Energy search engine methods and systems

Abstract

Systems and methods dynamically assess energy efficiency by obtaining a minimum energy consumption of a system, receiving in a substantially continuous way a measurement of actual energy consumption of the system, and comparing the minimum energy consumption to the measurement of actual energy consumption to calculate a substantially continuous energy performance assessment. The system further provides at least one of a theoretical minimum energy consumption based at least in part on theoretical performance limits of system components, an achievable minimum energy consumption based at least in part on specifications for high energy efficient equivalents of the system components, and the designed minimum energy consumption based at least in part on specifications for the system components.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method to manage an energy event, the method comprising:
 automatically receiving in a continuous way with computer hardware a measurement of actual energy consumption;   receiving energy information;   automatically calculating with the computer hardware a continuous energy performance assessment based at least in part on the measurement of actual energy consumption and the energy information;   automatically generating with the computer hardware energy management data based at least in part on the continuous energy performance assessment, the energy management data configured to provide an energy alert; and   based at least in part on the received continuous measurement of actual energy consumption, automatically determining with the computer hardware an impact of the energy management data.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein automatically receiving in a continuous way the measurement of actual energy consumption comprises receiving the measurement of actual energy consumption at least every 15 minutes. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the energy information comprises at least one of demand management information, demand response information, price management information, and price response information. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the energy information comprises at least one of a request to manage energy, a demand response request, a utility tariff, a schedule of energy costs based on time of day, a schedule of energy costs based on amount of energy used, real-time energy pricing, a price at which energy was purchased, market price for energy, an energy cost budget, an energy usage budget, a request to manage energy based on cost per time period, a request to manage energy based on cost per unit of energy, and a request to manage energy based on power per time period. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the request to manage energy based on the cost per time period comprises a request to manage energy based on a threshold for one or more of cost/hour and cost/month. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the request to manage energy based on cost per unit of energy comprises a request to manage energy based on a threshold for one or more of cost/kWh and cost/kW at one or more times. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the request to manage energy based on power per time period comprises a request to manage energy based on a threshold for one or more of kW/hour and kW/month. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the request to manage energy is based at least in part on at least one of environmental factors, weather, varying demand side load requirements, grid imbalance, variable energy generating resources, loss of electrical energy generating capacity, varying loads, availability of solar generated electrical energy, availability of wind generated electrical energy, and market price for energy. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the energy alert comprises at least one of energy savings recommendations and energy source planning, wherein the energy savings recommendations comprise at least one of load shedding and load shifting, and wherein the energy source planning comprises switching to an alternative energy source. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising sending a message to a broadcast system based at least in part on the energy alert. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising initiating at least one of a purchase and a sale of energy based at least in part on the energy alert. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising sending a command to close at least one relay associated with at least one energy consuming device based at least in part on the energy alert. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the measurement of actual energy consumption comprises the measurement of actual energy consumption of a network of facilities. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the network of facilities comprises one or more of buildings, residences, campuses, nanogrids, and microgrids associated with at least one of geographic area, facility owner, weather pattern, climate, utility, carbon market, energy market, power grid, power purchase agreement, and utility rate schedule. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus to manage an energy event, the apparatus comprising:
 an energy search engine comprising computer hardware and configured to automatically receive in a continuous way a measurement of actual energy consumption;   the energy search engine further configured to receive energy information;   the energy search engine further configured to automatically calculate a continuous energy performance assessment based at least in part on the measurement of actual energy consumption and the energy information;   the energy search engine further configured to automatically generate energy management data based at least in part on the continuous energy performance assessment, the energy management data configured to provide an energy alert; and   the energy search engine further configured to automatically determine, based at least in part on the received continuous measurement of actual energy consumption, an impact of the energy management data.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein automatically receiving in a continuous way the measurement of actual energy consumption comprises receiving the measurement of actual energy consumption at least every 15 minutes. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the energy information comprises at least one of demand management information, demand response information, price management information, and price response information. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the energy information comprises at least one of a request to manage energy, a demand response request, a utility tariff, a schedule of energy costs based on time of day, a schedule of energy costs based on amount of energy used, real-time energy pricing, a price at which energy was purchased, market price for energy, an energy cost budget, an energy usage budget, a request to manage energy based on cost per time period, a request to manage energy based on cost per unit of energy, and a request to manage energy based on power per time period. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the request to manage energy based on the cost per time period comprises a request to manage energy based on a threshold for one or more of cost/hour and cost/month. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the request to manage energy based on cost per unit of energy comprises a request to manage energy based on a threshold for one or more of cost/kWh and cost/kW at one or more times. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the request to manage energy based on power per time period comprises a request to manage energy based on a threshold for one or more of kW/hour and kW/month. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the request to manage energy is based at least in part on at least one of environmental factors, weather, varying demand side load requirements, grid imbalance, variable energy generating resources, loss of electrical energy generating capacity, varying loads, availability of solar generated electrical energy, availability of wind generated electrical energy, and market price for energy. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the energy alert comprises at least one of energy savings recommendations and energy source planning, wherein the energy savings recommendations comprise at least one of load shedding and load shifting, and wherein the energy source planning comprises switching to an alternative energy source. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the energy search engine is further configured to send a message to a broadcast system based at least in part on the energy alert. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein at least one of a purchase and a sale of energy is initiated based at least in part on the energy alert. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the energy search engine is further configured to send a command to close at least one relay associated with at least one energy consuming device based at least in part on the energy alert. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the measurement of actual energy consumption comprises the measurement of actual energy consumption of a network of facilities. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27  wherein the network of facilities comprises one or more of buildings, residences, campuses, nanogrids, and microgrids associated with at least one of geographic area, facility owner, weather pattern, climate, utility, carbon market, energy market, power grid, power purchase agreement, and utility rate schedule.