System and method for an optimised control of the consumption of electric energy and the supply of at least a virtualised system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for optimised control of the consumption of electric energy by at least one user, wherein said user is associated with at least one respective electrical energy utility (2) associated with an electrical energy meter ( POD) for measuring the electrical energy consumption the electrical energy utility (2) itself, wherein a virtual fraction of a system for the supply of electrical energy is associated with the specific user in order to enable a comparison between the amount of electrical energy supplied and the amount of electrical energy consumed as detected by the electrical energy meter ( POD), and to optimise the awareness of energy requirements for the specific user.

Description

[0001] SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN OPTIMISED CONTROL OF THE CONSUMPTION OF ELECTRIC ENERGY AND THE SUPPLY OF AT LEAST A VIRTUALISED SYSTEM

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This Patent Application claims priority from Italian Patent Application No . 102024000023169 filed on October 17 , 2024 , the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference .

[0004] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0005] The present invention relates to a system and a method for enabling a user, with which at least one electric utility is associated, to optimise awareness of their electricity consumption both in terms of the amount of energy consumed and in terms of the temporal distribution of their daily consumption, in particular - as will be more fully described below - with respect to a production value associated with a digital asset representative of an at least one virtual fraction of an electrical energy supply system, preferably of at least one virtualised renewable energy generation plant . In particular, a virtual fraction of a renewable energy plant can be associated with the speci fic user to enable a compari son between the amount of electricity sel f-produced virtually and the amount of electrical energy consumed as detected by the electrical energy meter ( POD) of the speci fic user, thereby optimising the awareness of energy requirements for the speci fic user .

[0006] In the following, the description will address a system and method for the creation of a digital asset , speci fically a fraction of a renewable energy generation plant , and the association of the digital asset - understood as a production capacity in terms of power ( e . g . si zed in Watts or multiples thereof ) - with a user, in order to allow the user to compare the amount of electrical energy allocated in the form of a digital asset with the amount of electrical energy consumed, and to optimise awareness of their energy requirements in order to promote responsible actions in environmental and economic terms . BACKGROUND

[0007] Renewable energy sources that can be used at the household level for electrical energy production are mainly photovoltaic solar plants .

[0008] The spread of photovoltaic plants for domestic use has contributed to an increased awareness of the amount of electricity consumed versus the amount of sel f-generated electricity, particularly for a user of the low-voltage ( LV) electricity grid .

[0009] Photovoltaic plants , even in the form of a panel that can be mounted on a railing or roof , require a suitable space for both installation and proper operation .

[0010] Lack of space , e . g . for users living in apartment blocks or rented properties where it is di f ficult or impossible to install solar panels , is the main cause of non-widespread deployment of renewable energy sources .

[0011] In domestic applications , a reduction is required both in si ze , determined by the plant ' s footprint - which is not always achievable - and in cost , determined by the costs of the plant' s structural components and operation and maintenance .

[0012] SUMMARY

[0013] In light of the above , it is therefore the purpose of the present invention to propose a system and method that overcome the drawbacks of the prior art described above .

[0014] According to the present invention, a method, system and computer program executable by a data processing system, as defined in the appended claims that form an integral part of this description, are thus provided .

[0015] In particular, according to an embodiment , the present invention enables the association of an amount of energy produced by a renewable source with a user of the electricity grid, in particular a low-voltage ( LV) grid, optimising the awareness of its energy needs for the speci fic user .

[0016] Advantageously, the invention according to the present invention is applicable in all contexts in which there is a user associated with at least one respective electric utility of an electricity grid, in particular a low-voltage ( LV) network, in which each electric utility is associated with a respective electrical energy meter ( POD) which measures the electrical energy consumption of that electric utility .

[0017] In particular, the present description relates to a user associated with at least one respective electric utility of a low- voltage ( LV) electricity grid, but the invention according to the present invention is understood to extend also to a utility of a medium- voltage (MV) or high-voltage (HV) electricity grid .

