Patent ID: 12206244

In the figures, elements having the same designation have the same or similar function.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While described in conjunction with these embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the disclosure to these embodiments. On the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present disclosure, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be understood that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present disclosure.

Some portions of the detailed descriptions that follow are presented in terms of procedures, logic blocks, processing, and other symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory. These descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. In the present application, a procedure, logic block, process, or the like, is conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps or instructions leading to a desired result. The steps are those utilizing physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, although not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated in a computer system. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as transactions, bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, samples, pixels, or the like.

It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the present disclosure, discussions utilizing terms such as “determining,” “accounting,” “receiving,” “tracking,” “encrypting,” “decrypting,” “allocating,” “associating,” “accessing,” “determining,” “identifying,” or the like, refer to actions and processes (e.g., flowchart800ofFIG.8) of a computer system or similar electronic computing device or processor (e.g., system110ofFIG.4). The computer system or similar electronic computing device manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system memories, registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices.

Embodiments described herein may be discussed in the general context of computer-executable instructions residing on some form of computer-readable storage medium, such as program modules, executed by one or more computers or other devices. By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable storage media may comprise non-transitory computer-readable storage media and communication media; non-transitory computer-readable media include all computer-readable media except for a transitory, propagating signal. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules may be combined or distributed as desired in various embodiments.

Computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, compact disk ROM (CD-ROM), digital versatile disks (DVDs) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired information and that can accessed to retrieve that information.

Communication media can embody computer-executable instructions, data structures, and program modules, and includes any information delivery media. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, radio frequency (RF), infrared, and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above can also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

Method and Apparatus to Form A Virtual Power Generation Collective from a Distributed Network of Local Generation

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to collecting measurements of power contribution and more specifically to a method and system of determining power generation capability in a distributed network of local generation facilities. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention provide a system wherein the electrical contribution of any generation facility can be accounted for fairly and securely. Also, embodiments of the present invention provide a robust method of accounting for electricity contribution at the source of the power supply into the grid. With the fair and secure accounting of electricity contributions of the present invention, an open market can be realized wherein any producer of electricity can be fairly rewarded according to the size and efficiency of their contribution.

FIG.3illustrates an electricity generation and distribution system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Power is generated by a power generator350and distributed to the consumers through an electricity distributor355similar to conventional systems discussed above. However, for certain consumers370that have a means for generating electricity at their own facility, one embodiment of the present invention provides a virtual electricity and distribution hub390that aggregates and keeps track of the various power contributions from the home electricity producers370.

Another embodiment of the present invention allows power generated by each local facility370to be recorded and robustly acknowledged so that each producer at the local facility370can verify that their contribution is recognized and further verify that they are being fairly compensated for their contribution.

One embodiment of the present invention allows for verification that the power generated by one or more local facilities370represents an actual contribution to the grid. This is important because it allows the local facilities370to recognize, verify and accept that the contribution made by other contributing facilities into the grid is not being falsified.

Another embodiment of the present invention keeps track of and accounts for the time at which the power contribution is made, thereby, providing support for flexible compensation for power generation. The compensation can be adjusted to more fairly compensate electricity provided from local generation facilities and from providers that generate electricity on demand or at times when wind, sun and other natural sources of electricity are less abundant. For example, entities that generate power at night, when solar panels at the local facilities are not running as efficiently, can be compensated at a higher rate to compensate their higher cost of power generation.

In one embodiment, once the contribution of one or more facilities to the grid can be robustly and accurately recognized, the facilities can form a conglomerate or a virtual power generation organization for the purpose of keeping track of and accounting for the contributions of conglomerate members and creating a single virtual organization. Such a virtual organization would have the advantage of presenting a single face to promote and charge consumers, and to facilitate the distribution of funds to producers according to contribution. For example, virtual electricity generation and distribution hub390inFIG.3can, in one embodiment, be a virtual power generation organization comprising a plurality of local power generation facilities that keeps track of the contributions from its various members and apportions funds accordingly. In one embodiment, the virtual power generation organization could be set up to allow any participating facility within the organization to purchase electricity directly from another participating facility. For example, a facility could end up purchasing electricity directly from a neighboring facility under this arrangement.

Individual home electricity contributors can benefit from joining other home contributors in the formation of a virtual power generation collective. One advantage in forming a virtual power collective is that it would simplify the accounting and billing process. The virtual power generation organization may take a percentage of the total amount collected to cover their costs and overhead. Further, the compensation paid out by the virtual power collective may be applied more fairly by the contributors within the conglomerate towards the future development of new facilities or larger facilities for electricity production.

