Energy optimization system
First Claim
1. An energy optimization system for optimizing energy use by a facility and/or a building, the system comprising:
- an energy storage device having at least one energy storage characteristic;
an optimizer;
an energy cost forecaster connected to the optimizer, the energy cost forecaster configured to provide forecast rate information about energy received from different energy sources for a particular duration; and
a load forecaster connected to the optimizer, wherein the load forecaster forecasts the load of the facility and/or the building, at least in part, using a weather forecast for an area near the facility and/or the building;
a first mechanism for moving energy between a renewable energy source, an electrical grid, a facility and/or building load and the energy storage device;
a second mechanism for moving energy between the electrical grid, the energy storage device and the facility and/or building load; and
wherein the optimizer is for coordinating the movement of energy through one or more lines by controlling the first mechanism to move amounts and kinds of energy between the renewable energy source, the electrical grid, the energy storage device and the load and for controlling the second mechanism to move amounts and kinds of energy between the electrical grid, the energy storage device and the facility and/or building load and wherein the optimizer controls the first mechanism and the second mechanism based on a criterion or criteria including the at least one energy storage characteristic of the energy storage device, the forecast rate information, and the forecast load of the facility and/or building.
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Abstract
A system for optimizing a usage of energy based on cost, carbon footprint, and/or other criteria. The usage may be optimized for the next day or more. The optimization may deal with renewable energy, grid energy and stored energy. Various inputs may be considered for optimization, which could include energy costs, weather forecasts, characteristics of renewable energy, the load and storage, and other items. The optimizer may use equipment models with numerical transfer functions to take inputs and provide optimized estimates for the next day or so of energy usage. The outputs of the models may go to an optimization algorithms module for providing an output based on the inputs. The output may provide control information for the selection and amounts of the different types of energy in a scheduled manner.
149 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An energy optimization system for optimizing energy use by a facility and/or a building, the system comprising:
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an energy storage device having at least one energy storage characteristic; an optimizer; an energy cost forecaster connected to the optimizer, the energy cost forecaster configured to provide forecast rate information about energy received from different energy sources for a particular duration; and a load forecaster connected to the optimizer, wherein the load forecaster forecasts the load of the facility and/or the building, at least in part, using a weather forecast for an area near the facility and/or the building; a first mechanism for moving energy between a renewable energy source, an electrical grid, a facility and/or building load and the energy storage device; a second mechanism for moving energy between the electrical grid, the energy storage device and the facility and/or building load; and wherein the optimizer is for coordinating the movement of energy through one or more lines by controlling the first mechanism to move amounts and kinds of energy between the renewable energy source, the electrical grid, the energy storage device and the load and for controlling the second mechanism to move amounts and kinds of energy between the electrical grid, the energy storage device and the facility and/or building load and wherein the optimizer controls the first mechanism and the second mechanism based on a criterion or criteria including the at least one energy storage characteristic of the energy storage device, the forecast rate information, and the forecast load of the facility and/or building. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An energy optimizer system comprising:
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an energy storage device having an energy storage characteristic; a junction for receiving energy from two or more energy sources including a conventional energy source and a renewable energy source, wherein the energy sources are capable of providing energy to the load and/or the energy storage device; an optimizer; an energy cost forecaster connected to the optimizer, the energy cost forecaster configured to provide forecast rate information about energy received from different energy sources for a duration up to 48 hours into the future; a load forecaster connected to the optimizer; and wherein the optimizer has an output for indicating amounts of energy from the two or more energy sources needed for a forecasted load at a magnitude of at least one criterion for a certain duration of time and an output for indicating amounts of energy from the energy storage device to be delivered to an electrical grid connected to the junction, wherein the energy delivered to the electrical grid corresponds to the same at least one criterion for the certain duration of time, and wherein the at least one criterion includes the energy storage characteristic. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for optimizing energy usage comprising:
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forecasting a cost of a first energy; forecasting a cost of a second energy; forecasting a cost of a third energy associated with an energy storage device having at least one energy storage characteristic, wherein forecasting the cost of the third energy includes forecasting the cost of energy delivered to the load from the energy storage device, forecasting the cost of energy delivered to an electrical grid from the energy storage device, and forecasting the cost of the first energy and/or the second energy delivered to the energy storage device; forecasting an amount of load; and optimizing a first amount of the first energy, a second amount of the second energy, and third amount of the third energy for the amount of load using the at least one energy storage characteristic to obtain a least magnitude of a criterion of energy usage. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification