Title:
System and method for controlling usage of a commodity
Document Type and Number:
Kind Code:
A1

Abstract:
A system and method manage delivery of energy from a distribution network to one or more sites. Each site has at least one device coupled to the distribution network. The at least one device controllably consumes energy. The system includes a node and a control system. The node is coupled to the at least one device for sensing and controlling energy delivered to the device. A control system is coupled to the node and distribution network for delivering to the node at least one characteristic of the distribution network. The node for controls the supply of energy to the device as a function of the at least one characteristic.

Representative Image:
System and method for controlling usage of a commodity
Inventors:
Ehlers, Gregory A. (Bradenton, FL, US)
Turner, James H. (Chesterfield, VA, US)
Beaudet, Joseph (Prince George, VA, US)
Strich, Ronald (Pueblo West, CO, US)
Loughmiller, George (Scottsdale, AZ, US)
      Plaque It!

Application Number:
10/628644
Publication Date:
06/17/2004
Filing Date:
07/28/2003
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Export Citation:
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Primary Class:
705/412
International Classes:
(IPC1-7): G06F017/00
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
HOWARD & HOWARD ATTORNEYS, P.C. (THE PINEHURST OFFICE CENTER, SUITE #101, BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI, 48304-5151, US)
Claims:
1. A method for providing at least one program to a customer of a utility of a commodity, the program aimed at managing demand for the commodity, the utility delivering the commodity to at least one customer site, the customer site having a plurality of devices which use the commodity, including the steps of: defining a program having a subset of the plurality of devices for which usage of the commodity may be managed by activating the program; allowing the customer to subscribe to the program; delivering the commodity to the subset of devices; measuring the instantaneous rate at which the commodity is being delivered to the subset of the devices; sending the instantaneous rate for each device within the subset to the utility.

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1, including the steps of: activating the program; and, subsequently measuring at least one of a rate and a change in a rate at which the commodity is being delivered to the subset of the devices.

3. A method, as set forth in claim 2, including the step of determining an actual change in a rate of consumption of the commodity and recording the rate of change in a memory.

4. A method, as set forth in claim 3, including the step of providing at least one of an alternative rate and a billing adjustment to the customer as a function of the actual capacity saved at the related customer site by the program.

5. A method, as set forth in claim 4, wherein the at least one of an alternative rate and a billing adjustment is also a function of historical usage information.

6. A method, as set forth in claim 4, wherein the at least one of an alternative rate and a billing adjustment is a function of an actual cost related to the commodity while the program is activated.

7. A method, as set forth in claim 2, including the step of verifying management of the devices within the subset of the devices.

8. A method, as set forth in claim 1, including the step of providing a user interface for interaction with the customer.

9. A method, as set forth in claim 8, wherein the user interface is accessible through a web browser.

10. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each device has an associated node, and the method includes the step of allowing the customer to control one or more of the devices through the associated node.

11. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the utility delivers the commodity to a plurality of customer sites, each customer site having a plurality of devices and the step of defining the program includes the step of including within the program all devices of a similar type at each customer site.

12. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the utility delivers the commodity to a plurality of customer sites, each customer site having a plurality of devices and the step of defining at least one program includes the step of defining a plurality of programs, each program having a respective subset of the devices.

13. A method, as set forth in claim 1, including the steps of: activating the program; and, allowing the customer to cancel the program when activated.

14. A method, as set forth in claim 1, including the steps of: setting a budget goal; and, monitoring an aspect of usage of the commodity related to the budget goal.

15. A method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein the budget goal is defined in terms of usage of the commodity.

16. A method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein the budget goal is defined in terms of cost of actual amount of the commodity used.

17. A method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein the budget goal is defined relative to a predetermined time period and the method includes the step of generating an alert if actual usage will exceed the budget goal in the predetermined time period.

18. A method, as set forth in claim 17, wherein the alert is sent to the customer.

19. A method, as set forth in claim 17, wherein the alert is sent to the utility.

20. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the commodity is electrical power.

21. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the commodity is water.

22. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the commodity is gas.

23. A method, as set forth in claim 1, including the step of automatically activating the program under a predetermined set of conditions.

24. A method, as set forth in claim 23, wherein the predetermined set of conditions includes at least one of a time of day and a day.

25. A method, as set forth in claim 1, including the step of manually activating the program as a function of an actual demand of the commodity.

26. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the program at least one of shifts demand away from a first time period and eliminates demand for the first period.

27. A method, as set forth in claim 1, including the step of controlling the subset of devices in response to activation of the program.

28. A method, as set forth in claim 27, wherein the step of controlling the subset of devices includes the step of at least one of preventing and limiting usage of the commodity during a predetermined period of time.

29. A method, as set forth in claim 27, wherein at least one of the devices has an operating setpoint, and wherein the step of controlling the subset of devices includes the step of modifying the setpoint.

30. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each device has an associated node, and the method includes the step of downloading to each node, a program schedule containing scheduling information for the program.

31. A method for providing at least one program to a customer of a utility of a commodity, the program aimed at managing demand for the commodity, the utility delivering the commodity to at least one customer site, the customer site having a plurality of devices which use the commodity, including the steps of: defining a program having a subset of the plurality of devices for which usage of the commodity may be managed by activating the program; allowing the customer to subscribe to the program; delivering the commodity to the subset of devices; measuring the instantaneous rate at which the commodity is being delivered to the subset of the devices; sending the instantaneous rate for each device within the subset to the utility; activating the program; determining an actual rate of change in consumption of the commodity induced by activating of the program; and, providing a at least one of an alternative rate and billing adjustment to at least one customer as a function of the actual capacity saved at the related customer site by the program.

32. A method for providing at least one program to a customer of a utility of a commodity, the program aimed at managing demand for the commodity, the utility delivering the commodity to at least one customer site, the customer site having a plurality of devices which use the commodity, including the steps of: defining a program having a subset of the plurality of devices for which usage of the commodity may be managed by activating the program; allowing the customer to subscribe to the program; delivering the commodity to the subset of devices; measuring the instantaneous rate at which the commodity is being delivered to the subset of the devices; sending the instantaneous rate for each device within the subset to the utility; activating the program; and, verifying management of the devices within the subset of the devices.

33. A system for providing a program to a customer of a utility of a commodity, the utility delivering the commodity to at least one customer site, the customer site having a plurality of devices which use the commodity, the program aimed at managing demand for the commodity and having a subset of the plurality of devices for which usage of the commodity may be managed by activating the program, comprising: a user interface for allowing the customer to subscribe to the program; a distribution network coupled to the subset of devices for delivering the commodity to the subset of devices; and, at least one node coupled to the subset of devices for measuring the instantaneous rate at which the commodity is being delivered to the subset of the devices and for sending the instantaneous rate for each device within the subset to the utility.

34. A system, as set forth in claim 33, further comprising a control system coupled to the distribution network for controlling delivery of the commodity and activating the program, the at least one node adapted to subsequently measure the rate at which the commodity is being delivered to the subset of the devices.

35. A system, as set forth in claim 34, wherein the control system determines an actual rate of change in the rate of consumption induced by activating the program.

36. A system, as set forth in claim 35, wherein the control system determines at least one of an alternative rate and billing adjustment to the customer as a function of the actual capacity saved at the related customer site by the program.

37. A system, as set forth in claim 36, wherein the at least one of an alternative rate and billing adjustment is also a function of historical usage information.

38. A system, as set forth in claim 36, wherein the at least one of an alternative rate and billing adjustment is a function of an actual cost related to the commodity while the program is activated.

39. A system, as set forth in claim 34, wherein the control system including verifies curtailment of the devices within the subset of the devices.

40. A system, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the user interface is accessible through a web browser.

41. A system, as set forth in claim 33, wherein each device has an associated node for allowing the customer to control one or more of the devices through the associated node.

42. A system, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the utility delivers the commodity to a plurality of customer sites, each customer site having a plurality of devices and the program includes all devices of a similar type at each customer site.

43. A system, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the utility delivers the commodity to a plurality of customer sites, each customer site having a plurality of devices, wherein a plurality of programs are defined, each program having a respective subset of the devices.

44. A system, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the user interface allows the customer to cancel the program after it has been activated.

45. A system, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the user interface allows the customer to set a budget goal and the at least one node monitors an aspect of usage of the commodity related to the budget goal.

46. A system, as set forth in claim 45, wherein the budget goal is defined in terms of usage of the commodity.

47. A system, as set forth in claim 45, wherein the budget goal is defined in terms of cost of actual amount of the commodity used.

48. A system, as set forth in claim 45, wherein the budget goal is defined relative to a predetermined time period and the at least one node generates an alert if actual usage will exceed the budget goal in the predetermined time period.

49. A system, as set forth in claim 48, wherein the alert is sent to the customer.

50. A system, as set forth in claim 48, wherein the alert is sent to the utility.

51. A system, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the commodity is electrical power.

52. A system, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the commodity is water.

53. A system, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the commodity is gas.

54. A system, as set forth in claim 34, wherein the control system automatically activates the program under a predetermined set of conditions.

55. A system, as set forth in claim 54, wherein the predetermined set of conditions includes at least one of a time of day and a day.

56. A system, as set forth in claim 34, wherein the control system allows the program to be manually activated as a function of an actual demand of the commodity.

57. A system, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the program at least one of shifts demand away from a first time period and eliminates demand from the first time period

58. A system, as set forth in claim 34, wherein the control system controls the subset of devices in response to activation of the program.

59. A system, as set forth in claim 58, wherein the control system at least one of prevents and limits usage of the commodity during a predetermined period of time.

60. A system, as set forth in claim 34, wherein at least one of the devices has an operating setpoint, and wherein control system the subset of devices by modifying the setpoint.

61. A system, as set forth in claim 34, wherein the control system downloads a program schedule containing scheduling information for the program to the at least one node.

62. A system for providing at least one program to a customer of a utility of a commodity, the utility delivering the commodity to at least one customer site, the customer site having a plurality of devices which use the commodity, the program aimed at managing reducing demand for the commodity and having a subset of the plurality of devices for which usage of the commodity may be managed by activating the program, comprising: a user interface for allowing the customer to subscribe to the program; a distribution network coupled to the subset of devices for delivering the commodity to the subset of devices; at least one node coupled to the subset of the devices for measuring the instantaneous rate at which the commodity is being delivered to the subset of the devices and for sending the instantaneous rate for each device within the subset to the utility; a control system coupled to the user interface, the distribution network and the at least one node for controlling delivery of the commodity, for activating the program, for determining at least one of an actual rate of consumption of the commodity and a change in the rate of consumption by activating of the program, and for providing at least one of an alternative rate and a billing adjustment to at least one customer as a function of the actual rate of consumption saved at the related customer site by the program.

63. A system for providing at least one program to a customer of a utility of a commodity, the utility delivering the commodity to at least one customer site, the customer site having a plurality of devices which use the commodity, the program aimed at managing demand for the commodity and having a subset of the plurality of devices for which usage of the commodity may be managed by activating the program, comprising: a user interface for allowing the customer to subscribe to the program; a distribution network coupled to the subset of devices for delivering the commodity to the subset of devices; at least one node coupled to the subset of devices for measuring the instantaneous rate at which the commodity is being delivered to the subset of the devices and for sending the instantaneous rate for each device within the subset to the utility; and, a control system for activating the program and verifying management of the devices within the subset of the devices.

Description:

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/402,370 filed Mar. 28, 2003, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/368,963 filed Mar. 28, 2002 and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/383,027 filed on May 24, 2002, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to the delivery of a commodity, and more particularly, to a system and method for managing the delivery and usage of a commodity such as electricity, natural gas, steam, water, chilled or heated water, or potable or recycled water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Traditionally, utilities have done an excellent job of providing a reliable source of power to their customers. Utilities do this by accurately predicting consumer demand and then ensuring that they have adequate generation resources available to meet that demand. Historically, demand for power increases each year during peak heating and cooling months, resulting in a need for ever increasing amounts of generation capacity. A review of the peak period demand clearly show that the need for a substantial amount of new generation assets could be eliminated if there was a way to shift some of the demand from peak to off peak times.

[0004] The deregulation of the electric industry has heightened concerns over power outages, price volatility and how the eventual outcome will impact the economy and our way of life.

[0005] For example, recent events in California have captured the headlines and amplify these concerns. California suffers from 10 years of load growth with no new generation facilities being built to meet the demand. Internet data centers like the one in San Jose represent unanticipated new demands for power 24 hours a day equal to that of 60,000 homes. State mandated deregulation activities forced the major utilities to sell off their generation assets resulting in them having to buy the power they used to self generate from others.

[0006] Demand reduction programs and more advanced controls have been proposed to assist in reducing demand during peak times.

[0007] Currently, utilities do offer demand reduction programs to their customers. These programs are designed to shift loads out of peak periods by providing a financial incentive for consumers to move loads to a time when it is less expensive for the utility to produce or obtain power. Time of day rate is an example of such a program.

[0008] Another type of program offered by utilities is the traditional Demand Side Management (DSM) program. This type of program provides the customer a monthly credit for allowing the utility to interrupt power to major loads in their home during peaks or emergencies.

[0009] While both of these programs have been shown to work, they each have their problems. Time of day rate programs may be difficult for customers to understand. Therefore these programs have a very low participation rate among the customer base. DSM programs, on the other hand, have a much higher participation rate. However, DSM load sheds are seldom exercised by the utility. And, when the utility does exercise a load shed, the resulting interruption of power tends to affect customer comfort, thereby causing large numbers of customers to drop out of the program. In addition, current DSM programs cannot differentiate between those consumers that contribute to a load control, and those that don't, while providing incentive credits to all who sign up.

[0010] While both time of day rates and DSM programs can be effective, each have challenges in the area of customer satisfaction that erode their usefulness. In addition, utilities earn little revenue from these types of offerings and therefore look to new generation as a more economically viable option.

[0011] Thermostats, thermostatic control devices and environmental control systems have been designed, manufactured and placed in use for many years. These devices are primarily designed to sense the temperature inside a site 1 . 04 and based on occupant designated setting, activate the heating and/or air conditioning system or systems to maintain a comfort level based on the occupants designated level of comfort. There are two main types of design for these devices: a standard single control device or a dual control system.

[0012] The standard single control device can be set to activate a heating or cooling system based upon a manual switch to select either system and a degree setting mechanism to select the desired temperature to heat or cool to if the temperature falls or rises below or above the occupant designated set point. A dual control system is attached to both a heating and cooling system which has two set points, one for the heating system activation and one for the cooling system activation. With this type of a control, the user sets a desired minimum temperature, below which the heating system will be activated to raise the temperature during winter seasons, and a maximum temperature, above which the cooling system will be activated to drop the temperature during summer seasons.

[0013] This type of temperature control device provides the occupant the convenience of not having to manually select either the heating or cooling system, as is the case of the standard single control device, and allows the occupant to define a temperature range between which they are comfortable. Using these two main types of design as a base line, there are many variations, which have been developed over time. Over the years, these sensing and control devices have moved from traditional bi-metal contractors to more sophisticated electronic devices over the years, and have incorporated the ability to be programmed with multiple set points for both heating and cooling as well as having the ability to activate these different set points based on time of day, day of week, and/or externally generated control signals from utility companies indicating a fixed cost tier that is in effect, e.g., low, medium, high & critical, and to interface with an infra-red motion sensor that automatically sets back the temperature to a predetermined point based on the presence of a person in the area. However, most end use consumers do not have the time, experience, and/or access to data to monitor, track, and use these devices.

[0014] The present invention is aimed at one or more of the problems set forth above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0015] In one aspect of the present invention, a system and method manage delivery of energy from a distribution network to one or more sites. Each site has at least one device coupled to the distribution network. The at least one device controllably consumes energy. The system includes a node and a control system. The node is coupled to the at least one device for sensing and controlling energy delivered to the device. A control system is coupled to the node and distribution network for delivering to the node at least one characteristic of the distribution network. The node for controls the supply of energy to the device as a function of the at least one characteristic.

[0016] In another aspect of the present invention, a method of shifting energy requirements from a first period of time is provided. The method includes the steps of measuring energy usage of a controlled device operated by a customer, cutting off energy to the controlled device during the first time period, and providing a rebate to the customer based on actual energy savings as a function of the first time period, the measured energy usage, and known power requirements.

[0017] In still another aspect of the present invention, a thermostat device for controlling a heating and/or cooling system through interaction with a user is provided. The heating and/or cooling system are supplied with energy through a power distribution network. The thermostat includes a control panel for receiving input from the user and a display coupled to the control panel for visually presenting information to the user. The thermostat device is adapted to receive a characteristic of the energy being supplied and for displaying the characteristic on the display.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0019] FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an energy management system, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] FIG. 1B is a diagrammatic illustration of one implementation of the energy management system of FIG. 1A ;

[0021] FIG. 1C is a flow diagram of a process for managing energy delivery according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 2A is a block diagram of a gateway node used in the energy management system of FIG. 1A ;

[0023] FIG. 2B is a block diagram of a metering node used in the energy management system of FIG. 1A ;

[0024] FIG. 2C is a block diagram of a control node used in the energy management system of FIG. 1A ;

[0025] FIG. 2D is a block diagram of a load control node used in the energy management system of FIG. 1A ;

[0026] FIG. 2E is a block diagram of an implementation of the energy system of FIG. 1A at a customer site;

[0027] FIG. 3A is an illustration of an advanced thermostat device, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] FIG. 3B is a block diagram of the advanced thermostat device of FIG. 3A ;

[0029] FIGS. 3 C- 3 G are graphs illustrating an exemplary economic and comfort management control strategy, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] FIG. 4A is a graphical illustration of a customer GUI, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] FIG. 4B is a graphical illustration of a control panel of the GUI of FIG. 4A ;

[0032] FIG. 4C is a graphical illustration of a virtual thermostat of the GUI of FIG. 4A ;

[0033] FIG. 4D is a graphical illustration of an occupancy mode screen of the GUI of FIG. 4A ;

[0034] FIG. 4E is a second graphical illustration of the occupancy mode screen of FIG. 4D ;

[0035] FIG. 4F is a third graphical illustration of the occupancy mode screen of the GUI of FIG. 4D ;

[0036] FIG. 4G is a graphical illustration of a thermostat scheduling calendar of the GUI of FIG. 4A ;

[0037] FIG. 4H is a graphical illustration of a thermostat scheduling panel of the GUI of FIG. 4A ;

[0038] FIG. 4I is a graphical illustration of a select day type drop down list of the GUI of FIG. 4A ;

[0039] FIG. 4J is a graphical illustration of a config alert screen of the GUI of FIG. 4A ;

[0040] FIG. 4K is a graphical illustration of a report screen of the GUI of FIG. 4A ;

[0041] FIG. 4L is a graphical illustration of a daily temperature report pop up screen of the GUI of FIG. 4A ;

[0042] FIG. 4M is a graphical illustration of a daily electrical report pop up screen of the GUI of FIG. 4A ;

[0043] FIG. 4N is a graphical illustration of a configuration data screen of the GUI of FIG. 4A ;

[0044] FIG. 4O is a graphical illustration of a thermostat data screen of the GUI of FIG. 4A ;

[0045] FIG. 4P is a graphical illustration of a heating drop down list of the GUI of FIG. 4A ;

[0046] FIG. 4Q is a graphical illustration of a cooling drop down list of the GUI of FIG. 4A ;

[0047] FIG. 4R is a graphical illustration of a program participation screen of the GUI of FIG. 4A ;

[0048] FIG. 5A is a graphical illustration of a utility GUI, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] FIG. 5B is a graphical illustration of an immediate supply screen of the GUI of FIG. 5A ;

[0050] FIG. 5C is a graphical illustration of an available program capacity pop-up of the GUI of FIG. 5A ;

[0051] FIG. 5D is a graphical illustration of a scheduled supply screen of the GUI of FIG. 5A ;

[0052] FIG. 5E is a graphical illustration of a find eligible program dialog of the GUI of FIG. 5A ;

[0053] FIG. 5F is a graphical illustration of program summery table of the GUI of FIG. 5A ;

[0054] FIG. 5G is a graphical illustration of a program definition screen of the GUI of FIG. 5A ;

[0055] FIG. 5H is a graphical illustration of a reports screen of the GUI of FIG. 5A ; and,

[0056] FIG. 5I is a graphical illustration of a portion of the reports screen of FIG. 5H .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0057] 1. Energy Management System and Methods—Overview

[0058] With reference to the drawings, and in operation, the present invention relates generally to a system 1 . 02 and method for managing the delivery and usage of a commodity, such as electricity, natural gas, steam, water, chilled or heated water, or potable or recycled water. More specifically, the system 1 . 02 is adaptable to manage the delivery and usage of energy, e.g., electricity and natural gas. While the below discussion focuses on the management of the delivery and/or usage of electricity, the present invention is not limited to such the delivery and/or usage of electricity.

[0059] In general, the system 1 . 02 allows at least one customer (or user) located at a customer site (indicated by reference number 1 . 04 ) and/or a utility (indicated by reference number 1 . 06 ) to manage delivery or usage of the electricity to the customer's site 1 . 06 . The utility 1 . 06 may include both the generation of the electricity, e.g., via power plants, and/or the transmission of electricity to the customer sites 1 . 04 .

[0060] The customer site 1 . 04 includes at least one device 1 . 08 which uses electricity and at least one node 1 . 10 . In the illustrated embodiment, the customer site 1 . 04 includes three devices: a metered device 1 . 08 A, a controlled device 1 . 08 B, and a metered and controlled device 1 . 08 C. Each device 1 . 08 may have an associated node 1 . 10 .

[0061] As discussed in more detail below, in the illustrated embodiment, there are four different types of nodes 1 . 10 : a load metering node 1 . 10 A, a control node 1 . 10 B, a load control node 1 . 10 C, and a gateway node 1 . 10 D.

[0062] The gateway node 1 . 10 D provides two way communication between the gateway 1 . 10 D and each other node 1 . 10 A, 1 . 10 B, 1 . 10 C and between the gateway node 1 . 10 D and a utility control system 1 . 12 . It should be noted that although there are only one of each the devices 1 . 08 A, 1 . 08 B, 1 . 08 C, shown, there may be any number of each type of device 1 . 08 A, 1 . 08 B, 1 . 08 C (including zero).

[0063] The load metering node 1 . 10 A, in general, measures the instantaneous power being delivered (typically, in kWh) to the associated metered device 1 . 08 A. The load metering node 1 . 10 A may also determine the total power delivered to the metered device 1 . 08 A over a predetermined period of time, e.g., every 15 or 20 minutes. Information related to the instantaneous power being delivered and the accumulated power is delivered to utility 1 . 06 via the gateway control node 1 . 10 D. For example, the metered device 1 . 08 A may be an electricity meter which measures all power being supplied to the customer site 1 . 04 .

[0064] The control node 1 . 10 B, in general, is used to control the controlled device 1 . 08 B. In the simplest form the control node 1 . 10 B may controllably cut off and supply power to the controlled device 1 . 08 B. For example, if the controlled device 1 . 08 B is a pool pump used to filter a pool (not shown), the control node 1 . 10 B may simply turn power to the pool pump on and off. Alternatively, the control node 1 . 10 B may have control over features of the controlled device 1 . 08 B, e.g., start time, end time, duration, etc.

[0065] The load control node 1 . 10 C, in general, is used to both measure the instantaneous power being delivered to the controlled and metered device 1 . 08 C and controls the device 1 . 08 C. The load control node 1 . 10 C may also determine the total power delivered to the metered and controlled device 1 . 08 C over a predetermined period of time, e.g., every 15 or 20 minutes.

[0066] Nodes 1 . 10 may be utilized with any type of device 1 . 08 for which it is desirable to control and/or measure its power usage. For example, nodes 1 . 10 may be associated with the entire customer site 1 . 04 , a pool pump, an HVAC system, a water heater, any appliance, such as a refrigerator, dishwasher, hot tubs, irrigation and well pumps, spas, coffer maker, etc., or other electrical or electronic device, e.g., televisions, stereos, etc.

[0067] The type of node 1 . 10 which is used with a device 1 . 08 is dependent upon the device and whether it is desirable to measure the device's power usage, control the device or both. In one aspect of the present invention a node 1 . 10 may be separate from the device 1 . 08 . For example, in each device 1 . 08 it may be desirable to measure the energy usage of the entire customer site 1 . 04 . Thus, a load metering node 1 . 10 A may be associated with the site's electric meter.

[0068] Nodes 1 . 10 may either be integrated with the corresponding device 1 . 08 or be separate. For example, a load metering node 1 . 10 A may be a separate device which is coupled to an electric meter (for retro-fit purposes). Alternatively, nodes 1 . 08 may be designed and manufactured to be integral with the devices 1 . 10 .

[0069] The customer may access and control the system 1 . 02 through a user interface 1 . 14 (see below). The user interface 1 . 14 may be incorporated into another device, such as a thermostat (see below). Additionally, the customer may be given access to the system 1 . 02 through external devices, such as, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), laptop computers, desktop computers, or other suitable devices. Such devices may be linked to the system 1 . 02 via the internet, a wireless data network, or other suitable system.

[0070] The system 1 . 02 may be further accessed and controlled at the utility 1 . 06 via a utility interface 1 . 16 (see below).

[0071] In one aspect of the present invention, the load metering node 1 . 10 A, the control node 1 . 10 B, and the load control node 1 . 10 C communicate with the gateway node 1 . 10 D. In another aspect of the present invention, the load metering node 1 . 10 A, the control node 1 . 10 B, the load control node 1 . 10 C, and the gateway node 1 . 10 D may all communicate with each other. In the illustrated embodiment, the nodes 1 . 10 are interconnected by a network 1 . 18 . The network 1 . 18 may be a wired network, such as an ethernet network, or a wireless network.

[0072] An exemplary implementation of the system 1 . 02 is shown in FIG. 1B . In this illustrated embodiment, the gateway node 1 . 10 D communicates to the utility control system 1 . 12 via an “always on”, secured wired or wireless network 1 . 20 through a cable modem, DSL modem, or other suitable means (not shown). The utility control system 1 . 12 may be implemented in software which is stored and executed on a back-end server 1 . 22 (see below).

[0073] In one aspect of the present invention, utility control system 1 . 12 and the back-end server 1 . 22 may be provided by and/or serviced and/or maintained by a third party, i.e., a service provider, 1 . 24 .

[0074] Access to the utility control system 1 . 12 may be provided at the utility 1 . 06 through a secure network 1 . 26 such as a virtual private network (VPN).

[0075] Remote access to the system 1 . 02 may be provided to the customer through the back-end server 1 . 22 via the internet 1 . 28 .

[0076] In the illustrated embodiment, the customer site 1 . 04 includes a metered device 1 . 30 A, shown as an electric meter, a controlled device 1 . 30 B, shown as a pool pump (illustrated graphically as a pool), and a metered and controlled device 1 . 30 C, shown as a water heater. It should be noted, however, that any particular site may include zero, one or more of each type of device. In the illustrated embodiment, the system 1 . 02 also includes an advanced thermostat device 1 . 30 D. Each device 1 . 30 A, 1 . 30 B, 1 . 30 C, 1 . 30 D communicates with the gateway node or gateway 1 . 10 D.

[0077] As discussed more fully below, the customer has access to the system 1 . 02 and is able to monitor and control the nodes 1 . 10 and/or the devices 1 . 08 through the user interface 1 . 14 .

[0078] The utility 1 . 06 may also monitor and control the usage of electricity by controlling the nodes 1 . 10 and/or the devices 1 . 08 . More specifically, the utility 1 . 08 may define, modify, implement, and engage one or more Power Supply Program (hereinafter PSP or PROGRAM or PROGRAMS) which are designed to alleviate or reduce energy demand during peak periods. A PROGRAM may either be mandatory or optional. The user, through the user interface 1 . 14 , may be able to subscribe or sign up for one or more optional PROGRAMS. A PROGRAM may be either automatically implemented when a predetermined set of conditions occur, such as time of day, or may be engaged, by the utility 1 . 06 , as electricity demands require.

[0079] For example, a PROGRAM may automatically shift discretionary residential loads out of peak demand periods and credit consumers who participate with KWH rebates based on their actual (measured & verified) contributions. In one embodiment, the rebates would be directly related to the cost of the fuel or electricity during the shifted period. This PROGRAM delivers the same results Time Of Day rates were designed to deliver without a variable KWH cost component. Rebates for shifting demand provide the consumer incentive versus higher rates in peak periods. Further, the PROGRAM provides a variable rebate based on a customers actual contribution, instead of a fixed rebate.

[0080] With reference to FIG. 1 C, in one embodiment of the present invention, a method of shifting energy requirements from a first period of time, is provided. The method includes the step of measuring energy usage of a device 1 . 08 operated by a customer (first step 1 . 32 A). The device 1 . 08 has a known power rating. In a second step 1 . 32 B, energy to the device 1 . 08 is cut off during the first time period. In a third step 1 . 32 C, a rebate is provided to the customer based on actual energy savings as a function of the first time period, the measured energy usage, and the known power requirements.

[0081] For example, returning to FIG. 1B, a PROGRAM may be defined to include all pool pumps for a given set of customers, e.g., in a geographic location. The PROGRAM may be further defined by not allowing the pool pumps to run during a set period of the day. Customers having a pool pump may sign up or “subscribe” to the PROGRAM. The power rating for a customer's pool pump must be known and is stored within the system 1 . 02 . A load control node 1 . 10 C is either integral with or separate and coupled to the pool pump. The load control node 1 . 10 C receives a signal from the utility control system 1 . 12 to disable the pool pump during the first time period. The load control node 1 . 10 C further measures energy usage of the pool pump during the first time period to confirm that the pool pump is not running.

[0082] Another PROGRAM may also perform soft load control (control of comfort levels) on HVAC systems by modifying thermostat set points, use of temperature ramping and restricting the use of heat strips and secondary stages of compressors (see below).

[0083] In one aspect of the present invention, the system 1 . 02 is designed to operate like a power plant, in that it would be dispatched every working day to shift peak loads but would not operate on weekends or holidays. Further, the energy saved through engagement of a PROGRAM may be viewed as capacity in the same manner as the capacity of a power plant.

[0084] In one aspect of the present invention, the system 1 . 02 records actual interval data for a given entity or customer, and for each device 1 . 08 within that entity, or subsets thereof, as desired. In the case where the entity is a home, for example, actual energy interval data can be collected for each appliance, and/or selected appliances. Communications between the gateway node 1 . 10 D and the other nodes 1 . 10 A, 1 . 10 B, 1 . 10 C can be via wired or wireless means, including microwave, infrared, Radio Frequency (RF), or other wireless communications method. The actual interval data can be a basis for computing a customer's rebate. The gateway node 1 . 10 D can additionally collect information regarding the health and maintenance of the energy devices to which it communicates. Accordingly, the gateway node 1 . 10 D and the other nodes 1 . 10 A, 1 . 10 B, 1 . 10 C, can be equipped to communicate based on the wired or wireless communications channel. Furthermore, the communications can be bi-directional, and can be encoded. The gateway node 1 . 10 D can further communicate with the at least one server, and vice-versa. The gateway node 1 . 10 D can thus include a processor and an Ethernet connection. Communications to the server can be via cable modem, DSL, power line carrier modem, or another bi-directional wired or wireless secured communications link.

[0085] In one embodiment, the gateway node 1 . 10 D may include memory (see below) for storing pricing and scheduling information. For example, a gateway node 1 . 10 D may store fifteen days of data when ninety-six readings from devices 1 . 08 are made per day.

[0086] Rebates can be provided based on, for example, overall usage. In one illustration, if a water heater is “on” for ⅓ of the time, historically, a consumer can get a ⅓ rebate for a non-peak period water heater usage based on the water heater being “off” for the entire peak interval.

[0087] The system 1 . 02 may also be adapted to receive from the customer a budget goal for a specified time period, e.g., one month. The system 1 . 02 may then monitor the customer's usage and send an email or other notification to the customer if it is determined that the specified budget goal will be exceeded during the specified time period.

[0088] As explained above and more fully described below, the system 1 . 02 may also include an advanced thermostat device 1 . 30 D. The system 1 . 02 may have the ability to sense the current indoor temperature and could be enhanced to include at a minimum, humidity sensing, outside temperature, UV intensity, wind direction and speed, relative humidity, wet bulb thermometer, dew point and local weather forecast data or encoded signals as well as other analog or digital inputs used in the calculation of and maintenance of occupant comfort. In its basic form, the system 1 . 02 will manage the indoor air temperature. Using the optional enhanced system inputs, the system 1 . 02 may also manage the air quality and humidity at the site by controlling the operation of the appropriate heating, filtration, conditioning and cooling equipment in conjunction with damper and fresh air input ducts, electrostatic filters and ionization devices to maximize comfort and indoor air quality. The system 1 . 02 may manage its operation of the available environmental conditioning resources to maintain the optimum temperature, humidity and air quality conditions based on user defined minimum and maximum values for comfort indices and price of energy indices. In a more elaborate implementation, the system 1 . 02 may also have the ability to switch energy types e.g., electric versus gas for environment heating and would also have the ability to switch suppliers based on the asking price of the energy supplier serving the location if the services of an energy broker are utilized.

[0089] In one aspect of the present invention, the system 1 . 02 balances two primary factors. First, the system 1 . 02 maintains the environment within occupant defined acceptable minimum and maximum values at least for temperature and could be expanded to handle humidity and air quality. Second, the system 1 . 02 may vary these acceptable parameters based, on at a minimum, user defined preferences, price points and historical data (the gathering and retention of which is described later) to achieve the optimum environmental conditions. To provide feedback to the customer, the system 1 . 02 may also record the number of energy units (energy units as used here include for examples: kilowatt hours, BTU's, Therms, and Jules but is not so limited) used as a function of time for each of the loads monitored and/or controlled by the system 1 . 02 and would have the ability to report back detailed consumption data as a function of time and summarize these details to provide, at a minimum, daily averages for any defined period, monthly totals, as will as track the costs of each energy unit consumed per period and provide detailed and average daily cost for any user defined period as well as monthly totals. The system 1 . 02 may permit the entry of daily, weekly and monthly budget amounts for energy. The system 1 . 02 may monitor usage and provide visual and audible alerts if these amounts are being exceeded, thereby providing the opportunity to make corrections to system settings to achieve desired economic results. The system 1 . 02 may be capable of controlling loads beyond its primary management function of the environmental air management systems using the same economic modeling techniques and controls that it uses to manage its primary functions. It may also manage, report and track total site 1 . 04 energy unit usage and interface with energy unit suppliers via a communications channel. The system controls will be located at the site 1 . 04 , while the processors for modeling and managing the sources and types of energy units to be utilized and committed to will be distributed (at energy brokers, ESP's and utilities) and operate over a communications network without regard to the actual location of or distance from the site 1 . 04 .

[0090] In summary, and as explained in detail below, the system 1 . 02 supports and provides a wide array of monitoring and control points including:

[0091] Whole house interval metering;

[0092] HVAC thermostat monitoring and control;

[0093] Sub-metering and control of other major loads (such as pumps and electric water heaters); and,

[0094] Net metering for effective management of distributed generation assets.

[0095] In one embodiment, the system 1 . 02 is designed to provide monitoring and control of major loads, e.g., total electric load, HVAC systems, water heater, and pool pump (if existent). In another embodiment, the system 1 . 02 provides monitoring of most, if not all, devices which require energy, e.g., electricity or gas.

[0096] The system 1 . 02 is “always on”, connecting the nodes 1 . 10 to the utility control system 1 . 02 . This allows the system 1 . 02 to provide much higher levels of monitoring and management of loads. The ‘always on’ connectivity allows the utility 1 . 06 to know exactly how much load is available from each participating end use device 1 . 08 at a customer site 1 . 04 and allows the utility 1 . 06 to aggregate that load up to a circuit, sub station or to any other desired combined total. The utility 1 . 06 may target specific loads or geographic areas and manage demand more closely by getting verification of control requests as curtailment commands are initiated. The utility 1 . 06 can then pass detailed load curtailment data on to the back-office billing programs at the utility where credits can be applied to consumer bills commensurate with their contributions.

[0097] In another aspect of the present invention, the system 1 . 02 has the ability to monitor and control remote generating capacity such as photovoltaic systems (not shown) which may be located at a consumer site 1 . 04 . Just as the system can monitor and verify load control reductions, it is equally capable of monitoring, dispatching and verifying remote generation capacity.

[0098] In still another aspect of the present invention, the system 1 . 02 allows the utility 1 . 06 to respond to requests for additional electrical supply. For example, when the utility 1 . 06 requires an increase in electrical supply, the utility 1 . 06 will be able to review current capacity and call upon some or all of that capacity in an Immediate Supply Request. Using the system 1 . 02 , the utility 1 . 06 may command one or more customer sites 1 . 04 that meet the specified criteria, e.g., or enrolled in a specific PROGRAM, to provide their power contribution to the system's power generation supply. The gateway nodes 1 . 10 D will continuously update the system 1 . 02 with current demand information in the form of available messages. That information, along with profile data, can be presented to a system operator to help them locate the best supply to call upon.

[0099] In one embodiment of the present invention, the utility interface 1 . 16 and the user interface 1 . 14 may be provided through a web browser (see below), such as Internet Explorer, available from Microsoft Corp. of Redmond, Wash.

[0100] The utility interface 1 . 16 may display the capability to define Power Supply Programs (PSP or PROGRAMS) in the system 1 . 02 and selectively apply substations and circuits that will participate in the PROGRAM when activated. The system 1 . 02 through the utility interface 1 . 16 may include the following capabilities.

[0101] The system 1 . 02 may allow an operator at the utility 1 . 06 to selectively assign devices 1 . 08 that apply to a specific PROGRAM. One or more substations and/or circuits may be included within the PROGRAM.

[0102] The system 1 . 02 may receive or generate an Immediate Supply Request (ISR) when additional electrical supply is needed. The Immediate Supply Request may include a start time and the supply request duration.

[0103] An operator, using the utility interface 1 . 16 , activates one or more PROGRAMS in response to the ISR. Activation of the one or more PROGRAMS may be immediate or scheduled at a future time. To activate a PROGRAM, a PROGRAM schedule is downloaded to each of the gateway nodes 1 . 10 D or nodes 1 . 10 affected. In one embodiment, the PROGRAM schedule may be downloaded to the appropriate gateway nodes 1 . 10 D or other node 1 . 10 in advance of the scheduled time of operation.

[0104] In another aspect of the present invention, the system 1 . 02 can track, record, store, compute, etc. which customers actually participate in a PSP and how much demand was reduced in the home for the PROGRAM period.

[0105] The utility interface 1 . 16 may also display the current load generation available from the existing system 1 . 02 . For example, a view of the current Power Distribution Network for a utility company including Transmission Substations (TSS), Distribution Substations (DSS), and circuits may be provided. The view may be appropriately annotated with identification information for each branch of the network (TSS, DSS and circuit). The view may display an aggregated capacity for a branch of the network currently available. The view may also indicate whether a PROGRAM is currently active on a branch of the system 1 . 02 . For an active power supply program, the scheduled completion time may also be indicated.

[0106] The system 1 . 02 may also continually aggregate capacity and the current status of the distribution network and provides the updated information for display on the utility interface 1 . 16 .

[0107] In a further aspect of the present invention, the utility interface 1 . 16 may allow the operator to analyze profiles of homes and individual load types. This data can allow the utility 1 . 06 to assess which loads should be curtailed to achieve the needed demand reduction. The system 1 . 02 may calculate home load profiles based upon information received from the load metering nodes 1 . 10 A and/or load control nodes 1 . 10 C. This may include HVAC profiling. Using this data, site load profile data can be aggregated for the electrical distribution network topology.

[0108] The network topology load profile may be displayed as a snapshot to the operator. The operator may also review load profiles available in the system 1 . 02 at a specified time of day.

[0109] Configuration data is downloaded from the system 1 . 02 to each of the gateway nodes 1 . 10 D. For example, this may be done at one or more of the following: at predetermined times, when requested by a gateway node 1 . 10 D, and/or when a change, such as activation of a PROGRAM, has occurred.

[0110] For example, configuration data may include, but is not limited to the following: communication parameters for system components, schedules and power supply programs. In one embodiment, each device 1 . 08 has a unique identifier, such as a MAC address or an RF logical address. The intended device 1 . 08 for a given message may be included in the message received from the system 1 . 02 .

[0111] In one aspect of the present invention, communications to and from the gateway nodes 1 . 10 D or other nodes 1 . 10 are secured. For example, the communications may be secured using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).

[0112] In another aspect of the present invention, if the system 1 . 02 loses communications with a gateway node 1 . 10 D for a predetermined time, the system 1 . 02 may generate a Service Report.

[0113] In one aspect of the present invention, a gateway 1 . 10 D may generate a message when a controlled device 1 . 08 has a change of state that alters its contributable supply by more than a predetermined range, i.e., a real-time demand range. The system 1 . 02 may use these updates to keep a live running total of available supply for the entire electrical distribution network and make these values available at the utility interface 1 . 16 . In another aspect of the present invention, the system maintains a history of the consumption rates as a function fo time to create historical usage by device type and program to aid in planning and forecasting demand by device type. These values are available at the utility interface 1 . 16 . In one embodiment, the system 1 . 02 may ignore supply values from a gateway node 1 . 10 D that are older than a predetermined period of time, such as 30 minutes old.

[0114] The system may also receive messages from a gateway node 1 . 10 D at predetermined time intervals, such as 15 minutes, whether a load changes or not. These messages can include the (a) demands generated for a device 1 . 08 in a PROGRAM and (b) the total demand generated for devices 1 . 08 in a PROGRAM. In one embodiment these messages may also include a gateway ID, a utility ID string, time/date stamp, current power draw of every controllable device 1 . 08 , and whole house demand.

[0115] Through the user interface 1 . 14 , the customer may have local and remote access to a rich set of functions and features. Some or all of these functions and features may be accessible through the thermostat 1 . 30 D and/or through the internet 1 . 28 (via a web browser).

[0116] Using the user interface 1 . 14 , the customer may directly access and control in-home devices 1 . 08 . For example, with regard to the thermostat 1 . 30 D, the customer may view current temperature, view current heating or cooling setpoint(s), override heating or cooling setpoint(s), resume scheduled heating or cooling setpoint(s), view heat/cool/auto mode, change the heat/cool/auto mode.

[0117] With regard to the electric meter 1 . 30 A, the customer may view current electric meter accumulated consumption (kWh), view current electric meter demand (kW), view historical meter data.

[0118] With regard to a metered controlled device 1 . 08 C, such as the water heater 1 . 30 C, the customer may view current equipment load status (on/off data), control the state of output relays (on/off), view and override curtailment conditions of the device 1 . 08 C, and/or view current demand and consumption data of the device 1 . 08 C.

[0119] In one aspect of the present invention, the user interface 1 . 14 includes a scheduling feature. The scheduling feature allows the customer to customize the devices 1 . 08 to operate according to personal preferences (rather than a default configuration).

[0120] In one embodiment, the following scheduling features are accessible through the user interface 1 . 14 .

[0121] With regard to the thermostat, the customer may define up to a plurality of occupancy modes, e.g., 8 , for use in daily schedules, define daily schedules using an unlimited number of day-types, assign day-types using monthly calendars.

[0122] With regard to a controlled and metered device 1 . 08 C, the customer may, for example, define a run-time operation and/or a desired start time.

[0123] Using the user interface 1 . 14 , the customer may view or generate a variety of reports to view historical information about their homes and the devices 1 . 08 within. For example, some of the reports which may be available include:

[0124] Daily temperature reports displaying temperature and setpoints in, e.g, 15-minute intervals.

[0125] Monthly temperature reports displaying daily low, high and average temperatures.

[0126] Daily electrical reports displaying electrical consumption hourly and electrical costs in e.g., 15-minute intervals.

[0127] Monthly electrical reports displaying daily low, high and average energy consumption.

[0128] Monthly cost reports displaying daily low, high and average energy costs.

[0129] Monthly consumption reports displaying daily energy consumption and costs.

[0130] Yearly consumption and cost reports displaying monthly energy consumption and cost.

[0131] In another aspect of the present invention, the customer may also view information related to Power Supply Programs. For example, the customer may generate or view a report detailing the PROGRAMS offered by the utility 1 . 06 . Additionally, the customer may select the PROGRAMS in which they choose to participate.

[0132] Using the user interface 1 . 14 , the customer may have access to their account and home attributes. For example, the customer may be able to view and modify various parameters associated with their user profile. Such parameters may include name, address, home, work and mobile phone numbers, primary and secondary E-mail addresses, password (modify only) and password reminder, and/or budget thresholds. Furthermore, the customer may be able to view and modify various parameters associated with the thermostat 1 . 30 D and HVAC system. Such parameters may include thermostat name, heating type and stages, cooling type and stages, and Safety, alarm, heat and cool limits.

[0133] Using the user interface 1 . 14 , the customer may also be able to view and modify various parameters associated with any metered and controlled devices. Such parameters may include, e.g., the device name and description.

[0134] Using the user interface 1 . 14 , the customer may also be able to view and modify various parameters associated with their home. Such parameters may include age and size, construction characteristics, water heater capacity and type(s), and energy related home accessories.

[0135] When the system 1 . 02 activates a PROGRAM (either automatically or via manual activation), a supply request is broadcast. The supply request may include a Curtailment ID, a Utility ID sub-string, Device Type Identifiers of the devices that are to contribute, a transaction identifier, and time elements indicating start time and duration. In one embodiment, the supply request is sent to all gateway nodes 1 . 10 D and other nodes 1 . 10 and may be repeated to ensure that all of the gateways 1 . 10 D and other nodes 1 . 10 will receive the request. Each gateway 1 . 10 D and other nodes 1 . 10 receive the request and when the start time occurs, begin a Supply Request transaction.

[0136] In one embodiment, the gateway node 1 . 10 D takes a whole-house meter reading (demand and consumption) and reports back to the system 1 . 02 that it has received the request and is participating. In the illustrated embodiment, every message includes the Curtailment ID so that the system 1 . 02 can collect all of the responses to the supply request and provide accurate analysis and billing/crediting information for the activated PROGRAM.

[0137] The gateway node 1 . 10 D and other nodes 1 . 10 then proceeds to control the specified devices 1 . 08 and report the status of each device 1 . 08 back to the system 1 . 02 as they are processed.

[0138] Devices 1 . 08 that are currently drawing power report the total watts contributed and then proceed to open the relay for controlled devices 1 . 08 B and/or controlled and metered device 1 . 08 C. If a controlled device 1 . 08 B is being used, an associated power rating may be used for the contributed power value. A controlled device 1 . 08 may be either shut-off, i.e., power cut off, or controlled to some predetermined state, e.g., a heating/cooling offset may be set to a maximum value for a HVAC system (see below).

[0139] Devices 1 . 08 that are not currently drawing power will report zero watts contributed and leave the relay closed. With the relay closed, once the device 1 . 08 starts to draw power, the gateway node 1 . 10 D will measure its demand and then open the relay and then measure and report its contribution.

[0140] In one embodiment, a device's 1 . 08 contribution is equal to the power consumption rate prior to activation of the program for the time period of the PROGRAM, i.e., the amount of energy being saved.

[0141] If the device 1 . 08 is an HVAC system, adjusting the setpoint may not guarantee that the system may not run at all. If the HVAC is not running, its supply contribution message is reported as zero. The setpoints are offset and the temperature is monitored. When the temperature exceeds the appropriate heating or cooling original setpoint (prior to the offset change), the gateway node 1 . 10 D may indicate what the contribution is. This represents when the equipment would have come on without the curtailment. By adjusting the setpoint of the thermostat 1 . 30 D, the actual consumption of the HVAC system should reduce as a result of a higher setpoint for heating or cooling being established. The actual usage for a particular setpoint for a site 1 . 04 may, over time, be known and/or sampled and the offsets can then be computed and verified as needed to ensure that the reductions that are calculated are correct. The system 1 . 02 can thus measure the shorter and less frequent cycling of the HVAC system to create an overall energy savings amount. For example, if the unit consumes 5 kwh set at 72 and used 4 . 6 kwh set at 76 then the savings is 0 . 4 kwh per hour.

[0142] At the end of the Supply Request period, the gateway node 1 . 10 D will re-enable the devices 1 . 08 and report a completion message to the system 1 . 02 that includes the whole house demand data and total consumption data. For the thermostat or thermostat devices, a reverse ramp can initiate to reduce the potential of creating a peak demand at the end of a curtailment or control period. This reverse ramp could include the restriction of secondary compressor stages as well as heat strips depending on the mode (heating or cooling) that the thermostat is in.

[0143] The system 1 . 02 may also send a supply request cancel message to abort the PROGRAM. When a supply request cancel message is received, the gateway node 1 . 10 D will perform as if the time has expired and performed all necessary clean-up, wrap-up and reporting as described above.

[0144] In addition to reporting individual demand contributed by each device 1 . 08 during the PROGRAM, the gateway node 1 . 10 D may also send the total demand generated for all devices 1 . 08 for the PROGRAM to the system 1 . 02 .

[0145] In another aspect of the present invention, the gateway node 1 . 10 D may receive a utility generated scheduled supply request. The gateway node 1 . 10 D may be responsible for administering the PROGRAM within customer site 1 . 04 . For example, the gateway node 1 . 10 D may accept or download scheduled PROGRAMS from the system 1 . 02 in advance of the scheduled operation. The gateway node 1 . 10 D may then monitor and control the affected devices 1 . 08 to carry out the PROGRAM.

[0146] During the PROGRAM, the gateway node 1 . 08 D may report the electrical demand generated by each device 1 . 08 in the PROGRAM.