[0018] A further advantage of the solution according to the present invention is the possibility of adj usting the amount of energy produced by renewable sources associated with a speci fic user to match the actual energy requirement of the speci fic user .

[0019] A further advantage of the invention according to the present invention is the possibility of associating a speci fic amount of energy produced by a renewable source with a specific user, eliminating the problems associated with the installation, maintenance and portability of a photovoltaic solar plant .

[0020] Other advantages , features and methods of use of the obj ect of the present invention will become evident from the following detailed description of some embodiments thereof , presented by way of nonlimiting example .

[0021] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Reference will be made to the figures of the accompanying drawings , in which :

[0023] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the system according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the steps of an embodiment of the method according to the present invention .

[0024] DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0025] With reference to Figure 1 , an embodiment of the system 1 for optimised control of electricity consumption by at least one user according to the present invention comprises at least one control logic unit 10 configured to generate a virtual replica RVi of an electrical energy supply system, in particular an electrical energy supply system that is not owned by the actual user .

[0026] Preferably, the electrical energy supply system comprises at least one electrical energy generation plant , particularly of the renewable type .

[0027] In the following, the invention will be described with reference to embodiments in which the electrical energy supply system is a renewable energy production plant .

[0028] As shown in Figure 1 , the system 1 further comprises acquisition means 50 to acquire supply data from the electrical energy supply system . In detail , i f the electrical energy supply system comprises at least one renewable energy production plant , the supply data correspond to the production data of at least one renewable energy production plant .

[0029] The acquisition means 50 also comprise smart meters such as anemometers , and / or solar meters , and / or 2G electricity meters , configured to detect the actual availability of the renewable energy source .

[0030] In particular, the virtual replica RVi of a renewable energy plant is characterised by the production data, e . g . the production capacity expressed in Watts , of at least one renewable energy plant .

[0031] In the described example , the control logic unit 10 is further configured to generate a subdivision of the virtual replica RVi into a plurality of virtual fractions FVi, . . FVnof said virtual replica RVi, wherein each of said virtual fractions FVi, . . FVnis characterised by a respective fraction of production data of said renewable energy plant .

[0032] The control logic unit 10 collects the consumption curves of each user and the hourly production curves of each new plant .

[0033] The control logic unit 10 is also configured to associate at least one virtual fraction FVi of the aforementioned plurality of virtual fractions FVi, . . FVnwith a speci fic user .

[0034] In the present description, each user is associated with at least one respective electric utility 2 of a low-voltage ( LV) electricity grid, wherein the low-voltage ( LV) electricity grid is equipped with a plurality of electrical energy meters ( PODs ) and each electrical energy meter ( POD) is associated with a respective electric utility 2 to measure the consumption of electricity by the electric utility 2 . However, as mentioned above , the invention according to the present invention is also understood to extend to a medium- voltage (MV) or high-voltage (HV) electricity grid .

[0035] In particular, each user may be associated with a single electrical energy meter ( POD) , in the case of a single electric utility 2 , or may be associated with a plurality of electrical energy meters ( PODs ) ( so-called multi-POD user ) in the case where a plurality of electric utilities 2 are associated with the same user, where electricity consumption is measured by means of corresponding meters .

[0036] As shown in Figure 1 , the system 1 according to the present invention further comprises display means 20 configured to display energy production data relating to at least one virtual fraction FVi associated with a speci fic user and to enable a comparison between the amount of electrical energy produced by the virtual fraction PVi and the amount of consumed electrical energy detected by the said electrical energy meter ( POD) , in particular in such a way as to optimise the awareness of the energy requirements for the speci fic user . In particular, the control logic unit 10 comprises a data bus 100 to enable an exchange of the production data of a plant acquired and associated with a virtual replica RVi and / or the consumption data of each user, relating to the metering of each electric utility 2 associated with the speci fic user, in such a way as to optimise and / or customise the ef ficiency of the fractionation composition of said virtual replica RVi.

[0037] Preferably, the data bus 100 is based on blockchain technology, so as to ensure transparency, ef ficiency and reliability in the transmission of exchanged data, particularly between acquisition means 50 and meters ( PODs ) .

[0038] Advantageously, the use of blockchain technology makes it possible to associate each of the aforementioned virtual fractions FVi, . . . FVnwith a respective asset or digital token, e . g . - as wi ll be better described below - which in turn can be associated with a respective user .

[0039] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a virtual replica (RVi ) is characterised by a speci fic capacity, expressed in Watts , equal to the capacity of the aforementioned renewable energy plant .

[0040] In particular, each virtual replica RVi is characterised by a maximum time duration equal to the decommissioning li fe of the respective renewable energy production plant .

[0041] For the purposes of the present description, a renewable energy production plant is understood as a solar plant, or a wind plant , or a hydroelectric plant , or a nuclear plant , or a biomass plant , or a geothermal plant .

[0042] In order to take into account the speci fic geographic and meteorological characteristics necessary, for example , to estimate a presumed or lack of production of a speci fic plant , each virtual replica RVi is characterised by a geographic location equal to the geographic location of the respective renewable energy production plant . In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the display means 20 comprise a screen of a fixed device or a mobile device, e . g . mobile phone , in such a manner as to allow the user to view energy production data relating to the at least one fractional unit associated with the actual user .

[0043] Additionally or alternatively, the display means 20 of the system 1 according to the present invention comprise alarm means 22 , for example for example sound or light , activated or activatable upon exceeding of a threshold value given by the comparison between produced energy and consumed energy, or individually by speci fic levels of production or consumption .

[0044] Preferably, in the invention according to the present invention, the control unit 10 is configured to monitor an operational state of each virtual replica RVi or virtual fraction FVi and to generate , i f the control unit 10 detects a mal function of any one virtual replica RVi or virtual fraction FVi, an additional virtual replica RVi or virtual fraction FVi to replace the virtual replica RVi or virtual fraction FVi for which a mal function was detected .

[0045] As shown in Figure 2 , the invention according to the present invention provides a method for optimised control of electricity consumption by a user associated with at least one respective electric utility 2 of an electricity grid, in particular a low- voltage ( LV) grid, comprising the steps of : o ( step S I ) generating, via a control unit 10 , a virtual replica RVi of at least one renewable energy production plant ; o Step ( S2 ) generating, by means of said control unit 10 , a subdivision of the virtual replica RVi into a plurality of virtual fractions FVi, . . FVnof the virtual replica RVi ; o ( step S3 ) associating, by means of said control unit 10 , at least one virtual fraction FVi of said plurality of virtual fractions FVi, . . FVnwith a speci fic user ; o ( step S4 ) displaying, by means of specially configured display means 20 , the energy production data relating to at least one virtual fraction ( RVi ) associated with the speci fic user in order to enable a comparison between the amount of electrical energy produced by the virtual fraction ( PVi ) and the amount of electrical energy consumed as measured by means of said electrical energy meter ( POD) , and to optimise the awareness of the energy requirements for the speci fic user and to promote conscious actions .

[0046] The method according to the present invention further comprising a step of exchanging, via a data bus 100 , acquired production data and / or consumption data between said virtual replica RVi of said at least one renewable energy plant and said at least one electrical energy meter ( POD) , in such a way as to optimise and / or customise the ef ficiency of the fractionation composition of said virtual replica RVi .

[0047] Advantageously, as described above , the data exchange step is based on blockchain technology, ensuring transparency, efficiency and reliability in the transmission of exchanged data .

[0048] The invention according to the present invention therefore makes it possible to create a new, innovative and revolutionary digital product that enables the allocation of one or more virtualised renewable energy fractions to a user, associated or associatable with at least one electric utility 2 and a respective meter ( POD) .