Further, compensating the individual contributors fairly would likely encourage continued investment in larger home generation facilities. Another advantage of the present invention is that by making installation of larger home generation facilities more economically attractive, demand for more generation capability and, in particular, more efficient generation capability is driven up. Accordingly, facilitating virtual power generation capability can create a new power generation economy by providing an organically created economic stimulus for purchasing of local electricity generation capabilities, for example, home solar panels. It can also drive an increased investment in technologies to improve the efficiency of small scale power generation capabilities, e.g., home fuel cells.

Additionally, the ability to recognize and distinguish the contributions from the various facilities, or conglomerate of facilities, into the grid can provide consumers the ability, in one embodiment, to choose to compensate whichever entity they prefer to pay for their supply of electricity. For example, a consumer may choose to pay a local virtual power generation organization formed from the combined contributions of multiple local home power generation facilities within the consumer's community.

One objective of the present invention is to connect suppliers and consumers via a virtual electric grid formed from networked micro-generation capable facilities. Connecting the suppliers and consumers allows small scale producers of solar, wind and geothermal energy to collaborate together to collect compensation or funding for facility maintenance and improvement. As an increasing number of local electricity generating facilities such as solar panels are being installed on a smaller scale, for example, in residential homes and corporate facilities, the ability of these facilities to contribute power back into the grid as well as support local demand for further installations continues to grow.

As the number of distributed local generation facilities grows, the opportunity arises for these facilities to collect and pool their contributions by forming a Virtual Power Generation Network (“VPGN”). A VPGN can be a collection of power generation facilities, which operate collectively to form a distributed power generation capability. When a VPGN is available on a grid as a power provider, other electricity consumers have an option to then purchase electricity from the VPGN. Since the VPGN is established via a robust data collection through accounting for each facility's contribution to the VPGN, it is then possible to account for the contribution of each local generation facility and to distribute funding according to amount of contribution and the time stamp on when the contribution was made. In essence, the power distribution and accounting system of the present invention allows all the contributions from the various facilities to be accounted for in a “cloud,” whereby individual consumers can buy electricity for their personal use directly from the cloud.

In one embodiment, a facility power generation meter (“FPGM”) is located at each facility, which counts the power either drawn from or supplied to the grid from the facility generation plant (“FGP”). The FGP is the power generation capability local to a particular facility, e.g., solar panels at the facility. Each FPGM is connected to a grid provider (“GP”), which is the owner of the neighborhood electrical connection to the facility.

FIG.4illustrates an exemplary computing system110for a facility power generation meter (“FPGM”) in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Computing system110broadly represents any single or multi-processor computing device or system capable of executing computer-readable instructions. In its most basic configuration, computing system110may include at least one processor114and a system memory116.

Processor114generally represents any type or form of processing unit capable of processing data or interpreting and executing instructions. In certain embodiments, processor114may receive instructions from a software application or module. These instructions may cause processor114to perform the functions of one or more of the example embodiments described and/or illustrated herein.

System memory116generally represents any type or form of volatile or non-volatile storage device or medium capable of storing data and/or other computer-readable instructions. Examples of system memory116include, without limitation, RAM, ROM, flash memory, or any other suitable memory device. Although not required, in certain embodiments computing system110may include both a volatile memory unit (such as, for example, system memory116) and a non-volatile storage device (such as, for example, primary storage device132).

Computing system110may also include one or more components or elements in addition to processor114and system memory116. For example, in the embodiment ofFIG.4, computing system110includes a memory controller118, an input/output (I/O) controller120, and a communication interface122, each of which may be interconnected via a communication infrastructure112. Communication infrastructure112generally represents any type or form of infrastructure capable of facilitating communication between one or more components of a computing device. Examples of communication infrastructure112include, without limitation, a communication bus (such as an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), PCI Express (PCIe), or similar bus) and a network.

Memory controller118generally represents any type or form of device capable of handling memory or data or controlling communication between one or more components of computing system110. For example, memory controller118may control communication between processor114, system memory116, and I/O controller120via communication infrastructure112.

I/O controller120generally represents any type or form of module capable of coordinating and/or controlling the input and output functions of a computing device. For example, I/O controller120may control or facilitate transfer of data between one or more elements of computing system110, such as processor114, system memory116, communication interface122, display adapter126, input interface130, and storage interface134.

Communication interface122broadly represents any type or form of communication device or adapter capable of facilitating communication between example computing system110and one or more additional devices. For example, communication interface122may facilitate communication between computing system110and a private or public network including additional computing systems. Or, for example, communication interface122may facilitate communication between the FPGM and the grid provider. Examples of communication interface122include, without limitation, a wired network interface (such as a network interface card), a wireless network interface (such as a wireless network interface card), a modem, and any other suitable interface. In one embodiment, communication interface122provides a direct connection to a remote server via a direct link to a network, such as the Internet. Communication interface122may also indirectly provide such a connection through any other suitable connection.

