Energy distribution management system

• US 8,260,471 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2009
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Inventors: Storch, Randy S., Kordik, Scott M., Doran, Joe B., Banach, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasenge, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lin, Jason
• Application Number:
  US13/060,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20110184581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 700/295, 700/297, 700/286, 700/22, 340/870.02, 375/310, 307/132.E
• 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: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/66 one of the loads acting as master and the other or others acting as slaves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/82 Energy audits or management systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

An energy management system (400) includes a series of smart devices (404) connected through a network system communications bus (402). The smart devices (404) are connected to loads (408) and include energy monitor boards (448) and a core board (450) for monitoring energy consumption of the loads (408) and transmitting the energy consumption data to a gateway (410).

Claims

1. An energy management system for monitoring and controlling energy consumption of a facility, the energy management system comprising:

a plurality of loads;

a plurality of smart devices in communication with the plurality of loads, wherein each smart device is configured to control energy consumption of one or more loads associated with the each smart device and to measure active energy consumed by the associated one or more loads; and

a gateway in communication with the plurality of smart devices, wherein the gateway is configured to;

associate a load zone with at least one smart device and with one or more loads associated with the at least one smart device,

associate each smart device of the load zone with load shedding properties,

define a load shedding event that, in response to a trigger condition, reduces energy consumption of the load zone by reducing energy consumption of the loads associated with the each smart device of the load zone according to the load shedding properties, and

communicate instructions to the each smart device of the load zone to reduce energy consumption of the loads associated with the each smart device of the load zone according to the load shedding properties, to implement the load shedding event when the trigger condition is met,

wherein each smart device is configured to, in response to an instruction from the gateway to reduce energy consumption to implement the load shedding event;

decrease energy consumption of the associated one or more loads,

periodically measure the active energy consumed by the associated one or more loads while decreasing the energy consumption of the associated one or more loads, and

discontinue decreasing the energy consumption of the associated one or more loads when the each smart device measures an active energy consumption of the associated one or more loads that matches a desired target energy consumption of the load shedding properties of the each smart device,

wherein before the load shedding event the each smart device periodically measures the active energy consumed by the associated one or more loads at a first frequency,

wherein the each smart device is further configured to, in response to the instruction from the gateway to reduce energy consumption to implement the load shedding event;

periodically measure at a second frequency higher than the first frequency, the active energy consumed by the associated one or more loads while decreasing the energy consumption of the associated one or more loads, and

when the each smart device measures an active energy consumption of the associated one or more loads that matches the desired target energy consumption of the load shedding properties of the each smart device, return to periodically measuring the active energy consumed by the associated one or more loads at the first frequency,

wherein before the load shedding event the each smart device stores in computer memory each of the active energy consumed measurements at the first frequency, and

wherein during the load shedding event the each smart device periodically measures the active energy consumed at the second higher frequency, but continues to store in computer memory each of the active energy consumed measurements at the first frequency.

2. The energy management system of claim 1, wherein the load zone includes a first smart device and a second smart device, and wherein the first smart device and the second smart device are powered by different circuit panels, are operable independently from each other, and are operable with or without a master control module.

3. The energy management system of claim 1, wherein the load shedding properties include a priority of load shedding relative to other devices and loads, a size of load level change, a method by which to change load level, a maximum load setting, and a minimum load setting.

4. The energy management system of claim 1, wherein the gateway provides a user interface configured to receive information from a user associating the smart devices with the loads, associating the load zone with the at least one smart device and the one or more loads associated with the at least one smart device, associating the each smart device of the load zone with load shedding properties, and defining the load shedding event.

5. The energy management system of claim 1, wherein each smart device comprises:

an energy monitoring computer processor that monitors active energy consumed by loads controlled by the each smart device; and

a core computer processor in communication with the energy monitoring computer processor and the gateway, wherein the core computer processor receives, from the energy monitoring computer processor, energy consumption data of the loads controlled by the each smart device, accumulates the energy consumption data, and periodically forwards the accumulated energy consumption data to the gateway,

wherein the gateway receives and stores the accumulated energy consumption data for multiple smart devices, and

wherein the energy management system further comprises a data acquisition server in communication with the gateway over a global computer network, wherein the data acquisition server periodically receives and stores the accumulated energy consumption data from the gateway over the global computer network, and stores the accumulated energy consumption data along with accumulated energy consumption data from other gateways.

6. The energy management system of claim 1, wherein during the load shedding event, the gateway:

receives at the first frequency from the each smart device the measured active energy consumption and determines a system energy consumption,

in response to an increase in the system energy consumption, transmits new instructions to reduce energy consumption to return back to a target energy level, and

in response to a decrease in the system energy consumption, transmits new instructions to increase energy consumption to return back to the target energy level.

7. The energy management system of claim 1, wherein the trigger condition comprises at least one of a time condition, a date condition, a weather condition, a user occupancy condition, an ambient light condition, a user request, and an energy provider request.

8. The energy management system of claim 1, wherein the gateway is configured to receive active energy consumption data from a plurality of smart devices that are distributed across different circuit panels and grouped in a plurality of prioritized load zones, and to transmit a message to a single priority load zone of the smart devices, instructing the single priority load zone to modify its active energy consumption of the single priority load zone to achieve a desired energy target.

9. The energy management system of claim 1, wherein one or more loads of the plurality of loads comprise dimmable light fixtures.

10. The energy management system of claim 1, wherein the each smart device periodically sends a message to the gateway identifying active energy consumption of a past increment of time for the each smart device,

wherein in implementing the load shedding event, the gateway consults the active energy consumption of the past increment of time for the each smart device and based on the active energy consumption of the past increment of time, instructs the each smart device to increase or decrease energy consumption of the each smart device by a specific amount so as to achieve the desired target energy consumption.

11. The energy management system of claim 1, wherein the load shedding properties comprise a priority group designation,

wherein the plurality of smart devices includes a first group of smart devices associated with a first priority group designation and successive groups of smart devices associated with successive priority group designations,

wherein during a load shedding event, the gateway:

first sends the instruction to reduce energy consumption to the first group of smart devices and not to the successive groups of smart devices, and

when a resulting change in energy consumption of the first group of smart devices does not sufficiently affect a system'"'"'s total energy consumption so as to meet a system energy level target, sends the instruction to reduce energy consumption to a next successive group of smart devices and continues to send the instruction to additional successive groups of smart devices until the system energy level target is achieved.

12. An energy management system for monitoring and controlling energy management of a series of load zones, each of the load zones having energy consumption devices associated therewith, and with the energy consumption devices receiving power from an incoming power source, the energy management system comprising:

a series of smart devices, wherein each smart device is in communication with a load zone of the series of load zones, and wherein each smart device is configured to obtain device-identifying data and active power usage data associated with energy consumption devices associated with the each smart device and to control energy consumption of the associated energy consumption devices;

a gateway in communication with the series of load zones, wherein the gateway is configured to;

receive from the series of smart devices active energy usage data of the energy consumption devices within the respective load zones of the smart devices, wherein the active energy usage data comprises data relating to specific active energy data consumption of individual ones of the energy consumption devices;

provide to a user through a user interface the active energy usage data;

receive from the user through the user interface instructions for causing selected ones of a set of functional operations to be performed by the gateway; and

transmit energy usage controlling data to the series of smart devices, wherein the energy usage controlling data transmitted to the series of smart devices comprises data for controlling power consumption of individual ones of the energy consumption devices,

wherein each smart device is configured to, in response to energy usage controlling data from the gateway to reduce energy consumption to implement a load shedding event;

decrease energy consumption of the associated energy consumption devices,

periodically measure active energy consumed by the associated energy consumption devices while decreasing the energy consumption of the associated energy consumption devices, and

discontinue decreasing the energy consumption of the associated energy consumption devices when the each smart device measures an active energy consumption of the associated energy consumption devices that matches the energy usage controlling data to implement the load shedding event,

wherein before the load shedding event the each smart device periodically measures the active energy consumed by the associated energy consumption devices at a first frequency,

wherein the each smart device is further configured to, in response to the energy usage controlling data from the gateway to reduce energy consumption to implement the load shedding event;

periodically measure at a second frequency higher than the first frequency, the active energy consumed by the associated energy consumption devices while decreasing the energy consumption of the associated energy consumption devices, and

when the each smart device measures an active energy consumption of the associated energy consumption devices that matches the energy usage controlling data to implement the load shedding event, return to periodically measuring the active energy consumed by the associated energy consumption devices at the first frequency,

wherein before the load shedding event the each smart device stores in computer memory each of the active energy consumed measurements at the first frequency, and

wherein during the load shedding event the each smart device periodically measures the active energy consumed at the second higher frequency, but continues to store in computer memory each of the active energy consumed measurements at the first frequency.

