Determination of optimal energy storage methods at electric customer service points

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10817789-B2
Application number	US-201514734919-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2015
Priority date	Jun 9, 2015
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology relate to methods and systems for recommending an energy storage device. In some aspects, a method of the subject technology can include steps for aggregating consumption data for a customer, receiving energy production data for each of a plurality of energy production sources, and determining a utilization efficiency score for each of the plurality of energy storage devices based on the consumption data and the energy production data. In some aspects, methods of the subject technology can also include steps for ranking two or more of the energy storage devices based on the utilization efficiency. In some aspects, machine-readable media are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data integrator comprising:
a memory for storing computer-executable instructions;
a processor configured to execute the instructions from the memory, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
aggregate consumption data for a consumption location associated with a customer, wherein the consumption data comprises information regarding usage of a consumable resource by the consumption location;
receive energy production data for one or more energy production sources associated with the consumption location;
determine a utilization efficiency score for each type of a plurality of types of energy storage device based on the consumption data and the energy production data, wherein the utilization efficiency score for each type of energy storage device quantifies tradeoffs between cost and efficiency of that type for the consumption location, wherein the plurality of types of energy storage device include more than one of battery, water heating, water chilling or freezing, building heating, and building cooling devices; and
rank two or more of the plurality of types of energy storage device in order of the quantification based on the utilization efficiency to indicate a recommended type of energy storage device for installation at the consumption location.

2. The data integrator of claim 1 , wherein the processors are further configured to execute instructions comprising:
providing a notification to the customer based on the utilization efficiency score for at least one of plurality of energy storage devices, wherein the notification comprises an energy storage recommendation based on the ranking of the two or more of the types of energy storage device.

3. The data integrator of claim 1 , wherein the processors are further configured to execute instructions comprising:
receiving location data for the consumption location, wherein the location data comprises information identifying a geographic region or geographic location associated with the consumption location; and
receiving weather data associated with the geographic region or geographic location, and wherein the utilization efficiency score is further based the location data and the weather data.

4. The data integrator of claim 3 , wherein the location data further comprises information regarding physical building constraints or building characteristics for the consumption location.

5. The data integrator of claim 1 , wherein the consumption data further comprises end-use information indicating one or more ways in which the consumable resource is utilized by the consumption location.

6. The data integrator of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving resource provider information from a provider of the consumable resource, wherein the resource provider information indicates a preferred energy storage medium from among the plurality of types of energy storage device, and
wherein determining the utilization efficiency score is further based on the resource provider information.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by a communications network, consumption data for a consumption location associated with a customer, wherein the consumption data comprises information regarding usage of a consumable resource by the consumption location;
receiving, by the communications network, energy production data for one or more energy production sources associated with the consumption location;
determining, by a processor, a utilization efficiency score for each of a plurality of types of energy storage device based on the consumption data, wherein the utilization efficiency score for each type of energy storage device quantifies tradeoffs between cost and efficiency of that type for the consumption location, wherein the plurality of types of energy storage device include more than one of battery, water heating, water chilling or freezing, building heating, and building cooling devices;
ranking, by the processor, two or more of the plurality of types of energy storage device in order of the quantification based on the utilization efficiency; and
controlling, by the processor, a display to show a recommended type of energy storage device for installation at the consumption location, wherein the recommendation is based at least in part on the ranking.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving, by the communications network, energy production data for one or more energy production sources.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:
providing, by the processor, a notification to the customer based on the utilization efficiency score for at least one of plurality of energy storage devices, and
wherein the notification comprises an energy storage recommendation based on the ranking of the two or more of the energy storage devices.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving, by the communications network, location data for the consumption location, wherein the location data comprises information identifying a geographic region or geographic location associated with the consumption location; and
receiving, via the communications network, weather data associated with the geographic region or geographic location, and wherein the utilization efficiency score is further based the location data and the weather data.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the location data further comprises information regarding physical building constraints or building characteristics for the consumption location.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the consumption data further comprises end-use information indicating one or more ways in which the consumable resource is utilized by the consumption location.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving, by the communication network, resource provider information from a provider of the consumable resource, wherein the resource provider information indicates a preferred energy storage medium from among the plurality of types of energy storage device, and
wherein determining the utilization efficiency score is further based on the resource provider information.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising determining an amount of investment cost that the customer is likely to be willing to absorb based on demographic information received over the communications network and associated with the customer, wherein the recommendation is further based at least in part on the investment cost amount.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving, through a communication network, consumption data for a consumption location associated with a customer, wherein the consumption data comprises information regarding usage of a consumable resource by the consumption location;
receiving, through the communications network, energy production data for one or more energy production sources associated with the consumption location;
determining a utilization efficiency score for each of a plurality of types of energy storage device based on the consumption data, wherein the utilization efficiency score for each type of energy storage device quantifies tradeoffs between cost and efficiency of that type for the consumption location, wherein the plurality of types of energy storage device include more than one of battery, water heating, wat

Assignees

• Opower Inc

Inventors

• Fischer Barry

Classifications

• H02J2103/30

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

• H02J2101/24

  Photovoltaics · CPC title

• H02J2101/22

  Solar energy · CPC title

• H02J13/1331

  using wireless data transmission · CPC title

• H02J13/12

  Monitoring network conditions, e.g. electrical magnitudes or operational status · CPC title