Automatic energy management and energy consumption reduction, especially in commercial and multi-building systems

Abstract

Automatic energy management is provided, in even the most complex multi-building system. The necessity of a human operator for managing energy in a complex, multi-building system is reduced and even eliminated. Computer-based monitoring and computer-based recognition of adverse energy events (such as the approach of a new energy peak) is highly advantageous in energy management. Immediate automatic querying of energy users within a system of buildings for energy curtailment possibilities is provided. Such immediate, automatic querying may be answered by the energy users through artificial intelligence and / or neural network technology provided to or programmed into the energy users, and the queried energy users may respond in real-time. Those real-time computerized responses with energy curtailment possibilities may be received automatically by a data processing facility, and processed in real-time. Advantageously, the responses from queried energy users with energy curtailment possibilities may be automatically processed into a round-robin curtailment rotation which may be implemented by a computer-based control system. Thus, impact on occupants is minimized, and energy use and energy cost may be beneficially reduced in an intelligent, real-time manner. The invention also provides for early-recognition of impending adverse energy events, optimal response to a particular energy situation, real-time analysis of energy-related data, etc.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates generally to systems and methods for managing use of energy, and especially to systems and methods for managing energy use in a complex multi-building context. [0002] A number of factors have combined in recent years to create an electrical energy crisis in many regions of the United States. These include: a shortage of generating capacity; lack of capital investment in new transmission capacity; fuel volatility; and increased demand. The result is a power shortage and difficulties in the energy infrastructure. [0003] Multiple-building systems, such as commonly owned systems of 30, 60 or more buildings, exist throughout the world today. Examples of such building systems include, e.g., university systems. Multiple building systems may be geographically dispersed. Controlling energy consumption, and costs of energy consumption, in such wide-spread building systems presents challenges. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,362 issued i...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] A significant advantage of the invention is to provide maximum energy curtailment with minimal impact to occupants of buildings in the building system. Maximum energy curtailment may be achieved with no greater than a certain defined level of impact to occupants of buildings in the building system.

[0013] The invention in a first preferred embodiment provides an energy management system comprising: computer-based monitoring for an adverse energy event in a building system; computer-based recognition of an adverse energy event in the building system; immediate automatic querying of energy users within the building system for energy curtailment possibilities; automatic receipt of responses from queried energy users with energy curtailment possibilities; automatic processing of energy curtailment possibilities into a round-robin curtailment rotation. Preferably, responses from queried energy users with energy curtailment possibilities are automatically processed by a computer with a set of instructions for evaluating how to enact each respective curtailment possibility of each respective energy user offering a curtailment possibility.

[0014] In another preferred embodiment, the invention provides a method for minimizing and / or eliminating need for human operator attention in energy management of a building system, comprising: non-human, computerized processing of obtained energy data, wherein the obtained energy data is for at least one energy user in the building system, said processing including (A) automatic determination of whether at least one energy-relevant event is present or (B) continual optimization of a setting of the at least one energy user. Optionally, when a energy-relevant event is automatically determined to be present, the invention provides immediately activating an automatic response to the energy-relevant event. Another preferred but optional example is mentioned, wherein at least one intelligent agent, from the obtained energy data, actually forecasts the peak; wherein the energy-relevant event is a threat of a new maximum peak, and the immediately activated automatic response includes energy reduction interventions to avoid the new maximum peak.

[0015] In a further preferred embodiment, the invention provides a computer-based energy management system, comprising: non-human, computerized processing of obtained energy data, wherein the obtained energy data is for at least one energy user in a building system, said processing including automatic determination of whether at least one energy-relevant event is present; and upon recognition of an automatic determination that at least one energy-relevant event, a non-human, computerized response thereto based upon artificial intelligence reasoning.

[0016] Additionally, in another preferred embodiment the invention provides a computer-based round-robin rotation system for energy users, wherein the energy users are under computer-based control and are present in a building system, the round-robin rotation system comprising: a series of computer-based energy curtailment commands to each of a plurality of energy users in the building system, wherein (1) each computer-based energy curtailment command in the series of energy curtailment commands; (a) is specific to the energy user to which the curtailment command is directed; (b) has been derived from an energy curtailment offer provided by the energy user; and / or (c) is based on continually learned and observed characteristics of the energy user; and / or (2) an energy user in the plurality of energy users is grouped with other energy users based on similarity with regard to a certain parameter or parameters.

[0017] The invention, in another preferred embodiment, provides a computer based method of avoiding a new energy peak, comprising: priming a computer-based system with data as to energy peak(s) already reached in a building system; for current energy usage in the building system, obtaining, in real-time, computer-readable data from which to automatically forecast if a new energy peak is approaching; and real-time automatic processing the obtained computer-readable data to forecast whether or not a new energy peak is approaching. Preferably, if the real-time automatic processing of the obtained computer-readable data provides a forecast that a new energy peak is approaching, an immediate, real-time, automatic response is initiated.

Problems solved by technology

A number of factors have combined in recent years to create an electrical energy crisis in many regions of the United States.

These include: a shortage of generating capacity; lack of capital investment in new transmission capacity; fuel volatility; and increased demand.

The result is a power shortage and difficulties in the energy infrastructure.

Controlling energy consumption, and costs of energy consumption, in such wide-spread building systems presents challenges.

Thus, the question of how to accomplish a specified energy consumption reduction has been heavily human-dependent.

A human operator may fail to recognize one or more energy-relevant events (such as the threat of a new maximum peak).

The diligence, accuracy, speed, and foresight of a human operator necessarily may be limited, contributing to likely missed recognition of such energy relevant events.

Human operators may review data yet fail to appreciate its significance.

Human operators tasked with recognizing surges towards new peaks tend to have other tasks, such that they cannot provide a sufficient level of attention and monitoring to recognize every surge towards a new peak.

The human operator is essentially incapable in a limited amount of time of consulting or studying the many different energy users (such as energy-using devices or apparatuses such as air-conditioners, etc.) to ascertain the status of each.

And because many factors affect energy consumption at any given moment—the weather outside, the number of people inside, etc.—it has never been possible to accurately and precisely adjust energy consumption in real time.

The energy management systems in place and the people who monitor them on a daily basis were simply not capable of analyzing all of the potential alternative for reducing energy consumption and doing so quickly.

Power outages, even planned power outages, have highly disruptive effects, such as disrupting telephone and computer network equipment, data inaccessibility, etc.

Governments face social and political consequences of chronic energy shortages.

Power suppliers cannot meet the demand for electricity in their areas, without building large power-generating reserves, which is not an optimal solution.

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