[0147] The gateway node 1 . 10 D may also receive occupant device schedules from the system. Device schedules apply to customer devices 1 . 08 such as water heater, pool pump, hot tub and spas. The gateway node 1 . 10 D may then be responsible for administering the device schedules within the customer site. The device schedules may be received by the gateway node 1 . 10 D in advance of the scheduled operation. Then the gateway node 1 . 10 D may monitor and control the affected devices 1 . 08 per the downloaded device schedules.

[0148] In another aspect of the present invention, if the gateway node 1 . 10 D loses communications with the system 1 . 02 for a predetermined time, the gateway node 1 . 10 D can re-enable devices 1 . 08 (water heater, pool pump, hot tub and spa). Note that the gateway node may have multiple days, e.g., three days, of schedules available. Water heaters can fall back to an operational mode, however, pool pump, spas, hot tubs and irrigation and well pumps may not. These latter devices may have to be cycled based on some programmed interval like, for example, 8 hours a day. Other devices 1 . 08 like an irrigation pump could not simply default to “on” or it may start and never stop. The ability to receive and run schedules is not limited to the gateway node 1 . 10 D. Depending on the system implementation requirements, schedules, cycle run times and other operational commands may be downloaded to the control nodes 1 . 10 which will operate independently their individual schedules. This capability is designed to permit normal operation of the site 1 . 04 should the gateway node 1 . 10 D fail or communications are lost between the gateway node 1 . 10 D and the control node 1 . 10 .

[0149] With reference to FIG. 3 A, the thermostat 1 . 30 D in one embodiment, is a wall mounted device which has a control panel 3 . 02 with a display screen 3 . 04 and a plurality of input buttons 3 . 06 . In the illustrated embodiment, the input buttons 3 . 06 includes a system button 3 . 06 A, a fan button 3 . 06 B, an occupancy button 3 . 06 C, and a hold/resume button 3 . 06 D. The input buttons 3 . 06 further include an first control button 3 . 06 E and a second control button 30 . 6 F.

[0150] Using the input buttons, the customer can control the HVAC system and other parts of the system 1 . 02 (see below). The thermostat 1 . 30 D is in communication with the gateway node 1 . 10 D (see above) and the gateway node 1 . 10 D can query the current temperature and setpoint values of the thermostat 1 . 30 D. Further, the gateway node 1 . 10 D can change the heating and cooling setpoint(s) and offset values of the thermostat 1 . 30 D (see below).

[0151] In one aspect of the present invention, the thermostat 1 . 30 D may inform the gateway node 1 . 10 D when its relay outputs or contact inputs change state, or the gateway node 1 . 10 D can poll for this status. When this occurs, the gateway node 1 . 10 D can query the thermostat 1 . 30 D and send the current temperature and corresponding input or output status to the system 1 . 02 .

[0152] The thermostat 1 . 30 D may operate in a fallback mode upon loss of communication with the gateway node 1 . 10 D. When communication resumes, the gateway node 1 . 10 D can ascertain the state of the thermostat 1 . 30 D and restore the desired functionality.

[0153] All changes made at the thermostat 1 . 30 D can be communicated to the gateway node 1 . 10 D or be received during a poll of the thermostat 1 . 30 D. In one embodiment, the following functions can be accessible directly from the thermostat 1 . 30 D:

[0154] View current temperature.

[0155] View current heating or cooling setpoint.

[0156] Override heating and cooling setpoints.

[0157] Resume scheduled heating and cooling setpoints.

[0158] View Heat/Cool/Auto mode.

[0159] Change Heat/Cool/Auto mode.

[0160] Activate/deactivate the fan.

[0161] As discussed above, load control nodes 1 . 10 C provide two primary functions: 1) measure power consumption and instantaneous demand of an attached load and 2) control the load. In one embodiment, the load control node 1 . 10 C includes a means, e.g., one or more means (see below) to allow the attached load to be connected or disconnected from main power. Alternatively, the load control node 1 . 10 C may be integrated and/or coupled to a controller of the load for control of its functions.

[0162] In one embodiment, the load control node 1 . 10 C may disconnect the load when a supply request command is received from the gateway node 1 . 10 D and reconnect the load when a cancel supply request command is received from the gateway node 1 . 10 D. The load control node 1 . 10 C may further provide status information, e.g., state of load control means, when a status request command is received from the gateway.

[0163] In one aspect of the present invention, a load metering node 1 . 10 A is coupled to a site's electric meter 1 . 30 A. The load metering node 1 . 10 A may accumulate time stamped cumulative consumption (kWh) data over a predetermined period, e.g., 15 or 20 minute time periods and be capable of storing up to a predetermined period of time's worth of data, e.g., 10 days.

[0164] The load metering node 1 . 10 A is in communication with the gateway node 1 . 10 D. The gateway 1 . 10 D may query current accumulated consumption (kWh) from the meter 1 . 30 A and/or “instantaneous” load measurement (kW) from the meter on request. “Instantaneous” can be determined by the capabilities of the meter. The gateway node 1 . 10 D can query the 15-minute interval data. Data values can be returned with a timestamp.

[0165] 2. Nodes

[0166] With specific reference to FIGS. 2A, 2B , 2 C and 2 D, the interaction with the devices 1 . 08 located at the customer site 1 . 04 is the node 1 . 10 . The nodes 1 . 10 permit the system 1 . 02 to focus on the entire supply chain, from well head production and generation to the end consumption point. The nodes 1 . 10 are designed to give every energy-consuming device 1 . 08 the ability to intercommunicate with the entire supply chain if necessary and utilizes supply and demand balancing control logic, to improve the operational efficiency of end point devices 1 . 08 , groups of end-point devices and the entire supply chain. This is accomplished by giving each end-point knowledge about the current demand on the entire supply chain coupled with the ability to alter its operation to assist in managing and balancing the overall demand on the delivery system. This information exchange is accomplished over an always on broadband, high-speed, point-to-point, point to multipoint or mesh network (see above).

[0167] Energy consuming devices 1 . 08 within a customer site 1 . 04 may have varying levels of operational intelligence. Appliances and other utility consuming devices 1 . 08 range from super energy efficient refrigeration units with embedded micro processor controls to dumb devices like water heaters and pool pumps which simply operate in an on or off state using sensors or timers to control their operational state. The nodes 1 . 10 provide an entirely new level of intelligence to each end device 1 . 08 and are designed to be modular in nature so as not to burden the end point control with more features or functions than it needs.

[0168] Nodes 1 . 10 may be designed to retrofit existing devices 1 . 08 , as well as be fully integrated into the end point at the time of manufacture of a device 1 . 08 .

[0169] In one embodiment, there are three types of nodes 1 . 10 : a load metering node 1 . 10 A, a control node 1 . 10 B, and a load control node 1 . 10 C, as well as the gateway node 1 . 10 D. Each type of node 1 . 10 has common basic features as well as optional sub modules such as Interfaces, Metering or Control modules (see below).

[0170] The nodes 1 . 10 are designed to increase the operational efficiency of even the most intelligent end use device 1 . 08 by giving it knowledge of the entire “utility” supply chain that it is connected to, making it possible for the end use device 1 . 08 to perform its given function more efficiently and economically.

[0171] As shown, each node 1 . 10 includes a node processor 2 . 02 . In on