Demand Setpoint Control Using Energy Storage for Peak Charges
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing electricity supply and delivery costs, especially in remote or congested areas, necessitate efficient management of peak demand to reduce costs, as traditional transmission and distribution systems are underutilized most of the time, making additional infrastructure costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
An automatic controller for electrical systems that continuously or periodically adjusts demand setpoints to optimize energy usage, using energy storage systems like batteries to charge or discharge energy during high or low demand periods, thereby reducing peak demand charges without relying on precise timing of demand windows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If additional T&D systems are constructed to satisfy peak demand, then power delivery capability is improved, but infrastructure cost increases significantly and utilization efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by constructing energy storage facilities in advance at load centers before peak demand occurs. These facilities store energy during low-demand periods and discharge during peak periods, thereby preparing the system ahead of time to meet peak demand without requiring additional T&D infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces energy storage facilities as an intermediary between the existing T&D system and the peak demand. This intermediary component absorbs the peak demand through pre-stored energy, reducing the stress on the T&D system and eliminating the need for costly infrastructure expansion.
2Use of energy by moving object
If demand setpoint is frequently adjusted to optimize energy use, then energy efficiency is improved, but control complexity and operational difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by implementing automatic control systems that autonomously adjust demand setpoints based on pre-defined optimization criteria. The system automatically monitors energy consumption patterns, determines optimal setpoint adjustments, and implements changes without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining high energy efficiency while simplifying operational complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach maintains a low average setpoint, lowering demand charges by optimizing energy use and reducing the need for frequent adjustments based on unknown demand window timings, thus providing a cost-effective solution for managing peak demand.
Implementation Method 1
An energy storage system (ESS) can enable a consumer of energy to reduce or otherwise control a net consumption from an energy supplier. For example, if electricity supply and/or delivery costs are high at a particular time of day, an ESS, which may include one or more batteries or other storage devices, can generate/discharge electrical energy at that time when costs are high in order to reduce the net consumption from the supplier.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for controlling an electrical system using setpoints. Some embodiments include control methods that monitor an adjusted net power associated with the electrical system and adjust the setpoint based on a comparison of the adjusted demand to the setpoint. If the adjusted demand has not exceeded the demand setpoint, the setpoint is reduced. If the adjusted demand has exceeded the demand setpoint, the setpoint is increased.