COMMUNITY ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20130262197A1
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Kaulgud, Vikrant Shyamkant, Paul, Sanjoy
• Granted Patent: US 9,798,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/001 Methods to deal with contingencies, e.g. abnormalities, faults or failures
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/003 Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• 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: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

Systems and methods for distributed control and energy management of one or more communities of energy-consuming units may include aggregation of consumption data from units, and determining per-unit electricity consumption based thereon, including consumption of backup power provided by a community during periods of time of poor quality (brownouts) or blackouts of a utility. A system may calculate and assess to respective units per-unit costs for such backup power. A system may also issue a command or alert to units to carry out one or both of community electricity usage objectives and electricity quotas required by the utility, which may be determined through execution of rules.

Claims

1. A method executable using at least one computer having at least one processor and memory located within a community energy management system (CEMS), the method comprising:

monitoring, using a sensor of the CEMS, electricity supplied to a community by monitoring a feeder line from a local utility, the community comprising a plurality of consuming units, the community being a subset of a power grid;

detecting a reduction or loss in electricity supplied by the local utility during one or more time periods for which backup power will have to be provided;

monitoring, using at least one sensor of the CEMS, electricity consumption at the plurality of units;

determining, using the at least one processor, backup power consumed on a per-unit basis during the one or more time periods; and

calculating, using the at least one processor, costs to respective units based on per-unit consumption of the backup power during the one or more time periods.

2. The method of claim 1, where calculating the costs to respective units includes applying a cost-charging scheme comprising a percentage of consumption of the backup power in relation to total backup power consumed by the community, the method further comprising:

charging owners of respective units for the backup power according to the calculated costs.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an amount of additional reduction in backup power to avoid exceeding available supply of electricity; and

providing a rebate or discount on a utility bill of an owner of each unit that accepts additional reduction in backup power.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

charging a surcharge as an additional cost on a utility bill of an owner of a unit that requests and receives exemption to electricity consumption reduction as required by one or more rules executable by the processor.

5. The method of claim 1, where monitoring electricity consumption at the plurality of units further comprises:

receiving consumption data from smart device management systems (SDMSs) of respective units, each smart device management system in communication with one or more smart plugs or smart appliances at each respective unit.

6. The method of claim 5, where the received consumption data forms consumption patterns of electricity on a per-unit basis, the method further comprising:

accessing one or more rules from the memory that address community electricity usage objectives; and

sending an alert or command to a SDMS of respective units based on the consumption patterns, and in execution of the one or more rules to further the community electricity usage objectives.

7. The method of claim 5, where the received consumption data forms consumption patterns of electricity on a per-unit basis, the method further comprising:

receiving a not-to-exceed quota of power for consumption during a period of time from the local utility;

selecting at least one of the one or more smart plugs or smart appliances according to historical consumption rates of the one or more smart plugs or smart appliances; and

sending an alert or command to a SDMS of respective units indicative to each of at least some of the SDMSs to disconnect or adjust power to the one or more smart plugs or smart appliances, such that the community does not exceed the quota.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sending an electronic communication to at least some of the plurality of units, the electronic communication configured for display on a social interface to unit owners through the SDMSs of the respective units or through a web or mobile interface, or any combination thereof,

where the social interface comprising a graphical user interface displayable through a display screen and configured to display consumption data, cost information and penalties and incentives to respective unit owners related to use of the backup power on a per-unit basis.

9. The method of claim 8, where the electronic communication is further configured to display comparative standings in electricity consumption as compared to averages, and best and worst electricity consumption by the units of the community.

10. The method of claim 1, where the computer comprises two or more computers, where at least a second computer is in communication with the computer over a network, and where the computer and the at least a second computer share execution of the monitoring, the detecting, the determining and the calculating functions.

11. A method executable using at least one computer having at least one processor and memory of a service provider of a plurality of communities, the method comprising:

monitoring, using a plurality of sensors of community energy management systems (CEMSs) of respective communities, electricity consumption by the plurality of communities by monitoring respective feeder lines from a local utility for each community, including periods of time during which the electricity is cut or reduced, which form incoming electricity patterns of supply for the respective communities, the communities as combined being a subset of a power grid;

aggregating data from each community for a plurality of units of each community that consume the electricity, the data including at least consumption patterns on a per-unit basis;

accessing one or more rules from the memory, or as received from the local utility, that address demand response requirements of the local utility executable at a micro level of the units, to determine a reduction in power supply at each monitored community necessary to reduce a likelihood of a blackout or a brownout in the local utility; and

sending, using at least one processor, an alert or command to a smart device management system (SDMS) of respective units of the communities based on the incoming energy patterns and the per-unit consumption patterns, and in execution of the one or more rules to reduce the likelihood of a blackout or a brownout in the local utility.

12. The method of claim 11, where the alert prompts a unit owner to reduce electricity consumption during intervals when electricity demand is more than electricity supply, the method further comprising:

providing a discount or a rebate to the unit owner on a utility bill passed on from the local utility and based on a voluntary reduction in electricity consumption by the unit owner; and

charging the community a fee for passing on the discount or rebate, the community corresponding to the unit of the unit owner.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

charging the local utility a fee for executing the demand response according to the one or more rules provided by the local utility.

14. The method of claim 11, where the command comprises an instruction configured for execution by an appliance or comprises an instruction configured for a socket of a smart plug at a unit to disconnect or adjust electricity to the appliance plugged into the socket, the method further comprising:

providing a discount or a rebate to an owner of the unit on a utility bill passed on from the local utility and based on the disconnection or adjustment of the electricity to the appliance; and

charging the community a fee for passing on the discount or rebate, the community corresponding to the unit.

15. The method of claim 14, where the appliance is of a predetermined type targeted by the one or more rules, the method further comprising:

providing an additional monetary incentive to the owner for acceptance of reduction in electricity consumption in addition to that required by the one or more rules.

16. The method of claim 11, where the one or more rules are first rules, the method further comprising:

executing one or more second rules that address respective community electricity usage objectives, where the alert or the command is to further the electricity usage objectives of at least one community.

17. The method of claim 16, where one of the second rules comprises a maximum threshold limit of electricity consumption allowed by one or more units during a period of time, the method further comprising:

collecting additional charges from an owner of a unit that consumes more than the maximum threshold limit of electricity during the period of time;

sending the collected charges to the local utility; and

charging the local utility a fee for collection of, and sending the additional charges to, the local utility.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending the aggregate of the data from the communities to the local utility;

receiving from the local utility cut schedules and incentives to pass on to the communities for reducing electricity consumption during time periods of the cut or reduced electricity based on respective consumption patterns and the cut schedules; and

managing the incentives with respect to respective communities based on corresponding consumption patterns and the one or more rules.

19. A community energy management system for determining per-unit costs of provisioned backup power, comprising:

at least one computer including at least one processor and computer memory;

a network interface coupled with the at least one computer configured to communicate with units of a community over at least one network;

the at least one processor configured to;

monitor electricity supplied to a community by monitoring a feeder line from a local utility, the community comprising a plurality of consuming units;

detect a reduction or loss in electricity supplied by the local utility during one or more time periods for which backup power will have to be provided;

monitor electricity consumption at the plurality of units;

determining backup power consumed on a per-unit basis during the one or more time periods; and

calculate costs to respective units based on per-unit consumption of the backup power during the one or more time periods.

20. A hierarchical energy management system for executing demand response control over a plurality of communities of respective units, comprising:

at least one computer each including at least one processor and computer memory;

a network interface coupled with the at least one computer configured to communicate with the communities and their units over at least one network;

the at least one processor configured to;

monitor electricity consumption by at least some of the plurality of communities by monitoring respective feeder lines from a local utility for each community, including periods of time during which the electricity is cut or reduced, which form incoming electricity patterns of supply for the respective communities;

aggregate data from each community for a plurality of units of each community that consume the electricity, the data including at least consumption patterns on a per-unit basis;

access one or more rules from the memory, or as received from the local utility, that address demand response requirements of the local utility executable at a micro level of the units, to determine a reduction in power supply at each monitored community necessary to reduce a likelihood of a blackout or a brownout in the local utility; and

send an alert or command to a smart device management system (SDMS) of respective units of the communities based on the incoming energy patterns and the per-unit consumption patterns, and in execution of the one or more rules to reduce the likelihood of a blackout or a brownout in the local utility.