Energy Monitoring System and Method

Abstract

A portable energy monitoring point includes at least one power plug receptacle, each power plug receptacle operably coupled to a separate integral power sensor circuit. Each integral power sensor circuit is configured to determine an electrical current drawn by an electrical load connected to the corresponding at least one power plug receptacle. An integral digital communications circuit is configured to wirelessly transmit to a remote device a power consumption for each of the at least one power plug receptacles. The power consumption is derived from the electrical current drawn by the electrical load connected to the corresponding at least one power plug receptacle.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A system for monitoring energy use, the system comprising:
 an energy monitoring device configured to measure, for each breaker circuit in an electrical breaker box, an electrical current drawn by an electrical load connected to the respective breaker circuit using a separate sensor circuit operably coupled to the energy monitoring device, wherein the energy monitoring device includes an integral digital wireless communications circuit;   a residential gateway configured to communicate wirelessly with the energy monitoring device via the integral digital wireless communication circuit, receive electrical current waveforms for each of the breaker circuits, and transmit the electrical current waveforms for each of the breaker circuits to a central device; and   the central device configured to obtain power cost information, and calculate a power consumption cost corresponding to each of the breaker circuits using the power cost information and the corresponding electrical current waveform received from the residential gateway.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the energy monitoring device is located in the electrical breaker box. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of the energy monitoring devices each coupled to a different breaker box. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the central device is located at a different physical location than the residential gateway and communicates with the residential gateway via an Internet connection. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a smart meter operably coupled to a source of electricity corresponding to a structure that includes the energy monitoring device, and configured to obtain the power cost information from an electricity producer using an Internet connection.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the electrical load connected to the breaker circuit is identified using the electrical current waveform based on comparing characteristics of instantaneous electrical current consumption associated with turning on the electrical load to a previously stored electrical current waveform for the electrical load. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the residential gateway receives from the energy monitoring device and transmits to the central device digital representations of the electrical current waveforms for each of the breaker circuits. 
     
     
         9 . A method for monitoring energy use, the system comprising:
 measuring, by an energy monitoring device, an electrical current drawn by an electrical load connected to a breaker circuit using a sensor circuit operably coupled to the energy monitoring device;   transmitting to a residential gateway, using an integral digital wireless communications circuit included in the energy monitoring device, electrical current waveforms corresponding to the measured electric current for each of the breaker circuits;   receiving, by a central device from the residential gateway, the electrical current waveforms for each of the breaker circuits;   obtaining, by the central device, power cost information; and   calculating, by the central device, a power consumption cost corresponding to each of the breaker circuits using the power cost information and the corresponding electrical current waveform for the breaker circuit.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 identifying the electrical load connected to the breaker circuit using the electrical current waveform based on comparing characteristics of instantaneous electrical current consumption associated with turning on the electrical load to a previously stored electrical current waveform for the electrical load.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the energy monitoring device is located in an electrical breaker box. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of the energy monitoring devices, wherein each energy monitoring device is coupled to a different breaker box. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the residential gateway receives from the energy monitoring device and transmits to the central device digital representations of the electrical current waveforms for each of the breaker circuits. 
     
     
         14 . An energy monitoring device for use in an electrical breaker box, the energy monitoring device comprising:
 a control unit, operably coupled to a plurality of sensor circuits, each sensor circuit operably engaged with a different breaker circuit, the control unit configured to measure an electrical current drawn by an electrical load connected to the respective breaker circuit using the corresponding sensor circuit; and   an integral digital wireless communications circuit configured to communicate wirelessly with a residential gateway, and transmit an electrical current waveform corresponding to the measured electric current for each of the breaker circuits.   
     
     
         15 . The energy monitoring device of  claim 14 , wherein each of a plurality of the energy monitoring devices is coupled to a different electrical breaker box. 
     
     
         16 . The energy monitoring device of  claim 14 , wherein a smart meter operably coupled to a source of electricity corresponding to a structure that includes the energy monitoring device is configured to obtain power cost information from an electricity producer using an Internet connection. 
     
     
         17 . The energy monitoring device of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 an integral display configured to display the power consumption cost corresponding to each of the breaker circuits calculated using the power cost information obtained from the smart meter and the measured electrical current waveform for the corresponding breaker circuit.   
     
     
         18 . The energy monitoring device of  claim 14 , wherein the electrical load connected to the individual ones of the breaker circuits is identifiable from an analysis of the electrical current waveform corresponding to the respective breaker circuit. 
     
     
         19 . The energy monitoring device of  claim 14 , wherein the energy monitoring device transmits to the residential gateway digital representations of the electrical current