Integrated renewable energy and asset system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9903618-B2
Application number	US-201414528952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2014
Priority date	Oct 30, 2013
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

An integrated renewable energy and asset system is provided. In some embodiments, the system comprises: an existing parking lot positioned adjacent to a building structure, wherein the existing parking lot has an associated pattern; bore holes that are formed into the existing parking lot, wherein the bore holes are organized based on the pattern of the existing parking lot; vertical columns inserted into at least a first portion of the bore holes, wherein: crossbeams are installed on an upper portion of a vertical column to form a support structure; and a canopy is connected to the crossbeams, wherein the canopy is formed from multiple attached photovoltaic modules and thermal tubes are integrated with the photovoltaic modules; geothermal tubes that capture thermal energy are inserted into at least a second portion of the bore holes, wherein each of the thermal tubes and each of the geothermal tubes is connected to a geothermal heat pump and wherein each of the thermal tubes is connected to the geothermal heat pump; and a hardware processor that is configured to: receive sensor information from sensors disposed on the canopy; determine whether to direct at least a portion of the thermal energy captured using the geothermal tubes to the solar thermal panels based on the received sensor information; and cause the heat captured using the geothermal tubes to be directed to the solar thermal panels based on the determination.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated renewable energy and asset system, the system comprising:
a parking lot positioned adjacent to a building structure, wherein the parking lot has a pattern;
a plurality of bore holes that are formed into the parking lot, wherein the plurality of bore holes are organized based on the pattern of the parking lot;
a plurality of vertical columns inserted into at least a first portion of the plurality of bore holes, wherein:
at least one crossbeam is installed on an upper portion of a vertical column of the plurality of vertical columns to form a support structure; and
a canopy is connected to the at least one crossbeam and positioned on the support structure, wherein the canopy is formed from a plurality of attached solar modules, and wherein a plurality of thermal tubes are integrated with the plurality of attached solar modules;

a plurality of geothermal tubes that capture thermal energy are inserted into at least a second portion of the plurality of bore holes, wherein each of the plurality of thermal tubes and each of the plurality of geothermal tubes are connected to a geothermal heat pump, and wherein each of the plurality of thermal tubes is connected to the geothermal heat pump;
a first cistern connected to the plurality of geothermal tubes, wherein the plurality of geothermal tubes transfer thermal energy to water contained in the first cistern;
a second cistern connected to the plurality of solar thermal panels, wherein the plurality of solar thermal panels transfer thermal energy to water contained in the second cistern;
a third cistern in fluid communication with the first cistern and the second cistern, wherein the third cistern collects the water from each of the first cistern and the second cistern; and
a hardware processor that is configured to:
receive sensor information from a plurality of sensors disposed adjacent the canopy;
determine whether to direct at least a portion of the thermal energy captured using the plurality of geothermal tubes to the plurality of attached solar modules to heat the plurality of attached solar modules based on the received sensor information; and
cause at least a portion of the thermal energy captured using the plurality of geothermal tubes to be directed to the plurality of attached solar modules to heat the plurality of attached solar modules based on the determination.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a lower portion of the vertical column of the plurality of vertical columns is positioned above a geothermal tube of the plurality of geothermal tubes within a bore hole.

3. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein a first portion of the plurality of geothermal tubes are inserted in bore holes that are made in a foundation beneath the parking structure, and
wherein a second portion of the plurality of geothermal tubes are integrated within the vertical column that sits on the parking structure.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
solar thermal heat traces installed beneath areas designated on the parking lot,
wherein the hardware processor is further configured to determine whether to divert thermal energy stored in the geothermal heat pump to the solar thermal heat traces to melt snow or ice.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
geothermal heat traces installed beneath areas designated on the parking lot,
wherein the hardware processor is further configured to determine whether to divert thermal energy stored in the geothermal heat pump to the geothermal heat traces to melt snow or ice.

6. The system of claim 5 ,
wherein the plurality of sensors include a temperature sensor connected to a surface of the areas designated on the parking lot, and
wherein the temperature sensor transmits temperature information relating to the surface of the areas to the hardware processor.

7. The system of claim 5 ,
wherein the plurality of sensors include an image sensor connected to a surface of the areas designated on the parking lot, and
wherein the image sensor transmits imaging information relating to the surface of the areas to the hardware processor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein water from a surface of the canopy is diverted through the vertical column and into the first cistern, the second cistern, or the third cistern.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a water usage sensor connected to a water containment system corresponding to the building structure,
wherein the water usage sensor transmits water usage information to the hardware processor, and
wherein the hardware processor determines whether to transmit water from the third cistern to the water containment system.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of inverters that are each mounted to one of the plurality of vertical columns, wherein each of the plurality of inverters converts direct current output from the plurality of attached solar modules to an alternating current; and
an energy storage system that receives the alternating current from each of the plurality of inverters,
wherein the hardware processor is further configured to determine whether to direct the alternating current to at least one of: a utility grid, a device installed on one of the plurality of vertical columns, and the building structure.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the energy storage system includes a weight-based energy storage system that is located in at least one of the plurality of bore holes beneath the parking lot.

12. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a retail space that is electrically connected to the central inverter and at least a portion of the plurality of attached solar modules,
wherein the retail space is positioned such that a portion of a roof structure of the retail space is provided by the canopy that supports the plurality of attached solar modules, and
wherein the hardware processor is further configured to direct alternating current from the energy storage system to one or more devices installed in the retail space and direct the thermal energy from the geothermal heat pump to a heat trace installed beneath an area of the parking lot that corresponds to the retail space.

13. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a plurality of wind turbines that are electrically connected to the energy storage system,
wherein the plurality of wind turbines are organized in a first row that is substantially parallel to a second row that includes the plurality of vertical columns.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:
receive a request from a utility grid for electrical energy;
transmit a request to one or more sensors connected to the energy storage system;
determine whether the energy storage system is capable of responding to the received request; and
transmit an instruction to the energy storage system to provide stored electrical energy from the energy storage system to an input of the utility grid.

15. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
an advertising system that includes one or more display screens for presenting advertisements,
wherein the advertising system receives at least a portion of the alternating current from the energy storage system.

16. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a lighting system that includes a plurality of light sources,
wherein the lighting system receives at least a portion of the alternating current from the energy storage system.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to detect motion

Assignees

• Sunpower Corp

Inventors

• Mackler Laurence
• Cuff Brian
• Iwasaka Hikaru
• Keller Alexander
• Froelich David

Classifications

• Y02B10/40

  Geothermal heat-pumps · CPC title

• Y02E60/142

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02E10/125

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F24D2200/14

  Solar energy · CPC title

• F24J2002/0092

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic