Utility Gateway for Demand Response via Smart Plug Prioritization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In emerging markets like India, the mismatch between power demand and supply leads to frequent rolling blackouts, which are exacerbated by the lack of smart grid infrastructure and high costs associated with deploying smart meters and appliances, making it difficult for utility companies to manage peak load effectively.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system that uses smart plugs and appliances, which are controlled by a central authority, allowing customers to prioritize which devices receive power and when, enabling utilities to manage demand by remotely adjusting or disconnecting power to specific appliances based on customer preferences and priorities, thereby reducing overall power demand.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If smart grid infrastructure with smart meters and smart appliances is deployed to manage peak load, then demand response control is improved, but deployment cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a utility-owned gateway device as an intermediary that mediates between the utility's demand response system and customer appliances. This gateway provides the intelligence and control capabilities centrally, eliminating the need for expensive smart appliances at customer premises while still enabling automated demand response. The gateway acts as a mediator that translates utility control signals into appliance-specific commands.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the intelligence and control functionality from individual smart appliances and concentrates it in a centralized utility gateway. Instead of requiring smart capabilities in every appliance, the system takes out the control brain and places it at the utility level, where it can manage multiple appliances across multiple customers without requiring each appliance to be smart.
2Productivity
If rolling blackouts are implemented to reduce power demand during peak load, then supply-demand balance is improved, but customer satisfaction deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic demand response where the utility can adjust power delivery to specific appliances in real-time based on grid conditions and customer preferences. Instead of static rolling blackouts that affect entire areas uniformly, the system dynamically selects which appliances to adjust and by how much, allowing flexible adaptation to changing conditions while respecting customer priorities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different control strategies for different appliances within the same customer premises. Customers can assign different priorities to different appliances, and the utility can apply differentiated control actions to specific appliances rather than uniform blackouts. This localized control maintains customer satisfaction by protecting high-priority appliances while reducing load on lower-priority ones.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform demand response is applied across multiple customers, then utility control simplicity is improved, but customer-specific needs are not met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments demand response control into two independent layers: utility-level policy settings and customer-level appliance prioritization. The utility defines high-level demand response policies and targets, while customers independently prioritize their own appliances. This segmentation allows the utility to maintain simple centralized control while customers customize their preferences, with the gateway coordinating between the two layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The utility gateway serves multiple functions: it implements utility demand response policies, respects customer appliance priorities, manages communication between utility and appliances, and handles load reduction calculations. This multi-functional gateway provides both universal utility control and customized customer preferences through a single platform.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for reducing demand on a power grid through demand side management includes receiving assigned priorities from a customer for smart appliances and for appliances plugged into sockets of one or more smart plugs of the customer, the assigned priorities indicative of a customer-preferred sequence for disconnection of, or adjustment of power to, the appliances from the power grid. The system determines whether to disconnect or adjust power to at least one of the appliances of the customer; and selects at least one of the appliances according to the assigned priorities to reduce demand on the power grid. The system sends one or more commands, the one or more commands indicative to the one or more smart plugs to disconnect or adjust power to the selected at least one of the appliances based on selecting at least one of the appliances.