METHODS, CIRCUITS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR GENERATION FOLLOWING LOAD MANAGEMENT

• US 20140052307A1
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel P. Flohr, Stewart Ramsay
• Original Assignee: Daniel P. Flohr, Stewart Ramsay
• Inventors: Flohr, Daniel P., Ramsay, Stewart
• Granted Patent: US 8,989,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• 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 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/004 Generation forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future energy generation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• 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: 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: Y04S 20/12 Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

Two water heaters may be installed in series at a customer location, such that an output of a first (or storage) water heater is coupled to the input of a second (or primary) water heater, the output of which provides hot water to the customer location. During normal operation, only the primary water heater may actually heat water for use at the customer location. However, during periods of excess capacity, the electrical service provider may enable the storage water heater to store the excess electrical power that is generated by operating the power plant at higher output (which may be more efficient). Later, during hours of greater demand, the electrical service provider may disable the storage water heater used to store the excess capacity, whereas the primary water heater may operate normally. However, during the time of greater demand, the storage water heaters may provide pre-heated water to the primary water heater, which in-turn, may need to heat the water less or perhaps not at all.

Claims

1. A method of managing electrical power generation comprising:

remotely controlling operation of energy storage devices coupled in series at each of first customer locations, in a first region connected to an electrical power grid, wherein each energy storage device comprises a water heating device, to selectively increase electrical power demand at the first customer locations; and

remotely controlling operation of energy storage devices coupled in series at each of second customer locations, in a second region connected to the electrical power grid to selectively decrease electrical power demand at the second customer locations while selectively increasing the electrical power demand at the first customer locations.