Patent ID: 8626348
Filing Date: 2014-01-07
Classification: H02J,Y02B,Y04S

Abstract:
1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions perform steps for community energy management, comprising: receiving from an electrical utility information regarding an operation of at least one load restriction during at least one of high electrical demand or low electrical demand periods; receiving from the electrical utility information regarding a determined maximum power load for a community of electrical devices; receiving from the electrical utility information regarding a determined maximum power load for a subset of the community of electrical devices; receiving from the community of electrical devices information regarding the current load of the community of electrical devices and the subset of the community of electrical devices; receiving from an electrical device with the subset of the community of electrical devices, a request to operate as a load against the electrical utility; determining whether the electrical utility is currently operating under a load restriction; when it is determined that the electrical utility is not currently operating under a load restriction, transmitting instructions to the electrical device to allow the electrical device to operate as a load against the electrical utility, otherwise, determining whether the current load of the subset of the community of electrical devices is at or above the determined maximum power load for the subset of the community of electrical devices; when it is determined that the current load of the subset of the community of electrical devices is not at or above the determined maximum power load for the subset of the community of electrical devices, transmitting instructions to the electrical device to allow the electrical device to operate in a reduced load capacity against the electrical utility, otherwise, determining whether the current load of the community of electrical devices is at or above the determined maximum power load for the community of electrical devices; when it is determined that the current load of the community of electrical devices is not at or above the determined maximum power load for community of electrical devices, transmitting instructions to the electrical device to allow the electrical device to operate as a load against the electrical utility, otherwise placing the request to operate as a load against the electrical utility in a queue; monitoring the electrical utility to determine when the electrical utility is not currently operating under a load restriction; and transmitting instructions to at least one of the electrical devices in the queue to allow the electrical device to operate as a load against the electrical utility, and removing the electrical device from the queue.