System for tracking and allocating renewable energy contributions to a modular renewable energy system

• US 9,142,967 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PV Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: PV Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Tomlinson, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Fennema, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Norton, Jennifer L
• Application Number:
  US13/602,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20130060396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/295, 700/297, 702/62, 705/412
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/10 The dispersed energy generation being of fossil origin, e.g. diesel generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy wind motors F03D
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/06 Controlling transfer of power between connected networks; Controlling sharing of load between connected networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 80/00 Architectural or constructional elements improving the thermal performance of buildings
• 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: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A modular photovolataic (PV) array system includes a PV array installed onto a fleet vehicle such as a trailer, bus etc., a host control system into which a plurality of fleet vehicles can connect to collectively generate electricity, and a subscriber system which collectively tracks energy generation and allocates respective contributions to the system.

Claims

1. A modular renewable energy tracking and allocation system comprising:

a plurality of photovoltaic arrays each installed or mounted on one of a plurality of vehicles having a device control system and a respective photovoltaic array identification code;

a plurality of host renewable energy systems each having a respective host identification code;

a computer network;

a network accessible database storing a plurality of database records containing data corresponding to said plurality of photovoltaic arrays and said plurality of host renewable energy systems;

a computer server in communication with said computer network, and a software application running on said computer server for writing data to and reading data from said network accessible database; and

each of said host renewable energy systems including,

a plurality of connection ports for receiving energy generated by said plurality of photovoltaic arrays,

a central processing unit in communication with said computer network and said device control system, and

a software application operating on said central processing unit operative for

measuring energy received from each of said plurality of photovoltaic arrays,

generating energy data corresponding to said measured energy received from each of said plurality of photovoltaic arrays,

associating said energy data with said respective photovoltaic array identification code, and

sending said energy data with said associated photovoltaic array identification code and said host identification code to said computer server for storage on said network accessible database.

2. The modular renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 1 wherein software application running on said computer server is further operative for allocating renewable energy credits to owners of said host renewable energy systems and/or said photovoltaic arrays.

3. The modular renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 1 wherein said central processing unit of at least one of said plurality of host renewable energy systems is in wired communication with said computer network.

4. The modular renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 1 further comprising:

a wireless communication system, said computer network being in communication with said wireless communication system, and

at least one of said plurality of host renewable energy systems including a wireless transceiver for wirelessly communicating with said wireless communication system.

5. The modular renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 1 wherein said device control system of at least one of said photovoltaic arrays is in wired communication with said central processing unit of at least one of said host renewable energy systems.

6. The modular renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 1 further comprising:

a wireless communication system, said computer network being in communication with said wireless communication system,

at least one of said plurality of photovoltaic arrays including a wireless transceiver for wirelessly communicating with said wireless communication system,

said device control system having a software application operating to generate energy data corresponding to energy generated while said photovoltaic array is not connected to a host renewable energy system, and

said device control system sending said energy data with said associated device identification code to said computer server for storage on said network accessible database.

7. The modular renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 6 wherein said at least one of said plurality of photovoltaic arrays includes a GPS device, said energy data including location data corresponding to where said energy was generated.

8. The modular renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 1 wherein said host renewable energy system includes an electrical bus and inverter which is connected to a host breaker panel to provide electrical energy to the host electrical system.

9. The modular renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 1 wherein said host renewable energy system further comprises:

a memory device, and

said software application running on said central processing unit of said host renewable energy system temporarily storing said energy data and said photovoltaic array identification code in said memory device prior to sending.

14. The renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 1 wherein said device control system is in wired communication with said central processing unit of said host renewable energy system.

15. The renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 1 further comprising:

a wireless communication system, said computer network being in communication with said wireless communication system,

said photovoltaic array including a wireless transceiver for wirelessly communicating with said wireless communication system,

said device control system having a software application operating to generate energy data corresponding to energy generated while said photovoltaic array is not connected to said a respective host renewable energy system, and

said device control system sending said energy data with said associated device identification code to said computer server for storage on said network accessible database.

16. The renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 15 wherein said photovoltaic array includes a GPS device, said energy data including location data corresponding to where said energy was generated.

17. The renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 1 wherein said host renewable energy system includes an electrical bus and inverter which is connected to a host breaker panel to provide electrical energy to a host electrical system.

18. The renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 1 wherein said host renewable energy system further comprises:

a memory device, and

said software application running on said central processing unit of said host renewable energy system temporarily storing said energy data and said photovoltaic array identification code in said memory device prior to sending.

10. A renewable energy tracking and allocation system comprising:

a photovoltaic array installed or mounted on a vehicle having a device control system and a respective photovoltaic array identification code;

a host renewable energy system having a respective host identification code;

a computer network;

a network accessible database storing at least one database record containing data corresponding to said photovoltaic array and said host renewable energy system;

a computer server in communication with said computer network, and a software application running on said computer server for writing data to and reading data from said network accessible database; and

said host renewable energy system including,

at least one connection port for receiving energy generated by said photovoltaic array,

a central processing unit in communication with said computer network and said device control system, and

a software application operating on said central processing unit operative for

measuring energy received from said photovoltaic array,

generating energy data corresponding to said measured energy received from said photovoltaic array,

associating said energy data with said respective photovoltaic array identification code, and

sending said energy data with said associated photovoltaic array identification code and said host identification code to said computer server for storage on said network accessible database.

11. The renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 10 wherein software application running on said computer server is further operative for allocating a renewable energy credit to an owner of said host renewable energy system and/or said photovoltaic array.

12. The renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 10 wherein said central processing unit of said host renewable energy systems is in wired communication with said computer network.

13. The renewable energy tracking and allocation system of claim 10 further comprising:

a wireless communication system, said computer network being in communication with said wireless communication system, and

said host renewable energy systems including a wireless transceiver for wirelessly communicating with said wireless communication system.