Energy management module

Abstract

In one embodiment, an energy management module is provided having a form factor adapted to be mounted within one or more slots of a load center or distribution board of a building. The energy management module includes a housing configured to be mounted within one or more slots of a load center or distribution board. It has a plurality of current sensor connectors configured to connect to a current sensor that measures current flowing through a load center or a circuit breaker of a distribution board to a circuit within a building. One or more power measurement DSPs are provided to measure power consumption of a circuit. It also has a microcontroller unit having a wireless network interface configured to communicate the power consumption measurements to a host controller or a cloud service that provides the power consumption measurements for display in an energy management user interface.

Description

background Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to energy management and, more particularly, to devices configured to measure and / or control power consumption of circuits within a structure (eg, a residence or commercial building). Background Art

[0003] With the rising cost of electricity and greater awareness of environmental impacts, there is increasing interest in monitoring and controlling the power supplied to circuits within a building. This includes power flowing through the main circuit breaker at a load center or a building's distribution panel (often referred to simply as a "breaker box"), as well as power flowing through individual circuit breakers that power specific loads (e.g., lamps, wall outlets, appliances, HVAC equipment, etc.). A variety of energy management systems have been developed to address these tasks. However, existing energy management systems typically require accessory components that must be installed near the load center or distribution panel, but outside the load center or distribution panel, in order to perform monitoring or control functions. The requirement for such external accessory components complicates installation, consumes additional space in the utility room, and increases cost. An improved solution is needed that does not require accessory components near but outside the load center or distribution panel. Summary of the invention

[0004] In one embodiment, an energy management module (e.g., a stand-alone energy management (SEM) module) is provided having a form factor adapted to be installed in one or more slots of a load center or a distribution board. The form factor can be a form factor of a double-pole circuit breaker that is installed in two slots of a load center or a distribution board and is retained therein by a combination of one or more tabs engaging a retaining rod and one or more clips engaging and electrically connected to a hot bus. The SEM module can include a plurality of current sensor connectors configured to connect to current sensors (e.g., split core, clip-on Hall effect current sensors) that measure current flowing through a circuit breaker (e.g., a main circuit breaker and individual circuit breakers) to a circuit. One or more power measurement digital signal processors (DSPs) can be configured to measure the power consumption of the circuit using the current and voltage measured on the hot bus. The SEM module can include a microcontroller unit with a wireless network interface (e.g., a Wi-Fi interface, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) interface, etc.) that is configured to transmit power consumption measurements to a host controller or cloud service of the energy management system. The host controller or cloud service can provide the power consumption measurements in an energy management user interface of a control application (app) that can be executed on the mobile device. The SEM module can also include a local user interface configured to locally display at least some of the power consumption measurements.

[0005] In some embodiments, the SEM module may include an integrated panel bridge controller (PBC) configured to communicate with one or more companion modules associated with corresponding circuit breakers within a load center or distribution board via a wireless network interface (e.g., a BLE interface). The PBC may receive data from the companion modules and forward it to a host controller or cloud service, and send control commands to the companion modules on behalf of the host controller or cloud service to perform energy management functions.

[0006] It should be understood that various additional features and alternative embodiments may be implemented. The present summary is intended only as a brief introduction to the reader and does not indicate or imply that the examples mentioned herein cover all aspects of the present invention or are necessary or essential aspects of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The following description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0008] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an example architecture of an energy management system that may include a SEM module;

[0009] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of an example load center or switchboard showing the interconnections between SEM modules and other components within the load center or switchboard;

[0010] Figure 3 is a block diagram of internal components of a first example SEM module lacking an integrated PBC;

[0011] Figure 4 is a block diagram of internal components of a second example SEM module including an integrated PBC; and

[0012] Figure 5 are example configuration screens that may be presented by a control application on a mobile device to configure a SEM module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] definition

[0014] As used herein, the term "home automation system" refers to a system that controls at least one of audio / video, lighting, heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), or energy functions in a building (eg, a residence or commercial building).

[0015] As used herein, the term "energy management system" refers to a system for monitoring and / or controlling energy consumption, generation and / or storage within a building (e.g., a residence or commercial building). An energy management system can be a component of a home automation system, or a stand-alone system.

[0016] As used herein, the term "mobile device" refers to an electronic device that executes a general-purpose operating system and is adapted to be carried with you. Devices such as smart phones should be considered mobile devices. Desktop computers, servers, or other primarily fixed computing devices should generally not be considered mobile devices.

[0017] As used herein, the term "companion module" refers to a device having a form factor adapted to be mounted within one or more slots of a load center or distribution panel and which is configured to monitor and control circuits of associated circuit breakers of the load center or distribution panel.

