CLOUD-BASED CONTROL FOR POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A method for reducing peak power demands in a power distribution system, the system including a plurality of buildings structured to receive power from a utility grid, the buildings each having at least one controllable thermal load, the method comprising:
- forecasting a future aggregate power demand peak of the power distribution system with a central load controller;
generating a thermal model for each controllable thermal load with the load controller;
receiving user-defined constraint data related to each controllable load including a temperature operating range with the load controller;
generating a plurality of optimized load commands based on the forecasted aggregate power demand, thermal models, and constraint data with the load controller; and
transmitting each load command with the load controller to a unique thermal load by way of an interface device located within the same building associated with the thermal load,wherein the load commands from the load controller include a set of instructions to precool or preheat a thermal load within the user-defined constraints before the time period when the forecasted aggregate power demand peak is forecasted to occur.
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Abstract
Unique systems, methods, techniques and apparatuses for cloud-based control for power distribution systems are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment is a system comprising a microprocessor-based power management system in operative communication with a plurality of buildings located remotely from the power management system and a plurality of communication interface devices provided at corresponding ones of the plurality of buildings. The power management system is structured to perform a plurality of building unit-specific optimizations, evaluate a net power demand on the electrical power grid, reduce the net power demand on the electrical power grid while minimizing disruption to the resident-defined preference parameters, and transmit to each of the plurality of interface devices the one or more additional control commands corresponding to the specific building at which each interface device is provided.
5 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for reducing peak power demands in a power distribution system, the system including a plurality of buildings structured to receive power from a utility grid, the buildings each having at least one controllable thermal load, the method comprising:
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forecasting a future aggregate power demand peak of the power distribution system with a central load controller; generating a thermal model for each controllable thermal load with the load controller; receiving user-defined constraint data related to each controllable load including a temperature operating range with the load controller; generating a plurality of optimized load commands based on the forecasted aggregate power demand, thermal models, and constraint data with the load controller; and transmitting each load command with the load controller to a unique thermal load by way of an interface device located within the same building associated with the thermal load, wherein the load commands from the load controller include a set of instructions to precool or preheat a thermal load within the user-defined constraints before the time period when the forecasted aggregate power demand peak is forecasted to occur. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system comprising:
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a microprocessor-based power management system in operative communication with a plurality of buildings located remotely from the power management system; and a plurality of communication interface devices provided at corresponding ones of the plurality of buildings, the interface devices being structured to provide communication between the power management system and a plurality of thermal energy storage (“
TES”
) loads associated with respective ones of the plurality of buildings, the thermal energy storage loads being configured to receive electrical power from an electrical grid and to provide at least one of heating and cooling of an associated thermal energy storage medium using the electrical power;wherein the power management system is structured to; perform a plurality of building unit-specific optimizations each pertaining to a specific building unit of the plurality of buildings, each of the optimizations using a dynamic thermal model of the specific building unit, resident-defined preference parameters for the specific building unit, and electrical power pricing information to determine one or more control commands for one or more of the TES loads at the specific building unit, transmit to each of the plurality of interface devices the one or more control commands which correspond to the specific building unit at which each interface device is provided, evaluate a net power demand on the electrical power grid, if evaluation of the net power demand indicates an over power condition, determine one or more additional control commands for the one or more of the TES loads at the specific building, the one or more additional control commands being structured to reduce the net power demand on the electrical power grid while minimizing disruption to the resident-defined preference parameters, and transmit to each of the plurality of interface devices the one or more additional control commands corresponding to the specific building at which each interface device is provided. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for operating a power distribution system including a microprocessor-based power management system and a plurality of remote communication interface devices, each communication interface device corresponding to one building including at least one thermal energy storage (TES) load, the method comprising:
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performing, with the power management system, a plurality of building unit-specific optimizations each pertaining to a specific building unit of the plurality of buildings, each of the optimizations using a dynamic thermal model of the specific building unit, resident-defined preference parameters for the specific building unit, and electrical power pricing information to determine one or more control commands for one or more of the TES loads at the specific building unit, Transmitting, with the power management system, to each of the plurality of interface devices the one or more control commands which correspond to the specific building unit at which each interface device is provided, evaluating, with the power management system, a forecasted net power demand on the power distribution system, if evaluation of the net power demand indicates an over power condition, determining, with the power management system, one or more additional control commands for the one or more of the TES loads at the specific building, the one or more additional control commands being structured to reduce the net power demand on the electrical power grid while minimizing disruption to the resident-defined preference parameters, and transmitting, with the power management system, to at least a portion of the plurality of interface devices the one or more additional control commands corresponding to the specific building at which each interface device is provided. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification