SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMBINING LOAD RESPONSE AND ENERGY STORAGE FOR GRID REGULATION

• US 20160094032A1
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mosaic Power, LLC
• Original Assignee: Mosaic Power, LLC
• Inventors: Vaudreuil, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 10,199,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• 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 3/144 Demand-response operation of the power transmission or distribution network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• 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 20/00 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

Abstract

An energy regulation system is provided that comprises a plurality of demand resources, a metering load controller for each demand resource on the plurality of demand resources, an energy modulator capable of consuming or producing additional power on demand, a system controller communicatively connected to the metering load controller, energy modulator, and an energy source, wherein the system controller manages the energy demand from the metering load controller, the energy modulator, and the energy source.

Claims

1. An energy regulation system, comprising:

a plurality of demand resources;

a metering load controller in communication with each demand resource in the plurality of demand resources;

an energy modulator configured to consume or produce power on demand; and

a system controller in communication with said metering load controller, said energy modulator, and an energy source;

wherein said system controller further comprises executable computer instructions configured to manage an energy demand of said system so as to maintain said energy demand in a desired relationship with respect to a baseline energy demand through regulation of said metering load controller and said energy modulator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said baseline energy demand further comprises a value representative of an anticipated energy need for said plurality of demand resources as a whole over a defined time period.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said system controller further comprises executable computer instructions configured to maintain said plurality of demand resources in a state having a collective energy deficit in which said energy regulation system is regulated to consume less energy than a baseline amount of energy over a period of time.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising executable computer instructions configured to power a number of unpowered demand resources calculated to reduce said collective energy deficit in response to a signal to said energy regulation system to consume more energy.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said executable computer instructions to power said number of unpowered demand resources are further configured to first power one or more demand resources calculated as being capable of consuming the most power.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said system controller further comprises executable computer instructions configured to determine a priority for powering said number of unpowered demand resources, wherein said priority is calculated from historical power consumption data for said plurality of demand resources.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said system controller further comprises executable computer instructions configured to maintain, in combination, said plurality of demand resources and said energy modulator in a state having a collective energy deficit in which said energy regulation system is regulated to consume less energy than a baseline amount of energy over a period of time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the demand resource is selected from the group consisting of a water heater, refrigeration equipment, a heat pump, an air conditioner, an electric clothes dryer, and combinations thereof.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy modulator is selected from the group consisting of a battery system, a generator, a load bank, and combinations thereof.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system controller further comprises executable instructions configured to cause the energy modulator to provide energy to the demand resources when the demand resource has capacity to accept energy, and to cause the energy modulator to store energy when the demand resource does not have capacity to accept additional energy.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the demand resource and the energy modulator are configured to work in combination and to respond to a single frequency regulation signal from the system controller.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the system is further configured to operate at a higher power level equal to the sum of the capacity of the energy modulator and the capacity of the demand resource.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the energy modulator further comprises a battery system.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the demand resource in combination with a load bank is configured to respond to a single regulation signal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the system controller is further configured to cause said system to achieve a higher power consumption level than said plurality of demand resources alone.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the demand resource in combination with a generator is configured to respond to a single regulation signal.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the system controller is further configured to cause said system to achieve a higher power consumption level than said plurality of demand resources alone.

18. A method for energy regulation system, comprising the steps of:

providing a metering load controller and placing said metering load controller in communication with each of a plurality of demand resources;

providing an energy modulator configured to consume or produce power on demand;

providing a system controller in communication with said metering load controller, said energy modulator, and an energy source; and

causing said system controller to manage an energy demand of said system so as to maintain said energy demand in a desired relationship with respect to a baseline energy demand through regulation of said metering load controller and said energy modulator.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising maintaining said plurality of demand resources in a state having a collective energy deficit in which said energy regulation system is regulated to consume less energy than a baseline amount of energy over a period of time.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of powering a number of unpowered demand resources calculated to reduce said collective energy deficit in response to a signal to said energy regulation system to consume more energy.