[0018] As used herein, the term "panel bridge controller" or PBC refers to a device configured to communicate with one or more companion modules to receive data from and send control commands to one or more companion modules as part of an energy management system, the one or more companion modules being associated with corresponding circuit breakers within a load center or distribution board. The PBC may be a stand-alone device or integrated into a multi-function device.

[0019] Example Embodiments

[0020] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram of an example architecture 100 of an energy management system that may include a SEM module. A load center or distribution panel (often referred to simply as a "breaker box") 110 may be provided with power via an automatic transfer switch (ATS) 140, which may be derived from a utility grid 142, local generation (e.g., solar, wind, etc.) 144, and / or a local battery or generator 146. The ATS 140 may be an intelligent power switching device having a microprocessor-based controller configured to automatically switch between power sources and load balance.

[0021] The load center or distribution board 110 may include a main circuit breaker 122 through which all power flows and a plurality of individual circuit breakers 124, each of which distributes power to one or more circuits that power loads within the building (e.g., light fixtures, wall outlets, appliances, HVAC equipment, etc.). In some cases, the circuit breakers 124 may be associated with (e.g., wired in series with) corresponding companion modules 132 that monitor and control their circuits. Each companion module 132 may include one or more relays configured to control (i.e., turn on or off) the corresponding circuits, one or more current sensors (e.g., Hall effect current sensors) configured to measure current flowing to such circuits, a power measurement DSP configured to measure power consumption (e.g., instantaneous power consumption, average power consumption, peak power consumption, etc.) of loads coupled to the circuits, a microcontroller with an integrated wireless network interface (e.g., a BLE interface) configured to send data and receive and implement control commands, and a local user interface (e.g., an LCD screen and switches / buttons) configured to locally display data and / or receive local control commands. In the case where the circuit breaker has an associated companion module 132, the current and voltage may be measured by the companion module. However, in some embodiments, for some circuit breakers, there may not be an associated companion module 132, or there may not be a companion module at all. Further, in some embodiments, there may not be a convenient nearby component (e.g., a dedicated PBC) to receive data and send control commands to the companion module 132.

[0022] To partially address these issues, one or more SEM modules 134 may be included in the load center or panelboard 110 that are configured to measure the power consumption of the loads on the circuits of each individual circuit breaker 124 and the total power consumption through the main circuit breaker 122. Each SEM module 134 may include a microcontroller and a wireless network interface to communicate the power consumption measurements to the host controller 150 or cloud service 160 (e.g., using Wi-Fi, BLE, etc.). In some embodiments, the SEM module 134 may also include an integrated PBC that is configured to receive data from the companion module 132 and send control commands to the companion module 132 via the wireless network interface (e.g., using BLE) on behalf of the host controller 150 or cloud service 160. As discussed further below, the SEM module 134 may have a form factor (e.g., having a double-pole circuit breaker form factor) that is adapted to be installed within one or more slots of the load center or panelboard 110.

[0023] The host controller 150 can execute host software that is configured to monitor and control the operation of components of a home automation system of a building, and the energy management system can be an integral part of this home automation system. The host software can provide a variety of functions when executed, including UI interpretation, system management and monitoring, synchronization with a cloud service 160 via the Internet 155, activity logging, activity prediction, and / or other types of functions. The host software can maintain a home database that stores configuration information about components of the home automation system, including components of the energy management system, such as the companion module 132 and the SEM module 134. At least some of the data in the home database can also be maintained (e.g., redundantly maintained) by the cloud service 160. The host controller 150 can communicate with one or more mobile devices 170 (e.g., via Wi-Fi) configured to execute a control application 172. The control application 172 can be configured to present a user interface for monitoring and controlling the operation of home automation functions, at least a portion of which can be an energy management user interface for monitoring and controlling energy-related functions.

[0024] Figure 2 1 is an enlarged view of an example load center or panelboard 110 showing the interconnections between the SEM modules 134 and other components within the load center or panelboard. In one embodiment, the load center or panelboard 110 is a single-phase 240 volt (V) electrical panel rated up to 200 amperes (A). However, it should be understood that the load center or panelboard 110 may alternatively have different specifications (e.g., three-phase with different voltage and current ratings). Similar to Figure 1 , a load center or distribution panel 110 may include a main circuit breaker 122 and a plurality of individual circuit breakers 124 associated with companion modules 132. In this example, a single SEM module 134 is installed. However, it should be understood that in other embodiments, multiple SEM modules 134 may be installed in a load center or distribution panel.

[0025] The SEM module 134 can have a housing (e.g., a plastic housing) similar to a circuit breaker (e.g., a double-pole circuit breaker) that is sized to fit within one or more slots (e.g., two slots) of a load center or distribution board 110. The SEM module 134 can be retained within the slots by a combination of one or more tabs molded into the housing engaging a protrusion of a retaining bar 210 of the load center or distribution board and one or more metal clips extending through the housing engaging the hot busbars 220, 230 of the load center or distribution board 110. In addition to providing a retaining function, the one or more metal clips can also provide an electrical connection to the hot busbars 220, 230. The terminals extending through the housing can provide an electrical connection (e.g., via wires) to the neutral busbar 240 of the load center or distribution board. Through such an electrical connection, the SEM module 134 can obtain power to support its operation. Further, the SEM module 134 can also measure the voltage on the hot busbars 220, 230 of the load center or distribution board 110 for measuring power.

[0026] The SEM module 134 may include a plurality (e.g., 12) of current sensor connectors (e.g., on a pluggable terminal block) extending through the housing and configured to connect via wires to current sensors (e.g., split core, clip-on Hall effect current sensors) 250, 260 associated with (e.g., clipped around) wires within the load center or distribution board 110. Each current sensor may have a respective current rating (e.g., 20A, 50A, 150A, 250A, 400A, 600A, etc.) indicating the maximum amount of current it can measure. The current sensors may include a current sensor 250 on the positive wire leading to the main circuit breaker 122 to measure the current flowing through the main circuit breaker to all circuits, and a current sensor 260 on the positive wire from each individual circuit breaker to measure the current flowing to each individual circuit that supplies power to the loads within the building. Depending on the implementation, current sensors 250, 260 may be provided for all circuits or for selected circuits.

[0027] It should be remembered that in addition to its physical interconnection, the SEM module 132 may further have a wireless connection (e.g., via Wi-Fi, BLE, etc.) with the host controller 150 via its wireless network interface, and in embodiments where the SEM module 132 includes an integrated PBC, with the companion module 132 (e.g., via BLE). In embodiments where the SEM module 134 includes an integrated PBC, in addition to current measurements via the current sensors 250, 260, additional current measurements may be obtained from the companion module 132 using its internal current sensors (e.g., Hall effect current sensors).

[0028] The SEM module 134 may also include an LCD screen and switches / buttons (e.g., two switches and one button) extending through the front of the housing that provide a local user interface on the module. The local user interface may be used to display at least some of the power consumption measurements and to receive local control commands (e.g., to change the display type or select among them).

[0029] Figure 3 is a block diagram of the internal components of a first example SEM module 134 lacking an integrated PBC. The core of the module 134 is a microcontroller unit 310 with an integrated wireless network interface (e.g., a Wi-Fi / BLE network interface). A plurality of current sensor connectors 320 (e.g., on four 8-position pluggable terminal blocks) are configured to connect to a set of current sensors (e.g., 12 split-core, clip-on Hall effect current sensors) that measure the current flowing through the circuit breakers of the load center or distribution board 110 to the circuits within the building. The current sensor connectors 320 are coupled to one or more power measurement DSPs (e.g., six 2-channel DSPs) via PCB-to-PCB connectors 330, which are configured to measure the power consumption (e.g., instantaneous power consumption, average power consumption, peak power consumption, etc.) of the loads coupled to the circuits using the current measurements and voltages on one or more hot buses 220, 230 of the load center or distribution board, and provide such measurements to the microcontroller unit 310. The microcontroller unit 310 is configured to use its integrated wireless network interface to transmit power consumption measurements to the host controller 150 or the cloud service 160 via an antenna 350 coupled thereto via a connector (e.g., a subminiature type A (SMA) connector), and the host controller 150 or the cloud service 160 provides the power consumption measurements for display in an energy management user interface.

[0030] The UI module 360 ​​is also coupled to the microcontroller unit 310 and provides a local user interface for displaying at least some power consumption measurements and / or receiving local control commands. The UI module 360 ​​may include an LCD screen 362 and switches / buttons 364, 366. The UI module 360 ​​may also include an accelerometer 368, which is configured to determine the orientation of the SEM module 134. Depending on the orientation, the screen shown on the LCD screen 362 can be rotated so that the text and / or graphics thereon are oriented in a vertical manner. Power can be provided to the components of the SEM module 134, including the microcontroller unit 310 and the UI module 360, from an AC-DC power supply 370 that converts power obtained from the hot bus 220, 230 of the load center or distribution board 110.

