System and Method for Energy Storage Management

• US 20130274935A1
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NantEnergy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Deshpande, Sachin G., Kerofsky, Louis Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,153,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/291
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• 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: H02J 3/28 Arrangements for balancing of the load in a network by storage of energy
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• 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 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A method is provided for efficiently managing energy consumption using stored energy. The method accepts input energy (e.g., from a power utility) and maintains a record of energy consumption. An energy consumption peak is predicted in response to analyzing the record of energy consumption, and the input energy is augmented with stored energy during the predicted energy consumption peaks. More explicitly, a peak shaving value is selected based on a fraction of the predicted energy consumption peak, and the stored energy is used when energy consumption exceeds the peak shaving value. In one aspect, after a determination is made to use stored energy, it is simply used while it is available. Otherwise, it is supplied based upon an analysis of a predicted value of the stored energy.

Claims

1. A method for efficiently managing energy consumption using stored energy, the method comprising:

accepting input energy;

maintaining a record of energy consumption;

predicting an energy consumption peak in response to analyzing the record of energy consumption; and

,

augmenting input energy with stored energy during the predicted energy consumption peaks.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, augmenting input energy with stored energy includes:

selecting a peak shaving value based on a fraction of the predicted energy consumption peak; and

,

using the stored energy when energy consumption exceeds the peak shaving value.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein using the stored energy when energy consumption exceeds the peak shaving value includes using the stored energy in response to a condition selected from a group consisting of while stored energy is available and in response to an analysis of a predicted value of the stored energy.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein maintaining the record of energy consumption includes cross-referencing energy consumption to parameters selected from a group consisting of a period of time, time of day, day of week, season, month, weather, current energy generation, previous energy generation, current consumption, weather predictions, input energy costs, input energy cost changes, previous peak shaving values, previous energy tier consumption, and combinations of the above-mentioned parameters.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating photovoltaic (PV) energy;

predicting the value of the generated PV energy; and

,

wherein augmenting input energy with stored energy includes determining whether the generated PV energy should be added to the stored energy.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein predicting the energy consumption peak includes predicting an energy consumption peak associated with a selected parameter;

and,

wherein selecting the peak shaving value includes associating a unique peak shaving value with each selected parameter.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein accepting input energy includes accepting input energy having a cost associated with a factor selected from a group consisting of peak value of input energy accepted, a time of day, and total energy input;

the method further comprising;

predicting input energy costs; and

,

wherein augmenting input energy with stored energy includes augmenting input energy with stored energy in response to the input energy cost prediction.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein predicting the energy consumption peak includes predicting an energy consumption peak associated with a previous time of day.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining an energy storage equipment cycling penalty;

wherein maintaining the record of energy consumption includes cross-referencing energy consumption to days in a billing period;

wherein predicting the energy consumption peak includes predicting a plurality of energy consumption peaks over the course of the billing period; and

,

wherein selecting the peak shaving value includes associating a unique peak shaving value with each energy consumption peak in the billing period, responsive to the determined energy storage equipment cycling penalty.

10. A system for efficiently managing energy consumption using stored energy, the system comprising:

an energy consumption unit having an interface to accept input energy and an interface to accept stored energy;

an energy storage unit having an interface to selectively accept input energy and an interface to selectively supply stored energy to the energy consumption unit;

a non-transitory memory;

a processor; and

,

an energy consumption management application, enabled as a sequence of software instructions stored in memory and executed by the processor, the energy consumption management application maintaining a record of energy consumption by the energy consumption unit, predicting an energy consumption peak in response to analyzing the record of energy consumption, and commanding the energy storage unit to augment input energy to the energy consumption unit with stored energy during the predicted energy consumption peaks.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the energy consumption management application selects a peak shaving value based on a fraction of the predicted energy consumption peak and commands the use the stored energy when energy consumption exceeds the peak shaving value.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the energy consumption management application commands the use of stored energy in response to a condition selected from a group consisting of while energy is available in the energy storage unit and in response to an analysis of a predicted value of the stored energy.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the energy consumption management application maintains the record of energy consumption by cross-referencing energy consumption to parameters selected from a group consisting of a period of time, time of day, current consumption, day of week, season, month, weather, weather predictions, input energy costs, input energy cost changes, previous energy tier consumption, current energy generation, previous energy generation, previous peak shaving values, and combinations of the above-mentioned parameters.

14. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a photovoltaic (PV) energy generator; and

,

wherein the energy consumption management application predicts the value of the generated PV energy and determines whether the generated PV energy should be added to the stored energy or used by the energy consumption unit.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the energy consumption management application has a user interface to accept selected parameters, the energy consumption management application predicting an energy consumption peaks associated with selected parameters, and associating a unique peak shaving value with each selected parameter.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the energy consumption unit and energy storage unit accept input energy having a cost associated with a factor selected from a group consisting of peak value of input energy accepted, a time of day, and total energy input;

and,

wherein the energy consumption management application predicts input energy costs and augments energy to the energy consumption unit with stored energy in response to the input energy cost prediction.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the energy consumption management application predicts an energy consumption peak associated with a previous time of day.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the energy consumption management application determines an energy storage unit equipment cycling penalty, maintains the record of energy consumption by cross-referencing energy consumption to days in a billing period, predicts a plurality of energy consumption peaks over the course of the billing period, and associates a unique peak shaving value with each energy consumption peak in the billing period, responsive to the determined energy storage unit equipment cycling penalty.