Hvac system and control methods for operation within a microgrid

Abstract

An HVAC renewable energy management system and components to enable the efficient use of locally produced power from an onsite nanogrid and interconnected nanogrids of a cohesive direct current microgrid network. The system comprises a central controller for controlling one or more intermittent distributed energy resource (DER), source converter, distributed storage device, energy storage converter, power bus, internal load, and interface gateway to one or more external grid for bi-directional power control, sharing, and consumption. System hardware and software elements are configured for internetworking communication, management, control, demand side management, and power balance, using maximum power point tracking to shift power consumption, dynamic matching of local DER production, power quality assurance, system protection, power interconnection management, interface management, metering, revenue settlement, system optimization, and security. The system can match local power production with an individual household's power consumption to reduce intermittency and ultimately total microgrid consumption.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for renewable energy management comprising:
 an HVAC system comprising a compressor, a motor, a blower, and a variable speed drive, the HVAC system being operable to generate a cooling load;   a distributed energy resource comprising a solar panel;   a voltage converter operably engaged with the distributed energy resource and the HVAC system;   a controller operably engaged with the distributed energy resource, the voltage converter, and the HVAC system, the controller comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon to cause the processor to perform one or more actions, the one or more actions comprising:
 monitoring a voltage and current output of the distributed energy resource; 
 measuring power consumption of the cooling load of the HVAC system; 
 modulating a duty cycle of the voltage converter; and, 
 establishing a power flow between the distributed energy resource and the HVAC system according to the voltage and current output and the power consumption of the cooling load. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a distributed energy storage device comprising a nanogrid, the distributed energy storage device being operably engaged with the distributed energy resource, the voltage converter, and the HVAC system. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  further comprising at least one current, voltage, or temperature sensor operably engaged with the distributed energy resource and the controller. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the controller is configured to track a maximum power point generation of the distributed energy resource in response to an input by the at least one current, voltage, or temperature sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the at least one current, voltage, or temperature sensor comprises at least one controllable node within the nanogrid. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2  further comprising an external distributed energy storage device comprising a microgrid being operably engaged with the distributed energy storage device comprising the nanogrid. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the one or more actions of the processor further comprise establishing a power flow between the distributed energy storage device and the HVAC system according to the voltage and current output of the distributed energy resource and the power consumption of the cooling load. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the one or more actions of the processor further comprise establishing a power flow between the distributed energy resource and the distributed energy storage device according to the voltage and current output of the distributed energy resource and the power consumption of the cooling load. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the one or more actions of the processor further comprise establishing a power flow between the distributed energy storage device and the external distributed energy storage device according to the voltage and current output of the distributed energy resource and the power consumption of the cooling load. 
     
     
         10 . A method for renewable energy management comprising:
 monitoring, with a controller operably engaged with at least one current, voltage, or temperature sensor, a voltage and current output of a distributed energy resource, the distributed energy resource comprising a solar panel;   measuring, with the controller operably engaged with the at least one current, voltage, or temperature sensor, a power consumption of an internal energy load, the internal energy load comprising a cooling load of an HVAC system;   modulating, with the controller, a duty cycle of a voltage converter, the voltage converter being operably engaged with the distributed energy resource and the HVAC system;   establishing, with the controller being operably engaged with the voltage converter, a power flow between the distributed energy resource and the HVAC system according to the voltage and current output and the power consumption of the cooling load; and,   establishing, with the controller being operably engaged with the voltage converter, a power flow between the distributed energy resource and a distributed energy storage device according to the voltage and current output and the power consumption of the cooling load, the distributed energy storage device comprising a nanogrid.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising establishing, with the controller being operably engaged with a distributed energy storage converter, a power flow between the distributed energy storage device and the HVAC system according to the voltage and current output of the distributed energy resource and the power consumption of the cooling load. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising calculating, with the controller operably engaged with the at least one current, voltage, or temperature sensor, a maximum power point generation parameter of the distributed energy resource. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising establishing, with the controller operably engaged with a power interface gateway, a power flow between the distributed energy storage device and an external distributed energy storage device, the external distributed energy storage device comprising a microgrid. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising modulating one or more components of the HVAC system in response to the voltage and current output of the distributed energy resource. 
     
     
         15 . A method for renewable energy management comprising:
 monitoring a tracking signal of a distributed energy resource operating within a microgrid, the microgrid comprising at least two nanogrids and a distributed energy storage system;   measuring a power consumption of an internal energy load within the at least two nanogrids, the internal energy load comprising an energy load of one or more electrical appliance;   modulating a duty cycle of a voltage converter according to the internal energy load and a load priority parameter within the microgrid; and,   establishing a power flow between the distributed energy resource and the at least two nanogrids according to the internal energy load and the load priority parameter.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  further comprising establishing a power flow between the distributed energy resource and the distributed energy storage system according to the internal energy load and the load priority parameter. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the one or more electrical appliance is an HVAC system. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising modulating one or more components of the HVAC system in response to a voltage and current output of the distributed energy resource. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15  establishing a power flow between the distributed energy storage system and the at least two nanogrids according to the internal energy load and the load priority parameter. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15  further comprising modulating the energy load of the one or more electrical appliance according to a total available power parameter of the microgrid.