Apparatus and method for demand coordination network
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling peak demand of an energy resource, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of energy consuming devices, each consuming a portion of the energy resource when turned on, and said each capable of performing a corresponding function to maintain a corresponding local environment within an acceptable operational margin by cycling on and off; and
a plurality of control nodes, each coupled to a corresponding one of said plurality of energy consuming devices, wherein said plurality of control nodes is coupled together via a demand coordination network, and wherein said plurality of control nodes coordinates run times for said each of said plurality of energy consuming devices to reduce the peak demand of the energy resource, and wherein coordination of said run times includes advancing a first one or more of a plurality of start times, deferring a second one or more of said plurality of start times, and increasing one or more of a plurality of duty cycles of said energy consuming devices, and wherein the coordination is based on a replica copy of a global run time schedule and one or more sets of descriptors each characterizing an associated one or more corresponding local environments, and wherein the coordination of said run times allows for operation of one or more of said plurality of energy consuming devices within said acceptable operating margin for said corresponding local environments.
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Abstract
An apparatus for controlling peak demand of a resource. The apparatus includes a plurality of devices and a plurality of control nodes. Each of the plurality of devices consumes a portion of the resource when turned on, and the each are capable of performing a corresponding function within an acceptable operational margin by cycling on and off. Each of the plurality of control nodes is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of devices, where the plurality of control nodes is coupled together via a demand coordination network, and where the plurality of control nodes coordinates run times for the each of the plurality of devices to reduce the peak demand of the resource, and where one or more of the run times start prior to when otherwise required to maintain corresponding local environments, but which still operate within the acceptable operating margin for the corresponding local environments.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling peak demand of an energy resource, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of energy consuming devices, each consuming a portion of the energy resource when turned on, and said each capable of performing a corresponding function to maintain a corresponding local environment within an acceptable operational margin by cycling on and off; and a plurality of control nodes, each coupled to a corresponding one of said plurality of energy consuming devices, wherein said plurality of control nodes is coupled together via a demand coordination network, and wherein said plurality of control nodes coordinates run times for said each of said plurality of energy consuming devices to reduce the peak demand of the energy resource, and wherein coordination of said run times includes advancing a first one or more of a plurality of start times, deferring a second one or more of said plurality of start times, and increasing one or more of a plurality of duty cycles of said energy consuming devices, and wherein the coordination is based on a replica copy of a global run time schedule and one or more sets of descriptors each characterizing an associated one or more corresponding local environments, and wherein the coordination of said run times allows for operation of one or more of said plurality of energy consuming devices within said acceptable operating margin for said corresponding local environments. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A peak demand control system, for managing peak energy demand, the peak demand control system comprising:
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a plurality of control nodes, each coupled to a corresponding one of a plurality of energy consuming devices, each energy consuming device capable of performing a corresponding function to maintain a corresponding local environment within an acceptable operating margin, wherein said plurality of control nodes are coupled together via a demand coordination network, and wherein said plurality of control nodes coordinates run times for said each of said plurality of energy consuming devices to reduce the peak energy demand, and wherein coordination of said run times includes advancing a first one or more of a plurality of start times, deferring a second one or more of said plurality of start times, and increasing one or more of a plurality of duty cycles of said plurality of energy consuming devices, and wherein the coordination is based on a replica copy of a global run time schedule and one or more sets of descriptors each characterizing an associated one or more corresponding local environments, and wherein the coordination of run times allows for operation of a corresponding one or more of said plurality of energy consuming devices within an acceptable operating margin for said associated one or more corresponding local environments; and one or more sensor nodes, coupled to said demand coordination network, configured to provide one or more global sensor data sets to said plurality of control nodes, wherein said plurality of control nodes employs said one or more global sensor data sets in determining said run times. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for controlling peak demand of an energy, the method comprising:
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controlling a plurality of energy consuming devices via corresponding control nodes, wherein each of the plurality of energy consuming devices consumes a portion of the energy resource when turned on, and wherein the each of the plurality of energy consuming devices is capable of performing a corresponding function to maintain a corresponding local environment within an acceptable operational margin by cycling on and off; and coupling the corresponding control nodes together via a demand coordination network, and employing the demand coordination network to coordinate run times for the each of the plurality of energy consuming devices to reduce the peak demand of the energy resource, wherein coordination of the run times includes advancing a first one or more of a plurality of start times, deferring a second one or more of the plurality of start times, and increasing one or more of a plurality of duty cycles of the energy consuming devices, and wherein the coordination is based on a replica copy of a global run time schedule and one or more sets of descriptors each characterizing an associated one or more corresponding local environments, and wherein the coordination of run times allows for operation of a corresponding one or more of the plurality of energy consuming devices within the acceptable operating margin for the associated one or more corresponding local environments. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification