Energy Management Device for Demand Response Commitment Reliability

Solution Overview

Problem

Small-scale customers, such as households, face challenges in effectively participating in demand response programs due to limited adjustment capabilities, leading to adverse effects for both the customer and the demand response aggregator, especially when power storage states change, making initial commitments to demand response unachievable.

Innovation Solution

An energy management device and system that allows customers to communicate with a server to receive and respond to demand response requests, including the ability to control electric appliances and acquire information on power storage states, enabling the transmission of participation or non-participation responses. If the demand response becomes unachievable due to changes in power storage or other factors, the system can cancel commitments by sending a non-participation response, thereby preventing adverse effects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If customers transmit immediate participation response to demand response requests, then response speed is improved, but reliability deteriorates when power storage state changes making commitment unachievable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse speedVSAvoidcommitment achievability

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary verification of power storage state before finalizing participation commitment. The energy management device checks whether the power storage device has sufficient capacity to fulfill the demand response request before transmitting the participation response, preventing future commitment failures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanism by continuously monitoring power storage state and using this information to determine participation feasibility. The energy management device receives power storage state information, evaluates whether demand response can be achieved, and adjusts participation decision accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If customers verify power storage state before committing to demand response, then reliability is improved, but response time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommitment achievabilityVSAvoidresponse time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary verification of power storage state before finalizing participation commitment. The energy management device checks whether the power storage device has sufficient capacity to fulfill the demand response request before transmitting the participation response, preventing future commitment failures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanism by continuously monitoring power storage state and using this information to determine participation feasibility. The energy management device receives power storage state information, evaluates whether demand response can be achieved, and adjusts participation decision accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If demand response requests are frequently adjusted based on power storage state, then adaptability is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedemand response adaptabilityVSAvoidenergy management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The energy management device autonomously determines participation decisions based on received power storage state information without requiring complex external coordination. The system automatically compares power storage state against demand response requirements and makes participation decisions independently, reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The energy management device performs multiple functions including receiving demand response requests, acquiring power storage state information, evaluating feasibility, and transmitting participation responses. This multi-functional approach consolidates complexity into a single device rather than distributing it across multiple specialized components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11502518B2Energy management device, energy management system, and energy management method

Publication Date: 2022.11.15 SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES LTD

AI summary

This energy management device is provided at a customer and is capable of controlling an electric appliance of the customer by communicating with a server. The server is configured to send a request for demand response. The energy management device includes: a receiver configured to receive the request for the demand response from the server; a transmitter configured to transmit a response indicating participation or nonparticipation with respect to the request; an electric appliance control unit configured to control the electric appliance; and an information acquisition unit configured to acquire information of the electric appliance. When determination that the request for the demand response is not achievable has been made after the response indicating participation has been transmitted, a response indicating nonparticipation is transmitted.