Personalized Energy Scheduling for Demand-Responsive Home Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current energy management systems lack transparency and active participation in residential energy management, relying on consumers to manually curtail usage and lacking real-time data infrastructure for utility companies to analyze energy demand and production.
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 and scheduling to optimize energy consumption and production.
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 active energy management and must manually curtail usage
Solution Approach 1:
The energy management system enables appliances and devices to automatically adjust their operation based on energy pricing and user-defined preferences. The system self-manages energy consumption by scheduling tasks during optimal pricing periods without requiring manual user intervention, while still providing full visibility of energy usage and pricing information.
Solution Approach 2:
Users pre-configure their energy consumption preferences, constraints, and priorities in advance. The system then uses these pre-set parameters to automatically make scheduling decisions when energy price signals are received, performing the curtailment action before the user would need to manually intervene.
2Productivity
If demand response systems force curtailment on customers to react to load levels, then utility load management is improved, but end users experience inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The energy management system dynamically adjusts appliance scheduling based on real-time energy pricing signals and grid conditions, while continuously respecting user-defined constraints. This dynamic optimization achieves load management goals without imposing fixed, inconvenient curtailment schedules on users.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates continuous feedback loops where energy consumption data, pricing signals, and user preferences are constantly monitored and used to adjust scheduling decisions. This feedback mechanism ensures that load management actions align with both utility objectives and user convenience requirements.
3Measurement precision
If smart meters are deployed to measure and report consumption data, then real-time energy measurement capability is improved, but communication and analytical infrastructure remains lacking for utility companies to analyze future demand
Solution Approach 1:
The analytical functionality is segmented and distributed across multiple levels: smart meters perform local measurement and basic reporting, energy management systems at customer premises perform local analysis and scheduling, and utility systems perform aggregate analysis. This segmentation reduces the complexity burden on any single component while enabling comprehensive demand analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
Energy management systems and controllers act as intermediaries between smart meters and utility company systems. These intermediaries perform local data processing, analysis, and scheduling, reducing the communication burden on utility infrastructure while enabling sophisticated demand analysis through distributed intelligence.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus includes a processor operable to manage energy use at a site wherein the processor is configured to detect a user interaction with the apparatus and create a personalized schedule automatically in response to the user interaction. The apparatus can also include a first profile accessible to the processor, wherein the first profile includes a first personalized schedule, and a second profile accessible to the processor, wherein the second profile is different from the first profile and includes a second personalized schedule. In addition, the processor can be configured to determine when to use the first profile or the second profile, initiate an outgoing message using the first or second personalized schedule, and update the first or second profile in response to a user interaction with an interface of the apparatus during use of the first or second personalized schedule.