Communication interface122may also represent a host adapter configured to facilitate communication between computing system110and one or more additional network or storage devices via an external bus or communications channel. Examples of host adapters include, without limitation, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) host adapters, Universal Serial Bus (USB) host adapters, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 host adapters, Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) and External SATA (eSATA) host adapters, Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) and Parallel ATA (PATA) host adapters, Fibre Channel interface adapters, Ethernet adapters, or the like. Communication interface122may also allow computing system110to engage in distributed or remote computing. For example, communication interface122may receive instructions from a remote device, for example, at the grid provider's end, or send instructions to a remote device for execution.

In one embodiment, the communication interface122on the FPGM can connect to the network through one of various protocols, e.g., wirelessly through a Wi-Fi connection, or through a wired Ethernet connection or even by communicating using Ethernet over power cables.

As illustrated inFIG.4, computing system110may also include at least one display device124coupled to communication infrastructure112via a display adapter126. Display device124generally represents any type or form of device capable of visually displaying information forwarded by display adapter126. Similarly, display adapter126generally represents any type or form of device configured to forward graphics, text, and other data for display on display device124.

As illustrated inFIG.4, computing system110may also include at least one input device128coupled to communication infrastructure112via an input interface130. Input device128generally represents any type or form of input device capable of providing input, either computer- or human-generated, to computing system110. Examples of input device128include, without limitation, a keyboard, a pointing device, a speech recognition device, or any other input device.

As illustrated inFIG.4, computing system110may also include a primary storage device132and a backup storage device133coupled to communication infrastructure112via a storage interface134. Storage devices132and133generally represent any type or form of storage device or medium capable of storing data and/or other computer-readable instructions. For example, storage devices132and133may be a magnetic disk drive (e.g., a so-called hard drive), a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, a flash drive, or the like. Storage interface134generally represents any type or form of interface or device for transferring data between storage devices132and133and other components of computing system110.

In one embodiment, the FPGM can also include storage148to store encryption keys used to communicate with the grid provider or VPGNs. Storage148can be separate from or part of the primary storage device132. Also, in one embodiment, all the storage employed in system110would either be secure or use code signing techniques to ensure secure storage and execution of programs and software on the FPGM.

In one example, databases140may be stored in primary storage device132. Databases140may represent portions of a single database or computing device or it may represent multiple databases or computing devices. For example, databases140may represent (be stored on) a portion of computing system110and/or portions of example network architecture200inFIG.2(below). Alternatively, databases140may represent (be stored on) one or more physically separate devices capable of being accessed by a computing device, such as computing system110and/or portions of network architecture200.

Continuing with reference toFIG.4, storage devices132and133may be configured to read from and/or write to a removable storage unit configured to store computer software, data, or other computer-readable information. Examples of suitable removable storage units include, without limitation, a floppy disk, a magnetic tape, an optical disk, a flash memory device, or the like. Storage devices132and133may also include other similar structures or devices for allowing computer software, data, or other computer-readable instructions to be loaded into computing system110. For example, storage devices132and133may be configured to read and write software, data, or other computer-readable information. Storage devices132and133may also be a part of computing system110or may be separate devices accessed through other interface systems.

In one embodiment, the processor114is capable of processing data from power detection (or current sense) circuit146that is received subsequent to being processed through an analog to digital converter144. The processor114, in one embodiment, can also be programmed to compute a history of power production and consumption.

Many other devices or subsystems may be connected to computing system110. Conversely, all of the components and devices illustrated inFIG.4need not be present to practice the embodiments described herein. The devices and subsystems referenced above may also be interconnected in different ways from that shown inFIG.4. Computing system110may also employ any number of software, firmware, and/or hardware configurations. For example, the example embodiments disclosed herein may be encoded as a computer program (also referred to as computer software, software applications, computer-readable instructions, or computer control logic) on a computer-readable medium.

The computer-readable medium containing the computer program may be loaded into computing system110. All or a portion of the computer program stored on the computer-readable medium may then be stored in system memory116and/or various portions of storage devices132and133. When executed by processor114, a computer program loaded into computing system110may cause processor114to perform and/or be a means for performing the functions of the example embodiments described and/or illustrated herein. Additionally or alternatively, the example embodiments described and/or illustrated herein may be implemented in firmware and/or hardware.

