ENERGY SEARCH ENGINE METHODS AND SYSTEMS

• US 20140222486A1
• Filed: 04/08/2014
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MelRok, LLC
• Original Assignee: Expanergy, LLC
• Inventors: Kamel, Michel Roger, Donahue, Paul W.
• Application Number:
  US14/248,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20140222486A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.22
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/001 Measuring real or reactive component; Measuring apparent energy G01R21/01, G01R21/02, G01R21/08, G01R21/10 and G01R21/127 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/1333 adapted for special tariff measuring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00014 carrying signals having the network frequency or DC signals
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/10 The network having a local or delimited stationary reach
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/16 The load or loads being an Information and Communication Technology [ICT] facility
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• 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: 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: Y02P 80/10 : Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/82 : Energy audits or management systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/84 : Greenhouse gas [GHG] management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/845 : Inventory and reporting systems for greenhouse gases [GHG]
• 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 20/221 : General power management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 : using wireless data transmission
• 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 dynamically assess energy efficiency by obtaining a minimum energy consumption of a system, receiving in a substantially continuous way a measurement of actual energy consumption of the system, and comparing the minimum energy consumption to the measurement of actual energy consumption to calculate a substantially continuous energy performance assessment. The system further provides at least one of a theoretical minimum energy consumption based at least in part on theoretical performance limits of system components, an achievable minimum energy consumption based at least in part on specifications for high energy efficient equivalents of the system components, and the designed minimum energy consumption based at least in part on specifications for the system components.

Claims

1. A method to manage an energy event, the method comprising:

automatically receiving in a continuous way with computer hardware a measurement of actual energy consumption;

receiving energy information;

automatically calculating with the computer hardware a continuous energy performance assessment based at least in part on the measurement of actual energy consumption and the energy information;

automatically generating with the computer hardware energy management data based at least in part on the continuous energy performance assessment, the energy management data configured to provide an energy alert; and

based at least in part on the received continuous measurement of actual energy consumption, automatically determining with the computer hardware an impact of the energy management data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically receiving in a continuous way the measurement of actual energy consumption comprises receiving the measurement of actual energy consumption at least every 15 minutes.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the energy information comprises at least one of demand management information, demand response information, price management information, and price response information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the energy information comprises at least one of a request to manage energy, a demand response request, a utility tariff, a schedule of energy costs based on time of day, a schedule of energy costs based on amount of energy used, real-time energy pricing, a price at which energy was purchased, market price for energy, an energy cost budget, an energy usage budget, a request to manage energy based on cost per time period, a request to manage energy based on cost per unit of energy, and a request to manage energy based on power per time period.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the request to manage energy based on the cost per time period comprises a request to manage energy based on a threshold for one or more of cost/hour and cost/month.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the request to manage energy based on cost per unit of energy comprises a request to manage energy based on a threshold for one or more of cost/kWh and cost/kW at one or more times.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the request to manage energy based on power per time period comprises a request to manage energy based on a threshold for one or more of kW/hour and kW/month.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the request to manage energy is based at least in part on at least one of environmental factors, weather, varying demand side load requirements, grid imbalance, variable energy generating resources, loss of electrical energy generating capacity, varying loads, availability of solar generated electrical energy, availability of wind generated electrical energy, and market price for energy.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the energy alert comprises at least one of energy savings recommendations and energy source planning, wherein the energy savings recommendations comprise at least one of load shedding and load shifting, and wherein the energy source planning comprises switching to an alternative energy source.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a message to a broadcast system based at least in part on the energy alert.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating at least one of a purchase and a sale of energy based at least in part on the energy alert.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a command to close at least one relay associated with at least one energy consuming device based at least in part on the energy alert.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the measurement of actual energy consumption comprises the measurement of actual energy consumption of a network of facilities.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the network of facilities comprises one or more of buildings, residences, campuses, nanogrids, and microgrids associated with at least one of geographic area, facility owner, weather pattern, climate, utility, carbon market, energy market, power grid, power purchase agreement, and utility rate schedule.

15. An apparatus to manage an energy event, the apparatus comprising:

an energy search engine comprising computer hardware and configured to automatically receive in a continuous way a measurement of actual energy consumption;

the energy search engine further configured to receive energy information;

the energy search engine further configured to automatically calculate a continuous energy performance assessment based at least in part on the measurement of actual energy consumption and the energy information;

the energy search engine further configured to automatically generate energy management data based at least in part on the continuous energy performance assessment, the energy management data configured to provide an energy alert; and

the energy search engine further configured to automatically determine, based at least in part on the received continuous measurement of actual energy consumption, an impact of the energy management data.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein automatically receiving in a continuous way the measurement of actual energy consumption comprises receiving the measurement of actual energy consumption at least every 15 minutes.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the energy information comprises at least one of demand management information, demand response information, price management information, and price response information.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the energy information comprises at least one of a request to manage energy, a demand response request, a utility tariff, a schedule of energy costs based on time of day, a schedule of energy costs based on amount of energy used, real-time energy pricing, a price at which energy was purchased, market price for energy, an energy cost budget, an energy usage budget, a request to manage energy based on cost per time period, a request to manage energy based on cost per unit of energy, and a request to manage energy based on power per time period.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the request to manage energy based on the cost per time period comprises a request to manage energy based on a threshold for one or more of cost/hour and cost/month.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the request to manage energy based on cost per unit of energy comprises a request to manage energy based on a threshold for one or more of cost/kWh and cost/kW at one or more times.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the request to manage energy based on power per time period comprises a request to manage energy based on a threshold for one or more of kW/hour and kW/month.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the request to manage energy is based at least in part on at least one of environmental factors, weather, varying demand side load requirements, grid imbalance, variable energy generating resources, loss of electrical energy generating capacity, varying loads, availability of solar generated electrical energy, availability of wind generated electrical energy, and market price for energy.

23. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the energy alert comprises at least one of energy savings recommendations and energy source planning, wherein the energy savings recommendations comprise at least one of load shedding and load shifting, and wherein the energy source planning comprises switching to an alternative energy source.

24. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the energy search engine is further configured to send a message to a broadcast system based at least in part on the energy alert.

25. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein at least one of a purchase and a sale of energy is initiated based at least in part on the energy alert.

26. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the energy search engine is further configured to send a command to close at least one relay associated with at least one energy consuming device based at least in part on the energy alert.

27. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the measurement of actual energy consumption comprises the measurement of actual energy consumption of a network of facilities.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the network of facilities comprises one or more of buildings, residences, campuses, nanogrids, and microgrids associated with at least one of geographic area, facility owner, weather pattern, climate, utility, carbon market, energy market, power grid, power purchase agreement, and utility rate schedule.