Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Electrical power generation or distribution system
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-24
2001-01-23
Grant, William (Department: 2786)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Electrical power generation or distribution system
C700S028000, C700S031000, C700S083000, C700S286000, C700S291000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178362
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a system and method for managing the use of energy and in particular to a system and method for automatically managing the use of energy for a commercial user.
The problem of energy management and energy cost management has always been an issue for many commercial users who operate large physical plants (i.e., facilities and/or factories) because of the large amount of energy which is consumed by the facilities or factories. It is desirable to manage and analyze the energy consumption of the physical plant in order to reduce the total energy costs of the physical plant. The energy management process may involve many steps such as, for example, purchasing energy from another less expensive source or adjusting the energy usage of the facility to off-peak times when energy rates are lower. A conventional system for energy management may be a computer system housed in the basement of a facility or factory, that permits a person to view the energy usage of various equipment within that particular facility and makes changes to the energy usage based on information received at the computer system.
The problem of energy management is especially complex for large entities, such as corporations, universities, municipalities, etc., which may have a physical plant with many different facilities or factories located at various different locations. With a conventional energy management approach, each facility owned by the large entity may independently manage its own energy. Thus, for a large entity, there must be a conventional energy management system associated with each facility or factory, which greatly increases the overall cost of conventional energy management. In addition, each energy management system may use a slightly different data structure for the data being generated so that these multiple energy management systems cannot be easily integrated into a single energy management system for the entire physical plant.
In most conventional systems, the task of energy management is separated from the task of facilities management. Thus, each facility generally has both an energy management system and a facilities management system. To reduce the costs of the management of the facility, it is desirable to integrate these two systems into a single system.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a single integrated energy and facilities management system which connects a physical plant with multiple, possibly geographically dispersed, facilities or factories together so that the task of energy and facilities management may be accomplished at a single central location. The single control location may be remote from all of the facilities. It is also desirable to provide an energy and facilities management system which provides the user of the system with a simulation of the facilities being managed so that the user may view the physical plant without actually being at the site. Thus, it is desirable to provide an energy management system and method which provides the above advantages and avoids the problems with the conventional systems, and it is to this end that the present invention is directed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, an energy and facilities management system is provided for energy users with large physical plants which provides these energy users with a comprehensive understanding of the energy consumption of their physical plant and with the ability to manage it in a way that makes sense for their business. The system accomplishes this goal by using, for example, three dimensional facilities navigation tools, powerful energy consumption analysis processes, TCP/IP communication capabilities and a World Wide Web (WWW)-based interface. The system therefore present large amounts of real-time energy data to users in a clear, concise and useful format. The system permits the user to alter energy consumption patterns and/or procure power more intelligently in order to save money. To accomplish the real-time movement of the large amounts of energy data, the system may include a robust, scaleable real-time data server component and a scaleable database which allows for flexibility and ease of integration between products and modules. The real-time server permits the system to provide a web-based interface which allows multiple users from a variety of locations to access important energy information at a much lower cost versus existing energy management systems.
The system, in accordance with the invention, may be divided into one or more sub-systems which manage different portions of the physical plant of the entity. For example, there may be an energy manager, a facility navigator, a facility manager and an alarm manager in a preferred embodiment of the invention. Each of these sub-systems performs operations which permit an employee of the entity to control and manage its facilities including its energy consumption. For example, the energy manager may track and/or analyze energy usage data, the navigator may permit the user to visualize each facility through a simulation, the facility manager may analyze control problems, and the alarm manager may notify the user of alarms and respond to alarms as appropriate. Each of these sub-systems work together to provide an integrated energy and facility management system.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a system and method for moving data between the various sub-systems within the energy management system is disclosed. The data moving method concatenates data at one or more sources such that the total amount of data being communicated between the sub-systems is reduced.
Thus, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system for managing the facilities and the energy consumption of a physical plant is provided in which the physical plant has one or more facilities and buildings in which each building and facility has one or more devices which operate and consume energy. To accomplish the management of the physical plant, the system may gather information about the energy consumption and operation of each device in the physical plant and control the facilities, buildings and devices in the physical plant, based on the energy consumption and operating information for each device, by communicating the energy consumption and operating data in real-time between the devices and the energy and facility management apparatus. The system may also include a user interface for requesting energy consumption and operation data about one or more devices and for viewing the energy consumption and operation data about the physical plant. A method for energy and facility management is also provided.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for managing the facilities and energy consumption of a physical plant including one or more pieces of equipment and one or more facilities is provided in which data is received from each facility corresponding to building control signals, energy usage signals and weather data and external data is received corresponding to energy rates and weather forecasts. The apparatus may generate energy management data for the facilities and equipment in the physical plant based on the facility data and the external data. It may also generate a representation of each facility in the physical plant so that a user navigates through each facility. The apparatus may also generate facility management data to help a user of the apparatus control the facilities of the physical plant.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a system for communicating data in real-time between an energy and facility management system and the devices of a physical plant is provided in which a plurality of devices in the physical plant operate and consume energy. The system may include a device interface connected to one or more of the devices for gathering energy consumption and operation data about the one or more devices connected to the device interface and a server connected to the device interface for stor
Dell'Era Patrick L.
Fong Dale M.
Gipson Keith E.
Woolard John W.
Grant William
Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich LLP
Jennings Bethew B.
Silicon Energy Corp.
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