System and method for estimating and providing dispatchable operating reserve energy capacity through use of active load management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9651973-B2
Application number	US-201414517399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2014
Priority date	Aug 28, 2007
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A method for generating a value for available operating reserve for electric utility. Electric power consumption by at least one device is determined during at least one period of time to produce power consumption data, stored in a repository. Prior to a control event for power reduction and under an assumption that it is not to occur, power consumption behavior expected of the device(s) is determined for a time period during which the control event is expected to occur based on stored power consumption data. Additionally, prior to the control event, projected energy savings resulting from the control event, and associated with a power supply value (PSV) are determined based on devices' power consumption behavior. Amount of available operating reserve is determined based on projected energy savings.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system that receives electric power from an electric power grid, the system comprising:
at least one power consuming device that requires electric power to operate;
at least one controllable device operably coupled to the at least one power consuming device, the at least one controllable device operable to control a flow of grid-supplied electric power to the at least one power consuming device responsive to power control instructions;
a backup power subsystem operably coupled to the at least one power consuming device, the backup power subsystem operable to automatically supply electric power to the at least one power consuming device when a flow of grid-supplied electric power to the at least one power consuming device drops below a threshold; and
a client device operable to receive power control messages from a remote system control component and provide power control instructions to the at least one controllable device responsive to the power control messages, wherein a first received power control message instructs the client device to disable a flow of grid-supplied electric power to the at least one power consuming device, and wherein a first power control instruction instructs the at least one controllable device to disable the flow of grid-supplied electric power to the at least one power consuming device and causing activation of the backup power subsystem;
wherein each of the at least one power consuming devices has a corresponding power supply value (PSV) for a period of time of the disabled flow of electric power.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote system control component is operable for aggregating the PSV of the at least one power consuming devices.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote system control component includes a utility or utility server.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote system control component is operably controlled by a utility.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the client device is integrated into a smart meter.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power control messages and/or the power control instructions are operable to be transmitted via at least one wireless communication protocol.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one power consuming device includes at least one of a data center, a mobile switching center, and a central office telephone switch.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the backup power subsystem includes at least one of a battery backup system, a backup generator system, a backup solar power system, and a backup hydrogen fuel cell system.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the client device is further operable to communicate with the at least one controllable device and/or the at least one power consuming device via at least one of Internet Protocol, Bluetooth, HSPA, EVDO, LTE, 4G, Wi-Fi, and its derivative standards.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the client device is further operable to communicate with the at least one controllable device and/or the at least one power consuming device via at least one of Ethernet solution, wireless or wired.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the client device is further operable to communicate with the at least one controllable device and/or the at least one power consuming device via at least one of any proprietary wireless such as Broadband over PowerLine, Bluetooth and/or ZigBee.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the client device is further operable to communicate with the at least one controllable device and/or the at least one power consuming device via at least one of any controllable device that sends and/or receives an IP-based message.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controllable device and/or the at least one power consuming device includes at least one environmentally-dependent device, the at least one environmentally-dependent device including at least one of a thermostat, a washer, a dryer, a hot water heater, a HVAC unit, a fan, a pool pump, and a smart appliance, the smart appliance including at least one of a smart thermostat, a HVAC control unit, and a fan control unit.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the system is further operable to determine power consumption data sufficient to determine the PSV, including the amount of power consumed by the at least one power consuming device during at least one period of time.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the system is further operable to determine a drift of the at least one power consuming device based on the power consumption data of the at least one power consuming device, wherein the drift includes a rate of change of a monitored environmental characteristic from a set point to a comfort boundary when substantially significant power is not being supplied to the at least one power consuming device.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the system is further operable to determine a fingerprint of the at least one power consuming device based on the power consumption data and/or drift of the at least one power consuming device.

17. A system that receives electric power from an electric power grid, the system comprising:
at least one base transceiver unit operable to provide wireless communication capability, the at least one base transceiver unit requiring electric power to operate;
at least one controllable device operably coupled to the at least one base transceiver unit, the at least one controllable device operable to control a flow of grid-supplied electric power to the at least one base transceiver unit responsive to power control instructions;
a backup power subsystem operably coupled to the at least one base transceiver unit, the backup power subsystem operable to supply electric power to the at least one base transceiver unit when a flow of grid-supplied electric power to the at least one base transceiver unit drops below a threshold; and
a client device operable to receive power control messages from a remote system control component and provide power control instructions to the at least one controllable device responsive to the power control messages;
wherein a first received power control message instructs the client device to disable a flow of grid-supplied electric power to the at least one base transceiver unit, and generating a power supply value (PSV) corresponding thereto, and wherein a first power control instruction instructs the at least one controllable device to disable the flow of grid-supplied electric power to the at least one base transceiver unit, thereby causing activation of the backup power subsystem.

18. A system that receives electric power from an electric power grid, the system comprising:
at least one grid device operably coupled to at least one controllable device and a backup power system;
the at least one controllable device operable to control a flow of grid-supplied electric power to the at least one grid device based on power control instructions;
the at least one controllable device operable to disable the flow of grid-supplied electric power to the at least one grid device upon receiving a first power control instruction, causing activation of the backup power subsystem;
the backup power subsystem operable to supply electric power to the at least one grid device upon the disablement of the flow of grid-supplied electric power to the at least one grid device; and
at least one power supply value (PSV) generated upon the disablement of the flow of grid-supplied electric power to the at least one grid device and/or upon the supplying of electric power to th

Assignees

• Causam Energy Inc

Inventors

• Forbes Jr Joseph W

Classifications

• H02J3/003 Primary

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

• H02J13/1311

  using the power network as support for the transmission · CPC title

• H02J2105/12

  supplying households or buildings · CPC title

• H02J9/061

  for DC powered loads · CPC title

• H02J3/28

  Arrangements for balancing of the load in networks by storage of energy · CPC title