Energy reduction

Abstract

A power reduction system includes a central server and a plurality of power reduction devices. The central server of the power reduction aggregation system includes: a network interface configured to transmit and receive information to and from a communication network; a power grid status module coupled to the network interface and configured to transmit a power status message to the network, via the network interface, toward at least two power reduction devices connected to the network; and a power savings compensation module configured to determine an aggregate compensation earned for providing an aggregate energy reduction induced by the at least two power reduction devices in response to receiving the power status message, and further configured to determine individual portions of the aggregate compensation associated with each of the at least two power reduction devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A power reduction system comprising:
 an input configured to receive power from a power source; 
 a plurality of outputs configured to provide output power to a plurality of loads; 
 a plurality of switches coupled to the input and the plurality of outputs; 
 a network interface configured to receive a power status message from a network; 
 a controller coupled to the switches and the network interface and configured to control the switches to selectively couple/decouple the input to/from the outputs in response to the power status message; and 
 an energy consumption module coupled to the input and the plurality of outputs and configured to determine:
 measure energy consumed by the plurality of loads during a time period during which the controller decouples the input from at least one of the outputs; 
 a reduced energy consumption measure based on thecalculate a difference between (1) energy provided by the input to the outputs that are coupled to the input during a time period during which the controller decouples the input from at least one of the outputs and (2)the measured energy consumed by the plurality of loads during the time period during which the controller decoupled the input from at least one of the outputs and a baseline energy consumption estimate for the time period; and 
 provide the calculated difference to the network interface as a reduced energy consumption measure indicative of actual energy saved, wherein the network interface is coupled to the energy consumption module and is further configured to transmit the reduced energy consumption measure toward a remote device connected to the network. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the energy consumption module is further configured to determine the baseline energy consumption estimate based on energy provided by the input during a time period during which none of the outputs are decoupled from the input by the controller, and store the baseline energy consumption estimate in memory. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the energy consumption module is further configured to determine an average baseline consumption estimate for a plurality of time periods based on the stored baseline energy consumption estimate, wherein the average baseline consumption estimate time periods comprise at least one of hours, days, weeks, months and years. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the received power status message comprises information indicating to cancel an action induced by a previously received power status message. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the power status message comprises information regarding at least one of instructions regarding a type of device to decouple from the input, instructions regarding a specific output to decouple from the input, instructions regarding an amount of energy reduction to induce, or a level of compensation that will be received for a level of energy reduction induced. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a backup power source, wherein the controller is further configured to couple the backup power source to at least one of the outputs. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the backup power source comprises an uninterruptible power supply. 
     
     
       8. A power reduction system comprising:
 an input configured to receive power from a power source; 
 a plurality of outputs configured to provide output power to a plurality of loads; 
 a plurality of switches coupled to the input and the plurality of outputs; 
 a network interface configured to receive a power status message from a network; 
 a controller coupled to the switches and the network interface and configured to control the switches to selectively couple/decouple the input to/from the outputs in response to the power status message; and 
 an energy consumption module coupled to the input and configured to determine:
 measure energy consumed by the plurality of loads during a time period during which the controller decouples the input from at least one of the outputs; 
 a reduced energy consumption measure based on thecalculate a difference between (1) energy provided to the plurality of outputs during a time period during which the controller decouples the input from at least one of the outputs and (2)the measured energy consumed by the plurality of loads during the time period during which the controller decoupled the input from at least one of the outputs and a plurality of baseline energy consumption estimates for the time period and further; and 
 provide the calculated difference to the network interface as a reduced energy consumption measure indicative of actual energy saved, wherein the energy consumption module is further configured to determine the plurality of baseline energy consumption estimates based on energy provided to each of the plurality of outputs, and further  
 
 wherein the network interface is coupled to the energy consumption module and is further configured to transmit the reduced energy consumption measure toward a remote device connected to the network. 
 