[0049] Preferably, the association of at least one virtual fraction to the user is such that the electricity produced by the renewable plant and corresponding to the at least one virtual fraction of the renewable plant constitutes a component of sel f-generated electricity by the user, even i f the renewable plant is not a personal or domestic plant or otherwise fully owned by the actual user . Each asset or digital token is in fact representative of the production rights of a fraction of one or more large renewable energy plants , by virtualising them and splitting the virtualised plant into a plurality of fractions .

[0050] Advantageously, a digital token certi fies ownership of the rights to benefit from the energy produced by the underlying plant fraction ( s ) , seen as a mix in terms of both production and technical characteristics . In particular, the invention according to the present invention enables the allocation of a plurality of digital assets or tokens to a single user based on the user's specific consumption.

[0051] The invention according to the present invention enables the virtualisation of a plurality of renewable energy production plants, e.g. based on different renewable energies, each virtualised plant being subdividable into a plurality of plant fractions, in particular understood as digital assets or tokens.

[0052] A plurality of different digital assets or tokens (so-called "token box") can be provided in a customised package on the basis of the individual user' s current and expected consumption, also on a plurality of fixed and mobile consumption points, e.g. (PODs) , with respect to the user's use, e.g. temporary site PODs or e- mobility recharges.

[0053] To optimise the composition of the token box, capacities from different renewable energy plants are mixed.

[0054] In particular, in light of the above, a token box is characterised by three main factors:

[0055] - capacity of the token box (dimensioned in Watts) ;

[0056] - time duration of the token box (dimensioned in days, months or years ) ;

[0057] - typology of virtualised plants (characterised not only by different types of renewable energy technologies but also by different plants based on the same technology but selected according to the specific location of the user or specific production / yield characteristics) .

[0058] Each asset or digital token is representative of the plant's production capacity in the years to come, which decreases linearly with time over the plant's useful life.

[0059] Advantageously, the token boxes, i.e. the plurality of assets or digital tokens, take on new characteristics compared to the individual characteristics of the starting plants that make them more attractive than their individual physical components in terms of when and how much they produce .

[0060] A solar plant produces during the day, whereas a wind plant also produces at night . Furthermore , a given solar plant may be more productive during peak hours than another solar plant during the same daytime hours , depending on the location, speci fic exposure and / or ef ficiency of the plant .

[0061] This is important to understand how the mix of these plants provides an important element to consider when associating one or more digital assets or tokens with a speci fic user, particularly when a so-called token box ( set of token assets ) is associated with a user in order to simulate as much as pos sible a renewable electricity production equal to the needs of the speci fic user, in order to maximise the use of renewable energy, albeit virtualised .

[0062] For example , think of a dye meter that mixes fluids of di f ferent colours to obtain a new colour, so the subdivision of individual virtualised renewable energy plants and the subsequent granular combination of fractions of virtualised plants with di f ferent technical characteristics makes it possible to digitally compose a unique "token box" plant capable of satis fying the speci fic consumption of each user .

[0063] Two users with the same consumption habits , but di f ferent energy-ef ficient electrometers , for example , wil l have di f ferent hourly consumptions , which will therefore imply di f ferent token box characteristics .

[0064] Let us consider, by way of example , the case of two households , identical in composition and consumption, where the first has a gas cooker and the second an induction hob .

[0065] The mix of solar and wind power to satis fy the two needs for indirect sel f-consumption (understood as the amount of energy allocated - by fractioning the virtual plant - that equals the energy actually consumed by the user and detected by reading the relevant POD) is clearly different, the former needing less solar and also less wind power than the latter.

[0066] Again, by way of example, if a household has permanently high consumption from computers and computer consoles that are always switched on at night and during the day, it will need a token box made up of a higher and more significant share of wind power than of photovoltaic.

[0067] In particular, by means of a special application or graphical interface on their display device, the user can view the share of the production curve associated with a specific token box, being aware of the self-consumed share.

[0068] The solution provides detailed information on each plant such as its production technology, location, production capacity, efficiency, useful life, estimated yield loss from technical senescence, estimated manufacturability and environmental benefits related to its operation, allowing users to make well-personalised decisions in selecting the type of plant, or a portfolio of plants, that best fits their financial and environmental sustainability ob j ectives .

