Energy-saving service offering method and apparatus therefor

• US 6,775,595 B1
• Filed: 09/13/2000
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sato, Kazuo, Abe, Atsushi, Yamamoto, Yuji, Fujigaki, Tetsuo, Yabutani, Takashi, Miyabe, Takaaki, Yabuno, Taichirou
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garland, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US09/661,373
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/291, 700/11, 700/295, 700/282, 700/275, 700/276, 700/201, 705/412, 705/14, 705/34, 705/400, 705/7, 702/61, 702/62
• US Class Current: 700/291
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/14 Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/16 Energy services, e.g. dispersed generation or demand or load or energy savings aggregation

Abstract

An energy saving service offering method and apparatus are provided, in which a present electric power consumption of a supervised load facility of a user, who owns the supervised load facility, including a motor, and who desires to save energy, and inverter control operation data produced when an inverter has been installed in the supervised load facility and performing a motor speed control operation are determined. Further, a merit refund corresponding to saved electric power consumption determined by referring to a difference between said present electric power consumption data and the inverter control operation data is calculated. Finally, a charge and billing operation based on the merit refund under contract conditions established between a energy saving service provider and its contractor is performed.

Claims

1. An energy saving operation method for a load facility, comprising the steps of:

estimating an electric power consumption by a user for a present load facility having a motor by measuring at least one predetermined parameter indicative of electric power consumption characteristic at a first predetermined interval over a first predetermined period;

introducing an inverter to said load facility with user'"'"'s economical expense being zero or minimized;

performing an inverter operation of said load facility;

a step for obtaining an inverter control operation data by measuring the actual electric power consumption and measuring at least one parameter indicative of the at least one predetermined parameter at least a second predetermined interval over a second predetermined period;

calculating an electric power consumption of said present load facility without the inverter based upon the measured at least one parameter;

obtaining a difference between the calculated electric power consumption and the measured actual electric power consumption with an inverter control operation;

obtaining a merit refund based on an electric power consumption saving according to the obtained difference; and

charging and billing to a user of said load facility in accordance with said merit refund.

2. An energy saving operation method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined parameter is a fluid characteristic.

3. An energy saving operation method according to claim 2, wherein the fluid characteristic is at least one of fluid flow volume and pressure.

4. An energy saving operation method according to claim 2, the fluid characteristic is fluid flow volume.

5. An energy saving operation method according to claim 1, wherein the electric power consumption characteristic based upon measurement of the at least one predetermined parameter is integrated.

6. An energy saving operation method according to claim 5, wherein at least one of first predetermined interval and the first predetermined period is substantially identical to at least one of the second predetermined interval and the second predetermined period.

7. An energy saving service offering method comprising the steps of:

providing a present electric power consumption data of a supervised load facility which includes a motor to a user who owns said supervised load facility and who attempts to save energy by measuring at least one predetermined parameter indicative of electric power consumption characteristic at a first predetermined interval over a first predetermined period;

providing an inverter control operation data when installing an inverter in said supervised load facility and performing a revolution control operation by measuring the actual electric power consumption and measuring at least one parameter indicative of the at least one predetermined parameter at least a second predetermined interval over a second predetermined period;

calculating an electric power consumption of said supervised load facility without the inverter based upon the measured at least one parameter;

providing a merit refund corresponding to a saved electric power consumption by referring to a difference between the calculated electric power consumption and the measured actual electric power consumption for said inverter control operation; and

performing a charge and billing operation in accordance with said merit refund based upon contract conditions established between an energy saving service provider and its contractor.

8. An energy saving service offering method comprising the steps of:

providing a present electric power consumption data from an operation status of a supervised load facility having a motor by measuring at least one predetermined parameter indicative of electric power consumption characteristic at a first predetermined interval over a first predetermined period;

providing an inverter control operation data when installing an inverter in said supervised load facility and performing a revolution control operation by said inverter by measuring the actual electric power consumption and measuring at least one parameter indicative of the at least one predetermined parameter at least a second predetermined interval over a second predetermined period;

calculating an electric power consumption of the supervised load facility without the inverter based upon the measured at least one parameter;

calculating a merit refund corresponding to a saved electric power consumption by referring to a difference between the calculated electric power consumption and the measured actual electric power consumption for said inverter control operation;

establishing a contract in advance including an allocation of the merit refund between a user of said supervised load facility and a provider of said inverter; and

performing a charge and billing operation in accordance with the merit refund based upon contract conditions established between contractors.

