System and method for controlling an electricity supply

Abstract

A system for controlling an electricity supply to a load comprises at least one battery for storing energy. The system also comprises a controller for determining when to switch between a first mode wherein electricity is supplied to the load from a mains electricity circuit; and a discharging mode wherein electricity is supplied from the battery to the load via the mains electricity circuit. The determining is based on information associated with the electricity supply.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for controlling an electricity supply to a load comprising:
 a controller configured to determine based on first information associated with the electricity supply when to switch between a first mode wherein electricity is supplied to the load from a mains electricity circuit and a discharging mode wherein electricity is supplied from a at least one battery to the load via the mains electricity circuit, 
 wherein the controller is configured to determine when to switch to a charging mode, wherein the at least one battery is charged from the mains electricity circuit, 
 wherein the controller is configured to have a connection with an electricity network system operator or a service provider via a communication interface, the communication interface configured to receive the first information from the electricity network system operator or the service provider, and 
 wherein the controller is configured to provide second information store historic switching information about switches between the first mode, the discharging mode and the charging mode over a time period and to periodically send the stored historic switching information to the electricity network system operator or the service provider via the communication interface, 
 wherein the controller is configured to determine that switching between the first mode and the discharging mode or the charging mode is not required for a second time period and to control the communication interface to reduce communication frequency for the second time period, and 
 wherein the first information comprises frequency information, the frequency information comprising a deviation of a frequency of the electricity supply from a given value. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said received information comprises frequency information, wherein said frequency information comprises a frequency of said electricity supply, and wherein said frequency information comprises a deviation of a frequency of said supply from a given value. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said received the first information comprises an imbalance between a supply and a demand for the electricity supply. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said the imbalance is indicated by a the deviation of a the frequency of said the electricity supply from a the given value. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said received the first information further comprises one or more parameters of an electricity transmission and distribution network or said the electricity supply, wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more of the following:
 time of peak periods of load on the electricity transmission and distribution network; 
 time of off-peak periods of load on the electricity transmission and distribution network; 
 price of electricity; 
 available capacity of the electricity transmission and distribution network; and 
 time of imbalance between supply and demand on the electricity transmission and distribution network. 
 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor configured to measure at least one of frequency information, imbalance information and one or more parameters of the electricity supply and to provide information regarding the measurements to the controller. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that switching between the idle mode and the discharging mode or the charging mode is not required for a time period and to control the communication interface to reduce communication frequency for the time period. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to store information about switches between the idle mode, the discharging mode and the charging mode over a time period and to send the switching information to an electricity network system operator or a service provider. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first information further comprises a request to switch between the idle first mode, the discharging mode, and the charging mode, and wherein said received the first information further comprises a real time command. 
     
     
       10. A system comprising the apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , the system further comprising:
 the at least one battery configured to store energy, 
 a charger configured to charge the at least one battery from a the mains electricity circuit when in the charging mode, and 
 an inverter configured to supply the load with an electricity supply from the at least one battery when in the discharging mode, 
 wherein the at least one battery is configured to supply electricity to the mains electricity circuit in the discharging mode and receive electricity from the mains electricity circuit in the charging mode using a single bi-directional connection with the mains electricity circuit. 
 
     
     
       11. The system according to  claim 10  wherein the controller is configured to control a waveform of the an electricity supply current from the inverter to the load. 
     
     
       12. A method for controlling an electricity supply to a load comprising:
 determining when to switch between a first mode wherein the load is supplied from a mains electricity circuit, and a discharging mode wherein the electricity is supplied to the load from a battery via the mains electricity circuit; 
 storing historic switching information about switches between the first mode, the discharging mode and a charging mode over a time period; 
 periodically communicating the stored historic switching information to a system operator or a service provider associated with an electricity transmission and distribution network; and 
 determining that switching between the first mode and the discharging mode or the charging mode is not required for a second time period and reducing communication frequency for the second time period; 
 wherein the determining is based on second information associated with the electricity supply, 
 wherein the second information comprises frequency information, the frequency information comprising a deviation of a frequency of the electricity supply from a given value, and 
 wherein said the second information further comprises one or more parameters of an the electricity transmission and distribution network or said the electricity supply, 
 wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more of the following: 
 time of peak periods of load on the electricity transmission and distribution network; 
 time of off-peak periods of load on the electricity transmission and distribution network; 
 price of electricity; 
 available capacity of the electricity transmission and distribution network; and 
 time of imbalance between supply and demand on the electricity transmission and distribution network. 
 
     
     
       13. A computer program comprising program code adapted to perform the steps of  claim 12  when the program code is run on at least one processor. 
     
     
       14. The method as set forth in  claim 12 , further comprising:
 determining information comprising sensing at least one of frequency information, imbalance information, and the one or more parameters of the electricity supply. 
 
     
     
       15. The method as set forth in  claim 12 , further comprising:
 detecting a loss of the electricity supply from the electricity transmission and distribution network; and 
 preventing discharging of the battery when said the loss is detected. 
 
     
     
       16. The method as set forth in  claim 12 , further comprising storing information about switches between the idle mode, the discharging mode, and a charging mode over a time period and communicating the switching information to an electricity network system operator or a service provider. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 12 , wherein said the imbalance is indicated by a the deviation of a the frequency of said the supply from a the given value. 
     
     
       18. An apparatus for controlling an electricity supply to a load comprising:
 a controller configured to:
 determine based on first information associated with the electricity supply when to switch between a first mode wherein electricity is supplied to the load from a mains electricity circuit and a discharging mode wherein electricity is supplied from a at least one battery to the load via the mains electricity circuit, and 
 determine when to switch to a charging mode, wherein the at least one battery is charged from the mains electricity circuit, and 
 store historic switching information about switches between the first mode, the discharging mode, and the charging mode over a time period and to periodically send the stored historic switching information to an electricity network system operator or a service provider; and 
 
 a communication interface configured to receive the first information from an external source, wherein the first information comprises a request to switch between an idle mode, the discharging mode, and the charging mode, and wherein said received the first information further comprises a real time command, 
 wherein the controller is further configured to determine that switching between the first mode and the discharging mode or the charging mode is not required for a second time period and to control the communication interface to reduce communication frequency for the second time period, 
 wherein the first information further comprises frequency information, the frequency information comprising a deviation of a frequency of the electricity supply from a given value. 
 
     
     
       19. The apparatus as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to store information about switches between the idle mode, the discharging mode, and the charging mode over a time period and to send the switching information to an electricity network system operator or a service provider. 
     
     
       20. A system comprising an the apparatus as claimed in  claim 18 , the at least one battery configured to store energy, a charger configured to charge the at least one battery from a the mains electricity circuit when in the charging mode, and an inverter configured to supply the load with an electricity supply from the at least one battery when in the discharging mode,
 wherein the at least one battery is configured to supply electricity to a the mains electricity circuit in the discharging mode and receive electricity from the mains electricity circuit in the charging mode using a single bi-directional connection with the mains electricity circuit. 
 
     
     
       21. The system according to  claim 20 , wherein the controller is configured to control a waveform of the an electricity supply current from the inverter to the load. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to prevent discharging of the battery if a loss of the electricity supply from an electricity transmission and distribution network is detected. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein:
 the communication interface is configured to receive the first information from an electricity network system operator or a service provider; and 
 the controller is configured to have a connection with the electricity network system operator or the service provider via the communication interface, and wherein the controller is configured to provide second the historic switching information to the electricity network system operator or the service provider via the communication interface.