Energy credit card system

• US 6,978,931 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2004
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William I. Brobeck
• Original Assignee: William I. Brobeck
• Inventors: Brobeck, William I.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/824,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20040206813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/383, 235/381, 235/375, 235/384, 606/411.1, 603/98, 126/629, 126/643
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00

Abstract

A method of providing an energy credit system is disclosed for providing redeemable energy or mass transit credits to consumers who contribute power to a shared electric power grid wherein the excess power generated by each consumer to the power grid is measured and energy credits are awarded to those consumers who contribute power to the power grid. Each consumer receiving energy credits is allowed to redeem those credits by acquiring fuel, power or mass transit tickets. In one embodiment of the invention, a separate energy brokerage house is provided which receives compensation from the operator of the power grid for power provided to the grid by the consumers and compensates the fuel or energy provider or mass transit system for the energy credits redeemed by each consumer. In a second embodiment, the operator of the power grid compensates the providers of fuel, energy or mass transit directly for the redeemed energy credits.

Claims

1. A method of providing an energy credit system for providing redeemable electrical or non-electrical energy credits or mass transit credits through an energy brokerage house to consumers who contribute power to a shared electric power grid whereby a plurality of consumers are each separately connected to a shared electric power grid, and wherein at least some of said consumers have their own, local renewable energy source connected to said power supply grid, comprising the steps:

measuring the excess power generated by each consumer'"'"'s energy source which is fed into said electric power grid,

awarding energy credits, redeemable as either electrical energy, non-electrical energy, cash value or mass transit tickets, to each of said consumers in relation to the excess power contributed to the electric power grid by such consumer,

recording said awarded energy credits at an energy brokerage house,

allowing each consumer receiving said energy credits to redeem those energy credits by acquiring fuel, power or mass transit tickets from a fuel or power provider or from a mass transit system, and

requiring said energy brokerage house to compensate said fuel or energy provider or mass transit system in direct relation to the energy credits redeemed by each said consumer.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step:

requiring the operator of said power grid to compensate said energy brokerage house for said excess power generated by said consumers.

3. The method of claim 2 comprising the further step:

allowing said energy brokerage house to retain as profit a portion of said compensation received from the operator of the power grid.