Users campaign for peaking energy usage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10860615-B2
Application number	US-201916660926-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2019
Priority date	Aug 7, 2014
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology relate to a system that analyzes customers' AMI load curves, identifies evening peak users as defined by their load curves, and provides Energy Efficiency (EE) advice related to their periods of high use. For example, identified high evening users can be sent an email with normative comparisons on evening load use, along with tips to reduce energy usage. Other aspects relate to the additional targets/communications. Aspects of the subject technology relate to categorizing a user's energy consumption tendencies based on a user's load curve and providing customized content based on the user's category. By taking into consideration the user's actual energy consumption patterns, the system may be able to provide more relevant content to the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method performed by a computer including at least a processor and a memory, the method comprising:
aggregating, by the processor of the computer, consumption data for a plurality of users, the consumption data corresponding with an amount of energy resource consumption for each of the plurality of users;
generating, by the processor from the consumption data, a load curve for each of the plurality of users;
identifying, by the processor from the load curves, a set of target users from the plurality of users that consume more resources during an evening time period during a day, wherein the identifying comprises:
comparing the load curve of each of the plurality of users to a plurality of load curve archetypes,
wherein the plurality of load curve archetypes includes at least (i) a first archetype that categorizes the user as an evening peak user that has a peak usage in the evening time period and (ii) a second archetype that categorizes the user as a morning peak user that has the peak usage in a morning time period; and
generating the set of target users from the plurality of users that are identified as the evening peak users based on at least comparing the load curves;

selecting, by the processor accessing a data structure, a first recommendation from a plurality of available recommendations for the evening peak users;
modifying, by the processor, the first recommendation to include an instruction for causing an action to be performed to adjust a setting in a climate control device to reduce resource consumption during the evening time period; and
controlling, by the processor over a computer network based on the set of target users, transmission of each of the first recommendation in electronic form to remote devices associated with corresponding target users to cause the evening peak user to adjust the climate control device to reduce resource consumption during the evening time period.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the load curve includes:
associating each of the plurality of users as the evening peak user or the morning peak user based on the load curve archetype that the user's load curve most closely resembles.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
modifying the first recommendation with a suggestion to switch from a current electricity rate plan to a different electricity rate plan based upon a load curve of a target user and rate plan data of electricity rate plans.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein generating load curves for the plurality of users further comprises:
determining one or more values measuring energy consumption at specified intervals over a specified time period, each of the one or more values at the specified intervals representing an average amount of energy usage at a specified interval of the specified time period;
determining a total amount of energy usage for the specified time period;
for each value measured at each specified interval over the specified time period, determining a percentage of the total amount of energy usage based on the value; and
generating a graphical representation of a respective load curve based at least in part on the percentage of the total amount of energy usage at each of the specified intervals over the specified time period.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the values measuring energy consumption at specified intervals over the specified time period further represent a standard deviation of usage at a respective interval, or a baseload at the respective interval.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying a set of target users further comprises:
using a clustering algorithm to segment users into one or more categories based on the load curves and the plurality of load curve archetypes.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more categories comprise at least one of the evening peak user, the morning peak user, a mid-day peak user, or a peak user corresponding to a season within a year.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating, by the processor, a use report in electronic form for each target user in the set of target users, wherein the use report for a target user provides a visual display of the consumption data for the target user; and
modifying the use report to include the first recommendation for each target user;
wherein the use report including the first recommendation is transmitted in electronic form to the remote devices associated with the corresponding target user.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , comprising:
determining, by the processor, that a target user owns an electric vehicle based upon the load curve of the target user; and
modifying, by the processor, the first recommendation to further include a suggestion for charging the electric vehicle at a particular time.

10. A computing device for implementing an evening peak user campaign, the computing device comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:
aggregate consumption data for a plurality of users, the consumption data corresponding with an amount of energy resource consumption for each of the plurality of users;
generate, from the consumption data, a load curve for each of the plurality of users;
identifying, from the load curves, a set of target users from the plurality of users that consume more resources during an evening time period during a day, wherein the identifying comprises:
comparing the load curve of each of the plurality of users to a plurality of load curve archetypes,
wherein the plurality of load curve archetypes includes at least (i) a first archetype that categorizes the user as an evening peak user that has a peak usage in the evening time period and (ii) a second archetype that categorizes the user as a morning peak user that has the peak usage in a morning time period; and
generating the set of target users from the plurality of users that are identified as the evening peak users based on at least comparing the load curves;

select, by accessing a data structure, a first recommendation from a plurality of available recommendations for the evening peak users;
modify the first recommendation to include an instruction for causing an action to be performed to adjust a setting in a climate control device to reduce resource consumption during the evening time period; and
transmit, over a computer network, the first recommendation in electronic form to remote devices associated with corresponding target users to cause the evening peak user to adjust the climate control device to reduce resource consumption during the evening time period.

11. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein a target user consumes more resources during evening hours than other hours in a day, and wherein the instructions cause the computing device to:
determine that a target user owns an electric vehicle based upon a load curve of the target user;
modify the first recommendation to include energy efficiency advice for charging the electric vehicle at a particular time.

12. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein at least one load curve from the load curves includes a peak portion that indicates a higher usage of resources during a portion of a time period in comparison with remaining portions of the time period.

13. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein to generate load curves for the plurality of users further compri

Assignees

• Opower Inc

Inventors

• Shilts Erik
• Chung Garner
• Yu Suelyn
• Royer David

Classifications

• G06Q50/06 Primary

  Energy or water supply · CPC title

• G06Q10/04

  Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" (market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202) · CPC title

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• Y02D10/00

  Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management · CPC title

• G06F16/283 Primary

  Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP · CPC title