FIG.5is a block diagram of an example of a network architecture in which client FPGMs210,220, and230and servers240and245may be coupled to a network250, according to embodiments of the present invention. Servers240and245may, in one embodiment, belong to the VPGN, where they, among other things, keep track of the contributions made by the FGPs and communicated to the VPGN servers using the client FPGMs210,220and230. Servers240and245may also, in another embodiment, belong to the grid provider's network and be used to collect information about the contributions from the various FGPs. In a different embodiment, server240may belong to the VPGN while server245may belong to the grid provider's network. Client systems210,220, and230generally represent any type or form of computing device or system used on a FPGM, such as computing system110ofFIG.4.

Similarly, servers240and245generally represent computing devices or systems, such as application servers or database servers, configured to provide various database services and/or run certain software applications. Network250generally represents any telecommunication or computer network including, for example, an intranet, a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a personal area network (PAN), or the Internet.

With reference to computing system110ofFIG.4, a communication interface, such as communication interface122, may be used to provide connectivity between each client system210,220, and230and network250. Client systems210,220, and230may be able to access information on server240or245using special purpose client software used to communicate with the FPGMs. Such software may allow client systems210,220, and230to access data hosted by server240, server245, storage devices260(1)-(L), storage devices270(1)-(N), storage devices290(1)-(M), or intelligent storage array295. AlthoughFIG.5depicts the use of a network (such as the Internet) for exchanging data, the embodiments described herein are not limited to the Internet or any particular network-based environment.

In one embodiment, all or a portion of one or more of the example embodiments disclosed herein are encoded as a computer program and loaded onto and executed by server240, server245, storage devices260(1)-(L), storage devices270(1)-(N), storage devices290(1)-(M), intelligent storage array295, or any combination thereof. All or a portion of one or more of the example embodiments disclosed herein may also be encoded as a computer program, stored in server240, run by server245, and distributed to client systems210,220, and230over network250.

FIG.6is a block diagram illustrating a more detailed view of a virtual electricity distribution system at the source of the power supply in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. A local facility630that is part of the VPGN may have a local facility generation plant (“FGP”) as discussed above. For example, the FGP may comprise solar panels650as shown inFIG.6. Where solar panels are being used to generate power, a solar inverter640may be part of the installation at the local facility. Inverter640converts the variable direct current (DC) output of a photovoltaic solar panel into a utility frequency alternating current that can be fed into a commercial electrical grid or used by the local off-grid electrical network. The FPGM620that is at the source of the power supply may be used to keep track of the electricity contribution and consumption of the respective facility630to which it is connected. A facility power meter (not shown) is a power meter at the facility630which counts the power consumed from the grid.FIG.6element625represents the current sense circuit (perFIG.4element146), measuring net power flowing in/out: from grid power line to the local facility, and thus the facility's net power, that is: the net difference between facility-local generation and facility-local consumption.FIG.6element645represents the communication interface, from the inverter640to the FPGM620, communicating information on the facility-local power generation.

A line of communication645, between the inverter640and the FPGM620, as shown inFIG.6communicates FGP power generation information from the inverter640to the FPGM620. Additionally, inFIG.6., element625, power measurement sensors are illustrated by circles on the “Power Grid” lines, connected to the FPGM620, monitoring the net power flowing to/from the facility. As is well understood, and obvious to anyone familiar with the basic principles of electricity (i.e., Kirchoff s Law, and Ohm's Law), the net observed power on the grid power line to the facility by element625, will be the difference between the power generated by the facility, and the power consumed by the facility, and thus: “Net Contribution”=“Generation”−“Consumption”.

As a result of receiving the information of net power flowing in/out of the facility, and the inverter640communicating the FGP generation power to the FPGM620, the FPGM620is thereby enabled to derive the consumption of the specific facility, as distinct from the net observed power (e.g., the power observed via element625, the sensors on the “Power Grid” lines), and distinct from the power generation (e.g. the FGP power generation information communicated from the inverter640, viaFIG.6., element645). And further to distinguish whether the facility has a net positive contribution back to the power grid (i.e., greater generation), or a net negative contribution (i.e., greater consumption), the amount of facility contribution is based on the relative amounts of facility generation versus facility consumption.

The power grid sensors inFIG.6., element625, may for example, use inductive coupling, physical wire taps to measure power, or any other method for measuring power flow. The inverter communication interface inFIG.6., element645, may for example, use USB, CAN, RS-232, RS-485, Ethernet or other physical connection. Also, TCP/IP, Modbus, CANbus, or any other common protocol for reporting generation power may be used. The physical connections and protocols for inverter communication, as defined by IEEE 1547.1 and 1547.3 (circa 2007) industry inverter interface specification, and as mandated by UL 1741 (circa 2010), requirements for inverters. While described in conjunction with these embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the disclosure to these embodiments.

