Systems and Methods for Analyzing Energy Usage

• US 20120259474A1
• Filed: 04/11/2011
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Razum, Joseph, Langdon, Richard Henry
• Granted Patent: US 8,996,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/291
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/82 Energy audits or management systems therefor

Abstract

Systems and methods for analyzing energy usage are provided. In various embodiments, the systems and methods may receive weather information for a first set of geographical locations and correlate the weather information with energy demand information and economic information to generate one or more models indicating at least one energy usage pattern for a geographical location of interest based at least in part on the correlation of the weather information, the energy demand information, and the economic information.

Claims

1. A method for recommending energy usage, comprising:

receiving weather information for a first plurality of geographical locations;

receiving energy demand information;

receiving economic information related to energy cost;

based at least in part on the weather information, the energy demand information, and the economic information determining at least one of;

weather information, energy demand, or economic status, at a geographical location of interest; and

generating at least one energy usage pattern for recommending energy usage behavior for the geographical location of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographical location of interest includes at least one of the first plurality of geographical locations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographical location of interest is different from the first plurality of geographical locations.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining at least one of:

weather information, energy demand, or economic status comprises performing a spatial interpolation operation on at least one of;

(a) at least a subset of the weather information;

(b) at least a subset of the energy demand information;

or (c) at least a subset of the economic information.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining at least one of:

weather information, energy demand, or economic status comprises triangulating weather information from at least a subset of the first plurality of geographical locations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy demand information and the economic information represent a second and a third plurality of geographic locations;

and wherein the second and the third plurality of geographic locations are one of;

(a) the same as the first plurality of geographic locations;

(b) the same as the geographic location of interest;

or (c) different from the first plurality of geographic locations and the geographic location of interest.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the weather information comprises at least one of:

(a) temperature information;

(b) humidity information;

(c) wind speed information;

(d) wind direction information;

or (e) cloud cover information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy demand information comprises at least one of:

(a) historical energy demand information;

(b) real-time energy demand data;

(c) near real-time energy demand data;

or (d) power outage status.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the economic information comprises at least one of:

(a) day ahead energy pricing;

(b) periodic energy pricing;

(c) real-time energy pricing;

or (d) near real-time energy pricing.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy usage pattern indicates differences in at least one of energy demand or energy cost at a plurality of times for the geographic location of interest.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a subscriber inquiry for an energy usage recommendation comprising at least one of;

(a) an energy usage activity, or (b) an energy usage time; and

determining the energy usage recommendation based at least in part on the at least one energy usage pattern and at least one of;

(a) the received energy usage activity, or (b) the received energy usage time.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the energy usage recommendation indicates at least one of:

(a) at least one recommended time;

(b) an energy cost;

(c) a relative energy cost;

(d) a relative desirability of performing the energy usage activity for a plurality of times;

or (e) a recommended usage status.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the subscriber inquiry comprises one of:

(a) a residential inquiry received over a network;

(b) a utility inquiry received over a network;

or (c) a commercial inquiry received over a network.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating one or more control profiles for controlling one or more devices according to the energy usage patterns; and

transmitting the one or more control profiles for processing by a demand side management system.

15. A system for recommending energy usage, comprising:

a memory operable to store instructions; and

a processor in communication with the memory and operable to execute the instructions to;

receive weather information for a first plurality of geographical locations and store the weather information in the memory;

receive energy demand information and store the energy demand information in the memory;

receive economic information related to energy cost and store the economic information in the memory;

based at least in part on the weather information, the energy demand information, and the economic information determine at least one of;

weather information, energy demand, or economic status, at a geographical location of interest; and

generate at least one energy usage pattern for recommending energy usage behavior for the geographical location of interest.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein, when determining at least one of:

weather information, energy demand, or economic status, the processor is operable to perform a spatial interpolation operation on at least one of;

(a) at least a subset of the weather information;

(b) at least a subset of the energy demand information;

or (c) at least a subset of the economic information.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein, when determining at least one of:

weather information, energy demand, or economic status, the processor is operable to triangulate weather information from at least a subset of the first plurality of geographical locations.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive a subscriber inquiry for an energy usage recommendation comprising at least one of;

(a) an energy usage activity, or (b) an energy usage time; and

determine the energy usage recommendation based at least in part on the at least one energy usage pattern and at least one of;

(a) the received energy usage activity, or (b) the received energy usage time.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to:

generate one or more control profiles for controlling one or more devices according to the at least one energy usage pattern; and

transmitting the one or more control profiles for processing by a demand side management system.

20. A system for recommending energy usage, comprising:

a memory operable to store instructions; and

a processor in communication with the memory and operable to execute the instructions to;

receive weather information for a first plurality of geographical locations; and

correlate the weather information with energy demand information and economic information to generate one or more models indicating at least one energy usage pattern for a geographical location of interest based at least in part on the correlation of the weather information, the energy demand information, and the economic information.