Systems, apparatus, and methods of a solar energy grid integrated system with energy storage appliance

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for integrating distributed energy sources, energy storage, and balance of system components into a single device with systems and control for monitoring, measuring, and conserving power generated on the premise. A data processing gateway, hybrid inverter/converter and charge controller provide flexibility in the multi-voltages, output capacities, and photovoltaic array sizes coupled to the apparatus and system. The system and apparatus may be used in commercial and residential applications. A user may store energy provided by one or more alternate energy sources coupled to an energy storage module. The system provides a compact enclosure that fits within a utility workspace and enclosures that can be mechanically coupled together, placed in parallel or in a series.

1 . A solar integrated energy management apparatus, comprising:
 a power storage supply apparatus enclosure;   a power storage and supply device coupled to an electromechanical isolation breaker, said electromechanical isolation breaker integrated to one or more alternate energy sources and one or more energy storage modules;   one or more inverters coupled to a charge controller;   a charge controller coupled to said one or more inverters and to one or more energy storage modules;   a local data processing gateway coupled to said charge controller; and   one or more energy storage modules coupled to an energy storage module storage enclosure containing a battery management system and electrical bus, said electrical bus connecting one or more battery cable terminals to a main bus and wherein said main bus is coupled to said charge controller.   
     
     
         2 . The solar integrated apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 at least one unique safety connector providing a unique safety connector configuration, wherein said at least one unique safety connector allows said charge controller, said local data processing gateway, and said electromechanical isolation breaker to be connected to said energy storage module, wherein said energy storage module is coupled to said at least one unique safety connector via said main bus. 
 
     
     
         3 . An integrated energy management apparatus, comprising:
 a power storage and supply device coupled to an electromechanical isolation breaker, said electromechanical isolation breaker integrated to one or more alternate energy sources and one or more energy storage modules, said electromechanical isolation breaker further communicating with one or more alternate energy sources;   one or more inverters coupled to a charge controller;   a charge controller coupled to said one or more inverters and to one or more energy storage modules;   a local data processing gateway coupled to said charge controller;   one or more energy storage modules coupled to an energy storage module storage enclosure containing a battery management system and electrical bus, said electrical bus connecting one or more battery cable terminals to a main bus and wherein said main bus is coupled to said charge controller;   a consumer web portal;   an Internet user interface including an application programming interface coupled to a database repository, a display, and a utility enterprise database application; and   an energy area network that couples the Internet user interface and utility enterprise database application to one or more user devices and appliances.   
     
     
         4 . The integrated energy management apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 one or more CANBUS protocols to allow one or more components to communicate with each other without one or more host computers;   one or more DNP3 platforms to facilitate communication between one or more data processing gateways and one or more components;   at least one NIST approved CIM model; and   at least one SE2 compliant platform.   
     
     
         5 . A solar integrated system enclosure, comprising:
 an upper section housing one or more inverters;   a center section comprising one or more electromechanical isolation breakers, a charge controller, and a computer-implemented local data processing gateway device that includes one or more software modules for implementing method steps to monitor, control, and store energy from one or more alternate energy sources and to implement one or more processes for providing consumer energy management;   a lower section housing one or more storage modules;   a frame comprising a width, a depth, and a height to form a single, vertical rectangular cross section box of varying widths;   one or more corrosion resistant outer panels comprising a width, a depth, and a height to form a rectangular cross section box of varying widths, said one or more panels coupled to said frame to form a single vertical freestanding outdoor utility grade enclosure, said enclosure being open on a front side and coupled to a hinged door;   an internal upper section, center section and lower section backpan for mounting one or more solar integrated system components;   a compact footprint equal to a depth not to exceed a utility workspace;   a sloped top panel wherein the rear edge height is greater than the front edge height;   a door jamb coupled to a top portion and one or more sides of an open front side of said frame;   a hinged front door including a three point rod and latch system to engage a gasketed internal rectangular circumference and a handle latch on the external of the front door, said hinged front door coupled to said door jamb;   one or more hot swappable energy storage modules coupled to a shunt switch for physically isolating the energy storage modules and further coupled to an isolation switches panel assembly via at least one unique safety connector mechanism and an electrical bus connecting the energy storage module terminals to a main bus which connects to the charge controller and the one or more inverters through a unitized system; and   one or more horizontal perforations on a back panel and located a minimum distance between exhaust ports on an inverter, a converter and a charge controller.   
     
     
         6 . The solar integrated system enclosure of  claim 5  wherein said utility workspace is no greater than 18 inches in depth. 
     
     
         7 . The solar integrated system enclosure of  claim 6  wherein one or more solar integrated system enclosures are in series. 
     
     
         8 . The solar integrated system enclosure of  claim 6  wherein one or more solar integrated system enclosures are in parallel. 
     
     
         9 . The solar integrated system enclosure of  claim 5  wherein said utility workspace is no greater than 18 inches in depth and 24 inches in width. 
     
     
         10 . The solar integrated system enclosure of  claim 9 , further comprising multiple solar integrated system enclosures mechanically coupled together. 
     
     
         11 . The solar integrated system enclosure of  claim 10  wherein the solar integrated system enclosure produces between about 6 kW and 1 MW. 
     
