Energy usage monitoring and balancing method and system

• US 7,953,519 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kozloski, James Robert, Pickover, Clifford Alan, O'Connell, Brian Marshall, Walker, Keith Raymond, Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Haugh, Julianne Frances
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett; Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US12/251,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 700/295, 700/297, 702/62
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• 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: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

A monitoring method and system. The method includes monitoring by a monitoring apparatus, a power configuration for electrical devices and a status for power supplier entities. The monitoring apparatus re-balances a power usage for the electrical devices. The monitoring apparatus generates a first report indicating current loads associated with the electrical devices. The monitoring apparatus transmits the first report to the power supplier entities. The monitoring apparatus generates a group of reports indicating power consumption associated with the power supplier entities. The monitoring apparatus transmits each report of the group of reports to an associated power supplier entity of the power supplier entities. The monitoring apparatus generates a second report indicating updated power consumption associated with the power supplier entities. The monitoring apparatus stores the second report.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring, by a monitoring apparatus, a power configuration for a plurality of electrical devices;

monitoring, by said monitoring apparatus, a status for a plurality of power supplier entities;

re-balancing, by said monitoring apparatus, a power usage for said plurality of electrical devices;

generating, by said monitoring apparatus, a first report indicating current loads associated with said plurality of electrical devices;

transmitting, by said monitoring apparatus to said plurality of power supplier entities, said first report;

generating, by said monitoring apparatus, a group of reports indicating a power consumption associated with said plurality of power supplier entities;

transmitting, by said monitoring apparatus, each report of said group of reports to an associated power supplier entity of said plurality of power supplier entities;

generating, by said monitoring apparatus, a second report indicating an updated power consumption associated with said plurality of power supplier entities; and

storing, by said monitoring apparatus, said second report.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring said power configuration comprises:

receiving, by said monitoring apparatus from a configurable interval timer in a first device of said plurality of electrical devices, a first message; and

performing, by said monitoring apparatus, an update process associated with said plurality of electrical devices, wherein said performing is based on said message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said first message indicates a first power type/percentage being consumed by said first device, and wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, by said monitoring apparatus from a configurable interval timer in a second device of said plurality of electrical devices, a second message indicating a second power type/percentage being consumed by said second device; and

aggregating, by said monitoring apparatus, power type/percentage data from said messages, wherein said first report comprises said power type/percentage data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring said status comprises:

receiving, by said monitoring apparatus from a power supplier entity of said plurality of power supplier entities, a message;

comparing, by said monitoring apparatus in response to said receiving said message, a power consumption value for said power consumption to a predetermined threshold value;

determining, by said monitoring apparatus based on said comparing, if said power consumption value exceeds said predetermined threshold value; and

enabling, by said monitoring apparatus based on results of said determining, said plurality of electrical devices to perform said re-balancing.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said determining determines that said power consumption value exceeds said predetermined threshold value, and wherein said method further comprises:

transmitting, by said monitoring apparatus to said plurality of power supplier entities, results of said determining; and

receiving, by said monitoring apparatus from at least one power supplier entity of said plurality of power supplier entities, an alert message indicating that said power consumption value exceeds said predetermined threshold value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said re-balancing said power usage comprises:

receiving, by said monitoring apparatus, a command for performing said re-balancing;

calculating, by said monitoring apparatus in response to said command, a sum value for all of said current loads associated with said plurality of electrical devices;

comparing, by said monitoring apparatus in response to said calculating, said sum value to a maximum threshold value associated with each power supplier entity of said plurality of power supplier entities;

determining, by said monitoring apparatus based on said comparing, if said sum value exceeds said maximum threshold value; and

enabling, by said monitoring apparatus based on results of said determining, a load balance modification process.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating said first report comprises:

resetting, by said monitoring apparatus, all load request values for said plurality of powersupplier entities;

calculating, by said monitoring apparatus, said current loads; and

calculating, by said monitoring apparatus, a power value for power required to satisfy said current loads; and

transmitting, by said monitoring apparatus to said plurality of power supplier entities, said power value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating said group of reports comprises:

generating, by said monitoring apparatus, an identifier associated with each power supplier entity of said plurality of power supplier entities;

generating, by said monitoring apparatus, total kilowatt hours data associated with each said associated power supplier entity; and

generating, by said monitoring apparatus, power type data associated with each said associated power supplier entity, wherein said group of reports comprises each said identifier, said total kilowatt hours data, and power type data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating said second report comprises:

computing, by said monitoring apparatus, a current total load associated with said plurality of electrical devices;

computing, by said monitoring apparatus, a time integral for power consumption; and

updating, by said monitoring apparatus, said power consumption.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein all steps of claim 1 are performed simultaneously.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by said monitoring apparatus, a plurality of different power types being received from each power supplier entity of said plurality of power supplier entities.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by said monitoring apparatus, a plurality of different rate structures being received from each power supplier entity of said plurality of power supplier entities.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by said monitoring apparatus from said plurality of power supplier entities, pricing data specifying prices associated with different power types being received from each power supplier entity of said plurality of power supplier entities;

receiving, by said monitoring apparatus from said plurality of power supplier entities, limit data specifying consumption limits associated with said different power types;

transmitting, by said monitoring apparatus to said plurality of power supplier entities in response to said limit data, bidding data specifying monetary bids exceeding said prices; and

receiving, by said monitoring apparatus from said plurality of power supplier entities in response to said bidding data, response data specifying an acceptance or denial of said monetary bids.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by said monitoring apparatus from a power source associated with a user of said plurality of electrical devices, a first power data value associated with a first specified amount of power being generated by said power source;

receiving, by said monitoring apparatus from said plurality of electrical devices, a second power data value associated with a second specified amount of power being consumed by said plurality of electrical devices, wherein said second power data value comprises a fractional portion of said first power data value;

calculating, by said monitoring apparatus in response to said receiving said first power data value and said receiving said second power data value, a surplus power data value specifying a surplus amount of power being generated by said power source, wherein said calculating said surplus power data value comprises subtracting said second power data value from said first power data value;

transmitting, by said monitoring apparatus to said plurality of power supplier entities, said surplus power data value; and

receiving, by said monitoring apparatus from said plurality of power supplier entities in response to said surplus power data value, a request for receiving said surplus amount of power.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

enabling, by said monitoring apparatus in response to said request, a transmission of said surplus amount of power to at least one power supplier entity of said plurality of power supplier entities.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting, by said monitoring apparatus, said first report, said second report, and said group of reports.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by said monitoring apparatus from said plurality of power supplier entities, advanced notification data indicating changes in power availability and/or changes in price for power being generated by said plurality of power supplier entities.

18. A computer program product, comprising a computer storage medium comprising a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code configured to perform the method of claim 1 upon being executed by a processor of a computing system.

19. A computing system comprising a processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising a computer readable code configured to be executed by the processor to perform the method of claim 1.

20. A process for supporting computer infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing the method of claim 1.