Aggregator Energy Demand Allocation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing energy management systems struggle to provide a reliable and efficient energy supply across multiple utilities, as they fail to effectively consider the interdependencies between utilities and the impact of demand modifications on future requests, leading to inefficiencies and potential supply shortages.

Innovation Solution

An aggregator system that negotiates demand modifications across units, using predictive analytics and probability assessments to minimize the impact on other utilities, optimizing energy distribution by considering historical data, weather forecasts, and operational priorities, and dynamically allocating adjustments in real-time or scheduled periods.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If demand modification is requested for one utility, then energy supply reliability for that utility is improved, but the operation of other utilities may be negatively impacted due to interdependencies

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy supply reliabilityVSAvoidimpact on other utilities
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs prediction of future demand requests for multiple utilities before allocating current demand modifications. By anticipating future needs and assessing probabilities of upcoming requests, the system pre-evaluates potential impacts on other utilities, allowing proactive optimization of current allocations to prevent future supply shortages or inefficiencies.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If demand modification is allocated to units, then current energy demand is satisfied, but future energy requests may not be met due to resource depletion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverequest fulfillment rateVSAvoidfuture supply reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system predicts future demand requests and their probabilities before making current allocations. By performing this preliminary assessment, the system can allocate current demand modifications in a way that preserves resources needed for high-probability future requests, thereby maintaining both current productivity and future reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors and updates predictions of future demand requests based on actual consumption patterns and external factors. This feedback loop allows the system to refine its allocation strategy over time, adjusting to changing conditions while maintaining optimal balance between current fulfillment and future reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of manufacture

If multiple utilities are managed independently, then each utility can be optimized individually, but interdependencies between utilities are not considered leading to overall system inefficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveutility management simplicityVSAvoidoverall system efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges the management of multiple utilities into a unified demand modification allocation process. By considering all utilities together and their interdependencies, the system optimizes the overall energy system rather than individual utilities in isolation, thereby improving total system efficiency while maintaining manageable complexity through centralized coordination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3152810B1A method and a system for controlling energy supply to different units
Publication Date: 2020.01.08 NEC CORP
  • EP3152810B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3152810B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3152810B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

For allowing a reliable energy supply with high efficiency a method for controlling energy supply to different units is claimed, wherein each unit is connected to multiple utilities for receiving energy for operating its energy systems and wherein a demand request signal is provided by at least one operational entity and/or by at least one utility for requesting a demand modification of a utility and/or of one form of energy. The method is characterized in that an aggregator receives the demand request signal and performs an allocation of the requested demand modification to the units based on a negotiating process with the units for minimizing an impact of said allocation on a future operation of another utility or of other utilities. Further, an according system is claimed, preferably for carrying out the above mentioned method.