Method and apparatus for actively managing electric power over an electric power grid

摘要

Systems and methods for managing power supplied over an electric power grid by an electric utility and/or other market participants to multiple power consuming devices, each of which having a Power Supply Value (PSV) associated with its energy consumption and/or reduction in consumption. Power flow to the power consuming devices is selectively enabled and disabled, or power-reduced thereto, by one or more controllable devices controlled by the client device. Power control messages from a controlling server indicate amounts of electric power to be reduced and an identification of at least one controllable device to be instructed to disable or reduce a flow of electric power to one or more associated power consuming devices.

主权项

1. A system for managing power on an electric power grid that is constructed and configured for supplying and receiving power to and from a multiplicity of sources, where the power flows to a plurality of power consuming devices or is generated by a plurality of power generation and storage solutions that are energized, de-energized, and/or power-reduced by a plurality of controllable devices, the system comprising:
a server comprising a command processor operable to receive or initiate power control commands and issue power control event messages responsive thereto, at least one of the power control commands requiring a reduction in an amount of electric power consumed by the plurality of power consuming devices; an event manager operable to receive the power control event messages, maintain at least one power management status relating to each client device and issue power control event instructions responsive to the power control event messages; a database for storing information relating to power consumed by each of the plurality of power consuming devices and the amount of power to be reduced to each of the power consuming devices; a client device manager in communication with the event manager and the database, the client device manager selecting from the database, based on the information stored in the database, at least one client device to which to issue at least one power control event message, the at least one power control event message configured to indicate at least one of an amount of electric power to be reduced or increased and identify at least one controllable device to be instructed to disable a flow of electric power or reduce settings corresponding to power consumption to one or more associated power consuming devices responsive to receipt of at least one of the power control event instructions requiring a reduction in a specified amount of electric power; the plurality of controllable devices and corresponding controllable device interfaces for facilitating communication of the power control event instructions to the controllable devices; wherein for each of the controllable device(s) the server generates a first power supply value (PSV); the power control event instructions configured to enable at least one of the controllable devices to selectively enable and disable a flow of power to at least one of the power consuming devices; and a device control manager in communication with the controllable device interfaces for issuing the power control event instructions to the controllable devices, the device control manager responsive to the received power control event messages.