System, method, and apparatus for settlement for participation in an electric power grid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10497074-B2
Application number	US-201715720378-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Oct 24, 2012
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus embodiments for electric power grid and network registration and management of physical and financial settlement for participation of active grid elements in supply and/or curtailment of power. Settlement is provided for grid elements that participate in the electric power grid following initial registration of each grid element with the system, preferably through network-based communication between the grid elements and a coordinator, either in coordination with or outside of an IP-based communications network router. A multiplicity of active grid elements function in the grid for supply capacity, supply and/or load curtailment as supply or capacity, and are compensated through settlement for their functional participation in the electric power grid. Also, messaging related to settlement is managed through a network by a Coordinator using IP messaging for communication with the grid elements, with the energy management system (EMS), and with the utilities, market participants, and/or grid operators.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for market-based financial settlement of transactions within an electric power grid network comprising:
a settlement processor;
at least one coordinator; and
at least one active grid element;
wherein the settlement processor comprises a server and/or a processor operatively coupled with a memory, and a database constructed and configured for electrical connection and IP-based communication via a network with at least one coordinator;
wherein the at least one coordinator is constructed and configured for electrical connection and IP-based network communication with the at least one active grid element that is registered to participate within the electric power grid network;
wherein the at least one active grid element generates at least one KWP unit containing information for a market-based financial settlement, including measured data transformed by the at least one active grid element into settlement grade data for market financial settlement corresponding to participation of each of the at least one active grid element in the electric power grid network for load, supply or curtailment as supply;
wherein a settlement message is transmitted via an IP-based network from the at least one active grid element to the settlement processor and/or the at least one coordinator; and
wherein the settlement message includes an IP packet including revenue grade metrology associated with each of the at least one active grid element and at least one KWP unit for the market-based financial settlement corresponding to the participation of each of the at least one active grid element within the electric power grid network.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one coordinator and/or the settlement processor is operable to aggregate KWP units and power supply value (PSV) units to form a power trading block (PTB).

3. The system of claim 1 wherein one or a multiplicity of grid elements aggregate and/or integrate through one of the at least one active grid element acting as a master grid element and/or a virtual grid element, wherein participation of the one of the at least one active grid element is representative of participation of the one or multiplicity of grid elements.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein each of the one or multiplicity of grid elements transform into sub-grid elements upon the aggregation and/or the integration, wherein the settlement message includes information for a unique financial settlement that corresponds to each sub-grid element.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or a multiplicity of grid elements comprise a microgrid or a datacenter.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or a multiplicity of grid elements includes a smart meter, the smart meter providing functions to track and communicate data associated with at least one of a thermostat, a building control system, an HVAC system, and any other system that provides for controlling or indicating environmental conditions including humidity, temperature, lighting, and security.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one coordinator, the at least one active grid element, and the settlement processor is operable to communicate with at least one of a data center, a central office, a retail store, a hospital, a fabrication facility, a manufacturing facility, and a service facility.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of a customer identifier, a billing identifier, and a grid element unique identifier, are assigned to each of the at least one active grid element, and wherein the grid element unique identifier further includes an IP address, an equipment identifier, a mac address, location-based factors, time-based factors, grid-function-based factors, at least one grid reliability factor, and/or at least one grid stability factor.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the market-based financial settlement includes factors for grid stability-based pricing, operating reserves-based pricing, peak and off-peak timing pricing, and estimations, network models, and/or real-time measurement of actual participation by each of the at least one active grid element, and/or the losses associated with transmission, distribution, and/or resource nodes.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one resource settlement point providing for grid element mobility for the market-based financial settlement at more than one location within the electric power grid network.

11. A system for market-based financial settlement of transactions within an electric power grid network comprising:
a settlement processor;
a legacy settlement processor;
at least one coordinator; and
at least one grid element;
wherein the settlement processor and the legacy settlement processor each comprise a server and/or a processor operatively coupled with a memory, and a database constructed and configured for electrical connection and IP-based communication via a network with at least one coordinator;
wherein the at least one coordinator is constructed and configured for electrical connection and IP-based network communication with the at least one grid element that is registered to participate within the electric power grid network;
wherein one of the at least one grid element aggregates revenue grade metrology from the other of the at least one grid element and generates information for the market-based financial settlement for each of the at least one grid element, wherein the information includes at least one kilowatt packet (KWP) unit; and
wherein a settlement message is transmitted via IP-based messaging from the one of the at least one grid element to the settlement processor and/or the at least one coordinator.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the settlement message further includes an IP packet relating to the aggregated revenue grade metrology associated with the at least one KWP unit for the market-based financial settlement corresponding to a participation of each of the at least one grid element within the electric power grid network.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one coordinator provides a master settlement message wherein individual messages from each of the at least one grid element are aggregated to form a power trade block (PTB) once at least one PTB is achieved.

14. A system for market-based financial settlement of transactions within an electric power grid network comprising:
a settlement processor;
at least one coordinator remotely positioned from the settlement processor;
at least one master active grid element;
a plurality of active grid elements; and
at least one other active grid element;
wherein the plurality of active grid elements and the at least one other active grid element are operable to perform at least one event within the electric power grid network;
wherein the at least one master active grid element is operable to aggregate revenue grade metrology data corresponding to the at least one event performed within the electric power grid network by the plurality of active grid elements after the at least one event is performed within the electric power grid network;
wherein the at least one coordinator is operable to receive the revenue grade metrology data from the at least one master active grid element and the at least one other active grid element;
wherein the at least one coordinator and/or the at least one master active grid element is operable to send a settlement message to the settlement processor after receiving the revenue grade metrology data;
wherein the settlement message includes an IP packet including the revenue grade metrology da

Assignees

• Causam Energy Inc

Inventors

• Forbes Jr Joseph W

Classifications

• H02J2103/30

  Simulating, planning, modelling, reliability check or computer assisted design [CAD] of electric power networks · CPC title

• H02J13/1337

  involving the use of Internet protocols · CPC title

• H02J13/333

  the equipment forming part of substations · CPC title

• B60L53/63

  in response to network capacity · CPC title

• G06Q20/102

  Bill distribution or payments · CPC title