[0031] Figure 41 is a block diagram of the internal components of a second example SEM module 134 including an integrated PBC. The core of the module is a microcontroller unit 410, which is coupled to a memory (dynamic random access memory (DRAM)) 412 and a solid-state storage device (embedded multimedia card (eMMC)) 414, which store an operating system (e.g., a Linux operating system) and application code for the PBC functions. A plurality of current sensor connectors 320 (e.g., (e.g., on four 8-position pluggable terminal blocks) are configured to connect to a set of current sensors (e.g., 12 split-core, clip-on Hall effect current sensors) that measure current flowing through the circuit breakers of the load center or distribution board 110 to the circuits within the building. The current sensor connectors 320 are coupled to one or more power measurement DSPs (e.g., six 2-channel DSPs) via PCB-to-PCB connectors 330, which are configured to measure the power consumption of the loads coupled to the circuits using the current measurements and voltages on one or more hot buses 220, 230 of the load center or distribution board. The microcontroller unit 410 measures power consumption (e.g., instantaneous power consumption, average power consumption, peak power consumption, etc.) and provides such measurement results to the microcontroller unit 410. The microcontroller unit 410 is configured to transmit the power consumption measurement results to the host controller 150 or the cloud service 160 using a wireless network interface (e.g., a Wi-Fi / BLE network interface) coupled to the antenna 350 via a connector (e.g., an SMA connector), and the host controller 150 or the cloud service 160 provides the power consumption measurement results for display in the energy management user interface. The microcontroller unit 410 is also configured to implement PCB functions under the guidance of the host controller 150 or the cloud service 160.

[0032] The UI and networking module 460 is also coupled to the microcontroller unit 310 and provides a local user interface for displaying at least some power consumption measurements and / or receiving local control commands, as well as an additional wireless network interface (e.g., a BLE network interface) for receiving data from the companion module 132 and sending control commands to the companion module 132. The UI and networking module 460 may include an LCD screen 362 and switches / buttons 364, 366. The UI and networking module 460 may also include an accelerometer 368, which is configured to determine the orientation of the SEM module 134. Depending on the orientation, the screen shown on the LCD can be rotated so that the text and / or graphics thereon are oriented in a vertical manner. Further, as part of the PBC functionality, the UI and networking module 460 may include a networking system-on-chip (SOC) (e.g., a Bluetooth SOC) adapted to communicate with the companion module 132. Power may be provided to the components of the SEM module 134, including the microcontroller unit 310 and the UI and networking module 460, from an AC-DC power supply 370 that converts power drawn from the hot buses 220, 230 of the load center or distribution board 110. A power management integrated circuit (IC) 380 and a voltage converter 382 may be used to condition and convert this power.

[0033] Figure 5 172 on the mobile device 170 is presented to configure the SEM module 134. At least some of the configurations may be stored in the home database. For each circuit, the user may select and / or deselect the enable field 510 to indicate whether the circuit is to appear in the energy management user interface provided by the control application 172. The user may enter the category of the physical wiring to which the current sensors 250, 260 are attached in the circuit description field 515, and enter the classification (e.g., consumption, production, feed) in the classification field 520. Using the image field 525, the group image field 530, and the group name field 535, the user may customize the appearance of the power consumption information in the energy management user interface. The user may enter the identification of the SEM module 134 in the monitoring device field 540, and enter the identification of the current sensor connector 320 that the circuit is being monitored by in the channel field 545. The size of the circuit may be entered in the size field 550, and the identification of the voltage measurement source used for power calculation may be entered in the voltage source field 555. The user may enter further information describing the organization and properties of the monitored circuit and its relationship to the larger home automation system in the parent circuit field 560, the control field 565, the home automation zone field 570, and the production type field 575.

[0034] It should be understood that various adaptations and modifications may be made to the SEM module 134 discussed above. It should be understood that at least some of the functions suggested above to be implemented in hardware may be implemented in software, and vice versa. In general, functions may be implemented in hardware, software, or various combinations thereof. Hardware implementations may include logic circuits, application specific integrated circuits, and / or other types of hardware components. Software implementations may include electronic device executable instructions (e.g., computer executable instructions) stored in a non-transitory electronic device readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer readable medium), such as a volatile or permanent memory, a hard disk, a compact disk (CD), or other tangible medium. Further, a combined software / hardware implementation may include both electronic device executable instructions stored in a non-transitory electronic device readable medium and one or more hardware components (e.g., a processor, memory, etc.). Most importantly, it should be understood that the above embodiments are intended to be considered as examples only.

Claims

1. An energy management module having a form factor adapted to be installed in one or more slots of a load center or switchboard of a building, comprising: a housing configured to be mounted within the one or more slots of the load center or switchboard; a plurality of current sensor connectors configured to connect to current sensors that measure current flowing through circuit breakers of the load center or distribution board to circuits within the building; one or more power measurement digital signal processors (DSPs) configured to measure power consumption of the circuit; as well as A microcontroller unit having a wireless network interface configured to communicate power consumption measurements to a host controller or a cloud service, which provides the power consumption measurements for display in an energy management user interface.

