, interfacing with taxing agencies to manage tax incentive transactions, maintaining and enforcing power pooling agreements between owners, managing any commonly owned property at the off-site renewable energy production facility, or any combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the purchase is structured as a direct condominium ownership agreement.