Patent ID: 8731732

Claim:
A machine-implemented method, comprising: receiving indications of a balance in an electric grid between available electric power and load; determining load settings within variable load ranges for a plurality of controllable loads that are controllable to operate within corresponding ones of the variable load ranges, based on load parameters of the controllable loads, to accommodate at least a portion of variations in the balance between available electric power and load, including one or more of, receiving minimum and maximum load values corresponding to a controllable load and determining a load setting for the controllable load as one or more of a plurality of parameters that in combination determine a load value and a rate of task performance, receiving a time parameter corresponding to a controllable load and repeatedly adjusting a load setting for the controllable load within a variable load range of the controllable load to meet an energy parameter of the controllable load in accordance with the time parameter while contributing to the balance between available electric power and loads on the grid, receiving minimum and maximum capacity values, a current state of a task, and a time parameter corresponding to a controllable load determine minimum and maximum load values based on one or more of the minimum and maximum capacity values, the current state of the task, and the time parameter, and determining a load setting for the controllable load as a set point within the minimum and maximum load values, and receiving product identification information corresponding to a controllable load from a corresponding load controller, retrieving one or more load parameters corresponding to the product identification information from one or more databases, and determining a load setting for the controllable load in accordance with the retrieved load parameters; and communicating the load settings to load controllers associated with the controllable loads to control the controllable loads with the corresponding load settings.