Energy management device and its associated method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016111920-A1
Application number	US-201314778455-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 19, 2013
Priority date	Mar 19, 2013
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An energy management device and its associated method for optimizing the energy distribution in residences are provided. The device is suitable to be electrically connected to a set of apparatuses such as a power grid, alternative energy sources, distribution boards and energy storage units. The device comprises at least: processing and control means for optimizing, in accordance with at least one first local data, the electric energy distribution, and an uplink telecommunication facility suitable for sending, to a remote server of a provider of energy distributed over the power grid, at least one second local data relative to the optimized energy distribution. The provider may thus know local data relative to the optimized energy distribution and, if appropriate, adjust the energy supplied by the power grid.

First claim

1 . An energy management device suitable to be connected by electrical distribution paths to a set of apparatuses comprising at least:
a power grid, at least one alternative energy source, at least one distribution board suitable for transmitting electric energy to at least one consumption device, and at least one energy storage unit suitable for storing electric energy supplied at least by said alternative energy source and for supplying at least a part of stored electric energy to said power grid and/or to said distribution board, the energy management device comprising : processing and control means for optimizing, in accordance with at least one first local data, the electric energy distribution:
to the power grid from the alternative energy source or from the energy storage unit,
to the distribution board from the power grid, from the alternative energy source or from the energy storage unit, and
to the energy storage unit from the power grid and/or from the alternative energy source,
an uplink telecommunication facility suitable at least for sending, to a remote server held by a provider of energy distributed over the power grid, at least one second local data relative to the optimized energy distribution.

2 . The energy management device according to claim 1 , further comprising a downlink telecommunication facility suitable for receiving, from said remote server, at least one data remotely generated at least by said remote server in function of said second local data.

3 . The energy management device according to claim 1 , wherein, said device being suitable to be connected to a set of captors, a part of which is arranged together with the apparatuses and/or with said at least one consumption device, said at least one first and/or second local data comprises at least one basic or pretreated data relative to:
determined operating conditions of said at least one consumption device and/or said energy management device, a determined order of priorities for electric energy supplied at least between consumption devices, a measure of current and/or voltage at the terminals of at least one of said apparatuses and/or of said at least one consumption device, a measure of an amount of electric energy produced by said at least one alternative energy source, a measure of the current consumed by said at least one consumption device, a measure of the charge level of said at least one energy storage unit, a measure of air and environment quality, and/or a measure of meteorological conditions,
with said at least one pretreated data being generated by processing means of the energy management device in function of the hereabove mentioned measures.

4 . The energy management device according to claim 2 , wherein said at least one remotely generated data comprises at least one of:
a measure or prediction of consuming energy by said at least one consumption device during a past or future determined period of time, respectively, and/or an associated cost, a measure or prediction of supplied energy by said at least one alternative energy source during a past or future determined period of time, respectively, and/or an associated gain, a request from the provider for supplying electric energy to the power grid in a determined amount and/or during a determined period of time, a request from the provider for limiting the energy consumption from the power grid under a determined threshold and/or during a determined period of time, an alert or warning signal or message in case of detection of:
an electric fault,
a polluted air or environment, or
an exceeding with respect to a determined threshold of energy consumption from the power grid,
an update of optimization algorithm implemented by processing means of the energy management device, a message corresponding to a piece of advice for enhancing:
the optimization of energy distribution in function of at least one detected aberration, and/or
the efficiency of the alternative energy source, and
a diagnosis of the energy management device.

5 . The energy management device according to claim 2 , wherein said downlink telecommunication facility is further suitable for receiving from said remote server at least one of the following data relative to power grid state:
a data relative to the current or predicted state or cost of electric energy distributed over the power grid, and an alert or warning signal or message in case of a planned outage or brownout of the power grid and, if appropriate, its estimated or planned duration.

6 . The energy management device according to claim 2 , wherein processing means of the energy management device automatically process remotely generated data or data relative to power grid state and wherein control means of the energy management device consequently adjust the optimized energy distribution.

7 . The energy management device according to claim 1 , comprising memorization support means for storing at least a list of second local data type that the energy management device is authorized to send to the remote server.

8 . The energy management device according to claim 1 , hosting a website to which an authenticated personal communication device is able to connect:
for displaying at least messages received from the remote server and/or for enabling the user of said personal communication device to control the energy management device.

9 . An energy management method implemented by an energy management device suitable to be connected by electrical distribution paths to a set of apparatuses comprising at least:
a power grid , at least one alternative energy source, at least one distribution board suitable for transmitting electric energy to at least one consumption device, and at least one energy storage unit suitable for storing electric energy supplied at least by said alternative energy source and for supplying at least a part of stored electric energy to said power grid and/or to said distribution board, the energy management method comprising: first processing and controlling steps, implemented by processing and control means of the energy management device, for optimizing, in accordance with at least one first local data, the electric energy distribution:
to the power grid from the alternative energy source or from the energy storage unit,
to the distribution board from the power grid, from the alternative energy source or from the energy storage unit, and
to the energy storage unit from the power grid and/or from the alternative energy source,
an uplink telecommunication step, implemented by an uplink telecommunication facility of the energy management device, for sending, to a remote server held by a provider of energy distributed over the power grid, at least one second local data relative to the optimized energy distribution.

10 . The energy management method according to claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises a downlink telecommunication step, implemented by a downlink telecommunication facility of the energy management device, for receiving from said remote server at least one data remotely generated at least by said remote server in function of said second local data.

11 . The energy management method according to claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
a second processing step, implemented by processing means of the energy management device, for automatically processing data received from the remote server, and a second controlling step, implemented by control means of the energy management device, for consequently adjusting the optimized energy distribution.

12 . A non-transitory computer program storage medi

Assignees

• Electricite De France

Inventors

• Pignier Daniel
• Menga David

Classifications

• H02J3/003 Primary

  Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand · CPC title

• H02J3/381

  Dispersed generators · CPC title

• Y02B70/3225

  Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving · CPC title

• Y04S20/12

  Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages · CPC title

• Y04S10/123

  the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources · CPC title