Load Shedding Control for Solar Energy Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current solar home systems abruptly cut off power when energy demand exceeds supply, lacking intelligent load shedding mechanisms to prioritize essential outputs based on renewable energy availability and user needs.

Innovation Solution

A method for controlled load shedding in solar energy production installations, classifying outputs by importance levels and using weather forecasts to allocate electricity credits, ensuring priority to critical loads and reducing power supply losses by offloading lesser important outputs first.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the system abruptly cuts off power to all connected equipment when energy demand cannot be met, then power supply reliability is maintained, but user convenience and continuity of service deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower supply reliabilityVSAvoiduser convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the connected equipment into different priority levels (first priority, second priority, third priority) and applies load shedding selectively to each segment based on energy availability, rather than cutting off all equipment uniformly. This allows essential equipment to continue operating while non-essential equipment is shed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different quality levels of power supply are applied to different equipment based on their priority classification. High-priority equipment receives power supply with higher reliability quality, while low-priority equipment accepts lower quality (interruption) when energy is scarce.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If the system uses weather forecasts to predict energy output and allocate consumption credits hourly, then energy distribution efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy distribution efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by obtaining weather forecasts in advance and predicting the renewable energy source's output for the upcoming period. Based on this prediction, it pre-calculates and allocates consumption credits to different priority levels before the energy shortage occurs, enabling proactive rather than reactive load management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors actual energy production from the renewable source and compares it with predicted values. It uses this feedback to adjust and recalculate consumption credits dynamically, ensuring the load shedding strategy adapts to real-time conditions while maintaining efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the system classifies outputs into multiple importance levels and prioritizes load reduction on lesser important outputs, then power supply reliability for essential equipment is improved, but control system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower supply reliability for essential equipmentVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The connected equipment is segmented into distinct priority groups (first, second, third priority) with clear hierarchical relationships. The control system manages each segment separately, applying load shedding in a predetermined sequence from lowest to highest priority, which simplifies the control logic compared to managing all equipment individually.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-establishes the priority classification and load shedding sequence in advance. When energy shortage occurs, it automatically executes the predetermined shedding sequence without requiring complex real-time decision-making, reducing control complexity while ensuring essential equipment remains powered.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3840158B1Method for load-shedding of outputs from a facility for producing electrical energy
Publication Date: 2023.01.25 SAGEMCOM ENERGY & TELECOM SAS
  • EP3840158B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3840158B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3840158B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for controlled load shedding of outputs of at least one electrical power generation installation (1) comprising at least one renewable energy source and at least one battery (5), the outputs being classified according to at least two distinct levels of importance, the method comprising the steps for a given day of: - From weather forecasts, predict a potentially available electrical energy at the output of the renewable energy source, - Deduce at least from the prediction of the potentially available electrical energy at the output of the renewable energy source, an hourly credit of electrical consumption for each level of output importance, - Shed the outputs of a given level of importance when the hourly credit of electrical consumption which was allocated to this level has been reached while shedding as a priority the outputs of a lesser level of importance.