MANAGING EXCESS RENEWABLE ENERGY

• US 20130038122A1
• Filed: 08/08/2011
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: Jay Andrew Broniak
• Inventors: Brian, Joseph Mark, BRONIAK, Jay Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,124,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/18
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/20 The dispersed energy generation being of renewable origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/22 The renewable source being solar energy
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/40 wherein a plurality of decentralised, dispersed or local energy generation technologies are operated simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/28 Arrangements for balancing of the load in a network by storage of energy
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• 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: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/221 General power management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 : using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A renewable energy management system includes a load center that enables current flow into a renewable energy system generated from one or more sources and facilitates consumption of generated energy by one or more devices in the renewable energy system, and a smart meter that tracks energy flow in and out of the load center to measure energy consumption and energy production for the renewable energy system. The system also includes an energy manager in communication with the smart meter and at least one of the devices, wherein the energy manager signals the at least one of the devices to function as an energy storage device for storing excess renewable energy generated by the renewable energy system.

Claims

1. A renewable energy management system comprising:

a load center that enables current flow into a renewable energy system generated from one or more sources and facilitates consumption of generated energy by one or more devices in the renewable energy system;

a smart meter that tracks energy flow in and out of the load center to measure energy consumption and energy production for the renewable energy system; and

an energy manager in communication with the smart meter and at least one of the devices, wherein the energy manager signals the at least one of the devices to function as an energy storage device for storing excess renewable energy generated by the renewable energy system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more devices comprise one or more of a hot water heater, a hybrid-electric car, a storage battery, and an air conditioning system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more devices comprises a hot water heater, and wherein excess renewable energy is diverted to the hot water heater to create hot water by temporarily adjusting a set-point of the water heater.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the hot water heater comprises an electronic control board, one or more heating elements, and a thermostatic mixing valve to enable higher tank storage temperatures while regulating temperature on a hot water feed.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the renewable energy system is a component of a residential home.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a source in the renewable energy system comprises a solar power generation device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a source in the renewable energy system comprises a wind power generation device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the smart meter periodically communicates total system energy production and total system energy consumption to the energy manager.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more devices periodically communicate total device energy consumption to the energy manager.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy manager calculates average power for total system energy production and total system energy consumption by comparing each new energy reading from the smart meter to a previous reading to determine if net energy is flowing into or out of the system.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy manager determines whether to store excess energy in the one or more devices, based on a threshold comparison for the one or more devices.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface to enable a user to select where to divert excess energy, wherein the interface is communicatively coupled to the energy manager for providing user information and receiving user commands thereat.

13. An apparatus comprising:

an energy manager in communication with a renewable energy system comprising one or more renewable energy generators, a smart meter and one or more energy consuming devices, wherein the energy manager signals the one or more devices to function as an energy storage device for storing excess renewable energy generated by the one or more renewable energy generators.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the energy consuming devices are operatively coupled to an external utility and to the one or more renewable energy generators, to receive energy from the utility and the one or more generators, and wherein the energy manager comprises an algorithm for calculating average power for total system energy production and total system energy consumption by comparing each new energy reading from the smart meter to a previous reading to determine if net energy is flowing from or to the utility.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the energy manager comprises an algorithm for determining whether to store excess energy in the one or more devices based on a threshold comparison for the one or more devices.

16. A method for managing excess renewable energy generated by a renewable energy system, comprising the steps of:

tracking energy consumption and energy production for the renewable energy system; and

automatically diverting excess renewable energy generated by the renewable energy system to one or more devices within the renewable energy system when the energy production exceeds the energy consumption within the renewable energy system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein one or more devices comprise one or more of a hot water heater, a hybrid-electric car, a battery storage, and an air conditioning system.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more devices comprises a hot water heater, and wherein excess renewable energy is diverted to the hot water heater to create hot water by temporarily adjusting a set-point of the water heater.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising calculating average power for total system energy production and total system energy consumption by comparing each new energy reading to a previous reading to determine if net energy is flowing into or out of the renewable energy system.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining whether to store excess energy in the one or more devices, based on a threshold comparison for the one or more devices.