     
         12 . The solar integrated system enclosure of  claim 5  wherein the enclosure is a rainproof NEMA 3R enclosure. 
     
     
         13 . The solar integrated system enclosure of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 one or more door hinges coupled to said hinged door wherein said one or more door hinges are encased by a front portion and side portion of said hinged door such that said one or more hinges are not visible when looking at said front portion or side portion, wherein said one or more hinges being encased by said front portion and side portion prevents unwanted tampering;   an isolation breaker panel coupled to the center section of the solar integrated system enclosure, said isolation breaker panel further having isolation circuitry coupled thereto, whereby placement of said isolation circuitry on said isolation breaker panel provides vertical airflow channels that provide additional exothermic cooling of components coupled to said center section; and   one or more ambidextrous conductor termination points located on one or more corrosion resistant outer panels that form the width of said rectangular cross section box, wherein said one or more ambidextrous conductor termination points are formed via watertight escutcheon plates coupled to said one or more corrosion resistant outer panels, said watertight escutcheon plates containing electrical conduit access holes to facilitate connection of the alternate energy source power and utility power grid.   
     
     
         14 . The solar integrated system enclosure of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a rain gutter with a curved radius that extends around the perimeter of an open front side of said enclosure, wherein the rain gutter comprises a top and bottom rain gutter and a first and second side rain gutter;   wherein the top and bottom rain gutter extend outward a first distance from said frame, said first distance being a curved radius portion sloping away from a vertical line that dissects an interior cavity of the enclosure and being equal to one third of a total distance with the one third of a total distance encompassing a portion of the total distance farthest from said frame and wherein a door jamb extends a second distance outward from said frame with said second distance being a planar portion equal to two-thirds of a total distance extending outward from said frame and the two-thirds of a total distance encompassing a portion of the total distance closest to said frame;   wherein the first and second rain gutter extend outward a first distance from said frame, said first distance being a curved radius portion sloping away from a horizontal line that dissects an interior cavity of the enclosure and being equal to one third of a total distance with the one third of a total distance encompassing a portion of the total distance farthest from said frame and wherein a door jamb extends a second distance outward from said frame with said second distance being a planar portion equal to two-thirds of a total distance extending outward from said frame and the two-thirds of a total distance encompassing a portion of the total distance closest to said frame;   one or more gaskets coupled to an inner circumference of said hinged door;   wherein when said hinged door is closed the one or more gaskets abut with said rain gutter to form an interface, wherein the interface comprises the one or more gaskets being compressed on an end portion closest to an end portion of the rain gutter such that the one or more gaskets form a seal by form fitting around said end portion, wherein the interface between the one or more gaskets and said end portion prevent liquids and dust from entering said enclosure; and   wherein the placement of the one or more gaskets minimizes the contact surface area between the one or more gaskets and said rain gutter.   
     
     
         15 . A system to provide a computer implemented method for monitoring energy including computer-usable readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method of storing excess energy generated in an energy management device in an application platform comprising;
 one or more processors;   a clock;   memory;   one or more I/O interfaces;   one or more analog to digital interfaces;   operating system software;   a power storage supply apparatus enclosure;   a power storage and supply device coupled to an electromechanical isolation breaker that is integrated to one or more alternate energy sources;   one or more hybrid inverter/converters;   one or more data processing gateways to implement monitoring of one or more telemetry data;   one or more charge controllers; and   one or more energy storage modules.   
     
     
         16 . A solar integrated energy management system, comprising:
 a power storage supply apparatus enclosure;   one or more alternate energy sources coupled to a user power system;   the user power system coupled to a utility power grid to distribute the required consumer power needed; and   a user power monitoring control management console wherein the solar integrated energy management system monitors user power consumption with the user power monitoring control management console and stores excess alternate energy source power created via communication and storing said excess alternate energy source power into one or more energy storage modules.   
     
     
         17 . The solar integrated energy management system of  claim 16  wherein said excess alternate energy source power is the difference between power provided by said alternate energy source power and a consumer's power needs. 
     
     
         18 . The solar integrated energy management system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a consumer web portal;   an Internet user interface including an application programming interface;   an advanced meter infrastructure (AMI) coupled to said internet user interface and a utility power grid;   an energy area network (EAN) coupled to a local data processing gateway;   a utility power grid;   one or more independent service operators; and   a utility enterprise database application.   
     
     
         19 . An energy management system for governing energy management resources, comprising:
 a power storage supply apparatus enclosure;   a power storage and supply device;   one or more alternative energy sources coupled to a user power system;   the user power system coupled to a utility power grid to distribute the required consumer power needed;   one or more sets of rules;   one or more sets of constraints; and   
       wherein said one or more sets of rules and said one or more sets of constraints allow a user to implement multiple sets of rules and constraints which govern various resources selected from the group consisting of power generation, power storage, power use, and load control. 
     
     
         20 . The energy management system for governing energy management resources of  claim 19 , wherein said one or more sets of rules and said one or more sets of constraints allow a user to implement one or more sets of rules and constraints which dictate that if price of power from a utility power grid reaches one or more price points then a pre-defined percentage of a maximum capacity of stored energy in one or more energy storage modules may be discharged in a single cycle, said pre-defined percentage of a maximum capacity corresponding to the one or more price points.