Utility Console Coordination of Distributed Energy Storage and Peak Loads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric utilities face challenges in effectively managing and controlling distributed energy resources and demand side management, lacking sophisticated mechanisms to monitor and control energy storage units and load curtailment across geographically dispersed locations.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that involves receiving measurements from geographically distributed energy management controllers, processing and aggregating data to transmit commands for energy storage and load management, enabling utilities to control energy discharge into the grid, store energy, and curtail loads, using a utility console to monitor and manage energy generation, consumption, and storage across dispersed locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If utilities install devices in homes to selectively disable energy-consuming devices during peak loading, then peak demand is reduced, but the system lacks sophisticated control mechanisms to effectively monitor and control distributed energy resources
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments distributed energy resources into geographically distributed energy management controllers, each independently managing local energy storage units. This segmentation enables sophisticated control of individual resources while collectively achieving peak demand reduction through coordinated operation of multiple segmented units.
Solution Approach 2:
The utility console serves as an intermediary that receives measurements from distributed energy management controllers, processes the data, and transmits commands back to control energy discharge and storage. This intermediary enables sophisticated monitoring and control of distributed energy resources without requiring complex local control mechanisms at each endpoint.
2Reliability
If utilities remotely activate energy supplies to increase electricity supply to grid parts, then supply reliability is improved, but the need to install new power lines across limited real estate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges geographically dispersed energy storage units into a virtual power plant, combining their capacities to provide reliable energy supply without requiring new physical power lines. The merged virtual plant aggregates storage capacity from multiple locations to meet grid demands.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of expanding horizontally by installing new power lines across real estate, the system utilizes the vertical dimension of existing distributed energy storage resources. It aggregates capacity from multiple existing locations into a virtualized resource pool, effectively creating supply reliability through dimensional transformation from physical expansion to virtual aggregation.
3Ease of manufacture
If utilities smooth out energy demand to minimize new power line installation, then infrastructure investment is reduced, but sophisticated control mechanisms are needed to effectively manage distributed energy resources
Solution Approach 1:
Energy management controllers at distributed locations autonomously monitor their local energy storage units and automatically execute commands from the utility console. This self-service capability enables sophisticated control of distributed resources without requiring complex centralized control mechanisms, as each unit independently manages its own operations based on received instructions.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for managing power consumption and storage in a power grid. Measurements are received from a plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers. Each energy management controllers has energy storage units with stored energy. The measurements comprise the energy production and storage capacity of the energy management controllers and their associated energy storage units. The measurements are processed, e.g., aggregated, and displayed on a graphical user interface. Commands are transmitted to a first subset of the energy management controllers to command the units to discharge their stored energy into a power grid through an inverter. Commands are transmitted to a second subset of the plurality of energy management controllers to store energy in each unit's energy storage unit.