System and method for managing power consumption

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9300138-B2
Application number	US-201113274773-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2011
Priority date	Jun 7, 2011
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

In accordance with particular embodiments, a method for managing power consumption includes receiving from a plurality of electricity relays an indication of a current state associated with each of the plurality of electricity relays. The method also includes receiving a power rate associated with a cost of power. The method further includes determining a threshold state based on the power rate and the current state associated with each of the plurality of electricity relays. The method additionally includes transmitting one or more control requests to one or more of the plurality of electricity relays. A first control request transmitted to a first electricity relay is based on the threshold state and a first current state associated with the first electricity relay.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method in an environment station of managing power consumption for a plurality of devices located in one building, each of the plurality of devices associated with an electricity relay, the method comprising:
receiving from a plurality of electricity relays an indication of a current stored energy level associated with each of the plurality of electricity relays, the plurality of electricity relays comprising a distributed storage that coordinates transmitting energy levels to the plurality of devices;
receiving a power rate associated with a cost of power;
determining a threshold energy level based on the power rate and the current stored energy level associated with each of the plurality of electricity relays, the threshold energy level representing a threshold stored energy level;
transmitting the determined threshold energy level to one or more of the plurality of electricity relays, wherein the one or more of the plurality of electricity relays determines whether to allow power to flow through the first electricity relay based on the threshold energy level and a first current stored energy level associated with the first electricity relay;
monitoring an aggregate power consumed by the building;
determining the aggregate power consumed by the building is near a peak load threshold; and
adjusting the determined threshold energy level to reduce the aggregate power consumed by the building.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the electricity relay is configured to control the flow of power to charge a battery; and
the current stored energy level comprises a state of charge of the battery.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sorting the current stored energy level associated with each of the plurality of electricity relays; and
wherein the order of transmitting the determined threshold energy level to one or more of the plurality of electricity relays is based on the sorting of the current stored energy level associated with each of the plurality of electricity relays.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a threshold energy level based on the power rate and the current stored energy level associated with each of the plurality of electricity relays comprises determining a threshold energy level that minimizes an electricity bill using an objective function.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a threshold energy level based on the power rate and the current stored energy level associated with each of the plurality of electricity relays comprises determining a lower threshold energy level and an upper threshold energy level for each of the plurality of electric relays based on the power rate and the current stored energy level associated with each of the plurality of electricity relays.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the electricity relay is configured to control the flow of power to an appliance; and
the current stored energy level comprises a temperature associated with the appliance.

7. A method of managing power consumption for a plurality of devices, each of the plurality of devices located in one building and associated with an electricity relay, the method comprising:
generating, at an electricity relay, an indication of a current stored energy level associated with a device, the electricity relay comprising a distributed storage that coordinates transmitting energy levels to the plurality of devices;
transmitting the indication of the current stored energy level associated with the device to an environment station configured to manage power consumption for a plurality of devices;
receiving, at the electricity relay, a threshold energy level;
determining, at the electricity relay, whether to allow power to flow to the device based on the received threshold energy level and the current stored energy level, wherein the threshold energy level represents a threshold stored energy level, and the threshold energy level is based on a power rate and a plurality of current stored energy levels associated with each of the plurality of devices
monitoring an aggregate power consumed by the building;
determining the aggregate power consumed by the building is near a peak load threshold; and
adjusting the threshold energy level to reduce the aggregate power consumed by the building.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the device comprises a battery; and
generating an indication of a current stored energy level associated with the device comprises generating an indication of a state of charge of the battery.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising receiving an override request configured to override the control request.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein generating and transmitting the indication of the current stored energy level associated with the device comprises generating and transmitting the indication of the current stored energy level associated with the device on a periodic basis.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the device comprises an appliance; and
generating an indication of a current stored energy level associated with the device comprises generating an indication of a thermal state of the appliance.

12. A method of managing power consumption for a plurality of devices, each of the plurality of devices located in one building and associated with an electricity relay, the method comprising:
monitoring an aggregate power consumed by the building;
determining the aggregate power consumed by the building is near a peak load threshold;
receiving, at an electricity relay, at least one power usage value from an environment station, the power usage value indicative of an amount of power consumed by a plurality of devices, the electricity relay comprising a distributed storage that coordinates transmitting energy levels to the plurality of devices;
receiving, at the electricity relay, a power rate associated with a cost of power;
determining, at the electricity relay, a stored energy level associated with a first device of the plurality of devices;
determining, at the electricity relay, whether to allow power to flow to the first device based on the power usage value, the power rate, and the stored energy level associated with the first device; and
adjusting the determined power flow to the first device to reduce the aggregate power consumed by the building;
wherein the power usage value comprises:
an overall power usage associated with the amount of power consumed by the plurality of devices; and
a subset power usage associated with the amount of power consumed by a subset of the plurality of devices, the subset of the plurality of devices comprising the first device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
the first device comprises a battery; and
the stored energy level associated the first device comprises a charge state associated with the battery.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining a stored energy level associated with a first device of the plurality of devices comprises receiving a message from the first device, the message comprising information indicative of the stored energy level associated with the first device.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
the first device comprises an appliance; and
the stored energy level associated with the first device comprises a temperature associated with the appliance.

16. A method in an environment station of managing power consumption for a plurality of devices located in one building, each of the plurality of devices associated with an electricity relay, the method comprising:
receiving a control parameter, the con

Assignees

• Chen Wei-Peng
• Yoshimura Koji
• Masuoka Ryusuke
• Lee Sung
• Fujitsu Ltd

Inventors

• Chen Wei-Peng
• Yoshimura Koji
• Masuoka Ryusuke
• Lee Sung

Classifications

• H02J2105/55

  according to an economic condition, e.g. tariff-based load management · CPC title

• H02J2105/42

  Home appliances · CPC title

• Y04S50/10

  Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid · CPC title

• Y02B70/3225

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

• Y04S20/222

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