[0069] In addition, through the provision of monitoring dashboards, the customer will be able to monitor the production of tokens associated with their utility and compare them with their own consumption .

[0070] In particular, in a further embodiment, the system 1 comprises a device or interface, which can be referred to as a traffic light socket, e.g. included in the display means 20, comprising three LEDs (e.g. red, yellow and green) and a small information screen to inform the consumer, and token box owner, of their consumption, token box production, and energy prices, so as to provide simplified but realtime traffic light indications on the conscious (economical and environmental) use of electricity:

[0071] In particular, when the LED is:

[0072] - red: it means that consumption is higher than the token box's production and / or that energy is high priced and therefore presumably with a high thermoelectric contribution ( constructed with moving Z- score statistical bands for each hour, or fraction of an hour, of the day) and therefore the further use of electricity loads is strongly discouraged, indicating whether the motivation is economic or environmental ;

[0073] - yellow : it means that consumption is slightly lower than the token box ' s production or that the energy is priced medium-high and therefore presumably with a signi ficantly high thermoelectric contribution ( constructed with moving Z-score statistical bands for each hour, or fraction of an hour, of the day) further use of electricity loads is therefore not recommended, for economic reasons of savings and for environmental reasons of activating thermoelectric sources necessary to meet the additional load . Again, in addition to the LED, information on the motivation will be given;

[0074] - green : it means that consumption is lower than the token box ' s output or that energy is priced low and therefore presumably with low or no contribution of thermoelectricity ( constructed with moving Z-score statistical bands for each hour, or fraction of an hour, of the day) and therefore it is advisable to use electricity loads shi fted to this load situation that would also be met at times of higher thermoelectricity load and / or lower economic convenience for the individual consumer . In the latter case , too , information on the motivation will be given via the display .

[0075] Advantageously, the system and method according to the present invention define a new model of virtual sel f-consumption, freed from the current technical and / or economic and / or bureaucratic limitations , providing a tool for becoming a "virtual owner" of a plant without having to install , maintain and bear the associated inconveniences and constraints .

[0076] Although the invention has so far been described in detail with reference to a renewable energy production plant , the above can be applied to a di fferent system for supply of electrical energy from a renewable energy production plant .

[0077] According to an embodiment , the system for supply of electrical energy may comprise a system for producing or generating electrical energy, e . g . a hydrogen generation and / or storage plant , nuclear energy sources , fuels or other energy sources that can be converted into electrical energy . In particular, the system for supply of electrical energy may comprise a system configured to produce or generate electrical energy, e . g . comprising one or more electrical energy production plants .

[0078] The system for supply of electrical energy may include one or more non-renewable electrical energy production plants , such as a thermoelectric power plant , and in particular one or more of the following : combined cycle thermoelectric power plant , coal- fired or other fossil fuel plant , and turbogas plant .

[0079] In addition or alternatively, according to an embodiment , the system for supply of electrical energy may comprise a system configured to store electrical energy, such as a battery . In this case , the supply data measured by acquisition means 50 may be indicative of the stored energy .

[0080] For example , the battery may be a physical battery or a virtual battery .

[0081] For example , the system for supply of electrical energy may comprise a network of electric utilities associated with one or more users and configured to exchange electricity with one another, so as to form a social electricity exchange network .

[0082] In addition or alternatively, according to an embodiment , the system for supply of electrical energy may comprise a system configured to distribute electrical energy . In this case , the supply data measured by the acquisition means 50 may be indicative of the distributed energy . In addition or alternatively, depending on an embodiment, the electrical energy supply system may comprise one or more electrical energy consumption points; e.g. public (e.g. public infrastructure such as electric charging stations) and / or private (e.g. a POD of a household utility) .

