Systems and methods for balancing an electrical grid with networked buildings

Abstract

An electrical power grid includes multiple, networked buildings that receive electrical power from one or more power generation sources. A networking control system communicates with a utility control center to obtain information regarding the amount of power being supplied by the power generation sources. The networking control system further obtains information from one or more building automation controllers that are controllably associated with a plurality of networked buildings. The networking control system determines whether the total amount of power being supplied exceeds a total demand load for the plurality of buildings. And if so, the networking control system commands one or more of the building automation controllers to operate one ore more of the buildings a reduced energy efficiency level, which may take the form of an optimization curve.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . An electric power grid system comprising:
 at least one electrical power generation source;   a utility control center in communication with the at least one electrical power generation source;   a networking control system in communication with the utility control center to receive data on a total amount of power supplied by the at least one electrical power generation source; and   a plurality of buildings, each building having a building automation controller, the controllers in communication with one another and each controller in communication with the networking control system,   wherein the networking control system is operable to compare the total amount of power supplied to a total demand load for the plurality of buildings, and based on the comparison the networking control system is operable to instruct one or more of the building automation controllers to reduce an energy optimization level of its respective building for a period of time.   
     
     
         2 . The electric power grid system of  claim 1 , wherein the networking control system is configured to access a database identifying the plurality of buildings. 
     
     
         3 . The electric power grid system of  claim 2 , wherein the database includes continuously updated information regarding one or more environmental parameters about the plurality of buildings. 
     
     
         4 . The electric power grid system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical power generation source provides a variable power supply. 
     
     
         5 . The electric power grid system of  claim 1 , wherein the building automation controllers are configured to control selected HVAC system components. 
     
     
         6 . The electric power grid of  claim 1 , further comprising a pricing module configured to determine electric rates of the networked buildings based on a calculated operating efficiency determined during peak and off-peak periods. 
     
     
         7 . The electric power grid of  claim 1 , wherein the energy optimization level follows an energy optimization curve determined by the networking control system. 
     
     
         8 . A method for controlling a plurality of networked buildings, the method comprising:
 receiving information from a utility control center regarding a total amount of power presently being supplied from one or more power generation sources;   communicating with a plurality of building automation controllers regarding information about building power loads for a plurality of networked buildings;   determining whether the total amount of power presently being supplied exceeds a total demand from the building power loads; and   transmitting instructions to at least one of the building automation controllers to reduce an energy optimization level of at least one of the networked buildings for a period of time.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising determining a reduced rate pricing structure for networked buildings permitting energy optimization control during selected time periods. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein transmitting instructions includes providing a predetermined optimization curve to be utilized by one or more of the building automation controllers. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein communicating with the plurality of building automation controllers includes accessing a database having demand load information for at least some of the plurality of buildings. 
     
     
         12 . A networking control system comprising:
 a communications link to a utility control center to obtain information about an amount of power presently being supplied by one or more electrical power generation source; and   a communications link to a plurality of building automation controller, the controllers in communication with one another, the controllers operable to adjust an energy optimization level of at least one building of a plurality of networked buildings,   wherein the networking control system is operable to compare a total amount of the power presently being supplied with a total demand load for the plurality of the networked buildings, and based on the comparison the networking control system is operable to instruct one or more of the building automation controllers to reduce the energy optimization level of the at least one building for a period of time.   
     
     
         13 . The networking control system of  claim 1 , further comprising a database having one or more environmental parameters about the plurality of networked buildings. 
     
     
         14 . The networking control system of  claim 2 , wherein the database includes continuously updated information regarding the one or more environmental parameters. 
     
     
         15 . The networking control system of  claim 1 , wherein the energy optimization level follows an energy optimization curve determined by the networking control system.