UTILITY CONSOLE FOR CONTROLLING ENERGY RESOURCES

• US 20080167756A1
• Filed: 01/03/2008
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gridpoint (Twenty First Century Utilities LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gridpoint (Twenty First Century Utilities LLC)
• Inventors: Hakim, David, Shnekendorf, Edward, Golden, Brian, McMahan, Courtney
• Granted Patent: US 8,855,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/297
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

A system and method for managing power consumption and storage in a power grid. Measurements are received from a plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers. Each energy management controllers has energy storage units with stored energy. The measurements comprise the energy production and storage capacity of the energy management controllers and their associated energy storage units. The measurements are processed, e.g., aggregated, and displayed on a graphical user interface. Commands are transmitted to a first subset of the energy management controllers to command the units to discharge their stored energy into a power grid through an inverter. Commands are transmitted to a second subset of the plurality of energy management controllers to store energy in each unit'"'"'s energy storage unit.

Claims

1. A method of managing energy storage resources, comprising:

receiving measurements from a plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers, each energy management controller comprising one or more energy storage units with stored energy, wherein the measurements comprise the energy storage of the energy management controllers;

processing the measurements;

displaying the processed measurements; and

transmitting a command to the plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers based on said processed measurements to charge/discharge each unit'"'"'s stored energy into a power grid through an inverter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the measurements is limited by user-controlled energy modes associated with each of the plurality of energy management controllers.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurements comprise capacity of passive energy supplies associated with each of the plurality of energy management controllers, and wherein the transmitted commands cause passive energy supplies to be diverted into the power grid.

3. A method, comprising:

receiving measurements from a plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers, each energy management controller comprising one or more load controllers, wherein the measurements comprise the energy consumption of the energy management controllers;

processing the measurements;

displaying the processed measurements; and

transmitting a command to the plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers based on said processed measurements to curtail/engage power consuming devices.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the processing of the measurements is limited by user-controlled energy modes associated with each of the plurality of energy management controllers.

5. A method, comprising:

receiving measurements from a plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers, each energy management controller comprising one or more energy generation units, wherein the measurements comprise the energy production capacity of the energy management controllers;

processing the measurements;

displaying the processed measurements; and

transmitting a command to the plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers based on said processed measurements to engage/disengage each energy generation unit.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein processing of the measurements is limited by user-controlled energy modes associated with each of the plurality of energy management controllers.

7. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for a method comprising the steps:

receiving measurements from a plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers, each energy management controller comprising one or more energy storage units with stored energy, wherein the measurements comprise the energy storage of the energy management controllers;

processing the measurements;

displaying the processed measurements; and

transmitting a command to the plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers based on said processed measurements to charge/discharge each unit'"'"'s stored energy into a power grid through an inverter.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the processing of the measurements is limited by user-controlled energy modes associated with each of the plurality of energy management controllers.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for a method comprising the steps:

receiving measurements from a plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers, each energy management controller comprising one or more load controllers, wherein the measurements comprise the energy consumption of the energy management controllers;

processing the measurements;

displaying the processed measurements; and

transmitting a command to the plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers based on said processed measurements to curtail/engage power consuming devices.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the processing of the measurements is limited by user-controlled energy modes associated with each of the plurality of energy management controllers.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for a method comprising the steps:

receiving measurements from a plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers, each energy management controller comprising one or more energy generation units, wherein the measurements comprise the energy production capacity of the energy management controllers;

processing the measurements;

displaying the processed measurements; and

transmitting a command to the plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers based on said processed measurements to engage/disengage each energy generation unit.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the processing of the measurements is limited by user-controlled energy modes associated with each of the plurality of energy management controllers.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving measurements from an energy management controller at a consumer location, the measurements comprising actual electrical load reflecting consumption attributable to the at least one power consuming device;

receiving additional information from a consumer at the consumer location wherein the additional information comprises changes in energy uses;

recalculating energy consumption needs;

suggesting events to reduce/increase load, increase/decrease energy storage, or activate/deactivate energy production at the consumer site.

14. A system, comprising:

a data receiving module that receives measurements from a plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers, each energy management controllers having energy storage units with stored energy, wherein the measurements comprise the energy production and storage capacity of the energy management controllers;

a data processing module that processes the measurements;

a user interface module that displays the processed measurements;

a discharge control module that transmits commands to a first subset of the plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers to discharge each unit'"'"'s stored energy into a power grid through an inverter; and

a charge control module that transmits commands to a second subset of the plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers to store energy in each unit'"'"'s energy storage unit.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the data processing module comprises a data aggregation module that aggregates the measurements.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the measurements aggregated by the data aggregation module are limited by user-controlled energy modes associated with each of the plurality of energy management controllers.

18. A system, comprising:

A data receiving module which receives measurements from a plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers, each energy management controller comprising one or more energy storage units with stored energy, wherein the measurements comprise the energy storage of the energy management controllers;

a data processing module that processes the measurements;

a user interface module displaying the processed measurements;

a discharge control module that transmits commands to the plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers based on said processed measurements to discharge each unit'"'"'s stored energy into a power grid through an inverter; and

a charge control module that transmits commands to the plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers based on said processed measurements to charge each unit'"'"'s stored energy into a power grid through an inverter.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing of the measurements is limited by user-controlled energy modes associated with each of the plurality of energy management controllers.

20. A system, comprising:

A data receiving module which receives measurements from a plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers, each energy management controller comprising one or more load controllers, wherein the measurements comprise the energy consumption of the energy management controllers;

a data processing module that processes the measurements;

a user interface module displaying the processed measurements; and

a curtailment control module that transmits commands to the plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers based on said processed measurements to curtail/engage power consuming devices.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein processing of the measurements is limited by user-controlled energy modes associated with each of the plurality of energy management controllers.

22. A system, comprising:

A data receiving module which receives measurements from a plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers, each energy management controller comprising one or more energy generation units, wherein the measurements comprise the energy production capacity of the energy management controllers;

a data processing module that processes the measurements;

a user interface module displaying the processed measurements; and

a generation control module that transmits commands to the plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers based on said processed measurements to engage/disengage each energy generation unit.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the processing of the measurements is limited by user-controlled energy modes associated with each of the plurality of energy management controllers.