Hierarchical Energy Management System for Carbon Usage Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a lack of effective systems for communicating and managing carbon usage goals to consumers and municipalities, limiting the ability to regulate energy consumption based on renewable energy availability and hindering the achievement of carbon neutrality targets.
Innovation Solution
A hierarchical energy management system that allocates and communicates regional carbon usage goals to individual consumers, using a 'green index' to measure carbon usage, which considers energy consumption and carbon content, allowing for real-time adjustments and coordination across multiple levels of the grid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If consumers are provided with real-time carbon usage information and allocation goals, then carbon usage management effectiveness is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The energy management system is segmented into multiple hierarchical levels: individual consumer devices, neighborhood energy management systems, and utility company systems. Each level handles carbon usage measurement and allocation independently, managing complexity through distributed architecture rather than centralized processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary components including energy allocation goals as virtual mediators that translate utility-level carbon targets into consumer-level actionable information. These intermediaries facilitate communication and coordination without requiring direct complex interactions between all system components.
2Loss of information
If real-time communication of carbon usage information is implemented, then consumer awareness and regulation capability are improved, but information loss and communication infrastructure complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes continuous real-time communication channels that constantly transmit carbon usage information, allocation goals, and consumption data between consumers, neighborhood systems, and utility companies. This continuous information flow prevents information loss and enables dynamic regulation without requiring complex batch processing or periodic updates.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If carbon usage allocation goals are communicated to individual consumers, then carbon footprint reduction is improved, but coordination complexity across municipality increases
Solution Approach 1:
The municipality-wide carbon reduction goal is segmented and allocated to individual consumers through a hierarchical distribution system. Each consumer receives personalized allocation goals based on their consumption patterns and characteristics, while the overall municipal target is maintained through aggregation of individual allocations, reducing coordination complexity through distributed goal management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where consumers receive real-time information about their carbon usage relative to their allocation goals, and where actual consumption data flows back to utility companies and neighborhood systems. This feedback enables dynamic adjustment of allocation goals and consumption behavior, achieving municipal-wide carbon reduction through coordinated individual actions without requiring complex centralized control.
Data Source
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AI summary
An arrangement for use in a distributed system for an energy grid includes a processing circuit and a plurality of destination nodes coupled to the processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to calculate a desired destination index for each of the plurality of destination nodes based on a desired aggregate index for the plurality of destination nodes, wherein the desired aggregate index includes information representative of carbon consumption, and communicate each desired destination index to the corresponding one of the plurality of destination nodes. Each of the plurality of destination nodes is configured to receive the desired destination index from the processing circuit, and display the desired destination index on a display.