Patent ID: 9063525
Filing Date: 2015-06-23
Classification: G05B

Abstract:
1. A computer implemented method for distributed energy services management, having one or more processors coupled to memory in a computer system to perform the following steps in any order, comprising: receiving an input command via a network interface at a site gateway, the input command including information for controlling one or more physical devices at a premise user site including one or more executor modules of a set of executor modules running at a command virtualization layer to activate one or more virtual devices at a device virtualization layer, wherein one or more activated virtual devices can control one or more corresponding physical devices, and wherein the site gateway can use one or more executor modules of the set of executor modules running at the command virtualization layer to activate one of a plurality of programs or platform applications wherein the one or more activated programs can then activate the one or more virtual devices, which can control the one or more corresponding physical devices providing one or more power and energy services to a user to balance demands by shifting one or more energy resources to where they are needed most, wherein the one or more corresponding physical devices include at least one inverter to store at least a portion of reserve energy locally generated at the premise user site within an integrated storage appliance of a distributed energy storage system (DESS) that has been extended with an input/output (I/O) controller board that allows multiple energy components to be electrically connected internally within the DESS apparatus, including at least one of a current transfer sensor system that monitors local user site energy demand in real-time, and at least one energy component using an internal data communication protocol to communicate with an energy storage module, inverter, charge controller and a site gateway connected via a common bus network, and to enable direct control of locally created energy generation that can be both stored in the batteries and dispatched to the grid, and wherein the site gateway automatically discovers local devices, and virtualizes those devices without the use of agents, wherein the distributed energy storage system, integrated storage appliance, and site gateway are housed in a common enclosure to form a site management system for one or more consumers that is located between a utility grid smart meter, and one or more renewable energy generation sources, and one or more user site loads, wherein both the one or more renewable energy sources and one or more user site loads connect to the user side of the site management system, and wherein a portion of said reserve energy is capable of being pooled in a virtualized energy pool; converting, by use of a data processor, the input command to a virtualized command in a common command format; executing, by use of the data processor, one or more executor modules to cause execution of one or more corresponding virtual devices associated with the virtualized command; and using the one or more corresponding virtual devices associated with the virtualized command to control the corresponding one or more physical devices at the site; and providing an energy area network for controlling and monitoring one or more user loads and corresponding energy consumption, executing the one or more executor modules to cause execution of at least one of a plurality of programs or platform applications, wherein the platform application is accessed via a wireless network mobile software application, using the one or more corresponding virtual devices associated with the virtualized command to control the corresponding one or more physical devices at the site, and wherein the one or more corresponding virtual devices associated with the virtualized command are associated with the wireless network mobile software application wherein the energy area network is a home area network configured to monitor and control one or more user appliances via a consumer web portal to compare the energy consumption and generation with desired thresholds, and to produce new command sets for driving the energy consumption and generation toward desired thresholds from the user site.