DEVICE FOR REDUCING THE ELECTRIC POWER CONSUMED BY AT LEAST ONE POWER ELECTRIC LOAD, ASSOCIATED SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20170054299A1
• Filed: 04/22/2015
• Published: 02/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ERGYLINK
• Original Assignee: ERGYLINK
• Inventors: GILBERT, Jerome
• Granted Patent: US 10,374,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• 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 70/30 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 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/14 District level solutions, i.e. local energy networks
• 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 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

A method relating to a device (1) for driving at least one power electric load (2) with the aim of reducing the electric power liable to be consumed or which is actually consumed in a terminal installation (4) of an electrical network including an electrical energy meter behind which the device is connected. A system (12) including such a device and at least one power electric load (2) is also described. Also described is a method for exploiting a plurality of systems (12) within an electrical network as well as the applications of this method for the management of an electrical network including intermittent-production energy sources, within the framework of a service for managing reduction in electrical energy consumption and/or to supplement a service for providing sanitary hot water, and/or heating, and/or cooling, and/or for providing electricity.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. Device (1) for driving at least one power electric load (2) in order to reduce the electric power likely to be consumed in a terminal installation of an electrical network comprising an electrical energy meter behind which the device is connected, the device being fitted for receiving at least one setpoint whose reception triggers the limitation, for a predetermined time, of the power that may be consumed by the at least one power electric load, at a determined upper limit value that is less than the maximum operating power of the at least one power electric load.

30. Device according to claim 29, wherein, in the case where the at least one power electric load is ON when the at least one setpoint is received, the power consumed by the at least one power electric load is reduced, for a determined time, to a determined value that is less than the power that was consumed before the reception of the at least one setpoint.

31. Device according to claim 29, wherein the length of said determined time is imposed by the reception of the at least one setpoint.

32. Device according to claim 29, wherein the at least one setpoint is associated with a predetermined amount of energy.

33. Device according to claim 32, wherein the length of said predetermined time is calculated according to the value of a power and said predetermined amount of energy.

34. Device according to claim 29, wherein said value of a power is obtained from information contained in a memory of the device.

35. Device according to claim 29, further comprising means for communicating with the electrical energy meter of the terminal installation of the electrical network behind which it is connected.

36. Device according to claim 35, wherein said value of a power is obtained from at least one measurement transmitted by the electrical energy meter behind which it is connected.

37. Device according to claim 29, wherein said value of a power is obtained from means for measuring an electric power comprised in the device.

38. Device according to claim 29, wherein the length during which power is limited and/or reduced takes into account the electrical network voltage in said terminal installation.

39. Device according to claim 29, further comprising means for communicating with at least one information system.

40. Device according to claim 29, wherein the driving of the at least one power electric load is modified according to at least one information related to the functional status of the at least one power electric load and/or of resources associated with it.

41. Device according to claim 29, further comprising means for limiting the power consumed in the terminal electrical installation by appropriate driving of the at least one power electric load.

42. Device according to claim 29, further comprising means for transmitting at least one command from an external apparatus to the at least one power load in the absence of power limitation and/or reduction.

43. Device according to claim 29, further comprising means for allowing the user to derogate from the effect of receiving the at least one setpoint.

44. System (12) for reducing the electric power, likely to be consumed and/or effectively consumed by at least one power load in a terminal installation of an electrical network comprising a device (1) according to claim 29 and at least one power electric load (2).

45. System according to claim 44, wherein the system forms a sanitary water heating apparatus.

46. System according to claim 44, wherein the system forms a heating and/or cooling apparatus.

47. System according to claim 44, further comprising means for storing energy locally to fully or partly offset insufficient energy production in the electrical network.

48. System according to claim 44, wherein energy produced by local means is received to fully or partly offset insufficient energy production in the electrical network.

49. Method for operating in an electrical network a plurality of systems according to claim 44, which comprises the steps of:

continuous monitoring of the balance between electricity consumption and production in said electrical network by an appropriate supervision and management system;

transmission by said appropriate supervision and management system to a determined plurality of systems, of at least one setpoint for adjusting consumption of electricity to production by reducing demand for electric power in the case of a given deficit production.

50. Method according to claim 49, which also comprises a step of:

storing, in at least one information system, of at least one information related to the transmission by said appropriate supervisory and management system, to a determined plurality of systems, of at least one setpoint for adjusting the consumption of electricity to production by reducing electric power demand.

51. Method according to claim 50, which also comprises a step of:

accounting in at least one information system, of the amount of energy consumption that has been avoided in an installation where at least one system is implemented.

52. Method according to claim 51, which also comprises a step of:

differentiated accounting, in the at least one information system, of the amount of energy consumption avoided, depending on whether the at least one power electric load is ON or OFF when the at least one setpoint is received by the device driving it.

53. Method according to claim 49, which also comprises a step of:

derogation request.

54. Application of the method according to claim 49 for the management of an electrical network comprising electrical sources having intermittent production.

55. Application of the method according to claim 49 for reducing electrical energy consumption.

56. Application of the method according to claim 49 as a complement to a service of providing sanitary hot water and/or heating and/or cooling and/or electricity.