Energy management of household appliances

• US 8,548,635 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Watson, Eric K., Rafalovich, Alexander Pinkus, Cooper, Anthony A., Severance, Martin Christopher, Bissig, Chris George, Hamel, Timothy Allen, Barksdale, Rita, Harry, Telema, Lobos, Alex Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US12/559,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20100179708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 700/295, 700/296
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/04 Preventing the formation of frost or condensate
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• 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 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 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• 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 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/244 the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units
• 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

A system and method of managing energy use in a home, and more particularly to energy management of household consumer appliances, are provided. Existing appliances can be modified with add-on features or modules, and likewise new energy saving features and functions can be incorporated into new appliances. Communication among a home energy manager, an appliance, and a utility meter measures energy usage and/or a local generator controls operation of various appliances such as a refrigerator, washer, dryer, oven/range, microwave oven, dishwasher, HVAC system hot water heater, and the like.

Claims

1. A household energy management system for managing power consumption of one or more appliances in a household that couples with a source utility, said household energy management system comprising:

an appliance with one or more power consuming features;

a controller coupled with the appliance, the controller for managing power consumption by the appliance with the one or more power consuming features;

a utility meter communicating with the controller, the utility meter for measuring an amount of energy usage for a household from the source utility, the utility meter communicating one or more parameters of the source utility to the controller; and

a local energy storage device for storing energy coupled with the controller, the source utility, and the household to provide power to the appliance

wherein the controller is configured to manage power consumption of the household in a non-peak demand mode and a peak demand mode as indicated by a demand limit read from the utility meter;

wherein power from the source utility that is received in the peak demand mode is more expensive relative to power from the source utility during the non-peak demand mode;

wherein the controller directs operation oldie local energy storage device to cause the local energy storage device to charge via, power supplied by the source utility in the non-peak demand mode and to discharge to provide power to the household to operate the one or more power consuming features of the appliance in the peak demand mode; and

wherein a user interface gives a user the ability to select which of the one or more power consuming features are scheduled, delayed or adjusted by the controller, that receives a zip code entry which enables the controller to select a source utility corresponding to the household and a time of use schedule of the source utility corresponding to the household, that receives a rate signal directly from the source utility advising of the current rate and that displays or indicates energy saving tips, energy usage, activation of non-peak demand or peak demand modes, a door opening counter, and an energy calculator.

2. The household energy management system of claim 1 wherein the controller allocates energy to the appliance based on one or more of the demand limit, a prioritization of each of the one or more appliances, and an energy need level the appliance.

3. The household energy management system of claim 1 wherein the appliance includes one or more of household lighting, a refrigerator, a washer, a dryer, an oven/range, a microwave oven, a dishwasher, an HVAC system, and a hot water heater.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to manage power consumption of the household in the peak demand mode by instructing the appliance to enter a power shaving mode after a delay time following a detection of a light signal by a light sensor.

5. A household energy management system for managing power consumption of one or more appliances in a household that couples with a source utility, said household energy management system comprising:

an appliance with one or more power consuming features;

a controller coupled with the appliance, the controller for managing power consumption by the appliance with the one or more power consuming features;

a utility meter communicating with the controller, the utility meter for measuring an amount of energy usage for a household from the source utility, the utility meter communicating one or more parameters of the source utility to the controller; and

a local energy storage device for storing energy coupled with the controller, the source utility, and the household to provide power to the appliance;

wherein the controller is configured to manage power consumption of the household in a non-peak demand mode and a peak demand mode as indicated by a demand limit read from the utility meter;

wherein power from the source utility that is received in the peak demand mode is more expensive relative to power from the source utility during the non-peak demand mode;

wherein the controller directs operation of the local energy storage device to cause the local energy storage device to charge via power supplied by the source utility in the non-peak demand mode and to discharge to provide power to the household to operate the one or more power consuming features of the appliance in the peak demand mode; and

wherein a user interface gives a user the ability to select which of the one or more power consuming features are scheduled, delayed or adjusted by the controller, that receives a zip code entry which enables the controller to select a source utility corresponding to the household and a time of use schedule of the source utility corresponding to the household, that receives a rate signal directly from the source utility advising of the current rate and that displays or indicates at least one of energy saving tips, enemy usage, activation of non-peak demand or peak demand modes, a door opening counter, and an energy calculator.