[0083] The system for supply of electrical energy may be a physical system, e.g. a plant or device for producing, distributing and / or supplying electricity, or it may be a digital replica, e.g. a digital twin, of a physical system such as a virtual POD that may be a prepaid system on a physical POD (e.g. a prepaid token that allows an electric car to be charged at home by scaling consumption from the prepaid system from the bill) .

[0084] Finally, it is clear that what is described and illustrated above can be modified without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0085] According to what described above, a system according to the present invention can be summarised by the following examples:

[0086] Example 1. A system (1) for optimised control of electrical energy consumption by at least one user, wherein said at least one user is associated with at least one respective electric utility (2) of an electricity grid, said electricity grid being provided with a plurality of electrical energy meters (PODs) , wherein each electrical energy meter (POD) is associated with a respective electricity utility (2) for measuring the electric energy consumption by the electric utility (2) , said system comprising: at least one control unit (10) ; acquisition means (50) for acquiring production data from at least one renewable energy production plant, wherein said at least one control unit (10) is configured to: o generate a virtual replica (RVi) of said at least one renewable energy production plant, said virtual replica being characterised by the production data of said at least one renewable energy plant; o generate a subdivision of said virtual replica (RVi) into a plurality of virtual fractions (FVi , ..FVn) of said virtual replica (RVi) , each of said virtual fractions (FVi , ...FVn) being characterised by a respective fraction of production data of said at least one renewable energy plant, o associate at least one virtual fraction (FVi) of said plurality of virtual fractions (FVi, ..FVn) with at least one specific user, said system further including visualisation means (20) configured to display the data relative to the energy production relating to the at least one virtual fraction (FVi) associated with a specific user in order to enable a comparison between the amount of electric energy produced by the virtual fraction (FVi) and the amount of consumed electric energy detected by said electrical energy meter (POD) , and to optimise the awareness of the energy needs for the specific user.

[0087] Example 2. The system according to Example 1, wherein said at least one control unit (10) comprises a data bus (100) for enabling an exchange of said acquired production data and / or said consumption data between said virtual replica (RVi) of said at least one renewable energy plant and said at least one electrical energy meter (POD) , so as to optimise and / or customise the efficiency of the fractionation composition of said virtual replica (RVi) .

[0088] Example 3. The system according to Example 2, wherein said data bus (100) is based on blockchain technology, each of said virtual fractions (FVi, ...FVn) being associated with a respective digital token .

[0089] Example 4. The system according to any one of Examples 1-3, wherein said virtual replica (RVi) is characterised by a specific capacity expressed in Watts equal to the capacity of said renewable energy production plant.

[0090] Example 5. The system according to any one of Examples 1-4, wherein said virtual replica (RVi) is characterised by a maximum time duration equal to the decommissioning life of said renewable energy production plant.

[0091] Example 6. The system according to any one of Examples 1-5, wherein said virtual replica (RVi) is characterised by a geographic location equal to the geographic location of said renewable energy production plant .

[0092] Example 7. The system according to any one of Examples 1-6, wherein said renewable energy production plant is a solar, or wind, or hydroelectric, or nuclear, or biomass, or geothermal plant, or physical battery, or virtual battery.

[0093] Example 8. The system according to any one of Examples 1-7, wherein said power grid is a low-voltage (LV) power grid.

[0094] Example 9. The system according to any one of Examples 1-8, wherein said display means (20) comprise a display of a fixed device or a mobile device, e.g. mobile phone.

[0095] Example 10. The system according to any one of Examples 1-9, wherein said display means (20) comprise alarm means (22) , e.g. sound or light, activated or activatable upon exceeding a threshold value given by the comparison between energy produced and energy consumed, or individually by specific levels of production or consumption.

[0096] Example 11. The system according to any one of Examples 1-10, wherein said control unit (10) is configured to monitor an operational state of each virtual replica (RVi) or virtual fraction (FVi) and to generate, if said control unit (10) detects a malfunction of any virtual replica (RVi) or virtual fraction (FVi) an additional virtual replica (RVi' ) or virtual fraction (FVi') to replace the virtual replica (RVi) or virtual fraction (FVi) for which a malfunction has been detected, or for lack of production due to shortage of the primary resource (sun, wind, water) , or other unavailability.

