System and method of curtailing energy production within congestive grid operating environments

• US 8,265,798 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2011
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kingston Consulting, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kingston Consulting, Inc.
• Inventors: Imes, Kevin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): JARRETT, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/038,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20110172835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 700/291, 700/297, 700/298, 705/412
• US Class Current: 700/291
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications

Abstract

A system and method of curtailing energy production within congestive grid operating environments including a method of managing power generation of a power generation site operable to be coupled to a transmission line is disclosed. The method can also include detecting curtailment action data and energy pricing data of the power generation site. Additionally, the method can include analyzing the curtailment action data and the energy pricing data to detect a curtailment probability level and initiate a reduction of the electricity being transmitted from the power generating site to the transmission line in response to the detected curtailment probability level being above a curtailment set level. According to a further aspect of the invention, the electricity being transmitted from the power generating site to the transmission line may be reduced by diverting at least a portion of the electricity being transmitted from the power generating site to a storage system.

Claims

1. A method of managing power generation of a power generation site in communication with at least one transmission line comprising:

transmitting electricity to the transmission line from the power generation site;

detecting a curtailment action data and an energy pricing data of the power generation site;

analyzing the curtailment action data and the energy pricing data to estimate a curtailment probability level; and

reducing the electricity being transmitted from the power generating site to the transmission line in response to the estimated curtailment probability level being above a curtailment set level.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the electricity being transmitted from the power generating site to the transmission line is reduced by diverting at least a portion of the electricity being transmitted from the power generating site to a storage system.

3. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein the storage system includes a battery bank.

4. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein the storage system includes a compressed air energy storage system.

5. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein the storage system includes a pumped storage hydroelectricity system.

6. The method set forth in claim 2 further comprising:

dispatching the electricity from the storage system to the transmission line in response to the estimated curtailment probability level being below the curtailment set level.

7. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein an operating characteristic of the transmission line is detected and the curtailment probability level is estimated by analyzing the operating characteristic of the transmission line in addition to the curtailment action data and the energy pricing data.

8. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the curtailment action data is detected by analyzing a historical curtailment data.

9. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the curtailment action data is detected by analyzing a real-time curtailment data.

10. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the curtailment action data includes a grid congestion level.

11. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the curtailment action data includes tiered pricing data.

12. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the curtailment action data includes locational marginal pricing data.

13. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the curtailment action data includes real time pricing data.

14. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the power generation site includes a distributed solar power generation site.

15. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the power generation site has an output capacity greater than or equal to 100 KW.

16. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the power generation site has an output capacity greater than or equal to 500 KW.

17. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the power generation site has an output capacity greater than or equal to 1 MW.

18. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the power generation site includes a distributed wind power generation site.

19. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein the power generation site includes a distributed geothermal power generation site.

20. A method of managing power generation of a power generation site in communication with at least one transmission line comprising:

transmitting electricity to the transmission line from the power generation site;

detecting a curtailment action data and an energy pricing data of the power generation site;

analyzing the curtailment action data and the energy pricing data to estimate a curtailment probability level;

reducing the electricity being transmitted from the power generating site to the transmission line in response to the estimated curtailment probability level being above a curtailment set level by diverting at least a portion of the electricity being transmitted from the power generating site to a storage system to store for later transmission; and

dispatching the electricity from the storage system to the transmission line in response to the estimated curtailment probability level being below the curtailment set level.

21. An energy management system configured to manage power generation of a power generation site comprising:

an information handling system operable to;

detect a curtailment action data and an energy pricing data of the transmission line;

analyze the curtailment action data and the energy pricing data to estimate a curtailment probability level; and

a remote module communicatively coupled to the information handling system and operable to;

reduce the electricity being transmitted to the transmission line in response to the estimated curtailment probability level being above a curtailment set level by diverting at least a portion of the electricity being transmitted from the power generating site to a storage system; and

dispatching the electricity from the storage system to the transmission line in response to the estimated curtailment probability level being below the curtailment set level.

22. The system set forth in claim 21 wherein the information handling system is operable to detect an operating characteristic of the transmission line and estimate the curtailment probability level by analyzing the operating characteristic of the transmission line in addition to the curtailment action data and the energy pricing data.