Smart Inverter Controller for Green Energy Verification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing systems for monitoring and verifying green energy production lack the ability to accurately distinguish between genuine green energy sources and less expensive polluting alternatives, making it difficult to ensure the authenticity of green energy sold to consumers.
Innovation Solution
A smart inverter system that includes a power inverter with a controller capable of executing smart contracts, using a sensor to measure energy, non-volatile memory to store data, and a communication device to verify energy source authenticity through a gateway and exchange, ensuring the accurate tracking and verification of green energy production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If standard utility-grade meters are used to monitor green energy production, then energy measurement is achieved, but the ability to verify the actual energy source is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a smart inverter as an intermediary device between the green energy source and the utility meter. This smart inverter includes a controller with an address that can execute smart contracts and a communication device that communicates with a gateway. The gateway relays information to an exchange that verifies the energy source by checking the smart contract execution results, thereby preserving energy source verification information that would otherwise be lost.
2Ease of manufacture
If green energy sources are replaced with cheaper polluting sources, then cost is reduced, but green energy authenticity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the smart inverter's controller executes smart contracts that record and verify energy production information. The communication device sends this verification data through the gateway to the exchange, which provides feedback confirmation of the energy source's authenticity. This feedback loop prevents substitution with polluting sources because the system continuously verifies and records the actual energy source being used.
3Loss of information
If smart contracts and communication devices are added to inverters, then energy source verification is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the inverter's controller multi-functional by enabling it to both convert electrical power and execute smart contracts for verification purposes. The same controller that manages power conversion also handles smart contract execution and communicates with the gateway, eliminating the need for entirely separate verification hardware and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining verification capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A power inverter configured to convert electrical power from an energy source to electrical power that can be pushed into a utility grid. The power inverter comprises a power train and a controller having an address. The controller is configured to provide gate drive signals to the power inverter for the power inverter to operate. The controller comprises a sensor for measuring electrical power that is pushed into the utility grid, non-volatile memory for storing an accumulated value of the electrical power, and a communication device configured to communicate information from the controller to a device remote from the power inverter. The controller is further configured to execute a smart contract corresponding to the address.