System and method for generating and providing dispatchable operating reserve energy capacity through use of active load management

Abstract

A utility employs a method for generating available operating reserve. Electric power consumption by at least one device serviced by the utility is determined during at least one period of time to produce power consumption data, stored in a repository. A determination is made that a control event is to occur during which power is to be reduced to one or more devices. Prior to the control event and under an assumption that it is not to occur, power consumption behavior expected of the device(s) is generated for a time period during which the control event is expected to occur based on the stored power consumption data. Additionally, prior to the control event, projected energy savings resulting from the control event, and associated with a power supply value (PSV) are determined based on the devices' power consumption behavior. An amount of available operating reserve is determined based on the projected energy savings.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing operating reserves for an electric power grid, comprising:
 determining an amount of power consumed by at least one power consuming device during at least one period of time;   projecting energy savings from at least one power consuming device in the electric power grid based on an actual value corresponding to a reduction in consumed power by the at least one power consuming device, and wherein the actual value is a monetary supply equivalent value providing a curtailment value as a supply presented to and accepted by a governing entity for awarding the at least one power consuming device supply equivalence;   determining an amount of available operating reserve based on the reduction in consumed power and the projected energy savings;   creating and updating a sampling record for the at least one power consuming device, wherein the sampling record comprises a drift rate and at least one of a device ID, a time of record, a duty cycle, a current time block, a current set point, a current outside temperature, energy used per minute, and/or a power time rate;   wherein the sampling record is created both actively and passively;   receiving a request for an operating reserve from a utility and/or a market participant of the electric power grid;   wherein the actual value is capable of being accepted by the utility and/or the market participant of the electric power grid as supply equivalence; and   at least one smart breaker module managing a flow of electric power from the electric power grid to the at least one power consuming device to provide the operating reserve based on the amount of available operating reserve.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing an acknowledgement message following the receiving the request for the operating reserve. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising projecting energy usage for the at least one power consuming device during a normal operation, projecting energy usage for the at least one power consuming device during a control event, and calculating a difference of energy usage during the normal operation and the control event as the projected energy savings. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising power consumption data from the at least one power consuming device in a sampling repository. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the sampling repository is a matrix. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining a future time period for a control event based on start and stop times for projecting the energy savings. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising projecting a power consumption behavior for the at least one power consuming device based on a best match algorithm. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one power consuming device comprises at least one environmentally-dependent power consuming device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one power consuming device comprises at least one environmentally-independent power consuming device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating a supply equivalence value for each of the at least one power consuming device in units of electrical power flow, monetary equivalent, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the supply equivalence value for each of the at least one power consuming device has variations depending on operating tolerances and operating standards for measurement accuracy. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the actual value for the at least one power consuming device is aggregated for a multiplicity of power consuming devices to form an aggregate value for the multiplicity of power consuming devices. 
     
     
         13 . A method for providing operating reserves for at least one grid operator of an electric power grid, comprising:
 determining an amount of power consumed by at least one power consuming device during at least one period of time;   receiving a request for an operating reserve from the at least one grid operator of the electric power grid;   projecting energy savings from a multiplicity of power consuming devices based on an actual value corresponding to a reduction in consumed power by each of the at least one power consuming device, wherein the actual value is a monetary supply equivalent value providing a curtailment value as a supply presented to and accepted by a governing entity for awarding the at least one power consuming device supply equivalence;   creating and updating a sampling record for the at least one power consuming device, wherein the sampling record comprises a drift rate and at least one of a device ID, a time of record, a duty cycle, a current time block, a current set point, a current outside temperature, energy used per minute, and/or a power time rate;   wherein the sampling record is created both actively and passively;   wherein the actual value is capable of being accepted by the utility and/or the market participant of the electric power grid as supply equivalence; and   at least one smart breaker module managing a flow of electric power to the multiplicity of power consuming devices to provide the operating reserve based on power consumption data and the projected energy savings.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further including generating a power supply value (PSV) based on curtailed power for each of the multiplicity of power consuming devices, wherein the PSV provides a monetary market value for equating as a corresponding power supply for an amount of electric power stored. 
     
     
         15 . A system for providing operating reserves for an electric power grid, comprising:
 a server processor in network communication with at least one power consuming device in the electric power grid;   wherein the server processor is operable to:   determine an amount of power consumed by at least one power consuming device during at least one period of time;   transmit messages to and receive messages from at least one smart breaker module;   create and update a sampling record for the at least one power consuming device, wherein the sampling record comprises a drift rate and at least one of a device ID, a time of record, a duty cycle, a current time block, a current set point, a current outside temperature, energy used per minute, and/or a power time rate   wherein the sampling record is created both actively and passively;   project energy savings from the at least one power consuming device based on an actual value corresponding to a reduction in consumed power by each of the at least one power consuming device, wherein the actual value is a monetary supply equivalent value providing a curtailment value accepted by a governing entity for awarding the at least one of the at least one power consuming device supply equivalence;   determine an amount of available operating reserve based on at least power consumption data and the projected energy savings;   receive a request for an operating reserve from a utility and/or a market participant of the electric power grid;   wherein the actual value is capable of being accepted by the utility and/or the market participant of the electric power grid as supply equivalence in real-time; and   wherein the at least one smart breaker module manages a flow of electric power to the at least one power consuming device to provide the operating reserve based on the amount of available operating reserve.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the server processor comprises a sampling repository operable for storing repository records of power consumption data of the at least one power consuming device. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the server processor is further operable to update the repository records stored in the sampling repository. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the server processor is further operable to project a power consumption behavior for the at least one power consuming device by identifying at least one repository record based on a best match algorithm. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein an acknowledgement message is transmitted to the utility and/or the market participant after receiving the request for the operating reserve. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one power consuming device comprises at least one environmentally-dependent power consuming device.