System and method for a utility financial model

• US 8,626,643 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2007
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Verfuerth, Neal R., Potts, Michael H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dass, Harish T
• Application Number:
  US11/744,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,441 Days
• Field of Search: 702/60, 702/130, 705/7, 705/35, 705/38, 236/16
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A utility financial model involves the setting of a new utility rate after the introduction of a new utility technology that provides immediate capacity relief, reducing the base load capacity and the peak load capacity to electric power providers. The new utility rate is not based solely on performance of the new utility technology but rather based on fixed and variable costs to introduce the new utility technology.

Claims

1. A method for financing installation of a new utility technology by a utility consumer after installation of the new utility technology at a facility associated with the utility consumer, the method comprising:

obtaining, at a metering device, power usage information associated with operation of a second technology;

calculating, at a processor and based on the power usage information obtained from the metering device, a power base load capacity relief of an electrical system to a utility provider resulting from change from a first technology to the second technology;

receiving, at the processor, a technology cost including fixed and variable costs to install and maintain the second technology;

calculating, at the processor, a return needed for repayment of the technology cost;

determining, by the processor, a new utility rate by apportioning the return needed for repayment of the technology cost as a function of the power base load capacity relief; and

calculating and providing a utility invoice to the utility consumer for a power reduction over time at the new utility rate, the power reduction over time provided by use of the second technology;

wherein the amount billed to the utility consumer via the utility invoice is less than a cost savings attained by the utility consumer via the power base load capacity relief such that the amount billed to the utility consumer is financed via a portion of the cost savings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the new utility rate is not applied to actual energy use over time and the utility invoice does not request payment for energy use over time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating and providing the utility invoice are completed by the processor and a communications interface coupled to the processor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the new utility rate and the invoice accounts for the value of pollution credits gained through use of the second technology.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising communicating pollution credit information to a trading exchange for trading of pollution credits.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the metering device is coupled to the processor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein payment of costs is the only repayment source for installation and maintenance of the second technology.