Energy efficiency management system and method

• US 8,340,832 B1
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hull & Associates, Vertiv Corporation (Vertiv Holdings Co.)
• Original Assignee: Sandia Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation), Liebert Corporation (Vertiv Holdings Co.)
• Inventors: Nacke, Bradford M., VanDonkelaar, Jon, Borneo, Daniel R., Justice, Ted, Eiseman, Mark, Holtom, Andrew, Kasper, Craig E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cottingham, John R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, DOUGLAS S
• Application Number:
  US12/368,295
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700295-296, 705/63, 705/412
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00006 characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• 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 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• 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 40/12 characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 : Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the computerized management system for controlling energy consumption for energy consumers using a smart meter may include a database that contains contract provisions for energy consumers. Furthermore, exemplary embodiments of the system include a database interface adapted to allow the system to access the contract provisions to optimize energy consumption based upon available energy. The system may also include a managing data component that is adapted to manage data between the database and the smart meter. In exemplary embodiments, a communication network connecting the system to the database and the smart meter may be included. Additionally, some exemplary embodiments of the system include a protocol converting component that is adapted to act as an interface for application programming or protocol converting.

Claims

1. A method for controlling energy consumption by energy consumers using a system for controlling energy consumption for energy consumers using smart meters, said method comprising the steps:

providing a computerized management system for controlling energy consumption for energy consumers using smart meters, said system comprising;

a database that contains contract provisions for energy consumers;

a database interface adapted to allow the system to access the contract provisions to optimize energy consumption based upon available energy;

a data managing component adapted to manage data between the database and the smart meter; and

a protocol converting component adapted to act as an interface for application programming or protocol converting;

matching a customer contract to an energy consumption signal in the system where the software product recognizes the smart meter location;

sending an action message to the customer smart meter from the system consistent with the energy consumption signal depicting an energy consumption level with the action required at the customer location;

sending an acknowledge signal that contains a customer data number back to the system from the customer smart meter;

receiving the acknowledge signal from the smart meter by the system;

sending a results message from the system to update the energy consumption signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the action message to the customer smart meter induces the smart meter to perform at least one of the following:

block an incoming energy load, require on-site energy generation, or drop an energy load.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing customer data in a results table to confirm the customer complied with customer contracts.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein there are five different energy consumption levels.