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 carbon emissions, the method comprising:
 automatically receiving in a continuous way with computer hardware a measurement of actual energy consumption, the measurement of actual energy consumption including energy sources;   automatically and continuously calculating with the computer hardware data indicative of carbon emissions;   automatically generating with the computer hardware energy management data based at least in part on the data indicative of carbon emissions, the energy management data configured to provide a carbon emission 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 the carbon emissions comprise a carbon footprint. 
     
     
         3 . 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. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the calculation of the data indicative of carbon emissions is based at least in part on the measurement of the actual energy consumption and the energy sources. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the energy management data is based at least in part on at least one of a request to manage carbon emissions based on carbon emissions per time period, a request to manage carbon emissions based on carbon emissions per energy amount, a request to manage carbon emissions based on purchase price of a carbon credit, a request to manage carbon emissions based on sales price of a carbon credit, and a request to manage carbon emissions based on fees per carbon emission. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the request to manage carbon emissions based on carbon emissions per time period comprises a request to manage carbon emissions based on a threshold for one or more of carbon emission/hour and carbon emission/month. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the request to manage carbon emissions based on carbon emissions per energy amount comprises a request to manage carbon emissions based on a threshold for one or more of carbon emissions/kWhr and carbon emissions/kW at one or more times. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising obtaining with the computer hardware a theoretical minimum energy consumption of a system, the theoretical minimum energy consumption based at least in part on theoretical performance limits of system components, wherein automatically generating energy management data is based at least in part on the theoretical minimum energy consumption. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising obtaining with the computer hardware an achievable minimum energy consumption of a system, the achievable minimum energy consumption based at least in part on specifications for high energy efficient equivalents of system components, wherein automatically generating energy management data is based at least in part on the achievable minimum energy consumption. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising obtaining with the computer hardware a designed minimum energy consumption of a system, the designed minimum energy consumption based at least in part on specifications for system components, wherein automatically generating energy management data is based at least in part on the designed minimum energy consumption. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the carbon emission alert comprises at least one of load shedding, load shifting, and switching to an alternative energy source. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the energy management data is configured to provide the carbon emission alert based on the data indicative of carbon emissions. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising sending a message to a broadcast system based at least in part on the carbon emission alert. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising sending a command to close at least one relay associated with at least one energy consuming device in response to the carbon emission alert. 
     
     
         15 . 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 carbon emission alert. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus to manage carbon emissions, 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 measurement of actual energy consumption including energy sources;   the energy search engine further configured to automatically and continuously calculate data indicative of carbon emissions;   the energy search engine further configured to automatically generate energy management data based at least in part on the data indicative of carbon emissions, the energy management data configured to provide a carbon emission 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.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the carbon emissions comprise a carbon footprint. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16  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. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the calculation of the data indicative of carbon emissions is based at least in part on the measurement of the actual energy consumption and the energy sources. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the energy management data is based at least in part on at least one of a request to manage carbon emissions based on carbon emissions per time period, a request to manage carbon emissions based on carbon emissions per energy amount, a request to manage carbon emissions based on purchase price of a carbon credit, a request to manage carbon emissions based on sales price of a carbon credit, and a request to manage carbon emissions based on fees per carbon emission. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the request to manage carbon emissions based on carbon emissions per time period comprises a request to manage carbon emissions based on a threshold for one or more of carbon emission/hour and carbon emission/month. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the request to manage carbon emissions based on carbon emissions per energy amount comprises a request to manage carbon emissions based on a threshold for one or more of carbon emissions/kWhr and carbon emissions/kW at one or more times. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the carbon emission alert comprises at least one of load shedding, load shifting, and switching to an alternative energy source. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the energy management data is configured to provide the carbon emission alert based on the data indicative of carbon emissions. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the energy search engine is further configured to send a message to a broadcast system based at least in part on the carbon emission alert. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 16  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 in response to the carbon emission alert. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein at least one of a purchase and a sale of energy is initiated based at least in part on the carbon emission alert. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the measurement of actual energy consumption comprises the measurement of actual energy consumption of a network of facilities. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 28  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.