Load isolation consumption management systems and methods

• US 9,431,827 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Engie Storage Services NA LLC (ENGIE SA)
• Original Assignee: Green Charge Networks LLC (ENGIE SA)
• Inventors: Chow, Bryan, Weiner, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US13/460,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 320160-162, 307 44- 48, 700/295
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/003 Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications

Abstract

Disclosed herein are power management systems for controlling recorded electrical demand by isolating loads from a utility distribution grid connection. The loads are isolated when an energy storage system (ESS) is placed in series between the loads and the grid, with a charger that keeps the ESS from depleting and a power converter that provides energy to the loads from the ESS. A system controller may be enabled to manage the charging of the ESS by the charger relative to a consumption metric. In some embodiments, the loads are categorized, controlled, or curtailed by the controller and may be isolated from other loads. Some embodiments include bypass features or bimodal connections. Additional methods of control to prevent depletion of the ESS are also set forth. Systems herein can prevent or limit demand charges, protect the utility grid from backflow and other dangers, and raise the customer'"'"'s effective utility service limit.

Claims

1. An electrical system for managing electricity consumption measured by a utility provider of a site, comprising:

an energy storage device connected inline and in series between a utility energy source and a load of the site, such that the load is isolated from the utility energy source, the energy storage device having an energy storage capacity and being bi-modally connected to the utility energy source to provide energy to the load whether the energy storage device is off-grid or on-grid, the load comprising at least one energy-consuming electrical system;

a charger configured to charge the energy storage device from the utility energy source using a rectifier; and

a system controller configured to receive a consumption metric, wherein the system controller is enabled to manage the charging of the energy storage device by the charger relative to the consumption metric, the system controller being enabled to increase or decrease consumption of the charger upon receiving a signal from the utility provider or a site operator to increase or decrease consumption.

2. The electrical system of claim 1, further comprising:

a transferring switch which, when closed, provides power to the load from the utility energy source, bypassing the energy storage device.

3. The electrical system of claim 2, further comprising:

a power converter configured to power the load using energy from the energy storage device at least while the energy storage device can provide enough energy to support the load.

4. The electrical system of claim 3, wherein closing said transferring switch disconnects said power converter.

5. The electrical system of claim 3, wherein closing said transferring switch connects a power output of said charger to a power input of said power converter.

6. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein said consumption metric comprises the present, historical, or projected consumption of at least one said electrical system of said load.

7. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein said consumption metric comprises the present, historical, or projected consumption of a state of charge of said energy storage device.

8. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein said consumption metric comprises a consumption level of the site, the consumption level of the site including at least a consumption level of said charger and a consumption level of at least one other load of the site consuming energy provided by the utility energy source, said other load not being isolated from said utility energy source by said energy storage device.

9. The electrical system of claim 8, the consumption metric being relative to whether the consumption level of the site exceeds a peak consumption threshold.

10. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein said consumption metric comprises at least one metric selected from the group consisting of:

the time at which the charger is used, the cost of charging the energy storage device, and the cost of not charging the energy storage device.

11. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein said system controller is further enabled to control an energy consumption level or power factor of at least one electrical system of said load, the control being independent of managing said charging of said energy storage device.

12. The electrical system of claim 1, said energy storage device having a maximum output power greater than a maximum charging power output from said charger.

13. The electrical system of claim 12, said maximum output power being greater than a peak threshold of the site.

14. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the load comprises all loads which are contributing to demand on said utility energy source from the site.

15. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein said load comprises a plurality of energy-consuming electrical systems, and at least one of, but not all of, said energy-consuming electrical systems is connected to said energy storage device through one power converter.

16. An electrical system for managing electricity consumption measured by a utility provider of a site, comprising:

an energy storage device connected inline and in series between a utility energy source and a plurality of isolated controllable loads of the site such that the isolated controllable loads are isolated from the utility energy source, the isolated controllable loads being intermittent, curtailable, or controllable loads, the energy storage device having an energy storage capacity and being bi-modally connected to the utility energy source to provide energy to the plurality of isolated controllable loads whether the energy storage device is off-grid or on-grid;

wherein the isolated controllable loads are powered by energy from the energy storage device via a power converter;

wherein the energy storage device is charged from the utility energy source by a charger using a rectifier;

a plurality of continuous loads not isolated from the utility energy source, the continuous loads having a consumption level; and

a system controller enabled to manage charging the energy storage device by the charger, the charging being relative to consumption of the isolated loads, the system controller being enabled to increase or decrease consumption of the charger upon receiving a signal from the utility provider or a site operator to increase or decrease consumption.

17. A method of shielding demand fluctuations in an electrical load from a utility provider meter, the method comprising:

supplying one or more loads by providing energy stored in an energy storage device to the loads, the loads being isolated from a utility distribution grid by the energy storage device due to the energy storage device being connected in series between the grid and the loads, while charging the energy storage device from a bi-modal connection to the grid in such a manner that the consumption on the grid does not exceed a peak threshold, and the demand on the grid would exceed the peak threshold if the loads were not isolated by the energy storage device, the bi-modal connection allowing the energy storage device to provide energy to the loads whether the energy storage device is off-grid or on-grid;

providing a rectified signal from a charger to the energy storage device;

increasing or decreasing consumption of the charger upon receiving a signal from a utility provider or a site operator to increase or decrease consumption.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the load comprises all loads which are contributing to demand on said utility distribution grid at a site.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said peak threshold is a demand charge-inducing consumption limit.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said peak threshold is a utility service limit.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

supplementing said supply of said loads with energy from said utility distribution grid from when said energy storage device is depleted to when said energy storage device is charged enough to isolate said loads again.

22. An electrical system for managing electricity consumption measured by a utility provider of a site, comprising:

a utility energy source;

a demand meter connected directly to the utility energy source;

an energy storage system (ESS) charger connected directly to the demand meter;

an ESS bi-modally connected directly to the ESS charger, the ESS having an energy storage capacity;

at least one load connected directly to the ESS, wherein the at least one load is isolated from the utility energy source by the ESS, the at least one load being configured to receive energy from the ESS whether the ESS is off-grid or on-grid;

a system controller configured to receive a consumption metric, wherein the system controller is enabled to manage the charging of the ESS by the ESS charger relative to the consumption metric, the system controller being enabled to increase or decrease consumption of the ESS charger upon receiving a signal from the utility provider or a site operator to increase or decrease consumption.