Utility portals for managing demand-response events
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Solution Overview
Problem
Utility companies face challenges in managing peak electricity demand due to limited tools for intuitive and flexible management of demand response events, leading to consumer discomfort and potential undermining of demand response programs.
Innovation Solution
Development of utility portals that enable utility companies to communicate with energy management systems to implement demand response events through network-connected thermostats, allowing for parameter assignment, scheduling, and energy reduction management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If utility companies implement demand response events by directly controlling cooling systems, then peak demand is reduced, but consumer comfort deteriorates and program effectiveness is undermined
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs pre-cooling of residences before anticipated peak demand periods by lowering thermostat setpoints in advance. This stores cooling capacity in the building thermal mass, allowing the cooling system to be curtailed during peak periods while maintaining consumer comfort. The portal enables utility operators to schedule and execute these preliminary cooling actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors residence temperature, outdoor conditions, and cooling system status to dynamically adjust demand response strategies. The portal provides real-time feedback on energy consumption, temperature deviations, and program effectiveness, allowing operators to modify control parameters to maintain comfort while achieving peak demand reduction.
2Power
If utility companies build additional power plants to satisfy peak demand, then supply capacity increases, but cost increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system shifts energy consumption from peak periods to off-peak periods through pre-cooling and load scheduling. This temporal load shifting reduces the need for additional peak generation capacity and improves overall system efficiency by operating during more efficient conditions. The portal enables detailed scheduling and monitoring of these load shifting operations.
3Productivity
If utility companies reduce demand via load shedding, then peak demand is managed, but consumer comfort deteriorates and participation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements pre-cooling before demand response events by lowering thermostat setpoints in advance, storing cooling capacity in thermal mass. This allows curtailment during peak periods without immediate comfort degradation, maintaining consumer participation. The portal enables scheduling and monitoring of these preliminary actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts thermostat setpoints, duty cycle percentages, and control parameters based on outdoor conditions, residence characteristics, and grid needs. This flexible parameter adjustment maintains comfort within acceptable ranges while achieving demand reduction goals, increasing consumer willingness to participate. The portal provides interfaces for configuring and monitoring these parameter changes.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes generating a utility portal interface in response to a request from a utility computer system that receives parameters that specify a demand response event; providing a display of groups of energy-consuming locations that are available to be selected to participate in the demand response event; providing a display of an energy demand profile for the utility during the demand response event; receiving a selection of a subset of the groups of energy-consuming locations to participate in the demand response event; causing the display of the energy demand profile for the utility during the demand response event to be dynamically updated as the subset of the groups of energy-consuming locations are selected or deselected by the utility computer system to participate; and sending transmissions to thermostats associated with the subset of the groups of energy-consuming locations to execute the demand response event.