Demand Response without Time-of-Use Metering

• US 20130190942A1
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Pamulaparthy, Balakrishna, Sharma, Manish Kumar, Gupta, Aditya
• Granted Patent: US 9,140,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/297
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/12 Determination or prediction of behaviour, e.g. likely power consumption or unusual usage patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/28 Processes or tasks scheduled according to the power required, the power available or the power price
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention can provide systems and methods for controlling the load of demand response metering devices. According to one embodiment of the invention, a system can be provided. The system can be operable to receive a load limit, store the load limit, determine a load demand of a location, provide an alarm when the load demand is greater than the load limit, and restrict electricity to the location when the load demand remains greater than the load limit for a predetermined amount of time.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions;

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

receive a load limit and store the load limit in the at least one memory;

determine a load demand of a location;

provide an alarm when the load demand is greater than the load limit; and

restrict electricity to the location when the load demand remains greater than the load limit for a predetermined amount of time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the load limit comprises a load limit for a peak load time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the load limit is received from a remote location or a local interface via a wired or wireless interface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the determination of the load demand comprises receiving the load demand from a meter of the location or from a meter of a consumer associated with the location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the restriction of electricity comprises actuating at least one relay.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one relay comprises a relay to disconnect all electricity from the location or a relay to disconnect less than all electricity from the location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to provide the alarm or the restriction of electricity only during peak load times.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the alarm comprises at least one of an audio tone, an image, a video, a text message, an email, or a pager message.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to provide the alarm when the load demand is greater than the peak load limit and during peak load times, and restrict the electricity only when the load demand remains greater than the peak load limit for the predetermined amount of time and while during peak load times.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the predetermined amount of time is provided by a utility entity and is based at least in part on peak load data.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving a load limit and storing the load limit in at least one memory;

determining a load demand of a location;

providing an alarm when the load demand is greater than the load limit; and

restricting electricity to the location when the load demand remains greater than the load limit for a predetermined amount of time.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the load limit comprises a load limit for a peak load time.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the load limit is received from a remote location or a local interface via a wireless or wired interface.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the load demand comprises receiving the load demand from a meter of the location or a meter of a consumer associated with the location.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein restricting electricity comprises actuating at least one relay.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one relay comprises a relay to disconnect all electricity from the location or a relay to disconnect less than all electricity from the location.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing the alarm or the restriction of electricity only during peak load times.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing the alarm when the load demand is greater than the peak load limit and during peak load times, and restricting the electricity only when the load demand remains greater than the peak load limit for the predetermined amount of time and while during peak load times.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving, by an input device of a computing device and from a utility entity, a peak load limit and storing the peak load limit in at least one memory;

determining, by at least one processor of the computing device, a load demand of a location and storing the load demand in the at least one memory; and

while during a peak load period;

determining when the load demand is greater than the peak load limit;

generating an alarm when the load demand is greater than the peak load limit;

opening a first relay to restrict electricity to the location when the load demand remains greater than the peak load limit for a first predetermined amount of time; and

opening at least a second relay to further restrict electricity to the location when the load demand remains greater than the peak load limit for a second predetermined amount of time.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the load demand of the location has reduced after opening the first relay or at least the second relay;

closing the first relay or at least the second relay;

determining when the load demand is greater than the peak load limit; and

recursively opening the first relay or at least the second relay, receiving the indication, closing the first relay or at least the second relay, and determining when the load demand is greater than the peak load limit until the load demand is less than the peak load limit.