ENERGY-CONSUMPTION BASED INCENTIVE MANAGEMENT THROUGH SMART METER MONITORING

摘要

Technologies are generally provided for employing a smart meter to monitor an energy-efficient appliance or upgrade associated with an incentive program and to apply the incentive program to a location associated with the appliance or upgrade. A power utility provider may provide an incentive such as on-bill financing or bill reduction for energy-efficient upgrades, purchases, or otherwise encouraged programs. The utility provider may detect operation of an energy-efficient device such as an appliance at a location through a smart meter and provide the incentive associated with the device to the address where the device is currently operated based on smart meter data. The utility provider may subsequently detect use of the device at a new location based on another smart meter detecting operation of the device at the new location and automatically provide the incentive to the new address upon detection of operation of the device at the new location.

主权项

1. A method to provide an energy-consumption based incentive, the method comprising:
detecting, through a smart meter, connection of a device associated with the energy-consumption based incentive to a power grid, wherein the connection of the device to the power grid is at a first location; determining a first portion of the energy-consumption based incentive by apportioning the energy-consumption based incentive based on a length of time spent by the device at the first location while the device is connected to the power grid; providing the first portion of the energy-consumption based incentive to an address associated with the first location; detecting, through another smart meter, another connection of the device to the power grid, wherein the another connection of the device to the power grid is at a second location; determining a second portion of the energy-consumption based incentive by apportioning the energy-consumption based incentive based on another length of time spent by the device at the second location while the device is connected to the power grid; and providing the second portion of the energy-consumption based incentive to another address associated with the second location.