Virtual Energy Grid Credit Allocation for Multi-Unit Buildings
Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-unit residential buildings, energy produced by assets like solar panels is often consumed by the building and common areas, with the excess energy being pushed onto the grid, rendering it difficult for building owners to realize the benefits of these energy-producing assets.
Innovation Solution
A virtual grid system that enables the shared use of distributed energy resources (DERs) among individual units in a multi-unit building, by tracking energy production and usage, and allocating the benefits of shared energy use to individual units based on their consumption patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If energy producing assets are installed in multi-unit buildings, then sustainable energy production is achieved, but the building owner is unable to sell the energy produced and the benefit is largely unrealized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual grid system as an intermediary between the energy producing asset and individual tenant units. This virtual grid enables the building owner to allocate and 'sell' energy credits to individual units based on their consumption patterns, transforming the previously unusable excess energy into realizable benefits through a mediating allocation mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the building's energy consumption into individual unit-level allocations. By dividing the total energy production and consumption data into unit-specific portions, the system enables individualized energy benefit allocation, allowing the building owner to realize benefits from energy producing assets through tenant-specific energy credit allocations.
2Loss of substance
If energy produced is pushed onto the grid, then excess energy is disposed of, but the owner is unable to sell the energy produced
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual grid system acts as an intermediary that captures excess energy that would otherwise be pushed onto the grid. By intercepting this excess energy flow and reallocating it to individual tenant units through energy credits, the system transforms wasted energy into sellable energy products without requiring physical grid connection changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers value from excess energy that would traditionally be discarded by pushing it onto the grid. Through the virtual grid allocation system, this discarded energy is recovered and reallocated to tenant units, converting a loss into a recoverable asset that generates revenue for the building owner.
3Ease of operation
If a virtual grid system is implemented, then energy benefits are allocated to individual units, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex physical infrastructure modifications with a software-based virtual grid system. Instead of installing separate physical metering and distribution systems for each unit, the solution uses software to track, allocate, and manage energy benefits, significantly reducing hardware complexity while maintaining operational capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual grid system performs multiple functions through a single integrated platform: it tracks energy production, monitors consumption, allocates energy credits, generates billing information, and provides reporting. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity compared to implementing separate systems for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A virtual energy grid system for a location including tenant spaces (TSs) in a building, receiving grid energy (GE) from a utility grid and renewable energy (RE), including: a computer system: communicating with energy consumption meters, each measuring energy use by a respective TS, communicating with an energy production meter measuring the RE produced by the RE source, receiving, from the energy production meter, energy production information of the RE during a time period, the computer system including an appliance automation module sending a signal to automatically energize or de-energize energy-consuming devices to prioritize use of the RE, receiving: from each energy consumption meter, energy consumption information for each TS during the time period, total RE produced, and total supplied GE, and calculating an energy benefit allocation for each TS, and outputting a report for the time period for each TS that includes the respective TS's energy benefit allocation.