2. The energy management module according to claim 1, further comprising: one or more clips, each clip configured to engage and electrically connect to a thermal busbar of the load center or switchboard; as well as A terminal electrically connected to the neutral bus of the load center or distribution panel.

3. The energy management module of claim 2, wherein the one or more power measurement DSPs are configured to measure power consumption of the circuit using a voltage supplied across the one or more clips.

4. The energy management module according to claim 2, wherein: The housing also includes one or more connectors, each connector being configured to engage a retaining bar of the load center or power distribution panel, wherein a combination of the one or more connectors and the one or more clips retains the energy management module within the one or more slots of the load center or power distribution panel. 5 . The energy management module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more slots are two slots and the form factor is that of a double pole circuit breaker.

6. The energy management module of claim 1, wherein the wireless network interface comprises a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) interface configured to transmit the power consumption measurements to the host controller or the cloud service.

7. The energy management module according to claim 1, further comprising: A local user interface is configured to locally display at least some of the power consumption measurements and / or receive local control commands.

8. The energy management module of claim 1 , wherein the circuit breakers include a main circuit breaker of the load center or distribution panel and a plurality of separate circuit breakers, such that the current sensor measures current flowing through the main circuit breaker and current flowing through the plurality of separate circuit breakers to circuits powering the loads.

9. The energy management module according to claim 1, further comprising: an integrated panel bridge controller (PBC) configured to communicate with one or more companion modules via the wireless network and to receive data from and send control commands to the one or more companion modules, the one or more companion modules being associated with corresponding circuit breakers within the load center or distribution board.

10. The energy management module of claim 9, wherein the wireless network interface comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) interface configured to receive data from and send control commands to the one or more companion modules.

11. An energy management module having a form factor adapted to be installed in one or more slots of a load center or switchboard of a building, comprising: one or more clips, each clip configured to engage and electrically connect to a thermal busbar of the load center or switchboard; a terminal electrically connected to a neutral bus of the load center or switchboard; a plurality of current sensor connectors configured to connect to current sensors that measure current flowing through circuit breakers of the load center or distribution board to circuits within the building; one or more power measurement digital signal processors (DSPs) configured to measure power consumption of the circuit; as well as A microcontroller unit configured to communicate power consumption measurements to a host controller or a cloud service.

12. The energy management module of claim 11, wherein the one or more power measurement DSPs are configured to measure power consumption of the circuit using a voltage supplied across the one or more clips.

13. The energy management module of claim 11, wherein the wireless network interface comprises a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) interface configured to transmit the power consumption measurements to the host controller or the cloud service.

14. The energy management module according to claim 11, further comprising: A local user interface is configured to locally display at least some of the power consumption measurements and / or receive local control commands to control the local display.

15. The energy management module of claim 11, wherein the circuit breakers include a main circuit breaker of the load center or distribution panel and a plurality of separate circuit breakers, such that the current sensor measures current flowing through the main circuit breaker and current flowing through the plurality of separate circuit breakers to circuits powering the loads.

16. The energy management module according to claim 11, further comprising: an integrated panel bridge controller (PBC) configured to communicate with one or more companion modules via the wireless network and to receive data from and send control commands to the one or more companion modules, the one or more companion modules being associated with corresponding circuit breakers within the load center or distribution board.

17. The energy management module of claim 16, wherein the wireless network interface comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) interface configured to receive data from and send control commands to the one or more companion modules.

18. A method for using an energy management module having a form factor adapted to be installed within one or more slots of a load center or switchboard of a building, the method comprising: installing the energy management module in the one or more slots of the load center or switchboard; connecting a plurality of current sensor connectors of the energy management module to a plurality of current sensors that measure current flowing through circuit breakers of the load center or distribution board to circuits within the building; configuring the energy management module with information describing the circuits within the building; as well as Based on the measured current flow, the energy management module is configured to transmit power consumption measurements of the circuit within the building to a host controller or a cloud service.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein installing the energy management module further comprises: bonding one or more clips of the energy management module to a thermal busbar of the load center or switchboard; as well as Connect the terminals of the energy management module to the neutral bus of the load center or switchboard.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising: The energy management module is configured to operate as an integrated panel bridge controller (PBC) of the load center or distribution board so that it communicates with one or more companion modules to receive data from and send control commands to the one or more companion modules, the one or more companion modules being associated with corresponding circuit breakers within the load center or distribution board.

Images