Patent ID: 7171374
Filing Date: 2007-01-30
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method for utility capacity management comprising the steps of: using a computer to determine a supply profile from capacity over time of a utility supplier; using the computer to determine usage over time of a plurality of utility users; using the computer to ascertain an impact on a composite load profile of an aggregate user group that contains multiple users upon incorporating therein individual load profiles of one or more additional users to provide an aggregate load profile reflecting an aggregate usage over time of a combination of that of the composite load profile and the individual load profiles; using the computer to compare the aggregate load profile with the supply profile of the utility supplier; using the computer to aggregate the one or more additional users into the aggregate user group provided that the aggregate load profile better approximates the supply profile of the utility supplier than the composite load profile because of leveling of peak load otherwise present in the composite load profile; using the computer to determine the unused capacity over time for the aggregate user group by subtracting the aggregate user group's usage over time from the supplier's capacity over time; and selecting the aggregate user group as a selected one of different aggregate user groups to be supplied by the supplier, the selected one of the different aggregate user groups yielding least unused capacity overtime.