Determining a load meter installation location in an energy generation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016223602-A1
Application number	US-201514743727-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 18, 2015
Priority date	Feb 4, 2015
Publication date	Aug 4, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Certain embodiments include receiving load data from an energy generation (EG) system, where the load data is provided by a load meter, and where the load data corresponds to a predetermined time period. The predetermined time period may be during peak daylight hours (e.g., between 10 A.M. and 2 P.M). The method includes receiving EG data from the EG system, where the EG data corresponds to EG generation by an EG circuit over the predetermined time period, and determining if an inverse relationship exists between the load data and EG data. The method includes determining that the load meter is installed upstream from the EG circuit if an inverse relationship between the load data and EG data exists, and determining that the load mater is installed downstream from the EG circuit if an inverse relationship between the load data and EG data does not exist.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving load data from an energy generation (EG) system,
wherein the load data is provided by a load meter, and
wherein the load data corresponds to a predetermined time period;
receiving EG data from the EG system,
wherein the EG data corresponds to EG generation by an EG circuit over the predetermined time period;
determining if a correlation exists between the load data and EG data; determining that the load meter is installed upstream from the EG circuit if an inverse relationship between the load data and EG data exists during the predetermined time period; and determining that the load meter is installed downstream from the EG circuit if an inverse relationship between the load data and EG data does not exist during the predetermined time period.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined time period is during daylight hours.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the predetermined time period is between the hours of 10 AM and 2 PM.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the correlation exists when a correlation coefficient is greater than 0.95.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the correlation is caused by an increasing load data trend and a corresponding decreasing EG data trend.

6 . The method of claim 4 wherein the correlation is caused by a decreasing load data trend and a corresponding increasing EG data trend.

7 . The method of claim 6 wherein the increasing and decreasing trends are determined by calculating a difference between sampled values at different time periods.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein the trend is increasing if the difference is greater than zero.

9 . The method of claim 7 wherein the trend is increasing if the difference is less than zero.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the load data and EG data are a series of data points plotted with respect to time.

11 . The method of claim 1 further comprising comparing the load data to the EG data.

12 . The method of claim 1 wherein the load meter is a current transducer (CT).

13 . The method of claim 1 wherein the EG data is photovoltaic (PV) data provided by a PV inverter.

14 . A system comprising:
an energy generation (EG) system coupled to a utility grid; a main panel coupled to the EG system; a utility meter coupled to the main panel and the utility grid
wherein the main panel includes a load meter;
a control server communicatively coupled to the load meter and the EG system, wherein the control server has one or more processors configured to:
receive load data from the EG system
wherein the load data is provided by a load meter, and
wherein the load data corresponds to a predetermined time period;

receive EG data from the EG system,
wherein the EG data corresponds to EG generation by an EG circuit over the predetermined time period;

determine if an inverse relationship exists between the load data and EG data;
determine that the load meter is installed upstream from the EG circuit if an inverse relationship between the load data and EG data exists during the predetermined time period; and
determine that the load meter is installed downstream from the EG circuit if an inverse relationship between the load data and EG data does not exist during the predetermined time period.

15 . The system of claim 14 wherein a site gateway communicatively couples the control server to at least both the load meter and the EG system.

16 . The system of claim 14 wherein the load meter is communicatively coupled to the control server by a wireless connection.

17 . The system of claim 14 wherein the main panel further includes a breaker box.

18 . The system of claim 17 wherein the breaker box is located downstream from the load meter.

19 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
one or more processors; one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:
receiving load data from the EG system
wherein the load data is provided by a load meter, and
wherein the load data corresponds to a predetermined time period;

receiving EG data from the EG system,
wherein the EG data corresponds to EG generation by an EG circuit over the predetermined time period;

determining if an inverse relationship exists between the load data and EG data;
determining that the load meter is installed upstream from the EG circuit if an inverse relationship between the load data and EG data exists during the predetermined time period; and
determining that the load meter is installed downstream from the EG circuit if an inverse relationship between the load data and EG data does not exist during the predetermined time period.

20 . The computer-implemented method of claim 19 , wherein the one or more processors are operatively coupled to the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

Assignees

• Solarcity Corp

Inventors

• Carlson Eric Daniel
• Beals Trenton John
• Theurer Jean Elizabeth

Classifications

• G01R22/068 Primary

  Arrangements for indicating or signaling faults · CPC title

• G01R22/10

  using digital techniques · CPC title

• Y02B90/20

  Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector (smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00) · CPC title

• G01R21/133

  by using digital technique · CPC title

• G01D4/004 Primary

  Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location · CPC title