Power system

Abstract

A computer implemented system and method for demand management in an energy supply network including aggregation of energy use modification offers from energy consumers in order to meet value offers from energy suppliers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer implemented system for demand management in an electricity supply network, the system including a processor configured to:
 a. receive a price bid from an energy market participant, the price bid including an offer of valuable consideration for an electricity supply change;   b. select from consumer offers, each consumer offer:
 (1) being from an energy consumer, and 
 (2) including an offer of an electricity supply change, 
 to produce an aggregate consumer offer, the aggregate consumer offer representing consumers' electricity supply changes compatible with the electricity supply change; and 
   c. control an appliance of each of the energy consumers to effect the electricity supply changes represented by the aggregate offer, and thereby effect the electricity supply change.   
     
     
         2 . The computer implemented system of  claim 1  wherein:
 a. the price bid includes a price offer for the electricity supply change; 
 b. the consumer offers each include a price requirement for the offered electricity supply change; 
 c. the aggregate consumer offer includes a supply change offer representing the sum of the offered electricity supply changes of the selected consumer offers. 
 
     
     
         3 . The computer implemented system of  claim 1  wherein the appliance is one or more of:
 a. an electrical battery, 
 b. an electric vehicle, and 
 c. a solar generation installation. 
 
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented system of  claim 1  wherein the appliance is one or more of:
 a. an HVAC installation, 
 b. a pool pump, and 
 c. a water heater. 
 
     
     
         5 . A hub device configured to:
 a. receive usage data from an appliance within a premises, the usage data representing electricity usage or electricity output of the appliance;   b. formulate a consumer change offer representing a change in the electricity usage or electricity output of the appliance that would be made by an occupier of the premises in return for a valuable consideration;   c. communicate the consumer change offer to an aggregator;   d. receive from the aggregator a notice of acceptance of the consumer change offer; and   e. following receipt of the notice of acceptance, control the electricity usage or electricity output of the appliance to comply with the consumer change offer.   
     
     
         6 . The hub device of  claim 5  including:
 a. a communication means located within the premises for communicating with the appliance, and 
 b. a processor located remotely from the premises, the processor being in data communication with the communication means. 
 
     
     
         7 . The hub device of  claim 5  wherein the appliance is one or more of:
 a. an electrical battery, 
 b. an electric vehicle, and 
 c. a solar generation installation. 
 
     
     
         8 . The hub of  claim 5  wherein the appliance is one or more of:
 a. an HVAC installation, 
 b. a pool pump, and 
 c. a water heater. 
 
     
     
         9 . The hub device of  claim 5  wherein the hub is further configured to:
 a. communicate with a communication and control module associated with the electrical appliance, the communication and control module:
 (1) communicating appliance data to the hub, the appliance data representing electricity usage or electricity output of the appliance, and 
 (2) controlling operation of the appliance; 
 
 b. communicate with a remote processor, the remote processor:
 (1) receiving from the hub information representing electricity usage or electricity output of the appliance, 
 (2) receiving cost data representing electricity cost at the time of usage or electricity output, 
 (3) supplying to the hub operational parameters for the appliance, wherein the operational parameters comply with the consumer change offer; 
 
 c. following receipt of the notice of acceptance, instruct the communication and control module to effect the operational parameters in the appliance. 
 
     
     
         10 . The hub device of  claim 5  wherein the consumer change offer formulated by the hub includes offered operational parameters for the appliance, the offered operational parameters:
 a. conforming to a household management profile representing appliance operation acceptable to the occupier of the premises, and 
 b. adapting operation of the appliance such that:
 (1) electricity usage is shifted away from a peak power usage period, and/or 
 (2) total electricity used is reduced. 
 
 
     
     
         11 . The hub device of  claim 5  wherein the hub device is further configured to calculate predicted usage of the electrical appliance over a defined future period. 
     
     
         12 . A method of demand management in an energy supply network including the steps of:
 a. an energy market participant communicating a desired change in energy supply;   b. an aggregator:
 (1) identifying an energy output or use capacity at each of several premises, 
 (2) aggregating the energy output or use capacities to form an energy supply or use offer for communication to the energy market participant; 
 (3) upon acceptance of the energy output or use offer by the energy market participant, adjusting energy output or use at the premises such that the desired change in energy supply is met. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein:
 a. the communication from the energy market participant is a price bid including:
 (1) an energy supply change requirement, 
 (2) a price offer for execution of the energy supply change requirement; 
 
 b. the aggregator identifies the energy output or use capacity at each of the several premises by receiving a consumer offer from the premises, the consumer offer including:
 (1) a supply change offer representing a change in energy supply acceptable to an occupier of the premises, and 
 (2) a price requirement for execution of the consumer offer; 
 
 c. the aggregator generates an aggregated energy supply change offer representing the consumer offers of selected consumer offers which meet the energy supply change requirement of the price bid; 
 d. the method further includes the step of implementing the changes in energy supply within the premises of the selected consumer offers. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  further including the steps of:
 a. receiving a price bid from an energy market participant, the price bid including:
 (1) a supply change requirement, 
 (2) a price offer for execution of the supply change requirement; 
 
 b. aggregating at least two of the consumer offers to produce an aggregated consumer offer representing the consumer offers of selected consumers which meet the supply change requirement of the price bid; and 
 c. implementing the changes in energy supply within the premises of the selected consumer offers. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  further including monitoring the electricity supply of each of the premises who submitted the selected consumer offers to detect an energy use change by the premises. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 :
 a. wherein the step of identifying an energy supply or use capacity at each of several premises includes:
 (1) receive usage data from an appliance within a premises, the usage data representing electricity usage or electricity output of the appliance; 
 (2) calculating predicted usage of the electrical appliance over a defined future period; 
 (3) determining a change in the predicted usage which:
 (a) is acceptable to the occupier of the premises, and 
 (b) provides the energy supply or use capacity; 
 
   b. further including the step of effecting the change in the predicted usage upon acceptance of the energy supply or use offer.   
     
     
         17 . A computer implemented system for demand management in an electricity supply network, the system including a processor:
 a. receiving a price bid from an energy market participant, the price bid including:
 (1) an energy supply change requirement representing a change in energy use or output, 
 (2) a price offer for execution of the energy supply change requirement; 
   b. receiving consumer offers, each consumer offer including:
 (1) a use or output offer representing a change in energy supply acceptable to an occupier of premises, and 
 (2) a price requirement for execution of the consumer offer; 
   c. calculating an aggregated consumer offer representing at least some of the consumer offers wherein the use or output offers therein meet the energy supply change requirement of the price bid;   d. controlling at least one appliance within each premises having a consumer offer within the aggregated consumer offer, such control effecting the use or output change within the consumer offer.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 :
 a. further including a monitor which:
 (1) monitors electricity supply within each premises having a consumer offer within the aggregated consumer offer, and 
 (2) determines whether the use or output change within the consumer offer has been made; 
   b. wherein the processor effects payment of the price offer upon the monitor's determination that the use or output change within the consumer offer has been made.   
     
     
         19 . A hub device configured to:
 a. receive a price bid representing an offer of a valuable consideration for a change in an electricity supply between a premises and an electricity supply grid,   b. provide a response to the price bid, the response being calculated to increase utility for the occupier of the premises;   c. following acceptance of the price bid, control the operation of an appliance of the premises to change the electricity supply between the premises and the electricity supply grid to comply with the accepted price bid.