METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING RENEWABLE ENERGY SERVICES

• US 20120109401A1
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AES Corporation
• Original Assignee: AES Corporation
• Inventors: Shelton, John Christopher, Zahurancik, John Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,286,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/297
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/54 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 : Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 : Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 : Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 : dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/008 : Rewarding for providing delivery of electricity to the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0005 : the elements or equipment being or involving power plugs or sockets
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/00 : The network for supplying or distributing electric power characterised by its spatial reach or by the load
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 : The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 : Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00032 : characterised by data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 : Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 : with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 : Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/00 : Market activities related to the operation of systems integrating technologies related to power network operation or related to communication or information technologies
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 : Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/16 : Energy services, e.g. dispersed generation or demand or load or energy savings aggregation

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for managing at least one renewable energy source for supply of power via an electric grid are disclosed. A method supplies power to mobile devices from the renewable energy source and balances power realized by the mobile devices with the supply of power from the renewable energy source by controlling the supply of power realized by the mobile devices. An apparatus includes a processor for monitoring power from the renewable energy source and sending signals to mobile devices connected to the electric grid to balance monitored power from the renewable energy source with power realized by the mobile devices. Another method identifies a fixed account associated with a grid connection point used by a plug-in electric vehicle for realizing power during a connection event; determines a quantity of energy realized during the event; and adjusts the account based on energy realized by the vehicle during the event.

Claims

1. A method of managing at least one renewable energy source for supply of power via an electric grid, comprising:

supplying power to mobile devices from the renewable energy source, via the electric grid; and

balancing power realized by the mobile devices with the supply of power from the renewable energy source by controlling the supply of power realized by the mobile devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

offsetting power output changes from the renewable energy sources by controlling the power realized by the mobile devices such that each of the mobile devices is controlled by:

reducing power consumption from the electric grid;

increasing the power consumption from the electric grid;

reducing power supplied to the electric grid;

or

increasing the power supplied to the electric grid.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring the power output from the renewable energy source; and

for each respective mobile device used for balancing of the power;

determining, by a processor, an operating condition for the respective mobile device in accordance with the measured power,

sending, by the processor, the determined operating condition to the respective mobile device, and

adjusting a current operating condition of the respective mobile device to the determined operating condition.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the measuring of the power supplied from the renewable energy source includes continuously measuring the power supplied from the renewable energy source; and

the determining, the sending and the adjusting are repeated based on the measured power from the renewable energy source such that aggregate power realized by the mobile devices substantially follows generation from the renewable energy source.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining of the operating condition for each respective mobile device includes selecting, by the processor, a current operating condition of the respective mobile device such that at least operating constraints of the electric grid and the respective mobile device are not exceeded.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the balancing of the power realized by the mobile devices with the supply of power from the renewable energy source includes:

modeling, by the processor, the supply of power realizable by the respective mobile device based on operating constraints of the electric grid and the operating constraints of the respective mobile device, as a model result;

aggregating, by the processor, the model result for each respective mobile device, as an aggregated model result; and

comparing, by the processor, the aggregated model result to the measured output to determine an adjustment of the power realized by each respective mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining of the operating condition for the respective mobile device includes selecting, by the processor, a current operating condition of the respective mobile device based on operating constraints of the electric grid and each of the mobile devices and the comparison of the aggregated model result with the measured output of the renewable energy source.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

modeling, by the control processor, the supply of power realizable by each respective mobile device based on operating constraints of the electric grid and of the respective mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein in response to the power output changes from the renewable energy source decreasing:

selecting one or ones of the mobile devices that do not have the operating constraints to prevent a reduction of the power consumption by the respective mobile device from the electric grid;

or an increase of the power supplied by the respective mobile device to the electric grid; and

controlling, by the processor, an adjustment of the power realized by the selected one or ones of the mobile devices to offset the decreasing power output from the renewable energy source.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, for each respective mobile device that is selected, the adjustment of the power realized based on the operating constraints of the respective, selected mobile device and the operating constraints of the electric grid.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein in response to the power output changes from the renewable energy source increasing:

selecting one or ones of the mobile devices that do not have the operating constraints to prevent an increase of the power consumption by the respective mobile device from the electric grid;

or a reduction of the power supplied by the mobile device to the electric grid;

controlling, by the processor, an adjustment of the power realized by the selected one or ones of the mobile devices to offset the increasing power output from the renewable energy source; and

determining, for each respective mobile device that is selected, the adjustment of the power realized based on the operating constraints of the respective, selected mobile device and the operating constraints of the electric grid.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the renewable energy source includes one or more of:

a wind generator;

a hydroelectric generator;

a geothermal generator;

a wave generator;

a current generator;

a photovoltaic generator;

or

a solar thermal generator.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the electric grid includes one or more energy storage units; and

the balancing of the power realized by the mobile devices with the supply of power from the renewable energy source is based on the power output by the renewable source including power consumed or supplied by the one or more energy storage units.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the power realized by the mobile devices includes one or more of:

the power consumed by the mobile devices;

or

the power supplied by the mobile devices.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile devices include one or more of:

a plug-in electric vehicle;

a mobile computing device;

a personal digital assistant;

portable consumer equipment;

a portable power tool;

or

a game system.

16. A control processor for managing a power supplied via an electric grid, comprising:

a processor configured to;

monitor power from the renewable energy source; and

send signals to mobile devices electrically connected to the electric grid to balance the monitored power from the renewable energy source with the power realized by the mobile devices,

wherein the control processor controls offsets to output changes from the renewable energy source by signaling to the mobile devices to adjust the power realized by the mobile devices.

17. The control processor of claim 16, wherein the control processor signals to the mobile devices to adjust the power realized by the mobile devices to:

reduce power consumption from the electric grid;

increase the power consumption from the electric grid;

reduce power supplied to the electric grid;

or

increase the power supplied to the electric grid.

18. The control processor of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive measurements of the power supplied from the renewable energy source;

for each respective mobile device used to balance the power on the electric grid, determine an operating condition for the respective mobile device in accordance with the measured power and signals the determined operating condition to the respective mobile device;

continuously signal the mobile devices such that the power realized by the mobile devices substantially follows the supply of the power from the renewable energy source; and

model the supply of power realizable by each respective mobile device based on operating constraints of the electric grid and operating constraints of the respective mobile device, as model results, aggregates the model results for the mobile devices, as an aggregated model result, and compares the aggregated model result to the monitored power from the renewable energy source to determine an adjustment of the power realized by the mobile devices.

19. A method of managing renewable energy services for plug in-vehicles, comprising:

identifying a fixed account that is associated with a grid connection point used by at least one plug-in electric vehicle for realizing power during a connection event;

determining, by the at least one plug-in electric vehicle, a quantity of the energy realized during the connection event;

adjusting the identified fixed account based on the energy realized by the plug-in vehicle during the connection event;

registering the at least one plug-in electric vehicle to a renewable energy account;

realizing energy by the at least one plug-in vehicle at a plurality of grid connection points associated with respectively different fixed accounts, as a plurality of connection events;

aggregating the energy realized by the plug-in electric vehicle during the connection events; and

billing, the renewable energy account based on the aggregated energy realized.

20. A method of identifying a grid connection point for utility bill processing of a charging event, comprising:

establishing an identity tag at the grid connection point that uniquely identifies the grid connection point;

receiving, at a mobile charging device, identity tag information to uniquely identify the grid connection point;

monitoring, by the mobile charging device, charge event information indicating attributes of the charging event;

associating, by the mobile charging device, the charge event information with the identity tag information, as associated information; and

sending, by the mobile charging device, the associated information for reconciliation of utility billing accounts associated with the grid connection point and the mobile charging device.