In one embodiment, each FPGM620at each facility needs to have a secure means of communicating over the network, e.g., to a grid provider660or the VPGN610. This can be done by ensuring that all data transmitted to and from a FPGM is encrypted. Encrypting the data ensures that there is integrity to the system and that each facility's contribution can be accounted for accurately. In one embodiment, public key cryptography using asymmetric key algorithms such as RSA can be used to encrypt the data. In another embodiment, any of the three primary kinds of public key cryptography systems can be used, namely, public key distribution systems, digital signatures system, and public key cryptosystems. The three kinds of public key systems can perform both public key distribution and digital signature services. For example, well known algorithms such as Diffie-Hellman key exchange, which is a type of public key distribution system, and Digital Signature Algorithm, which is a type of digital signature system, can be used. However, the invention is not limited to only using public key cryptographic algorithms. Any number of various methods and algorithms may be used to encrypt FPGM data.

Where public key cryptographic techniques are used, each FPGM at a subscriber's site may comprise a private key and a public key pair. This private and public key pair can be provided by, for example, the grid provider. The FPGM may report its power consumption or contribution to the grid provider server660using Energy Contribution Count data packets (“ECC”) over network interface122as discussed above.

The ECC data packets can comprise the power contribution measured as an integral of power over time (watt-hours). It can also include a timestamp, including the time of day in which the contribution was recorded. Also, it can include a number identifying its order in the sequence of ECC packets transmitted. Further, it can include the unit of time over which the energy consumption or production was measured. It may include the amount of power, the direction of power flow, and the duration of flow. In addition, it can also include the integral of contribution over the time interval. It may include one or more historical integrals summing the contribution over longer intervals. It may include facility location or location within the facility, facility identifier, as well as the type of generation. It may include the method of power generation at the facility, such as whether wind, solar, thermal or other generation method. Finally, it may include recipient supplied information such as recipient and facility identifiers, recipient supplied cryptographic nonce. By including the integrals of contributions over certain time intervals, the ECCs protect against data being lost due to network outages or other potential transmission errors, because the integrals may used to reconstruct the contribution data.

In one embodiment where public key cryptography is used, the FPGM620can sign the ECC with a private key provided by the grid provider. It also can include a certificate signed by the grid provider (or other recognized signing authority), which includes a matching public key, thereby, allowing the ECC to be decrypted at the receiving end.

In one embodiment, the FPGM620may be programmed to include signatures of the prior ECCs in subsequent ECCs as a way to protect against tampering. Further, forensic data collection techniques can be used to examine the history of ECC packets to verify lost data packets. Also, the FPGMs can be programmed to continue including past ECC signatures in subsequent packets until receipt of transmission from the grid provider acknowledging receipt of the ECC. This mechanism allows the history of contribution and consumption for a particular FPGM to be recreated easily.

In one embodiment, the FPGM includes a mechanism to perform a handshake with the auditing server, e.g., the grid provider's server240or245inFIG.5. For example, the auditing server can transmit certain verification information to be introduced into the signature in order to verify the data received from the FPGM. The verification information can comprise timestamps, recipient supplied nonce, sequential numbers, or other identification information that can be integrated into the signature by the FPGM to provide robustness for the information being transmitted.

In another embodiment, the FPGM may utilize one of many different techniques to transmit the energy count to the grid provider's network using the ECCs. For example, the FPGM can transmit data over the grid's wired network to the sub-station. Alternatively, the FPGM may transmit the ECCs over local facility wireless networks, e.g., through WiFi access points at the local facility. Or the FPGM may transmit the energy counts to the grid provider via wireless mesh networks formed from neighboring facilities with similar FPGMs.

The sub-station collects the ECC packets transmitted by the various FPGMs, verifies the signatures and accumulates the contributions of each FGP. It can also run audit checks. The auditing process can identify tampering or falsified contributions. It can also identify situations where an FGP's ECC data is missing, e.g., due to a local network failure.

In one embodiment, where data collection is not possible over the network, for example, because of a network outage or because of a facility's remote location, or where the data may need to be collected manually, for example, to detect tampering or falsification, a technician may visit a FGP at the local facility630and collect the data manually from a FPGM620using a handheld collection device. Holding the device in close proximity to the FPGM, the FPGM may transmit data to the handheld collection device using Infra-Red, Near Field wireless technologies, Bluetooth, Electromagnetic Induction, or other non-contact, and direct electrical interface contact data transmission mechanisms.

In one embodiment, as the handheld collection device downloads ECC data from the FPGM620, the meter and device may confirm each time interval recorded. The FPGM may subsequently insert this download confirmation into subsequent ECC data signatures. The confirmation may comprise a serial number of the handheld collective device, the last timestamp collected and the time intervals collected.

