System and method for energy management
First Claim
1. A method for optimizing the use of electric energy by a facility comprising a plurality of energy assets, the method comprising:
- modeling, using a computer, the usage of electric energy by the facility, by creating a dynamic simulation model of the plurality of energy assets of the facility;
wherein the dynamic simulation model of the facility comprises a computation of thermodynamics properties of the facility, andwherein the dynamic simulation model is adaptive to physical changes in the facility based on a parametric estimation;
calculating, sing the computer, a customer baseline (“
CBL”
) based on the dynamic simulation model, wherein the CBL is predictive of energy consumption of the facility as a function of time;
storing the dynamic simulation model in the computer;
determining, using the computer, a plan for controlling the operation of at least one of the plurality of energy assets to reduce an energy provider'"'"'s overall charge to the facility for electric energy, or to provide a revenue source to the facility, the determining being done at least on the basis of the dynamic simulation model, the CBL, and variations in the forecast wholesale electricity price of electric energy in the wholesale market during a defined time period;
generating, using the computer, control signals based on the plan from data derived from the computer; and
controlling, using the generated control signals, at least one of the plurality of energy assets so that operation of the facility conforms to the plan.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention assist customers in managing the four types of energy assets, that is, generation, storage, usage, and controllable load assets. Embodiments of the present invention for the first time develop and predict a customer baseline (“CBL”) usage of electricity, using a predictive model based on simulation of energy assets, based on business as usual (“BAU”) of the customer'"'"'s facility. The customer is provided with options for operating schedules based on algorithms, which allow the customer to maximize the economic return on its generation assets, its storage assets, and its load control assets. Embodiments of the invention enable the grid to verify that the customer has taken action to control load in response to price. This embodiment of the invention calculates the amount of energy that the customer would have consumed, absent any reduction of use made in response to price. Specifically, the embodiment models the usage of all the customer'"'"'s electricity consuming devices, based on the customer'"'"'s usual conditions. This model of the expected consumption can then be compared to actual actions taken by the customer, and the resulting consumption levels, to verify that the customer has reduced consumption and is entitled to payment for the energy that was not consumed.
257 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for optimizing the use of electric energy by a facility comprising a plurality of energy assets, the method comprising:
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modeling, using a computer, the usage of electric energy by the facility, by creating a dynamic simulation model of the plurality of energy assets of the facility; wherein the dynamic simulation model of the facility comprises a computation of thermodynamics properties of the facility, and wherein the dynamic simulation model is adaptive to physical changes in the facility based on a parametric estimation; calculating, sing the computer, a customer baseline (“
CBL”
) based on the dynamic simulation model, wherein the CBL is predictive of energy consumption of the facility as a function of time;storing the dynamic simulation model in the computer; determining, using the computer, a plan for controlling the operation of at least one of the plurality of energy assets to reduce an energy provider'"'"'s overall charge to the facility for electric energy, or to provide a revenue source to the facility, the determining being done at least on the basis of the dynamic simulation model, the CBL, and variations in the forecast wholesale electricity price of electric energy in the wholesale market during a defined time period; generating, using the computer, control signals based on the plan from data derived from the computer; and controlling, using the generated control signals, at least one of the plurality of energy assets so that operation of the facility conforms to the plan. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer system for optimizing use of electric energy by a facility comprising a plurality of energy assets, the computer system comprising:
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at least one memory to store processor-executable instructions; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one memory, wherein, upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the at least one processor executes a method comprising; modeling, using a computer, the usage of electric energy by the facility, by creating a dynamic simulation model of the plurality of energy assets of the facility; wherein the dynamic simulation model of the facility comprises a computation of thermodynamics properties of the facility, and wherein the dynamic simulation model is adaptive to physical changes in the facility based on a parametric estimation; calculating, sing the computer, a customer baseline (“
CBL”
) based on the dynamic simulation model,wherein the CBL is predictive of energy consumption of the facility as a function of time; storing the dynamic simulation model in the computer; determining, using the computer, a plan for controlling the operation of at least one of the plurality of energy assets to reduce the electricity provider'"'"'s overall charge to the facility for electric energy, or to provide a revenue source to the facility, the determining being done at least on the basis of the dynamic simulation model, the CBL, and variations in the forecast wholesale electricity price of electric energy in the wholesale market during a defined time period; generating, using the computer, control signals based on the plan from data derived from the computer; and controlling, using the generated control signals, at least one of the plurality of energy assets so that operation of the facility conforms to the plan. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A non-transitory machine readable memory medium having at least one program embodied thereon, the at least one program including processor-executable instructions which when executed cause a processor to execute a method comprising:
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modeling, using a computer, the usage of electric energy by the facility, by creating a dynamic simulation model of the plurality of energy assets of the facility; wherein the dynamic simulation model of the facility comprises a computation of thermodynamics properties of the facility, and wherein the dynamic simulation model is adaptive to physical changes in the facility based on a parametric estimation; calculating, using the computer, a customer baseline (“
CBL”
) based on the dynamic simulation model,wherein the CBL is predictive of energy consumption of the facility as a function of time; storing the dynamic simulation model in the computer; determining, using the computer, a plan for controlling the operation of at least one of the plurality of energy assets to reduce the electricity provider'"'"'s overall charge to the facility for electric energy, or to provide a revenue source to the facility, the determining being done at least on the basis of the dynamic simulation model, the CBL, and variations in the forecast wholesale electricity price of electric energy in the wholesale market during a defined time period; generating, using the computer, control signals based on the plan from data derived from the computer; and controlling, using the generated control signals, at least one of the plurality of energy assets so that operation of the facility conforms to the plan. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification