Intelligent Breaker Panel for Aggregated Peak Load Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric power management systems struggle to efficiently manage and aggregate electric power consumers to participate in energy markets, particularly in reducing peak demand and utilizing renewable energy sources effectively.
Innovation Solution
The system aggregates homes and businesses through premises power controllers and intelligent circuit breakers, dynamically managing power consumption to reduce loads and participate in energy markets as a peaking power plant, while also optimizing the use of renewable energy sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional circuit breaker panels are used, then installation is simple and cost-effective, but they lack the capability to dynamically manage and aggregate power consumption for energy market participation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines traditional circuit breaker functionality with intelligent control capabilities by integrating premises power controllers and intelligent circuit breakers into the existing electrical panel infrastructure. This merging allows the system to participate in energy markets while utilizing the established physical infrastructure, thereby improving adaptability without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical panel system is designed to perform multiple functions: traditional circuit protection, dynamic load management, renewable energy integration, and energy market participation. By making the system universal and multi-functional, the patent enables existing infrastructure to serve new purposes without complete replacement, balancing versatility gains with complexity constraints.
2Productivity
If dynamic load management is implemented to reduce peak demand, then energy efficiency improves and revenue opportunities arise, but system control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the electrical panel system into intelligent circuit breakers that can independently control individual circuits or groups of circuits. This segmentation allows granular load management where specific non-critical loads can be curtailed during peak demand periods while maintaining control over critical loads, thereby improving energy efficiency without requiring complex centralized control of every individual device.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where premises power controllers continuously monitor power consumption, grid conditions, and market signals, then automatically adjust load management strategies. This feedback-driven automation improves energy efficiency and captures revenue opportunities while reducing the need for manual intervention, effectively managing control complexity through intelligent automation rather than human oversight.
3Reliability
If critical loads are identified and protected during demand reduction, then reliability of essential services is maintained, but the system requires sophisticated load prioritization capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by requiring users to pre-identify and designate critical loads before demand reduction events occur. The system stores this prioritization information in advance, so when peak demand curtailment is needed, the intelligent circuit breakers can immediately protect identified critical loads without requiring real-time analysis or complex decision-making algorithms. This approach maintains reliability of essential services while keeping the control system relatively simple.
4Productivity
If aggregation of multiple premises is achieved for market participation, then collective impact on energy markets increases, but coordination and communication infrastructure requirements grow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual premises into a collective aggregation that participates in energy markets as a unified entity. By combining the load management capabilities of numerous premises through a coordination system, the aggregation achieves sufficient collective impact to qualify for peaking power plant status and earn premium rates, while sharing the communication and coordination infrastructure across all participants to manage complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A group of homes, businesses, or other electric power consuming premises are aggregated and commonly controlled to dynamically reduce loads in sufficient quantities, and with sufficient rapidity and duration, to participate as a market participant in the energy markets including participating as a peaking power plant. While the amount of reduced power consumption for a single premises is typically quite small, the total reduced consumption of an aggregation of just a few thousand homes or businesses may be on the order of hundreds of kilowatts. A premises power controller in conjunction with intelligent circuit breakers, which may include dimmers, enable dynamic management of individual loads in each premises.