As discussed above, in one embodiment, the ECC is signed with a timestamp, recording when a unit of power has been supplied into the grid. By including the unit of time over which an energy contribution was made, the ECC allows both power and time to be factored into the running integral, thereby, allowing a long term average to be computed. As acknowledgements of the ECCs are received back from the VPGN, these may be accumulated in the long term average, to allow the facility to observe the net amount of electricity supplied versus net amount accounted for by the VPGN, and thus verify contributions are being recognized.

Similar to how the FPGM620reports information to the grid provider, the FPGM, in one embodiment, may also communicate with the VPGN server610via the network interface122or through a manual collection process. The FPGM sends the ECC and the signature to the VPGN server610. The VPGN server records and performs the accounting for all FGP contributions by examining the ECC and verifying it using the respective signature. If verified, the VPGN can respond to the FPGM with another signature of the ECC using a separate private/public key pair from the one used to securely communicate with the grid provider, in instances where public key cryptographic techniques are being utilized. Upon recognizing that the VPGN has processed an ECC, the FPGM may convey the pertinent information to the local electricity producing consumers. The consumers can use this information to verify that their contribution have been received and accounted. As the VPGN verifies each ECC received, it accumulates and records the contribution of each FGP so that in the subsequent payment cycle, each respective FGP may be appropriately compensated according to its contribution.

In one embodiment, the VPGN may also receive packets from the FPGMs corresponding to the electricity consumed by the local facilities subscribing to the VPGN power distribution and supply network. However, existing meters (facility power meters) operated using conventional methods can also be used to report back the power consumption by the local facilities. The power production and consumption data received from each local facility can be used to compute the amount billed to each local facility consumer in the event that more power is drawn than contributed by the respective local facility consumer, or compute the amount to be compensated to each local facility consumer in the event that more power is contributed by the facility than drawn from the grid.

FIG.7is a high level block diagram illustrating the components for a virtual electricity generation and distribution system (i.e., a VPGN) in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Each VPGN can be a conglomerate of distributed local electricity generation facilities. A VPGN, in one embodiment, may not only be a collection of power generating facilities720, but also be available on a grid as a power provider, thereby, allowing electricity consumers730to also be part of the VPGN. When a VPGN is available on a grid as a power provider, other electricity consumers have an option to then purchase electricity from the VPGN. The power distribution and accounting system of the present invention allows all the contributions from the various distributed production facilities720to be accounted for in a cloud750. Also, individual electricity consumers730can buy electricity for their personal use directly from the cloud750. At the back-end, an accounting server740, similar to servers240and245illustrated and discussed inFIG.2, can keep track of the contribution and consumption levels of the various local facilities.

In one embodiment, producers720may be able to query the FPGM at their own local facility to verify their contribution or consumption history, and also query the accounting server740at the VPGN to determine whether their contributions are being fairly accounted for. For example, a producer720may be equipped with its own handheld collection device to collect data from the FPGM or the producer720may have some other manual means of doing a data dump from the FPGM. Alternatively, the FPGM could be connected through network interface122to the producer's personal computer allowing the consumer to interface with the FPGM through a Wi-Fi or web interface. One advantage of storing all the consumers' and producers' data in a cloud750is the ability for all the various entities that are part of a VPGN to be able to verify their respective contribution and consumption conveniently.

In one embodiment, the VPGN and the grid provider could also collaborate in order to, among other things, verify that all the contribution and consumption amounts have been accounted for fairly and accurately. If a VPGN and the grid provider are to share a grid, some type of collaboration between the two entities would be envisioned under the scheme proposed by the present invention. For example, a grid provider would need to audit the various compensation amounts to the local facilities so as to ensure that they are paying out accurate and fair amounts for the power contributed to the grid by the facilities and also being compensated for any net power being consumed by the facilities.

Further, collaboration between a VPGN and the grid provider, e.g., PG&E would facilitate compensation sharing between the various power provisioning entities. For example, in one embodiment, there could be an accounting for the percentage of power contributed by the grid provider to the facilities that constitute a particular VPGN network versus the percentage of power contributed by the facilities within the VPGN. In this way, the grid provider could be fairly compensated for the percentage of power contributed by it, while each of the facilities within the VPGN could be compensated for the amount of power contributed by the respective facility. In one embodiment, instead of splitting compensation on a percentage basis, each of the facilities, including the grid provider, could be compensated per kwh contributed to the grid.

In one embodiment, the grid provider may continue to charge the consumers directly for the net power consumed by them as determined from the auditing info received from the various FPGMs at the local facilities.

