Aggregator, monitor, and manager of distributed micro-generators

Abstract

The invention broadly encompasses a system including a database to store demand response data, the demand response data including demand response agreement parameters, demand response load and energy demand characteristics of one or more demand response customers, the demand response load characteristics including power consumption capacity of each of one or more demand response loads, an aggregator to aggregate the demand response loads based on the demand response data and forecast data into a demand response portfolio, a monitor to monitor power demand of one or more demand response customers and one or more power grids, and a dispatcher to notify the one or more demand response customers of the demand response portfolio and to notify a utility of a response from the one or more demand response customers whether to control the demand response load to return the power consumption capacity of the demand response load back to the one or more power grids.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A system, comprising:
 a. a processor and a non-transitory data storage device that contains instructions when executed by the processor comprising:   b. an aggregator of distributed micro-generator energy sources capable of delivering an energy source to a power grid;   c. a monitor of the distributed micro-generator energy sources,
 wherein the monitor communicates micro-generator energy usage data with a wholesale power producer and a micro-generator asset owner; and 
   d. a portfolio optimizer of the distributed micro-generator energy sources,
 wherein assigning a specific one of the micro-generator energy sources to the wholesale power producer causes energy to be delivered to a wholesale power market via a wholesale power grid. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the optimizer optimizes micro-generator energy source usage. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the optimizer optimizes micro-generator energy according to a market condition. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the optimizer optimizes micro-generator energy according to a micro-generator energy source asset mix. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the optimizer suggests an allocation of the micro-generator energy sources. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the optimizer develops a bid and an offer price for energy trading in an energy trading market. 
     
     
         16 . A computer-implemented method performed by a processor and a nontransitory data storage device that contains instructions executed by the processor, said method comprising:
 a. aggregating, by the processor, distributed micro-generator energy sources capable of delivering an energy source to a power grid;   b. monitoring the distributed micro-generator energy sources by communicating micro-generator energy usage data with a wholesale power producer and a micro-generator asset owner; and   c. optimizing the distributed micro-generator energy sources by facilitating control of the micro-generator energy sources by assigning a specific one of the micro-generator energy sources to a wholesale power producer,
 wherein assigning the specific one of the micro-generator energy sources to the wholesale power producer causes energy to be delivered to a wholesale power market via a wholesale power grid. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the optimizing further comprises optimizing micro-generator energy source usage. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the optimizing is executed according to a market condition. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the optimizing is executed according to a micro-generator energy source asset mix. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the optimizing further comprises suggesting an allocation of the micro-generator energy sources. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the optimizing further comprises developing a bid and an offer price for energy trading in an energy trading market.