Energy production and consumption matching system

• US 8,200,373 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Inventors: Stiles, Robert W. Jr., Boothe, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US12/799,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20100274408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 700/295, 307/24, 307/29, 307/31, 307/32, 307/64
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

A system for balancing energy being consumed by a first device against the available energy being produced by a second separate device. One application for the invention is monitoring the amount of energy being produced by a photovoltaic array and using that information to control a load so that the load consumes substantially the same amount of energy as is then being produced by the array.

Claims

1. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load in order to use a desired level of renewable energy, said at least one electrical load being connected to an AC grid, said AC grid having an electrical current with an amplitude and a phase, comprising:

a. providing at least one renewable energy harvesting device, said at least one device harvesting energy from a naturally variable energy source;

b. providing at least one inverter;

c. said at least one inverter receiving electrical power from said at least one renewable energy harvesting device;

d. said at least one inverter converting said electrical power from said at least one renewable energy harvesting device into AC electrical current having an amplitude and phase which is matched to said amplitude and phase of said AC grid electrical current;

e. applying said amplitude and phase matched AC electrical current from said at least one inverter to said AC grid;

f. defining a time interval;

g. providing an inverter energy monitor which determines the amount of energy said at least one inverter has provided to said AC grid during said time interval;

h. providing a load controller which controls the amount of electrical energy delivered to said at least one electrical load from said AC grid;

i. providing a communication link between said at least one inverter energy monitor and said load controller, said communication link communicating the amount of energy said at least one inverter is providing to said AC grid at any given time; and

j. using said load controller to adjust said amount of energy delivered to said at least one electrical load so that said amount of energy delivered to said at least one electrical load during said time interval is equal to said amount of energy said at least one inverter has provided to said AC grid during said time interval.

2. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 1, wherein said defined time interval is one day, so that the amount of energy consumed by said at least one electrical load during said day is equal to the amount of energy provided to said AC grid by said at least one inverter during said day.

3. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 1, wherein said defined time interval is very short, so that the amount of energy being consumed by said at least one electrical load at any given point in time is substantially equal to the amount of energy provided to said AC grid by said at least one inverter during said very short time interval.

4. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 1, wherein said defined time interval is one week, so that the amount of energy consumed by said at least one electrical load during said week is equal to the amount of energy provided to said AC grid by said at least one inverter during said week.

5. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 1, wherein said communication link between said at least one inverter energy monitor and said load controller comprises:

a. a radio frequency transmitter connected to said at least one inverter; and

b. a radio frequency receiver connected to said at least one load controller.

6. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 1, wherein said communication link between said at least one inverter energy monitor and said load controller comprises an Internet link.

7. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 6, wherein said Internet link comprises:

a. an Internet interface module radio frequency connected to said at least one inverter; and

b. an Internet interface module connected to said at least one load controller.

8. A method for regulating energy consumption of a plurality of electrical loads in order to use a desired level of renewable energy, said electrical loads being connected to an AC grid, said AC grid having an electrical current with an amplitude and a phase, comprising:

a. providing a plurality of renewable energy harvesting devices, wherein each of said plurality of energy harvesting devices harvests energy from a naturally variable energy source;

b. providing a plurality of inverters;

c. said plurality of inverters receiving electrical power from said plurality of energy harvesting devices;

d. each of said plurality of inverters converting said electrical power from said renewable energy harvesting devices into AC electrical current having an amplitude and phase which is matched to said amplitude and phase of said AC grid electrical current;

e. applying said amplitude and phase matched AC electrical current from said inverters to said AC grid;

f. defining a time interval;

g. providing an inverter energy monitor which determines the amount of energy each inverter has provided to said AC grid during said time interval;

h. providing a load controller which controls the amount of electrical energy delivered to each of said electrical loads from said AC grid;

i. providing a communication link between said inverter energy monitor and said load controller, said communication link communicating the amount of energy said inverters are providing to said AC grid at any given time; and

j. using said load controller to adjust said amount of energy delivered to said electrical loads so that said amount of energy delivered to said electrical loads during said time interval is equal to said amount of energy said inverters have provided to said AC grid during said time interval.

9. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 8, wherein said defined time interval is one day, so that the amount of energy consumed by said at least one electrical load during said day is equal to the amount of energy provided to said AC grid by said at least one inverter during said day.

10. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 8, wherein said defined time interval is very short, so that the amount of energy being consumed by said at least one electrical load at any given point in time is substantially equal to the amount of energy provided to said AC grid by said at least one inverter during said very short time interval.

11. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 8, wherein said defined time interval is one week, so that the amount of energy consumed by said at least one electrical load during said week is equal to the amount of energy provided to said AC grid by said at least one inverter during said week.

12. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 8, wherein said communication link between said at least one inverter energy monitor and said load controller comprises:

a. a radio frequency transmitter connected to said at least one inverter; and

b. a radio frequency receiver connected to said at least one load controller.

13. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 8, wherein said communication link between said at least one inverter energy monitor and said load controller comprises an Internet link.

14. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 13, wherein said Internet link comprises:

a. an Internet interface module radio frequency connected to said at least one inverter; and

b. an Internet interface module connected to said at least one load controller.

15. A method for regulating energy consumption of an electrical load in order to use a desired level of renewable energy, said electrical load being connected to an AC grid, said AC grid having an electrical current with an amplitude and a phase, comprising:

a. providing a renewable energy harvesting device, harvesting energy from a naturally variable energy source;

b. providing an inverter;

c. said inverter receiving electrical power from said renewable energy harvesting device;

d. said inverter converting said electrical power from said renewable energy harvesting device into AC electrical current having an amplitude and phase which is matched to said amplitude and phase of said AC grid electrical current;

e. applying said amplitude and phase matched AC electrical current from said inverter to said AC grid;

f. providing an inverter power monitor which determines the amount of power said inverter is providing to said AC grid at any given time;

g. providing a load controller which controls the amount of electrical power delivered to said electrical load from said AC grid;

h. providing a communication link between said inverter power monitor and said load controller, said communication link communicating the amount of power said inverter is providing to said AC grid at any given time; and

i. using said load controller to adjust said amount of power delivered to said electrical load so that said power delivered to said electrical load is equal to said amount of power said inverter is providing to said AC grid at any given time.

16. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 15, wherein said defined time interval is one day, so that the amount of energy consumed by said at least one electrical load during said day is equal to the amount of energy provided to said AC grid by said at least one inverter during said day.

17. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 15, wherein said defined time interval is very short, so that the amount of energy being consumed by said at least one electrical load at any given point in time is substantially equal to the amount of energy provided to said AC grid by said at least one inverter during said very short time interval.

18. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 15, wherein said defined time interval is one week, so that the amount of energy consumed by said at least one electrical load during said week is equal to the amount of energy provided to said AC grid by said at least one inverter during said week.

19. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 15, wherein said communication link between said at least one inverter energy monitor and said load controller comprises:

a. a radio frequency transmitter connected to said at least one inverter; and

b. a radio frequency receiver connected to said at least one load controller.

20. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 15, wherein said communication link between said at least one inverter energy monitor and said load controller comprises an Internet link.

21. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load in order to use a desired level of renewable energy, said at least one electrical load being connected to an AC grid, said AC grid having an electrical current with an amplitude and a phase, comprising:

a. providing at least one renewable energy harvesting device, said at least one device selected from the group consisting of a solar collector and a wind generator;

b. providing at least one inverter;

c. said at least one inverter receiving electrical power from said at least one renewable energy harvesting device;

d. said at least one inverter converting said electrical power from said at least one renewable energy harvesting device into AC electrical current having an amplitude and phase which is matched to said amplitude and phase of said AC grid electrical current;

e. applying said amplitude and phase matched AC electrical current from said at least one inverter to said AC grid;

f. defining a first time interval;

g. providing an inverter energy monitor which determines the amount of energy said at least one inverter has provided to said AC grid during said first time interval;

h. defining a second time interval, said second time interval being equal in length to said first time interval;

i. providing a load controller which controls the amount of electrical energy delivered to said at least one electrical load from said AC grid;

j. providing a communication link between said at least one inverter energy monitor and said load controller, said communication link communicating the amount of energy said at least one inverter is providing to said AC grid at any given time; and

j. using said load controller to adjust said amount of energy delivered to said at least one electrical load so that said amount of energy delivered to said at least one electrical load during said second time interval is equal to said amount of energy said at least one inverter has provided to said AC grid during said first time interval.

22. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 21, wherein said first defined time interval is one day long.

23. A method for regulating energy consumption of at least one electrical load as recited in claim 21, wherein said first defined time interval is one week long.