In another embodiment, the consumers could buy their power directly from the VPGN rather than the grid provider and VPGN could sub-contract with the grid provider to buy power during certain time periods. For example, where the facilities in a VPGN comprise FGPs that generate power predominantly through the use of solar panels, the VPGN could sub-contract with the grid provider to buy power during the night when solar panels are less efficient. The facilities within the VPGN could pay the VPGN for their usage based on the auditing information and the VPGN could compensate the grid provider directly on a lump sum basis. Because the grid provider also receives the ECCs from the various FPGMs, it could use that information to audit the amount paid to it by the VPGN. In a different embodiment, each net electricity consumer could receive two separate bills, one from the grid provider and one from the VPGN for power provided during different times of the day. In this embodiment, the consumer would handle their bill for power consumed from the grid provider and the VPGN separately.

In another embodiment, the entities that sell the consumers the FGPs, e.g., solar panels, could effectively become the consumer's power supply company. In this embodiment, instead of charging the consumer for the solar panel, the solar panel manufacturer would, in effect, be leasing the consumer's roof space and get compensated for generating power and contributing it to the grid. Meanwhile, the consumers could pay the solar panel manufacturer directly for any power it consumes.

FIG.8depicts a flowchart800of an exemplary process of securely accounting for electricity contribution from local production facilities according to an embodiment of the present invention. The invention, however, is not limited to the description provided by flowchart800. Rather, it will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) from the teachings provided herein that other functional flows are within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Flowchart800will be described with continued reference to exemplary embodiments described above, though the method is not limited to those embodiments.

At step802, the VPGN accounting server740receives information including cryptographic data from the FPGMs at the various local electricity producer facilities720. As discussed above, the data, in one embodiment, can be transmitted in the form of ECC packets710and can be encrypted or signed using public key certificate techniques. In one embodiment, the data can be received by an accounting server controlled by the grid provider. In another embodiment, the server can also receive data from the electricity consuming facilities730, in addition to the electricity producer facilities720, regarding electricity consumed by the respective facilities.

At step804, the data710is verified or decrypted to access information regarding electricity produced and consumed by the facilities. In one embodiment, the encrypted data only comprises information regarding electricity produced, while information regarding electricity consumed is conveyed by conventional means, e.g., using a regular meter (facility power meter).

At step806, the data is used to track electricity contributions made by each of the local electricity producer facilities720. In one embodiment, the data is also used to track electricity consumption by all the various facilities720and730. In one embodiment, either the grid provider or the VPGN accounting server receiving the encrypted data could be running a tracking application that is operable to verify or decrypt the received data and keep track of the electricity contribution and consumption amounts for the various connected facilities.

At step808, the various electricity producer facilities720are compensated for the surplus electricity each of them has contributed back to the grid. The servers at either the grid provider's or the VPGN's facilities are programmed to accurately, securely and robustly keep track of the contributions from the various facilities so that the integrity of the system can be relied upon.

In the embodiment where the VPGN keeps track of the various contributions, at step810, the grid provider can be compensated for the portion of electricity contributed by the grid provider to facilities720and730. For example, the grid provider may need to contribute electricity at overcast days when the solar panels installed at the producer facilities720are not as efficient. Therefore, while electricity provided by the producer facilities720may be prioritized within the VPGN network, the VPGN may still need to draw power from the grid provider on certain occasions and compensate the grid provider accordingly.

FIG.9depicts a flowchart900of an exemplary process of sensing electricity contributions and securely transmitting packets reporting electricity contribution to an accounting server according to an embodiment of the present invention. The invention, however, is not limited to the description provided by flowchart900. Rather, it will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) from the teachings provided herein that other functional flows are within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Flowchart900will be described with continued reference to exemplary embodiments described above, though the method is not limited to those embodiments.

At step902, a FPGM or “monitoring station”620installed at a facility630senses the outgoing current passing through the meter using current sense circuit146and computes the power that is contributed by the local FGP650.

At step904, the FPGM may store the computed power contributions in system memory116or a primary storage device132.

At step906, the FPGM packetizes the computed power contribution data into ECC data packets. The ECC data packets, as discussed above, comprise power contribution measured as an integral of power over time (watt-hours). They may also include a time-stamp and a unit of time over which the energy contribution was measured.

At step908, the ECC data is encrypted using the encryption keys stored in the key storage module148.

Finally, at step910, the ECC data packets can be transmitted to remote accounting server740.

FIG.10is a block diagram illustrating the flow of data at an accounting server according to one embodiment of the present invention. The encrypted data packets are received by a data receiver1010at accounting server740. The packets are decrypted by the receiver and forwarded to contribution engine1020for determining the contribution amounts from the decrypted data.

