Business Methods in a Power Aggregation System for Distributed Electric Resources

• US 20090066287A1
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gridpoint (Twenty First Century Utilities LLC)
• Original Assignee: V2Green, Inc. (Twenty First Century Utilities LLC)
• Inventors: Bridges, Seth W., Pollack, Seth B., Kaplan, David L.
• Application Number:
  US12/253,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20090066287A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/16 Energy services, e.g. dispersed generation or demand or load or energy savings aggregation

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for a power aggregation system. In one implementation, a method includes determining a level of renewable energy on a power grid, determining a price of electricity on the power grid, and scheduling a charging of an electric resource connected to the power grid as a function of the price of electricity on the power grid and the level of renewable energy on the power grid.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a level of renewable energy on a power grid; and

scheduling a charging of an electric resource connected to the power grid to occur when the level of renewable energy on the power grid is greater than a predicted value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the renewable energy on the power grid comprises wind energy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the renewable energy on the power grid comprises solar energy.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the renewable energy on the power grid comprises hydroelectric energy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the renewable energy on the power grid comprises geothermal energy.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the renewable energy on the power grid comprises biomass energy.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predicted value is a function of user preferences of the electric resource.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the electric resource comprises an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, or a vehicle that obtains at least some power for motion from an electric storage system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electric resource is connected to a power aggregation system.

10. A method, comprising:

determining a price of electricity on a power grid; and

scheduling a charging of an electric resource connected to the power grid to occur when the price of electricity on the power grid is less than a predicted value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the price of electricity on the power grid comprises determining a rate structure of the power grid.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the rate structure of the power grid is a function of time of use (TOU), critical peak pricing (CPP), and real time pricing (RTP).

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the predicted value is a function of user preferences of the electric resource.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the predicted value is a function of electric resource type and/or state-of-charge.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the electric resource comprises an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, or a vehicle that obtains at least some power for motion from an electric storage system.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the electric resource is connected to a power aggregation system.

17. A method, comprising:

charging an electric resource connected to a power grid;

metering an amount of energy transferred from the power grid to the electric resource; and

purchasing proof that a portion of the amount of energy transferred was generated from a renewable energy source.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the proof comprises a renewable energy certificate (REC).

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the electric resource comprises an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, or a vehicle that obtains at least some power for motion from an electric storage system.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the electric resource is connected to a power aggregation system.

21. A method, comprising:

determining a price of electricity on a power grid;

determining a level of renewable energy on a power grid; and

scheduling a charging of an electric resource connected to the power grid as a function of the price of electricity on the power grid and the level of renewable energy on the power grid.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a status of the electric resource; and

scheduling a charging of the electric resource as a function of the status of the electric resource.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the status comprises a state of charge of the electric resource.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a user preference of the electric resource; and

scheduling a charging of the electric resource as a function of the user preference of the electric resource.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the user preference comprises frequency of use.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the user preference comprises a user override.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the electric resource comprises an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, or a vehicle that obtains at least some power for motion from an electric storage system.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the electric resource is connected to a power aggregation system.