     
     
       9. A method of power reduction comprising:
 receiving power from a power source; 
 providing power received from the power source to a plurality of outputs coupled to a plurality of loads; 
 receiving a power status message from a network; 
 controlling switches coupled to the power source and the outputs to selectively couple/decouple the power source to/from the outputs in response to receiving the power status message; 
 determining a reduced energy consumption measure based on the difference between (1) energy provided by the power sourcemeasuring energy consumed by the plurality of loads during a time period during which the power source is selectively decoupled from at least one of the outputs in response to the power status message; 
 calculating a difference between the measured energy consumed by the plurality of loads during the time period during which the power source is selectively decoupled from at least one of the outputs and (2) a baseline energy consumption estimate for the time period; and 
 transmitting the reduced energy consumption measure calculated difference toward a remote device connected to the network, wherein the calculated difference is a reduced energy consumption measure indicative of actual energy saved. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: determining the baseline energy consumption measure estimate based on the energy consumed by the plurality of loads during a time period while none of the outputs is controlled to be decoupled from the power source in response to the power status message; and storing the baseline energy consumption measure estimate in memory. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising controlling at least one of the switches to couple at least one of the outputs to a backup power source. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the backup power source comprises an uninterruptible power supply. 
     
     
       13. A method of power reduction comprising:
 receiving power from a power source; 
 providing power received from the power source to a plurality of outputs coupled to a plurality of loads; 
 receiving a power status message from a network; 
 controlling switches coupled to the power source and the outputs to selectively couple/decouple the power source to/from the outputs in response to receiving the power status message; 
 determining a reduced energy consumption measure based on the difference between (1) energy provided to the plurality of outputsmeasuring energy consumed by the plurality of loads during a time period during which the power source is selectively decoupled from at least one of the outputs; 
 calculating a difference between the measured energy consumed by the plurality of loads during the time period during which the power source is selectively decoupled from at least one of the outputs and (2) a plurality of baseline energy consumption estimates for the time period, the method further comprising determining the plurality of baseline energy consumption estimates based on energy provided to each of the plurality of outputs; and 
 transmitting the reduced energy consumption measure calculated difference toward a remote device connected to the network, wherein the calculated difference is a reduced energy consumption measure indicative of actual energy saved. 
 
     
     
       14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction instructions including instructions that will cause a processor to:
 receive a power status message from a network; 
 control switches, the switches being coupled to a power source and a plurality of outputs, wherein the outputs are coupled to a plurality of loads, to selectively couple/decouple the power source to/from the outputs in response to receiving the power status message; 
 determine a reduced energy consumption measure based on the difference between (1) energy provided by the input to the outputs that are coupled to the inputmeasure energy consumed by the plurality of loads during a time period during which thea controller decouples the input from at least one of the outputs and (2) a baseline energy consumption estimate for the time period; and 
 determine a reduced energy consumption measure based on the difference between (1) energy provided by the input to the outputs that are coupled to the input during a time period during which the power source is selectively decoupled from at least one of the outputs in response to the power status message and (2) a baseline energy consumption estimate for the time period; and 
 determine a reduced energy consumption measure based on the calculate a difference between (1) the measured energy provided to the plurality of outputs during a time period during which the controller decouples the input from at least one of the outputs and (2) a plurality of baseline energy consumption estimates estimate for the time period; and 
 cause a transmitter to transmit the reduced energy consumption measure calculated difference toward a remote device connected to the network as a reduced energy consumption measure indicative of actual energy saved. 
 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the sequences of instruction further include instructions that will cause the processor to:
 measure energy consumed by the plurality of loads during the time period during which the power source is selectively decoupled from at least one of the outputs in response to the power status message; and   calculate a difference between the measured energy consumed by the plurality of loads during the time period during which the power source is selectively decoupled from at least one of the outputs in response to the power status message and the baseline energy consumption estimate for the time period.   
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the sequences of instruction further include instructions that will cause the processor to calculate a difference between the measured energy provided to the plurality of outputs during the time period during which the controller decouples the input from at least one of the outputs and a plurality of baseline energy consumption estimates for the time period.