Contribution engine1020is operable to recognize contributions from the various monitoring stations at the connected power generating facilities720and keep track of the contribution from each of the facilities. For example, inFIG.10, contribution engine1020keeps track of the contribution1050from Facility1separately from contribution1060from Facility N.

The respective contribution information is then passed to a compensation engine1070. The compensation engine1070is responsible for converting the contribution amounts from each of the respective facilities to compensation amounts. For example, compensation engine1070will determine a separate compensation amount1090for Facility1based on the contribution amount1050for Facility1. Further, it will determine a separate compensation amount1080for Facility N based on the contribution amount1060for Facility N.

FIG.11is a block diagram illustrating the flow of data at a FPGM in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As discussed in relation toFIG.9, current sense module146determines the amount of outgoing electricity at a FPGM620. The data collected by current sense module146is used by the power contribution computation engine1102to determine the amount of power contributed back into the grid from FGP650. The data packetizer1104transforms the power contribution data from power contribution computation engine1102into ECC packets710. Data packetizer1104also receives timing information, wherein the timing information is used to time-stamp the ECC data packets.

The ECC data packets710are encrypted using data encryption engine1106. Data encryption engine1106may receive encryption, certificates and signing keys from keys storage module148. The encrypted or signed data is subsequently transmitted to an accounting server using data transmitter module1108.

According to some embodiments, a virtual power supply company may enter into agreement with power grid provider for their collective use of a shared power grid, to supply power to consumers through the power grid, as well as, to draw power from the power grid. The agreements may provide for fair accounting of aggregate contribution onto the shared power grid, or consumption from the grid, by the co-operative facilities, using information collected from facilities, and with a mutually agreed format and authentication systems, to support cross auditing of the contributions and consumption.

According to some embodiments, cryptographic processes are performed on encrypted and signed information in order to attest to the authenticity of the facility information, and verify the attribution to a specific facility. Cryptographic processes can be performed to extract the encrypted information, and verify the signatures concerning electricity contributions and consumptions. Respective electricity contributions from each of the first plurality of facilities can be tracked using the cryptographic attestation and attribution verification processes.

According to some embodiments, the facility electricity metering system involves securely embedding cryptographic material, including keys, certificates authenticating said keys, cryptographic processes, challenge-response protocols, and information signing processes within metering equipment of said facilities.

According to some embodiments, the facility metering equipment includes cryptographic material such as a signing keys, and certificates, provided by the grid supplier and/or auditor of said contribution and consumption information, for the purpose of signing said information within the facility metering equipment, in a manner that permits cryptographically attesting to the use of approved facility metering equipment, and the independent verification of the authenticity of said metering information.

According to some embodiments, electricity consumption by each of said first plurality of facilities is accounted for using metering information and the information is validated using cryptographic processes to authenticate the information and attribute the information to a specific facility.

While the foregoing disclosure sets forth various embodiments using specific block diagrams, flowcharts, and examples, each block diagram component, flowchart step, operation, and/or component described and/or illustrated herein may be implemented, individually and/or collectively, using a wide range of hardware, software, or firmware (or any combination thereof) configurations. In addition, any disclosure of components contained within other components should be considered as examples because many other architectures can be implemented to achieve the same functionality.

The process parameters and sequence of steps described and/or illustrated herein are given by way of example only. For example, while the steps illustrated and/or described herein may be shown or discussed in a particular order, these steps do not necessarily need to be performed in the order illustrated or discussed. The various example methods described and/or illustrated herein may also omit one or more of the steps described or illustrated herein or include additional steps in addition to those disclosed.

While various embodiments have been described and/or illustrated herein in the context of fully functional computing systems, one or more of these example embodiments may be distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, regardless of the particular type of computer-readable media used to actually carry out the distribution. The embodiments disclosed herein may also be implemented using software modules that perform certain tasks. These software modules may include script, batch, or other executable files that may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium or in a computing system. These software modules may configure a computing system to perform one or more of the example embodiments disclosed herein. One or more of the software modules disclosed herein may be implemented in a cloud computing environment. Cloud computing environments may provide various services and applications via the Internet. These cloud-based services (e.g., software as a service, platform as a service, infrastructure as a service, etc.) may be accessible through a Web browser or other remote interface. Various functions described herein may be provided through a remote desktop environment or any other cloud-based computing environment.

The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as may be suited to the particular use contemplated.

Embodiments according to the invention are thus described. While the present disclosure has been described in particular embodiments, it should be appreciated that the invention should not be construed as limited by such embodiments, but rather construed according to the below claims.