Distributed Renewable Energy Billing Through Meter Data Reconciliation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Renewable energy systems face challenges in adoption due to high upfront costs, lack of knowledge among homeowners, and inherent risks, leading to slow implementation and maintenance burdens.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for managing distributed renewable energy systems by receiving and analyzing meter data to assess charges based on power generation and consumption, facilitating financing and maintenance through a renewable energy services manager that integrates with institutions and service providers, allowing costs to be amortized and included in monthly energy bills.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If renewable energy systems are installed at distributed locations (residential, commercial), then renewable energy generation capacity increases, but upfront costs and financial burden on individual customers increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the financial burden of renewable energy systems by separating upfront capital costs from ongoing operational costs. A third-party financier owns the renewable energy system and recovers costs through incremental charges to the utility, which are then passed to customers. This segments the traditional single-point upfront cost into distributed incremental payments over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a third-party financier as an intermediary between the utility and customers. This intermediary owns the renewable energy system, manages the upfront costs, and recovers investments through incremental charges to the utility. The intermediary structure eliminates the need for individual customers to bear upfront costs while enabling distributed renewable energy deployment.
2Productivity
If renewable energy systems are deployed rapidly, then renewable energy adoption increases, but system reliability and risk management worsen due to lack of customer knowledge and experience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ownership and management responsibilities of renewable energy systems from individual customers and transfers them to a third-party financier. This extraction removes the burden of technical knowledge requirements, maintenance responsibilities, and performance risks from customers, allowing rapid adoption without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The third-party financier provides self-service by managing all aspects of renewable energy system ownership, including installation, maintenance, and performance monitoring. This self-service model enables customers to benefit from renewable energy without needing specialized knowledge, thereby supporting rapid adoption while maintaining system reliability through professional management.
3Adaptability or versatility
If customers directly own and maintain renewable energy systems, then system customization and control increase, but maintenance burden and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The third-party financier acts as an intermediary that assumes maintenance and operational responsibilities. Customers retain the ability to choose renewable energy systems for their premises while the intermediary handles all maintenance, repair, and operational management, thereby maintaining system control flexibility without increasing operational complexity for customers.
4Speed
If traditional upfront financing models are used for renewable energy systems, then system installation speed increases, but accessibility and affordability decrease for average customers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the financing structure by separating upfront capital investment from customer payments. The third-party financier provides all upfront capital needed for rapid system installation, while customers pay only incremental charges to the utility over time. This segmentation enables both rapid installation and broad financial accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temporal parameter of cost payment from concentrated upfront payment to distributed incremental payments over time. This parameter change in the financing model makes renewable energy systems financially accessible to average customers while maintaining the ability to install systems rapidly through third-party financing.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for managing distributed renewable energy systems comprising receiving first meter data for a plurality of first meters, each of the plurality of first meters associated with a renewable energy power generation component at an institution and measuring an amount of power generated by each associated renewable energy power generation component over a first period of time. Receiving second meter data for a plurality of second meters, each of the plurality of second meters associated with an institution having a renewable energy power generation component and measuring an amount of power consumed by each associated institution over a period of second time. Determining a difference between the amount of power measured by each of the first meters and the amount of power measured by a corresponding one of each of the second meters at each institution.