Patent ID: 8600574

Claim:
A method for controlling behavior of an electrical device, the method comprising the steps of: a client computer, coupled to the electrical device, establishing a connection with a server computer of a power supplier via a network, wherein the power supplier receives electrical power from a plurality of power sources; the client computer specifying to the power supplier: a desired amount of electrical power for the electrical device; a subset of power sources, from the plurality of power sources, from which the desired amount of electrical power for the electrical device should be supplied to the electrical device; and a proportion of the desired amount of power that should be supplied to the electrical device from each of the power sources in the subset of power sources; the client computer determining whether the power supplier can supply the desired amount of electrical power for the electrical device from the specified subset of power sources in the specified proportions; and in response to determining that the power supplier cannot supply the desired amount of electrical power for the electrical device from the specified subset of power sources in the specified proportions, the client computer changing behavior of the electrical device such that overall power consumption of the electrical device is reduced.