Interconnection meter socket adapters

• US 9,772,347 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2015
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: San Diego Gas & Electric Company (Sempra Energy)
• Original Assignee: San Diego Gas & Electric Company (Sempra Energy)
• Inventors: Parks, Ken, Colburn, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Huy Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frederiksen, David
• Application Number:
  US14/796,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20150309075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0416 Connectors, terminals G01R1/0425 and G01R1/0433 take precedence; with measurement function for battery poles G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/065 related to mechanical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 3/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture or maintenance of measuring instruments , e.g. of probe tips
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/7635 the terminals being collectively connected, e.g. to a PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/94 Holders formed as intermediate parts for linking a counter-part to a coupling part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts

Abstract

Interconnection meter socket adapters are provided. An interconnection meter socket adapter comprises a housing enclosing a set of electrical connections. The interconnection meter socket adapter may be configured to be coupled to a standard distribution panel and a standard electric meter, thereby establishing connections between a distribution panel and a user such that electrical power may be delivered to the user while an electrical meter measures the power consumption of the user. An interconnection meter socket adapter may be configured to be coupled to a DC-AC inverter, which may be coupled to various energy sources. As such, the energy sources are coupled to an electrical power system. In addition, a connector such as a flexible cable or flexible conduit containing insulated wires can be provided for connecting various energy sources and/or sinks.

Claims

1. An interconnection meter socket adapter, comprising:

a housing having a first side coupled to a meter and a second side coupled to a surface of a distribution panel;

a set of electrical connections disposed within the housing, wherein an input side of the set of electrical connections electrically couples an input side of the distribution panel in parallel with an utility side of the meter, and an output side of the set of electrical connections electrically couples an output side of the distribution panel in parallel with a customer side of the meter;

a set of sockets supported by the housing, and configured to electrically couple to the utility side of the meter and the input side of the set of electrical connections; and

a measurement module configured to measure net power flow through the interconnection meter socket, to transmit a suspend signal if the net power flow exceeds a threshold, and to send a restore signal if the net power flow falls below a second threshold.

2. The interconnection meter socket adapter of claim 1, further comprising a set of jaw blades configured to electrically couple to a set of corresponding contact clips disposed on the surface of the distribution panel.

3. The interconnection meter socket adapter of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises an electrical coupler configured to accept a connector.

4. The interconnection meter socket adapter of claim 3, further comprising a breaker coupled between the electrical coupler and the meter.

5. The interconnection meter socket adapter of claim 4, wherein the connector electrically couples to an energy source or an energy sink.

6. The interconnection meter socket adapter of claim 4, wherein the connector electrically couples to a direct current-alternating current inverter.

7. The interconnection meter socket adapter of claim 6, further comprising a communication module coupled to the measurement module, wherein the communication module is configured to transmit a signal indicating measured power flow to a receiving unit.

8. An interconnection meter socket adapter, comprising:

a housing having a first side coupled to a meter and a second side coupled to a distribution panel;

a set of electrical connections disposed within the housing, wherein an input side of the set of electrical connections electrically couples an input side of the distribution panel in parallel with an utility side of the meter, and an output side of the set of electrical connections electrically couples an output side of the distribution panel in parallel with a customer side of the meter;

a set of sockets supported by the housing, and configured to electrically couple to the customer side of the meter and the output side of the set of electrical connections;

an electrical connector configured to electrically couple to the set of sockets, wherein the electrical connector couples through a power regulation module to an electrical load; and

a measurement module configured to measure net power flow through the interconnection meter socket, wherein the measurement module communicatively couples to the power regulation module and is configured to transmit a suspend signal to the power regulation module if the net power flow exceeds a threshold, wherein the power regulation module is configured to suspend power flow to the electrical load based on the suspend signal, wherein the measurement module is configured to send a restore signal to the power regulation module if the net power flow falls below a second threshold, and the power regulation module is configured to restore power flow to the electrical load based on the restore signal.

9. The interconnection meter socket adapter of claim 8, wherein the power regulation module comprises a switch coupling an input side of the power regulation module to an output side of the power regulation module, and the power regulation module is configured to open the switch based on the suspend signal.

10. The interconnection meter socket adapter of claim 8, wherein the threshold is between 70% and 90% of a main panel rating.

11. The interconnection meter socket adapter of claim 8, wherein electrical load is an electric vehicle battery charger.

12. A system for net-metering, comprising:

a set of electrical connections disposed within a housing, wherein an input side of the set of electrical connections electrically couples an input side of the distribution panel in parallel with an utility side of the meter, and an output side of the set of electrical connections electrically couples an output side of the distribution panel in parallel with a customer side of the meter;

a set of sockets supported by the housing, and configured to electrically couple to the customer side of the meter and the output side of the set of electrical connections;

an electrical connector configured to electrically couple the set of sockets to a renewable energy power source through an direct current-alternating current inverter; and

a net-metering measurement module electrically coupled to the connector and configured to measure net power flow through the sockets, to transmit a suspend signal if the net power flow exceeds a threshold, and to send a restore signal if the net power flow falls below a second threshold.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the renewable energy power source comprises a solar-electric power source.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the net-metering measurement module comprises a communications module configured to transmit a data set indicating a measurement of power produced by the clean energy power source to a receiving unit.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication module comprises a cellular, Wi-Fi®

, or Bluetooth®

transceiver.