[0097] According to what described above, a method can be summarised by the following examples:

[0098] Example 1. A method for optimised control of electrical energy consumption by at least one user, wherein said at least one user is associated with at least one respective electric utility (2) of an electricity grid, said electricity grid being provided with a plurality of electrical energy meters (PODs) , wherein each electrical energy meter (POD) is associated with a respective electricity utility (2) for measuring the electrical energy consumption by the electric utility (2) , said method comprising the following steps: o generating, through a control unit (10) , a virtual replica (RVi) of at least one renewable energy production plant; o generating, through said control unit (10) , a subdivision of said virtual replica (RVi) into a plurality of virtual fractions (FVi , . .FVn) of said virtual replica (RVi) ; o associating, through said control unit (10) , at least one virtual fraction (FVi) of said plurality of virtual fractions (FVi , ..FVn) to a specific user; o displaying, through specifically configured display means (20) , the data relative to the energy production relating to the at least one virtual fraction (FVi) associated with the specific user in order to enable a comparison between the amount of electric energy produced by the virtual fraction (FVi) and the amount of consumed electric energy detected by said electrical energy meter (POD) , and to optimise the awareness of the energy needs for the specific user. Example 2. The method according to Example 1, further comprising a step of exchanging, via a data bus (100) , said acquired production data and / or said consumption data between said at least one virtual replica (RVi) of said at least one renewable energy plant and said at least one electrical energy meter (POD) , so as to optimise and / or customise the efficiency of the fractionation composition of said virtual replica (RVi) .

[0099] Example 3. The method according to Example 2, wherein said data exchange phase is based on blockchain technology, each of said virtual fractions (FVi, . .FVn) being associated with a respective digital token.

[0100] For example, the control unit 10 and a data processing system in general may be configured to execute a computer programme comprising instructions which, when executed, cause the data processing system to perform the method described herein.

[0101] For example, the various embodiments, examples, etc., described and illustrated above can be combined to provide further solutions.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A system (1) for optimised control of electrical energy consumption by at least one user, wherein said at least one user is associated with at least one respective electric utility (2) of an electricity grid, said electricity grid being provided with a plurality of electrical energy meters (PODs) , wherein each electrical energy meter (POD) is associated with a respective electricity utility (2) for measuring the electrical energy consumption by the electric utility (2) , said system comprising : at least one control unit (10) ; acquisition means (50) for acquiring supply data from a system for supply of electrical energy, wherein said at least one control unit (10) is configured to: o generate a virtual replica (RVi) of said system for supply of electrical energy, said virtual replica being characterised by the supply data of said system for supply of electrical energy; o generate a subdivision of said virtual replica (RVi) into a plurality of virtual fractions (FVi, . .FVn) of said virtual replica (RVi) , each of said virtual fractions (FVi, ...FVn) being characterised by a respective fraction of supply data of said system for supply of electrical energy, o associate at least one virtual fraction (FVi) of said plurality of virtual fractions (FVi, ..FVn) with at least one specific user, said system further comprising display means (20) configured to display the energy supply data relating to the at least one virtual fraction (FVi) associated with a specific user in order to enable a comparison between the amount of electrical energy supplied by the virtual fraction (FVi) and the amount of consumed electrical energy detected by said electrical energy meter (POD) .

2. The system (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said at least one control unit (10) comprises a data bus (100) for enabling an exchange of said acquired supply data and / or said consumption data between said virtual replica (RVi) of said system for supply of electrical energy and said at least one electrical energy meter (POD) , in particular so as to optimise and / or customise the efficiency of the fractionation composition of said virtual replica (RVi) .

3. The system (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said data bus (100) is based on blockchain technology, each of said virtual fractions (FVi , ...FVn) being associable with a respective digital token.

4. The system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said virtual replica (RVi) is characterised by a specific supply capacity, e.g. expressed in Watts, equal to the capacity of said system for supply of electrical energy, in particular the virtual replica is indicative of a production capacity in terms of power in the case where the system for supply of electrical energy comprises an electrical energy production plant.

5. The system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said virtual replica (RVi) is characterised by a maximum time duration equal to the decommissioning life of said system for supply of electrical energy.

6. The system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said virtual replica (RVi) is characterised by a geographic location equal to the geographic location of said system for supply of electrical energy.

7. The system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system for supply of electrical energy comprises one or more of: a system for producing electrical energy, a system for distributing electrical energy, a system for storing electrical energy.

8. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system for supply of electrical energy is a system configured to produce electrical energy, wherein the supply data is production data of the system configured to produce electrical energy.

9. The system (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the system configured to produce electricity comprises a renewable energy production plant, e.g., a solar, or wind, or hydroelectric, or nuclear, or biomass, or geothermal plant.

10. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, further configured such that, in response to the association of the at least one virtual fraction with the user, the amount of electrical energy supplied by the system for supply of electrical energy and corresponding to the at least one virtual fraction is allocated to the user as self-generated energy by the user.

11. The system (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said power grid is a low-voltage (LV) power grid.

12. The system (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said display means (20) comprise a display of a fixed device or a mobile device, for example mobile phone.

13. The system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said display means (20) comprise alarm means (22) , e.g., sound or light, activated or activatable upon exceeding athreshold value given by the comparison between energy produced or supplied and energy consumed, or individually by specific levels of supply, or production, or consumption.

14. The system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said control unit (10) is configured to monitor an operational status of each virtual replica (RVi) or virtual fraction (FVi) and to generate, if said control unit (10) detects a malfunction of any virtual replica (RVi) or virtual fraction (FVi) , a further virtual replica (RVi' ) or virtual fraction (FVi' ) to replace the virtual replica (RVi) or the virtual fraction (FVi) for which a malfunction has been detected .

15. The system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the display means (20) are configured to display energy supply data relating to the at least one virtual fraction (RVi) associated with a specific user to enable a comparison between the amount of electrical energy supplied by the virtual fraction (RVi) and the amount of consumed electrical energy detected by said electrical energy meter (POD) , and optimise awareness of energy requirements for the specific user.

16. A method for optimised control of electrical energy consumption by at least one user, wherein said at least one user is associated with at least one respective electric utility (2) of an electricity grid, said electricity grid being provided with a plurality of electrical energy meters (PODs) , wherein each electrical energy meter (POD) is associated with a respective electricity utility (2) for measuring the electrical energy consumption by the electric utility (2) , said method comprising the following steps: o generating, via a control unit (10) , a virtual replica (RVi) of a system for supply of electrical energy;o generating, through said control unit (10) , a subdivision of said virtual replica (RVi) into a plurality of virtual fractions (FVi , . .FVn) of said virtual replica (RVi) ; o associating, via said control unit (10) , at least one virtual fraction (FVi) of said plurality of virtual fractions (FVi, ..FVn) with a specific user; o displaying, by means of specially configured display means (20) , energy supply data relating to the at least one virtual fraction (PVi) associated with the specific user in order to enable a comparison between the amount of electrical energy supplied by the virtual fraction (PVi) and the amount of consumed electrical energy detected by said electrical energy meter (POD) .

17. The method according to the preceding claim, further comprising a step of exchanging, by means of a data bus (100) , said acquired supply data and / or said consumption data between said virtual replica (RVi) of said system for supply of electrical energy and said at least one electrical energy meter (POD) , in particular in such a way as to optimise and / or customise the efficiency of the fractionation composition of said virtual replica (RVi) .

18. The method according to the preceding claim, wherein said data exchange phase is based on blockchain technology, each of said virtual fractions (FVi , . .FVn) being associable with a respective digital token.

19. Computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a data processing system (10) , cause the data processing system to execute the method according to any one of claims 16- 18.

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