Direct provision of photovoltaic instruments associated with aggregated photovoltaic installations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016104138-A1
Application number	US-201514748151-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 23, 2015
Priority date	Oct 14, 2014
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus are provided for directly providing photovoltaic instruments associated with aggregated photovoltaic installations to consumers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method performed by a server for associating a plurality of aggregated photovoltaic installations with an intermediary and providing a photovoltaic instrument associated with the intermediary directly to a consumer, the method comprising:
receiving, by the server, a request from the consumer for the photovoltaic instrument, the request being received from a computing device operated by the consumer; providing, by the server, the photovoltaic instrument directly to the consumer, the photovoltaic instrument being associated with the intermediary, and the intermediary being one of a plurality of intermediaries; monitoring, by the server, a power value generated by at least one of the plurality of photovoltaic installations; and processing, by the server, a plurality of photovoltaic transfers, wherein a transfer in the plurality of photovoltaic transfers includes value data that is based upon the monitored power value, and wherein the processing includes:
transmitting the value data based upon the monitored power value to the intermediary;
transmitting the value data based upon the monitored power value from the intermediary to a value holding entity; and
if one or more criteria of the photovoltaic instrument is met, transmitting at least a portion of the value data based upon the monitored power value from the value holding entity directly to the consumer.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of photovoltaic installations includes a plurality of solar power installations.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of photovoltaic installations is a first plurality of photovoltaic installations, wherein the intermediary is a first intermediary, wherein the plurality of photovoltaic transfers is a first plurality of photovoltaic transfers, wherein a second plurality of aggregated photovoltaic installations are associated with a second intermediary, and wherein the method further comprises:
associating the photovoltaic instrument with the second intermediary; monitoring a power value generated by at least one of the second plurality of photovoltaic installations; and processing a second plurality of photovoltaic transfers, wherein a transfer in the second plurality of photovoltaic transfers includes value data that is based upon the monitored power value generated by the at least one of the second plurality of photovoltaic installations, and wherein the processing includes:
transmitting the value data based upon the monitored power value generated by the at least one of the second plurality of photovoltaic installations to the second intermediary;
transmitting the value data based upon the monitored power value generated by the at least one of the second plurality of photovoltaic installations from the second intermediary to the value holding entity; and
if the one or more criteria of the photovoltaic instrument is met, transmitting at least a portion of the value data based upon the monitored power value generated by the at least one of the second plurality of photovoltaic installations from the value holding entity directly to the consumer.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of photovoltaic transfers correspond to contractual instruments associated with a plurality of entities that utilize power generated by the plurality of photovoltaic installations.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an initial value is assigned to the photovoltaic instrument.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
receiving the initial value assigned to the photovoltaic instrument directly from the consumer prior to providing the photovoltaic instrument directly to the consumer; and utilizing the received initial value to generate additional photovoltaic installations.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein an interest rate is assigned to the photovoltaic instrument, wherein the one or more criteria of the photovoltaic instrument includes a time interval, and wherein the one or more criteria of the photovoltaic instrument is met when the time interval has lapsed.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least a portion of the value data transmitted from the value holding entity directly to the consumer is calculated based upon the initial value and interest rate assigned to the photovoltaic instrument.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least a portion of the value data transmitted from the value holding entity directly to the consumer is the initial value assigned to the photovoltaic instrument.

10 . A server comprising:
a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the processor, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprises code executable by the processor for implementing a method for associating a plurality of aggregated photovoltaic installations with a intermediary and providing a photovoltaic instrument associated with the intermediary directly to a consumer, the method comprising: receiving a request from the consumer for the photovoltaic instrument, the request being received from a computing device operated by the consumer; providing the photovoltaic instrument directly to the consumer, the photovoltaic instrument being associated with the intermediary, and the intermediary being one of a plurality of intermediaries; monitoring a power value generated by at least one of the plurality of photovoltaic installations; and processing a plurality of photovoltaic transfers, wherein a transfer in the plurality of photovoltaic transfers includes value data that is based upon the monitored power value, and wherein the processing includes:
transmitting the value data based upon the monitored power value to the intermediary;
transmitting the value data based upon the monitored power value from the intermediary to a value holding entity; and
if one or more criteria of the photovoltaic instrument is met, transmitting at least a portion of the value data based upon the monitored power value from the value holding entity directly to the consumer.

11 . The server of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of photovoltaic installations includes a plurality of solar power installations.

12 . The server of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of photovoltaic installations is a first plurality of photovoltaic installations, wherein the intermediary is a first intermediary, wherein the plurality of photovoltaic transfers is a first plurality of photovoltaic transfers, wherein a second plurality of aggregated photovoltaic installations are associated with a second intermediary, and wherein the method further comprises:
associating the photovoltaic instrument with the second intermediary; monitoring a power value generated by at least one of the second plurality of photovoltaic installations; and processing a second plurality of photovoltaic transfers, wherein a transfer in the second plurality of photovoltaic transfers includes value data that is based upon the monitored power value generated by the at least one of the second plurality of photovoltaic installations, and wherein the processing includes:
transmitting the value data based upon the monitored power value generated by the at least one of the second plurality of photovoltaic installations to the second intermediary;
transmitting the value data based upon the monitored power value generated by the at least one of the second plurality of photovoltaic installations from the second intermediary to the value holding entity; and
if the one or more criteria of the photovoltaic instrument is met, transmitting at least a portion of the value data based upon the monitored power value generated by the at least on

Assignees

• Solarcity Corp

Inventors

• Newell Tim

Classifications

• G06Q50/06

  Energy or water supply · CPC title

• G06Q30/04

  Billing or invoicing · CPC title

• G06Q30/06

  Buying, selling or leasing transactions · CPC title

• H02S50/00

  Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification · CPC title

• G06Q20/145 Primary

  Payments according to the detected use or quantity · CPC title