System and method for conserving energy resources through storage and delivery of renewable energy

Abstract

A system for encouraging the use of renewable energy sources and suitable for the conservation of energy resources through the efficient management of energy storage and delivery includes connections to a power source, an energy storage subsystem, and a power grid. The system includes a power routing subsystem coupled to the source and grid, and adapted to operate in a bypass mode, in which energy is transferred from the source to the grid. The system includes a conversion subsystem coupled to the routing and storage subsystems, and switchable in substantially real-time between a storage mode, in which energy is transferred from the routing to the storage subsystem, and a generation mode, in which energy is transferred from the storage to the routing subsystem for delivery to the grid. The system also includes a controller for directing the modes based at least in part on a market factor.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An energy storage and delivery system comprising:
 a first connection for connection to a power source;   a second connection for connection to an energy storage subsystem;   a third connection for connection to a power grid;   a power trading subsystem for buying power from and selling power to a power trading market; and   a control subsystem for directing, based at least in part on a market factor, the energy storage and delivery system to utilize power available from the power source, the energy storage subsystem, and the power trading subsystem to fulfill a power service requirement.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the power source comprises an intermittent power source selected from the group consisting of wind energy, solar energy, wave energy, tidal energy, falling water, hydro energy, biomass energy, and geothermal energy. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the energy storage subsystem comprises a storage medium selected from the group consisting of fluidic storage, mechanical storage, kinetic storage, electrical storage, electrochemical storage, and thermal storage. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the energy storage subsystem comprises a storage volume in a form selected from the group consisting of a pressure vessel, a subterranean cavern, a well, a flywheel, a battery, piping, a bladder, a hydrostatically pressure-compensated container, a lake, a pond, a liquid storage vessel, a water retention structure, and a capacitor. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the power trading subsystem is adapted to initiate at least one of a purchase of electricity, an offer to purchase electricity, a sale of electricity, and an offer to sell electricity. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein directing the energy storage and delivery system to utilize power comprises comparing the market factor to a first threshold selected from the group consisting of a present supply, a future supply, a present demand, a future demand, an average market price, and a present market price. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein directing the energy storage and delivery system to utilize power further comprises comparing the market factor to a second threshold determined based on the first threshold and an available capacity of the energy storage subsystem. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the directing step is further based at least in part on environmental conditions selected from the group consisting of present local environmental conditions, projected local environmental conditions, present remote environmental conditions, and projected remote environmental conditions. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the directing step is further based at least in part on environmental conditions selected from the group consisting of wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, cloud cover, season, length of daylight, tidal status, storage temperature, storage time, storage pressure, and day/night temperature differential. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the market factor is selected from the group consisting of a market price of electricity, a present market price of electricity, a future market price of electricity, a trending price of electricity, a supply of electricity, and a demand of electricity. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the power service requirement is selected from the group consisting of baseload, intermediate, peaking, load following, frequency regulation, spinning reserve, non-spinning reserve, black start, reactive power control, load source on demand response, and ramp-rate control. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the control subsystem is adapted to fulfill a long-duration power service simultaneously with at least one ancillary power service. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the control subsystem is adapted to fulfill the power service by simultaneously transferring energy from the power source to the power grid and one of: (a) converting energy to compressed gas for transfer to the energy storage subsystem and (b) converting compressed gas to energy for transfer to the power grid. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising a power routing subsystem coupled to the power source and the power grid, and adapted to transfer energy from the power source to the power grid. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , further comprising a conversion subsystem coupled to the power routing subsystem and the energy storage subsystem, and adapted to convert between energy and compressed gas. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the conversion subsystem is switchable in substantially real-time between: (a) transferring energy from the power source or power grid via the power routing subsystem to the energy storage subsystem and (b) transferring energy from the energy storage subsystem to the power routing subsystem for delivery to the power grid. 
     
     
         37 . An energy storage and delivery method comprising:
 connecting to a power source;   connecting to an energy storage subsystem;   connecting to a power grid;   trading energy by at least one of buying power from and selling power to a power trading market; and   selectively utilizing, based at least in part on a market factor, power available from the power source, the energy storage subsystem, and the energy trading to fulfill a power service requirement.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the power source comprises an intermittent power source selected from the group consisting of wind energy, solar energy, wave energy, tidal energy, falling water, hydro energy, biomass energy, and geothermal energy. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the energy storage subsystem comprises a storage medium selected from the group consisting of fluidic storage, mechanical storage, kinetic storage, electrical storage, electrochemical storage, and thermal storage. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the energy storage subsystem comprises a storage volume in a form selected from the group consisting of a pressure vessel, a subterranean cavern, a well, a flywheel, a battery, piping, a bladder, a hydrostatically pressure-compensated container, a lake, a pond, a liquid storage vessel, a water retention structure, and a capacitor. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein trading energy step further comprises initiating at least one of a purchase of electricity, an offer to purchase electricity, a sale of electricity, and an offer to sell electricity. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the utilizing step further comprises comparing the market factor to a first threshold selected from the group consisting of a present supply, a future supply, a present demand, a future demand, an average market price, and a present market price. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the utilizing step further comprises comparing the market factor to a second threshold determined based on the first threshold and an available capacity of the energy storage subsystem. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the utilizing step is further based at least in part on environmental conditions selected from the group consisting of present local environmental conditions, projected local environmental conditions, present remote environmental conditions, and projected remote environmental conditions. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the utilizing step is further based at least in part on environmental conditions selected from the group consisting of wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, cloud cover, season, length of daylight, tidal status, storage temperature, storage time, storage pressure, and day/night temperature differential. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the market factor is selected from the group consisting of a market price of electricity, a present market price of electricity, a future market price of electricity, a trending price of electricity, a supply of electricity, and a demand of electricity. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the power service requirement is selected from the group consisting of baseload, intermediate, peaking, load following, frequency regulation, spinning reserve, non-spinning reserve, black start, reactive power control, load source on demand response, and ramp-rate control. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising the step of delivering power to the grid to fulfill a long-duration power service simultaneously with at least one ancillary power service. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising the step of fulfilling the power service requirement by simultaneously transferring energy from the power source to the power grid and one of: (a) converting energy to compressed gas for delivery to the energy storage subsystem and (b) converting compressed gas to energy for delivery to the power grid. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising the step of transferring energy from the power source to the power grid. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising the step of converting between energy and compressed gas. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising the step of switching in substantially real-time between: (a) transferring energy from the power source or power grid to the energy storage subsystem and (b) transferring energy from the energy storage subsystem to the power grid.