General Electric Company

Virtual Peaker, Inc.

Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.

William Jerome Burke

Jeff Donald Drake

David Joseph Najewicz

Charles Ray Smith

Yicheng Wen

John Keith Besore

Robert Marten Bultman

Jason Wayne Black

Reigh Allen Walling

Harjeet Johal

Christopher Matthew Baker

Devon Leigh Manz

A method for managing energy in a controllable device includes determining a plurality of future energy prices, where each of the future energy prices represents a price of a unit of energy over a predetermined time period, determining a duration to charge a controllable device, correlating the duration to charge the controllable device with at least one predetermined time period based at least in part on the price per unit energy over the at least one predetermined time period, and directing a utility to charge the controllable device at the at least one predetermined time period.

Systems and methods for managing the charge and discharge of energy from controllable devices

A system for interfacing a third-party system with a client device, the system includes a platform having one or more computing devices communicatively coupled to the third-party system and the client device, the platform is configured to receive, from a third-party system, a request for a client device, translate the request from the third-party system to a client specific protocol, transmit the request in the client specific protocol to the client device, and receive a response from the client device based on the request.

System and method for remote execution of real time control (RTC) hardware

Systems and methods for time use optimization are provided. One embodiment of a method includes determining time of use pricing data associated with purchase of energy from an energy provider, partitioning a predetermined amount of time into a plurality of segments, where the plurality of segments corresponds with the higher cost tier and the lower cost tier, and creating an energy set point schedule for setting a set point of a controllable device, where the energy set point schedule sets the set point of the controllable device to a predetermined value for each of the plurality of segments. Some embodiments include determining energy utilized by the controllable device during at least a portion of the energy set point schedule and iteratively altering the energy set point schedule, based on a comparison of the energy utilized and a current status of the energy set point schedule.

Systems and methods for time use optimization

Systems and method for time use optimization

Systems and methods for real time control are provided. One embodiment includes executing a first control cycle that includes retrieving an input message, where the input message includes an identifier of a network device with an input and an actuator and retrieving a context object that includes a serialized controller data structure from a previous control sample. The first control cycle may additionally include retrieving data related to the input for the network device and bundle the data related to the input with the serialized controller data structure into a run message, de-serializing the serialized controller data structure, and using the controller data structure in conjunction with the data related to the input to determine a new actuator position of the actuator. In some embodiments, the first control cycle includes updating and serializing the controller data structure and causing the actuator to be set to the new actuator position.

Systems and methods for real-time control

A method for operating a water heater appliance includes obtaining a plurality of water temperature measurements over a period of time, determining at least one heated water draw event for the water heater appliance, and establishing a future operating schedule for the water heater appliance. The water heater appliance is operated according to the future operating schedule.

Method for operating a water heater appliance

A system is provided for reducing temperature gradients within a building. For example, temperature gradients between the air temperature measured at a thermostat controlling an HVAC system and the air temperature in one or more rooms of the building can be reduced. A model of the building is created by measuring the temperature gradient between the thermostat and one or more rooms of the building. This model is used to determine the operation of the HVAC system so as to reduce one or more of such temperature gradients.

Temperature gradient reduction using building model and HVAC blower

A method for predicting energy consumption of an HVAC system is provided. The method includes providing a model for an indoor temperature of a building, a model for an operating state of the HVAC system, and predicted future outdoor temperatures. Utilizing at least the models for the indoor temperature and the operating state of the HVAC system and the predicted future outdoor temperatures, a predicted future energy consumption of the HVAC can be estimated.

Method for predicting HVAC energy consumption

A method of controlling a power consuming device includes receiving a control signal from a power supplying utility. The control signal signals a beginning of a control period. A length of time to operate the power consuming device during the control period is determined and an offset time is identified. A start time for operation of the power consuming device is identified as a function of the beginning of the control period and the offset time. A stop time for operation of the power consuming device is identified as a function of the start time and the determined length of time to operate the power consuming device.

Synchronized PWM randomization for coordinated load management

The present subject matter relates energy management systems and methodologies wherein control over local appliances is implemented to control stress on a local transformer to which a plurality of user locations may be connected. Some of the user locations are provided with home energy management (HEM) devices that control operation of certain appliance at their location based in part on constraints associated with the local transformer. The HEMs may negotiate among themselves how to meet the constraints of the local transformer and, in certain circumstances, take into consideration estimates of usage at user locations connected to the local transformer but that do not have their own HEM.

PWM based energy management with local distributed transformer constraints

A system and method of remotely binding appliance information to a user's network is provided. At a point-of-purchase, a terminal can communicate with a remote server over a network, such as the Internet, to provide appliance identification information to the server. The server can associate the identified appliance with user data associated with the user purchasing the appliance. The server can also identify appliance data stored at the server based on the appliance identification information. The server can then bind the appliance data to the user's network. For instance, a target object, such as a local computing device (e.g. a home energy manager or local network device such as a network terminal), associated with the user can be identified based on the user data and a path to provide the appliance data to the target object can be specified.

Binding an appliance to a network at point of purchase

A method for aggregate load management includes determining whether a load capacity limit within a utility power network will be exceeded, selecting an aggregated demand reduction target to remain within capacity bounds if the load capacity limit is to be exceeded, selecting a demand reduction strategy, and sending a control signal that includes a randomized PWM level, based on the strategy, to a controller in a load component of the utility system based on the reduction target. A method for component load management includes receiving a control signal from a utility system based on a utility demand reduction strategy, converting the signal into randomized PWM control of the load component in accordance therewith, receiving an updated control signal based on utility system monitoring of an aggregate load of a component of the utility system, and converting the updated signal into randomized PWM control of the load component in accordance therewith.

Aggregate load management at a system level

An apparatus and method for estimating resource consumption of a household device, e.g., an appliance. The method comprises determining a resource demand profile for a household device for a given time period, the resource demand profile associating, for the given time period, a device state of the household device with a total resource demand for the household. In one embodiment, the apparatus can be incorporated into an energy management system, where the apparatus collects data from each of the appliances in a household as well as from a resource meter.

Apparatus and method for sub-metering of household devices

A system and method for simultaneously restoring power to loads in a distribution network that experienced an outage. The pickup load on the feeder in the distribution network is estimated and the load limit on the feeder is determined. The load on the feeder is divided into groups based on the load limit. A restoration load control process is determined, and power is restored to each of the groups simultaneously based on the power restoration control process.

Growing community of inventors

Louisville, KY, United States of America

William Jerome Burke