Energy usage prediction and control system and method

• US 8,219,505 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Constellation NewEnergy, Inc. (Constellation Energy Corp. (Maryland))
• Original Assignee: Constellation Energy Group Incorporated (Exelon Corporation)
• Inventors: Richard, Amy, Kelly-Detwiler, Peter, Franz, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, SHANNON S
• Application Number:
  US11/889,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20090048901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,791 Days
• Field of Search: 705/412
• US Class Current: 705/412
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A controller and/or a gateway acts as a feedback-based energy estimator for controlling initial and refined estimates of energy usage of one or more buildings controlled by the controller or gateway. An initial estimate of a building'"'"'s energy needs for a specified time in the future (e.g., a month or a week ahead) are calculated, and then over time, in conjunction with an energy company, the initial estimate (and subsequent estimates) is revised based on the costs of the energy predicted or quoted by the energy company. The controller may examine jobs to be performed at the time as well as predictive information that may affect the building'"'"'s energy needs (e.g., the predicted temperature for the time of the predicted energy needs). As expectations change (or as predicted factors such as temperature change), the energy company may be informed of the additional energy that will be needed (e.g., if the predicted temperature is increasing and cooling will be needed) or the excess energy that is expected (e.g., if the predicted temperature is decreasing and less cooling will be needed).

Claims

1. An energy controller for controlling energy usage, the energy controller comprising:

an energy predictor for calculating an initial energy prediction of energy to be used by devices associated with the energy controller based on an initial prediction of how the devices will be used at a point in the future;

a transmitter for transmitting the initial energy prediction for the point in the future to an energy company such that energy purchases can be made in advance for the point in the future based on the initial energy prediction; and

a receiver for receiving changes to the initial prediction of how the devices will be used at the point in the future,

wherein the received changes are communicated to the energy predictor to calculate a revised energy prediction for the point in the future based on the received changes, and

wherein the transmitter transmits the revised energy prediction for the point in the future to the energy company, wherein the transmitter transmits the revised energy prediction for the point in the future to the energy company in conjunction with a request for a revised cost representing a cost differential between the initial and revised energy predictions for the point in the future,

the controller further comprising a feedback controller (1) for receiving the revised cost from the energy company, (2) for determining if the devices should be used according to the initial energy prediction or the revised energy prediction based on the revised cost from the energy company, and (3) for notifying the energy company if the devices will be used according to the initial energy prediction or the revised energy prediction.

2. The energy controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy predictor further comprises storage for information relating to another predicted condition at the point in the future other than the initial prediction of how the devices will be used at the point in the future.

3. The energy controller as claimed in claim 2, wherein the another predicted condition comprises a predicted temperature at the point in the future.

4. The energy controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the initial prediction of how the devices will be used at a point in the future is based on at least one of:

an occupancy rate of at least one corresponding building and a production schedule of at least one corresponding factory.

5. The energy controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the changes to the initial prediction of how the devices will be used at the point in the future are received periodically.

6. The energy controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the changes to the initial prediction of how the devices will be used at the point in the future are received in response to at least one event.

7. An energy system for responding to changes in energy usage from at least one energy controller controlling an associated at least one device, the energy system comprising:

a communications adapter (A) for receiving from the at least one energy controller (1) an initial energy prediction of energy to be used by the at least one device associated with the energy controller based on an initial prediction of how the at least one device will be used at a point in the future and (2) a revised energy prediction based on predicted changes in usage of how the at least one device will be used at the point in the future and (B) for transmitting a revised cost representing a cost differential between the initial and revised energy predictions; and

an energy purchasing system for purchasing (1) energy in response to the initial energy prediction and (2) at least one of energy and energy futures in response to the revised energy prediction.

8. The energy system as claimed in claim 7, wherein in response to the communications adapter transmitting the revised cost representing the cost differential between the initial and revised energy predictions the receiver further receives a response from the at least one controller indicating whether the at least one device will use energy at the initial energy prediction or at the revised energy prediction.

9. A method for controlling energy usage via an energy controller, the method comprising:

calculating, by an energy predictor implemented as at least one of hardware and software embedded in a computer memory and controlling a processor, an initial energy prediction of energy to be used by devices associated with the energy controller based on an initial prediction of how the devices will be used at a point in the future;

transmitting the initial energy prediction to an energy company via a communications adapter such that energy purchases can be made in advance by the energy company based on the initial energy prediction; and

receiving changes to the initial prediction of how the devices will be used at the point in the future,

wherein the received changes are communicated to the energy predictor to calculate a revised energy prediction for the point in the future based on the received changes, and

wherein the revised energy prediction is transmitted to the energy company via the communications adapter with a request for a revised cost representing a cost differential between the initial and revised energy predictions,

the method further comprising (1) receiving the revised cost from the energy company, (2) determining if the devices should be used according to the initial energy prediction or the revised energy prediction based on the revised cost from the energy company, and (3) notifying the energy company if the devices will be used according to the initial energy prediction or the revised energy prediction.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising receiving information relating to another predicted condition at the point in the future other than the initial prediction of how the devices will be used at the point in the future.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the another predicted condition comprises a predicted temperature at the point in the future.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the initial prediction of how the devices will be used at a point in the future is based on at least one of:

an occupancy rate of at least one corresponding building and a production schedule of at least one corresponding factory.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the changes to the initial prediction of how the devices will be used at the point in the future are received periodically.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the changes to the initial prediction of how the devices will be used at the point in the future are received in response to at least one event.

15. A method for responding to changes in energy usage from at least one energy controller controlling an associated at least one device, the method comprising:

receiving from the at least one energy controller via a communications adapter (1) an initial energy prediction of energy to be used by the at least one device associated with the energy controller based on an initial prediction of how the at least one device will be used at a point in the future and (2) a revised energy prediction based on predicted changes in usage of how the at least one device will be used at the point in the future;

determining, using at least one of hardware and software embedded in a computer memory and controlling a processor, a revised cost representing a cost differential between the initial and revised energy predictions;

transmitting via the communications adapter the revised cost representing a cost differential between the initial and revised energy predictions to the at least one energy controller; and

purchasing (1) energy in response to the initial energy prediction and (2) at least one of energy and energy futures in response the revised energy prediction.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein, in response to transmitting the revised cost representing the cost differential between the initial and revised energy predictions, receiving via the communications adapter a response from the at least one controller indicating whether the at least one device will use energy at the initial energy prediction or at the revised energy prediction.