DISTRIBUTED GRID-INTERACTIVE PHOTOVOLTAIC-BASED POWER DISPATCHING

• US 20100174418A1
• Filed: 01/02/2009
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Haugh, Julianne F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/466 Scheduling the operation of the generators, e.g. connecting or disconnecting generators to meet a given demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

In one embodiment, each of a plurality of sites may produce surplus power. All or a fraction of the surplus power may be supplied to the power grid according to an agreement between the user of a site and an electric utility. A computer of the utility is in communication with a computer at each of a plurality of sites having a local power source. Terms of power provision that include an amount of power to be provided during a specified time of day is communicated between a site and the utility.

Claims

1. A system for using power from distributed sources located at sites coupled to a power grid and also coupled to a computer communications network, comprising:

a power source at a site coupled to the power grid, wherein the power source generates electrical power from another form of energy at the site;

a computer at the site, wherein the computer is in communication with a computer at a utility plant through the computer communications network, and wherein the computer is to control an amount of power delivered from the site to the power grid by controlling an output AC voltage of a converter; and

a converter for producing an output AC voltage and an output AC current that is a function of the output AC voltage to deliver power to the grid derived from power produced by the power source, wherein the power delivered to the grid increases as the output AC voltage increases and decreases as the output AC voltage decreases, and wherein the amount of power provided to the grid during a specified time of day is determined according to an agreement between a user of the site and the utility.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a consumer power monitor at the site to monitor an amount of power delivered to the site.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a grid power monitor at the site to monitor the power delivered to or received from the power grid.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a charge controller to receive fluctuating power from the power source and to output a more stable level of power.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a charge monitor and one or more batteries, the charge monitor to monitor a charge on the batteries

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further to receive proposed terms of power provision from the utility and to enable a user of the site to accept or reject the received proposed terms.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further to enable a user of the site to propose terms of power provision to the utility.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further to determine an amount of power delivered to the grid and report the determined amount of power to the utility.

9. A method to provide power produced by sources located at sites distributed over a geographical area to a power distribution system, comprising:

storing at a location of a utility, information concerning a configuration of each of a plurality of sites, the configuration information comprising an amount of surplus power available from the site;

storing power provision terms of agreements between the utility and each of a plurality of the sites, the power provision terms comprising an amount of surplus power to be delivered to the distribution system by a site and the time of day at which the amount of surplus power is to be provided;

scheduling by a computer of the utility a time of day during which a site shall produce an agreed amount of surplus power according to the stored power provision terms; and

reducing an amount of power produced at a location of the utility in proportion to an amount of power received from the distributed sources.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising monitoring power provided by a site during a time for which power was agreed to be provided to the distribution system from the site.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending power provision terms to one or more sites and determining which of the one or more sites accepts the terms sent to it.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving the power provision terms from each of one or more sites and accepting or rejecting terms from each site.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the utility communicates with each site by way of a computer communications network.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the computer communications network is the Internet.

15. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform operations comprising;

storing at a location of a utility, information concerning a configuration of each of a plurality of sites, the configuration information comprising an amount of surplus power available from the site;

storing power provision terms of agreements between the utility and each of a plurality of the sites, the power provision terms comprising an amount of surplus power to be delivered to the distribution system by a site and the time of day at which the amount of surplus power is to be provided;

scheduling by a computer of the utility a time of day during which a site shall produce an agreed amount of surplus power according to the stored power provision terms; and

reducing an amount of power produced at a location of the utility in proportion to an amount of power received from the distributed sources.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise monitoring power provided by a site during a time for which power was agreed to be provided to the distribution system from the site.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise sending power provision terms to one or more sites and determining which of the one or more sites accepts the terms sent to it.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the power provision terms from each of one or more sites and accepting or rejecting terms from each site.

19. A computer system coupled to a computer communications network for using power from distributed sources at sites coupled to a power distribution system and coupled to the computer communications network, comprising:

a memory to store power provision terms of an agreement between a utility and a user of the site, the terms comprising a numerical value of an amount of power to be supplied by a site and a time during which the power is to be supplied and to store a numerical value of an amount of surplus power available from a site; and

a computer processor executing computer instructions to determine an amount of power to be supplied by a site and a time during which the power is to be supplied and to monitor a site to determine if the site is supplying the power during the prescribed time.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer processor is further to propose to a site a set of power provision terms comprising an amount of power to be displayed

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer processor is further to receive power provision terms sent from a site.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer processor is further to execute instructions to propose power provision terms.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the proposed power provision terms comprise an amount of power to be provided that is a specified fraction of the surplus power of a site.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer processor is further to execute instructions to accept or reject terms proposed by a user of a site.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein monitoring a site to determine if the site is supplying the power during the prescribed time comprises receiving by way of the computer communications network from the site the numerical value of power being supplied by the site.