13. The energy management system of claim 12, wherein the active energy usage data received by the gateway from the series of smart devices comprises data representative of average loads of individual ones of the energy consumption devices.

14. The energy management system of claim 12, wherein the gateway is configured to perform load targeting operations and to transmit data relating to the load targeting operations of selected ones of the energy consumption devices.

15. The energy management system of claim 12, wherein the gateway is configured to perform functional operations relating to load shedding,

wherein the load shedding operations are performed in response to energy consumption data received from multiple different combinations of the energy consumption devices in a distributed network and instruction data received from the user through the user interface,

wherein the gateway includes a load shedding storage database for storing device-identifying data and active energy consumption data,

wherein the gateway is configured to transmit the device-identifying data and the active energy consumption data for visual display on the user interface,

wherein the visual display comprises identification and label information, specific communications path then being viewed by the user, number of energy consumption devices within a particular one of the load zones, kilowatt/hours then currently being consumed within a particular one of the load zones, and average load level of selected ones of the energy consumption devices,

wherein the gateway is configured to enable the user to generate data for editing energy properties of selected ones of the energy consumption devices, and to control output levels of selected ones of the energy consumption devices, and

wherein the gateway is configured to visually indicate to the user maximum load levels to which selected ones of the energy consumption devices are to be restricted.

16. The energy management system of claim 12, wherein the energy consumption devices comprise a dimmer, wherein functional operations performed by the gateway comprise dimmer functional operations, and wherein data representative of energy-related activities of the dimmer made visually available to the user through the user interface comprise:

calculation of the actual amount of energy the dimmer is consuming;

identification of a group number used by a load shedding goal engine of the dimmer, so as to determine in which order the dimmer'"'"'s load level should be modified by the load shedding goal engine;

use of load shedding gain to determine a size of the load level change implemented by the load shedding goal engine;

selection of criteria by the user, to be used by the load shedding goal engine for dimming the dimmer;

a maximum load shedding setting for determining the dimmer'"'"'s maximum load level; and

a minimum load shedding setting for permitting the user to set the dimmer'"'"'s lowest load level during a load shedding event,

wherein the functional operations performed by the gateway comprise a calculation of power consumption and transmission of instruction signals to selected ones of the energy consumption devices so as to dim all ambient light, or to disable ambient light in total, and

wherein the functional operations performed by the gateway comprise transmission of polling signals to selected ones of energy consumption devices comprising occupancy sensors, so as to determine occupancy of selected work stations.

17. The energy management system of claim 16, wherein the functional operations further comprise activation of task lights only within ones of the selected ones of the work stations that have been determined to be currently occupied.

18. The energy management system of claim 12, wherein during the load shedding event, the gateway:

receives from the each smart device the measured active energy consumption and determines a system energy consumption,

in response to an increase in the system energy consumption, transmits new energy usage controlling data to reduce energy consumption to return back to a target energy level, and

in response to a decrease in the system energy consumption, transmits new energy usage controlling data to increase energy consumption to return back to the target energy level.

19. The energy management system of claim 12, further comprising a global gateway controller for performing functions associated with calculation of energy consumption data, and passing the energy consumption data onto a web server,

wherein the global gateway controller is configured to:

register with the web server, for purposes of maintaining separation of data;

transmit information regarding a hierarchy structure to the web server, so that if the user removes a load zone from the hierarchy, related data in the web server can then be disabled;

transmit load level information to all nodes that are reporting load level changes on a line-by-line basis, so that the load level information can be stored in a device table in a database for later usage by a reporting tool; and

transmit all device energy usage data, on a periodic basis, to the web server, wherein the web server maintains an energy table receiving updates associated with the energy usage data, and wherein the web server uses an engine that continuously executes by using a current energy table for purposes of generating an energy log.

20. The energy management system of claim 19, wherein:

the user is required to register for services performed by the global gateway controller, and connects a web browser of the user to the web server, for purposes of synchronization;

when linked, the user has a functional capability of logging into the web server, and viewing information comprising at least one of tables and bar graphs;

the functional operations performed by the global gateway controller and the server comprise identification of locations, with the user being able to receive information regarding at least one of total energy, energy by zone, and energy by device type; and

the user has the capability of performing a comparison function, which permits the user to select a guideline for purposes of rationalization of data, in the form of at least one of day, week, month, and priority group.