Domestic heat and power system
First Claim
1. A domestic heat and power system comprising a dchp unit, a dchp unit controller, a programmer module and an energy scheduler arranged to communicate with a domestic appliance, wherein:
- the dchp unit controller, the programmer module and the energy scheduler are linked to allow communication therebetween;
the dchp unit is operable under command of the dchp unit controller to generate heat for heating a home or to provide hot water for the home and to generate electricity for supply to the home;
the energy scheduler is operable to receive power requirement information from the domestic appliance and to cause the domestic appliance to operate;
the programmer module is operable to receive data input by a consumer and to generate a corresponding heating or hot water schedule therefrom;
the dchp unit controller is operable to determine operating times of the dchp unit in accordance with the heating or hot water schedule provided by the programmer module and to provide the dchp unit operating times to the energy scheduler; and
the energy scheduler is operable to receive the dchp unit operating times and to determine operating times of the domestic appliance using the dchp unit operating times.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to domestic heat and power systems that allow efficient methods of operating a domestic combined heat and power (dchp) unit and to energy-efficient methods of scheduling domestic appliance operation within a household having a dchp unit. Dchp units provide heating and hot water for the home and also generate electricity for use in the home. A domestic heat and power system is provided that comprises a dchp unit, a dchp unit controller, a programmer module and an energy scheduler linked to allow communication therebetween, wherein the programmer module receives data input and generates a heating and/or hot water schedule therefrom, the dchp unit controller determines operating times of the dchp unit in accordance with the schedule and provides the operating times to the energy scheduler that then operates the domestic appliance during operating times.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A domestic heat and power system comprising a dchp unit, a dchp unit controller, a programmer module and an energy scheduler arranged to communicate with a domestic appliance, wherein:
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the dchp unit controller, the programmer module and the energy scheduler are linked to allow communication therebetween; the dchp unit is operable under command of the dchp unit controller to generate heat for heating a home or to provide hot water for the home and to generate electricity for supply to the home; the energy scheduler is operable to receive power requirement information from the domestic appliance and to cause the domestic appliance to operate; the programmer module is operable to receive data input by a consumer and to generate a corresponding heating or hot water schedule therefrom; the dchp unit controller is operable to determine operating times of the dchp unit in accordance with the heating or hot water schedule provided by the programmer module and to provide the dchp unit operating times to the energy scheduler; and the energy scheduler is operable to receive the dchp unit operating times and to determine operating times of the domestic appliance using the dchp unit operating times. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A domestic heat and power system, serving a network of homes, comprising:
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a hub controller; electricity transmission means connecting the network of homes; communication means allowing communication between the network of homes and the hub controller; at least one home provided with a dchp unit, a dchp unit controller and a programmer module wherein the dchp unit controller, the programmer module and the hub controller are linked to allow communication therebetween, the dchp unit is operable under command of the dchp unit controller to generate heat for heating that home or to provide hot water to that home and to generate electricity for use in that home and for supply into the network of homes via the electricity transmission means, the programmer module is operable to receive data input by a consumer and to generate a corresponding heating or hot water schedule therefrom, and the dchp unit controller is operable to determine operating times of the dchp unit in accordance with the heating and/or hot water schedule provided by the programmer module and to provide the dchp unit operating times to the hub controller; and at least one other home provided with a local energy scheduler arranged to communicate with the hub controller and a domestic appliance in that home and being operable to receive power requirement information from the domestic appliance and to pass the information to the hub controller, wherein the hub controller is operable to determine operating times of the domestic appliance using the dchp unit operating times and to pass the domestic appliance operating times to the local energy scheduler that, in turn, causes the domestic appliance to operate in accordance with that schedule.
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Specification