Smart Power Meter Energy Management via Real-Time Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Residential and commercial customers face high electricity costs due to peak demand hours, and existing solutions lack effective means to manage and shift electricity usage efficiently.

Innovation Solution

A smart power meter system that communicates with user devices to provide energy management services, including graphical user interfaces for monitoring and controlling electricity usage, allowing users to shift demand to non-peak hours through real-time data and user commands.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If customers continue to consume electricity during peak demand hours, then their immediate energy needs are met, but their electricity costs increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectricity costVSAvoidenergy consumption management

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides real-time feedback to customers about their electricity consumption patterns, peak demand participation, and cost savings achieved. This feedback mechanism enables customers to understand the direct relationship between their load shifting actions and cost reductions, motivating continued engagement in demand response programs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system empowers customers to independently manage their own electricity consumption by providing them with control capabilities over their electrical loads. Customers can autonomously make decisions about when and how to shift their energy consumption without requiring direct utility company intervention, thereby reducing their electricity costs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If the power meter provides detailed graphical user interfaces for energy management, then customer control and awareness of electricity usage improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy management capabilityVSAvoidpower meter system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The power meter is designed as a multi-functional device that not only measures electricity consumption but also provides graphical user interface displays, communicates with external devices, stores consumption data, and enables customer control of electrical loads. This consolidation of multiple functions into a single device reduces overall system complexity while enhancing energy management capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The power meter acts as an intermediary device between the utility company's demand response programs and the customer's electrical system. It translates complex utility requirements into user-friendly interface elements and automatically manages the interaction between customer loads and grid demand, simplifying the overall system architecture

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8635036B2Systems, methods, and apparatus for providing energy management utilizing a power meter

Publication Date: 2014.01.21 ACLARA METERS LLC

AI summary

Systems, methods, and apparatus for providing energy management utilizing a power meter are provided. A request for a graphical user interface may be received by a power meter in communication with an external device. The requested graphical user interface may be associated with at least one of (i) operation of the power meter or (ii) provision of electrical power to one or more loads. Based at least in part on the received request, information associated with the graphical user interface may be generated by the power meter and communicated to the external device.