Home Energy Network Control for Real-Time Demand Response
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current energy management systems are passive and lack transparency, failing to provide consumers with real-time energy consumption data and analytical infrastructure for utility companies to manage demand and energy production effectively, leading to inefficient energy use and inconvenience to end-users.
Innovation Solution
An energy management system that includes a database for storing site report data, a processor to access and analyze energy usage, and a network of devices such as smart thermostats and appliances, enabling real-time energy monitoring, scheduling, and demand response capabilities through a wireless energy network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If passive energy display technologies are provided to show current energy prices, then consumers gain energy price awareness, but consumers still lack automated energy management and must manually curtail usage
Solution Approach 1:
The energy management system enables appliances and devices to automatically manage their own energy consumption based on pre-configured user preferences, energy prices, and demand conditions. The system self-adjusts operation schedules without requiring manual user intervention, while still allowing users to override decisions when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors energy consumption, pricing signals, and demand response events, then provides real-time feedback to both users through the interface and to appliances through automated control signals. This closed-loop feedback enables dynamic adjustment of energy usage patterns.
2Reliability
If demand response systems force curtailment on customers to manage load levels, then utility companies can balance energy demand, but end-users experience inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts energy management strategies based on real-time conditions including user presence, appliance priorities, and demand response events. Rather than forcing fixed curtailment schedules, the system adapts its control actions to minimize user inconvenience while maintaining grid reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Users pre-configure their energy management preferences, appliance priorities, and acceptable operating ranges before demand response events occur. This preliminary configuration enables the system to automatically make informed decisions during demand response events without requiring real-time user input or causing unexpected disruptions.
3Measurement precision
If smart meters are deployed to measure and report consumption data, then real-time energy measurement capability is provided, but communication and analytical infrastructure remains lacking for effective demand analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The analytical infrastructure is segmented into distributed components: smart meters at consumer premises perform local measurement and basic analysis, while a centralized energy management server performs aggregate analysis and coordination. This segmentation reduces the complexity burden on any single component and enables scalable deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
An energy management server acts as an intermediary between smart meters and utility company systems, performing data aggregation, analysis, and translation. This intermediary layer simplifies the communication infrastructure by consolidating analytical functions and providing standardized interfaces to both consumers and utilities.
4Device complexity
If consumers rely on monthly bills to evaluate energy consumption, then infrastructure complexity is minimized, but consumers lack real-time energy awareness and cannot make informed conservation decisions
Solution Approach 1:
The energy management server provides multiple functions including real-time monitoring, historical analysis, predictive modeling, user interface management, and communication with both consumers and utilities. This multi-functional platform delivers comprehensive energy information without requiring separate specialized systems for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an aspect of the disclosure, a home energy management system and method includes a network device disposed at a residence and a wireless home energy network capable of establishing communication with the network device. A server is disposed remotely from the residence and capable of generating a control action report to control the network devices. A controller is located at the residence and in communication with the server and configured to establish the wireless home energy network; initiate a plurality of operating status requests of the network device; receive device data in response to at least one of the operating status requests; generate a site report including the device data; initiate a communication of the site report to the remote server; and detect an availability of the control action report at the remote server in conjunction with the communication of the site report.