Providing demand response participation

• US 9,852,484 B1
• Filed: 05/28/2014
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Opower, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Opower, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Fonts, Agustin, Devenish, Ryan, Byron, David, Darci, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman, Sean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tri T
• Application Number:
  US14/289,309
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A method and system for providing information about participation in a utility demand response (DR) event by a plurality of utility customers receives information regarding participation in the DR event by the plurality of utility customers, determines DR event feedback information using a processor and the received information regarding participation in the DR event, and provides the DR event feedback information to at least one utility customer from among the plurality of utility customers.

Claims

1. A method for providing information about participation in a utility demand response (DR) event by a plurality of utility customers, the method performed by a computing device including at least a processor, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding participation in the DR event by the plurality of utility customers;

determining DR event feedback information using the processor and the received information regarding participation in the DR event;

determining, by the processor, a percentage or a number of utility customers participating in the DR event based on at least the DR event feedback information;

providing the DR event feedback information to a client device associated with at least one utility customer from among the plurality of utility customers;

wherein the providing comprises transmitting, to the client device for display on the client device, the percentage or the number of utility customers participating in the DR event;

receiving one or more requests from utility customers to opt out of the DR event during the DR event;

determining a number of utility customers opting out during the DR event based upon a count of the one or more requests;

calculating a number of new utility customers to add to the DR event based upon the number of utility customers opting out; and

in response to receiving the one or more requests, adding the number of new utility customers to the DR event during the DR event; and

executing the DR event, comprising executing a DR program configured to reduce energy consumption by a plurality of participating utility customers during a peak use event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adding the number of new utility customers further comprises requesting one or more utility customers to enroll in the DR event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the peak use event comprises an event in which a total energy consumption level in an energy system is predicted to exceed a predetermined threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the plurality of utility customers, wherein the selected plurality of utility customers comprises a plurality of utility customers of a same energy substation.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving a request from the client device to opt out of the DR event, transmitting to the client device for display on a graphical user interface, the percentage or the number of utility customers participating in the DR event and a prompt to confirm the request to opt out or to cancel the request to opt out.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the DR event feedback comprises displaying the DR event feedback on.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the percentage or the number of utility customers participating in the DR event is displayed within the graphical user interface that includes an interface in which a thermostat set point is selected.

8. A system for providing information about participation in a utility demand response (DR) event by a plurality of utility customers, the system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive information regarding participation in the DR event by the plurality of utility customers;

a feedback generator configured to;

(i) determine, using a processor, DR event feedback information using the received information regarding participation in the DR event;

(ii) determine, by the processor, a percentage or a number of utility customers participating in the DR event based on at least the DR event feedback information;

(iii) receive, by the processor, one or more requests from utility customers to opt out of the DR event during the DR event;

(iv) determine, by the processor, a number of utility customers opting out during the DR event based upon a count of the one or more requests;

(v) calculate, by the processor, a number of new utility customers to add to the DR event based upon the number of utility customers opting out; and

(vi) in response to receiving the one or more requests, add, by the processor, the number of new utility customers to the DR event during the DR event; and

a transmitter configured to transmit at least a portion of the DR event feedback information to at least one client device for display on the client device, wherein the portion includes the percentage or the number of utility customers participating in the DR event; and

the system configured to execute the DR event, comprising executing a DR program configured to reduce energy consumption by a plurality of participating utility customers during a peak use event.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the DR event comprises a DR program configured to reduce energy consumption during a peak use event by controlling a thermostat of each of the plurality of participating utility customers to cycle off a heating or cooling system for a period of time or change a thermostat set point.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the peak use event comprises an event in which a total energy consumption level in an energy system exceeds or is predicted to exceed a predetermined threshold or an event in which a price of energy in the energy system exceeds a predetermined threshold for a period of time.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the feedback generator is further configured to select the plurality of utility customers, and wherein the selected plurality of utility customers comprises a plurality of utility customers of a same utility program.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit additional DR event feedback comprising at least one of information corresponding to a future DR event, information corresponding to the DR event, or information corresponding to a completed DR event, to the at least one client device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one client device comprises.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for execution by a device that when executed cause the device to:

identify a utility customer associated with at least one characteristic;

select a plurality of utility customers based on the at least one characteristic;

receive information regarding participation of the plurality of utility customers in a demand response (DR) event;

determine DR event feedback information using a processor and the received information regarding participation in the DR event;

determine, by the processor, a percentage or a number of utility customers participating in the DR event based on at least the DR event feedback information;

provide the DR event feedback information to a client device associated with the identified utility customer;

wherein the providing comprises transmitting, to the client device for display on the client device, the percentage or the number of utility customers participating in the DR event to encourage participation in the DR event;

receive one or more requests from utility customers to opt out of the DR event during the DR event;

determine a number of utility customers opting out during the DR event based upon a count of the one or more requests;

calculate a number of new utility customers to add to the DR event based upon the number of utility customers opting out; and

in response to receiving the one or more requests, add the number of new utility customers to the DR event during the DR event; and

execute the DR event, comprising executing a DR program configured to reduce energy consumption by a plurality of participating utility customers during a peak use event.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises a location associated with the identified utility customer, and wherein the plurality of utility customers is selected based on the location associated with the identified utility customer.