9. An energy saving service offering method comprising the steps of:

providing a present electric power consumption of an existing supervised load facility having a motor by measuring at least one predetermined parameter indicative of electric power consumption characteristic at a first predetermined interval over a first predetermined period;

adding an inverter to said existing supervised load facility, and performing a revolution control operation of a motor by said inverter, and providing an electric power consumption saving of said supervised load facility by measuring the actual electric power consumption and measuring at least one parameter indicative of the at least one predetermined parameter at least a second predetermined interval over a second predetermined period;

calculating an electric power consumption of said existing supervised load facility without the added inverter based upon the measured at least one parameter;

calculating a merit refund based on the calculated electric power consumption and the measured actual electric power consumption of a supervised load facility including the inverter;

establishing a contract in advance including an allocation of a merit refund between a user of said supervised load facility and a provider of said inverter; and

sending electric power consumption saving data to a data collection system through a communication system, and

performing a charge and billing operation to said user in accordance with the merit refund defined by the contract.

10. An energy saving service offering method comprising the steps of:

providing a present electric power consumption of an existing load facility having a motor by measuring at least one predetermined parameter indicative of electric power consumption characteristic at a first predetermined interval over a first predetermined period;

introducing an inverter and a motor to be replaced for an existing motor to said existing supervised load facility, and performing a revolution control operation of said motor by said inverter, and providing an electric power consumption saving of a supervised load facility by measuring the actual electric power consumption and measuring at least one parameter indicative of the at least one predetermined parameter at least a second predetermined interval over a second predetermined period;

calculating an electric power consumption of said existing load facility without the inverter based upon the measured at least one parameter;

calculating a merit refund based on the calculated electric power consumption and the measured actual electric power consumption of said supervised load facility including the inverter;

establishing a contract in advance including an allocation of a merit refund between a user of said supervised load facility and a provider of said inverter; and

sending electric power consumption saving data to a data collection system through a communication system, and performing a charge and billing operation to said user in accordance with the merit refund defined by the contract.

16. An energy saving service offering method according to any one of claims 7 to 15, wherein revolution control data by said inverter is collected from a supervisory system through a communication means.

17. An energy saving service offering method of any one of claims 7 to 15, wherein the measured actual electric power consumption is measured by measuring electric power supplied to the inverter.

18. An energy saving service offering method of any one of claims 7 to 15, wherein said charge and billing process is performed directly between contractors or mediated by a financial firm.

19. An energy saving service offering method according to any one of claims 7-15, wherein the at least one predetermined parameter is a fluid characteristic.

20. An energy saving service offering method according to 19, wherein the fluid characteristic is fluid flow volume.

11. An energy saving service offering method comprising the steps of:

providing a present electric power consumption of an existing supervised load facility having a motor by measuring at least one predetermined parameter indicative of electric power consumption characteristic at a first predetermined interval over a first predetermined period;

installing a load facility including an inverter and a motor for replacing said existing supervised load facility, and performing a revolution control operation of said motor by said inverter by measuring the actual electric power consumption and measuring at least one parameter indicative of the at least one predetermined parameter at least a second predetermined interval over a second predetermined period, and providing an electric power consumption saving of said load facility having said inverter and said motor;

calculating an electric power consumption of said existing supervised load facility without the inverter based upon the measured at least one parameter;

calculating a merit refund based on the calculated electric power consumption and the measured actual electric power consumption of said load facility including said inverter and said motor;

establishing a contract in advance including an allocation of the merit refund between a user of said load facility and a provider of said inverter and said motor; and

sending electric power consumption saving data to a data collection system through a communication system, and performing a charge and billing operation to said user in accordance with the merit refund defined by the contract.

12. An energy saving service offering method comprising the steps of:

providing a present electric power consumption data from an operation status of a supervised load facility having a motor and a fan by measuring at least one predetermined parameter indicative of electric power consumption characteristic at a first predetermined interval over a first predetermined period;

introducing an inverter to said existing supervised load facility, and performing a revolution control operation of said motor by said inverter, and providing inverter control operation data by measuring the actual electric power consumption and measuring at least one parameter indicative of the at least one predetermined parameter at least a second predetermined interval over a second predetermined period;

calculating an electric power consumption of said supervised load facility without the inverter based upon the measured at least one parameter;

calculating a merit refund corresponding to an electric power consumption saving based on a difference between the calculated electric power consumption and the measured actual electric power consumption for said inverter control operation;

establishing a contract in advance including an allocation of the merit refund between a user of said supervised load facility and a provider of an inverter; and

performing a charge and billing operation in accordance with the merit refund based upon contract conditions established between contractors.

13. An energy saving service offering method comprising the steps of:

providing a present electric power consumption data from an operation status of a supervised load facility having a motor and a blower by measuring at least one predetermined parameter indicative of electric power consumption characteristic at a first predetermined interval over a first predetermined period;

introducing an inverter to said existing supervised load facility, and performing a revolution control operation of said motor by said inverter, and providing inverter control operation data by measuring the actual electric power consumption and measuring at least one parameter indicative of the at least one predetermined parameter at least a second predetermined interval over a second predetermined period;

calculating an electric power consumption of said supervised load facility without the inverter based upon the measured at least one parameter;

calculating a merit refund corresponding to an electric power consumption saving based on a difference between the calculated electric power consumption and the measured actual electric power consumption for said inverter control operation;

establishing a contract in advance including an allocation of the merit refund between a user of said supervised load facility and a provider of said inverter; and

performing a charge and billing operation in accordance with the merit refund based upon contract conditions established between contractors.

14. An energy saving service offering method comprising the steps of:

providing a present electric power consumption data from an operation status of a supervised load facility having a motor and a pump by measuring at least one predetermined parameter indicative of electric power consumption characteristic at a first predetermined interval over a first predetermined period;

introducing an inverter to said existing supervised load facility, and performing a revolution control operation of said motor by said inverter, and providing inverter control operation data by measuring the actual electric power consumption and measuring at least one parameter indicative of the at least one predetermined parameter at least a second predetermined interval over a second predetermined period;

calculating an electric power consumption of said supervised facility without the inverter based upon the measured at least one parameter;

calculating a merit refund corresponding to an electric power consumption saving based on a difference between the calculated electric power consumption and the measured actual electric power consumption for said inverter control operation;

establishing a contract in advance including an allocation of the merit refund between a user of said supervised load facility and a provider of said inverter; and

performing a charge and billing operation in accordance with the merit refund based upon contract conditions established between contractors.

15. An energy saving service offering method comprising the steps of:

providing a present electric power consumption data from an operation status of a supervised load facility having a motor, a blower and a pump by measuring at least one predetermined parameter indicative of electric power consumption characteristic at a first predetermined interval over a first predetermined period;

introducing an inverter to said existing supervised load facility, and performing a revolution control operation of said motor by said inverter, and providing inverter control operation data by measuring the actual electric power consumption and measuring at least one parameter indicative of the at least one predetermined parameter at least a second predetermined interval over a second predetermined period;

calculating an electric power consumption of said supervised facility without the inverter based upon the measured at least one parameter;

calculating a merit refund corresponding to an electric power consumption saving based on a difference between the calculated electric power consumption and the measured actual electric power consumption for said inverter control operation;

establishing a contract in advance including an allocation of the merit refund between a user of said supervised load facility and a provider of said inverter; and

performing a charge and billing operation in accordance with the merit refund based upon contract conditions established between contractors.

21. An energy saving service offering apparatus comprising:

a supervisory unit installed at a supervised load facility having an inverter and a motor and used for operation status supervision which obtains actual operation data by measuring actual electric power consumption and measuring at least one parameter representative of at least one predetermined parameter indicative of electric power consumption characteristic at a first predetermined interval over a first predetermined period;

means for transmitting the actual operation data based on a revolution control operation of said motor by said inverter of said supervised load facility from said supervisory unit through a communication system;

an arithmetic unit for calculating an electric power consumption saving based on a difference between a calculated electric power consumption of a load facility without an inverter based upon the measured at least one parameter and measured actual electric power consumption with inverter operation; and

a processor for calculating a merit refund based on a computation result of said arithmetic unit, and performing a charge and billing operation in accordance with the merit refund based upon a contract condition established between contractors.

23. An energy saving service offering apparatus according to claim 21, claim 22, wherein the at least one predetermined parameter is a fluid characteristic.

22. An energy saving service offering apparatus comprising:

a supervisory unit for operation status supervision of a contracted supervised load facility;

means for collecting actual inverter operation data based on a revolution control operation by an inverter installed in said supervised load facility from said supervisory unit by measuring actual electric power consumption and measuring at least one parameter representative of at least one predetermined parameter indicative of electric power consumption characteristic at a first predetermined interval over a first predetermined period;

an arithmetic unit for calculating an electric power consumption saving based on a difference between calculated electric power consumption of a load facility without an inverter based upon the measured at least one parameter and the measured actual electric power consumption for inverter operation;

an operation status data collection system including an output circuit for providing a calculation result by said arithmetic unit onto LAN or a telephone line; and

a processor for calculating a merit refund based on a provided computation result, and performing a charge and billing operation in accordance with the merit refund based upon a contract condition established between contractors.