Method and apparatus for energy-efficient temperature-based systems management

Abstract

A system for load control in an electrical power system is described, wherein one or more temperature-monitoring devices are provided to control operation of a pool pump. When ambient temperatures are relatively high, and thus, electrical power demands from air conditioning systems are relatively high, the temperature-monitoring devices can remove power from the controlled device during the hottest portions of the day. The temperature-monitoring devices can provide power to the controlled devices during the cooler portions of the day. During heat waves or other periods of relatively continuous high heat, the temperature-monitoring devices can schedule power to the controlled devices to reduce overall power demands and to run the controlled devices during the cooler portions of the day when air conditioning electrical loads are reduced. The temperature-monitoring devices can also coordinate operation of the pool pump and a pool heater.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for energy efficient operation of a pool pump and heater system, comprising:
 a pump; 
 a control system configured to receive water temperature data from water in a pool serviced by said pump; and 
 and a heater that heats said water, said control system calculating a start time to turn on said heater and said pump such that said water will be at a desired temperature at a desired future time, said control system calculating filtration times to run said pump before said start time, said filtration times computed based at least in part on said start time and at least in part on a desired average of filtration time operating over a time period, said control system running said pump during said filtration times, said control system activating said heater at said start timea specified average amount of time over a specified time window so that said pump is operated to provide filtering of the water while taking into account periods of pump operation to run the heater, wherein the specified time window is a sliding window such that the control system operates said pump for at least a specified amount of time over a time window that includes a plurality of days in the past and one or more days projected into the future, and wherein when said control system has deferred operation of the pump entirely for at least one past day within the specified time window, said control system increases the time the pump is to be operated to at least partially catch up on the filtration time missed during deferred operation of the pump in order to meet the specified average amount of time. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further configured to receive a shutdown command. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further configured to receive a command to shutdown for a specified period of time. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , said apparatus further comprising a modem. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , said apparatus further comprising a power line modem. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , said apparatus further comprising a wireless modem. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said control system controls an operating speed of said pump. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said control system operates said pump for at least a specified amount of time during a 24-hour period. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a power line networking modem configured to receive ambient temperature data and provide said ambient temperature data to said control system. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a wireless receiver configured to receive ambient temperature data and provide said ambient temperature data to said control system. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said desired specified average amount of time is computed over a 24-hour time period. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said desired specified average amount of time is computed over a one week time period. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said desired specified average amount of time is computed over a time period specified by a user. 
     
     
       14. An apparatus comprising:
 a pump for a pool; 
 a heater configured to heat water in the pool; 
 a control system configured to run the pump, activate the heater, and receive temperature data of water in the pool serviced by the pump; 
 wherein the control system calculates a start time to turn on the heater and the pump such that the water in the pool will be at a desired temperature at a desired future time, the control system calculating filtration times to run the pump, the filtration times being computed based at least in part on the start time and at least in part on a desired average of filtration time operating over a time period a specified average amount of time over a specified time window so that said pump is operated to provide filtering of the water while taking into account periods of pump operation to run the heater, wherein the specified time window is a sliding window such that the control system operates said pump for at least a specified amount of time over a time window that includes at least two days in the past and one or more days projected into the future, and wherein when said control system had deferred operation of the pump entirely for at least one day within the at least two past days, said control system increases the time the pump is to be operated to at least partially catch up on filtration time missed during deferred operation of the pump to meet the specified average amount of time, wherein the pump runs at a first speed during the filtration times and at a second speed during operation of the heater. 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said specified average amount of time is computed over a 24-hour time period. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said specified average amount of time is computed over a one week time period. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said specified average amount of time is computed over a time period specified by a user. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of claim 14, further configured to: receive a command to shut down the heater for a specified period of time; and adjust the filtration time to take into account the specified period of time the heater is shutdown. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of claim 14, further configured to defer operation of the pump at a first time if the control system is scheduled to operate the pump at a second time, wherein the second time is schedule to occur after the first time. 
     
     
       20. A system comprising:
 a pump for a pool;   a heater configured to heat water in the pool;   a control system that coordinates operation of the pump and the heater to minimize operation of the pump by maintaining a scheduling window during which it schedules a heater and pump runtime to heat the pool to a desired temperature within the scheduling window and a pump only runtime for filtering the pool within the scheduling window,   wherein when the control system projects that the pump is scheduled to run in connection with the heater for a first future period time within the scheduling window, the control system defers a currently scheduled operation of the pump to thereby defer filtering,   wherein when the control system receives a notice that the scheduled run during the first future period of time is cancelled, the control system ceases deferred operation of the pump and can operate the pump to filter the water to make up for the deferred filtering.   
     
     
       21. The system of claim 20, wherein the control system re-calculates the heater and pump runtime and the pump only runtime in response to a settings change. 
     
     
       22. The system of claim 20, wherein the pump runs at a first speed during the pump only runtime and at a second speed during the heater and pump runtime. 
     
     
       23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:
 a solar heating system;   wherein the scheduling window schedules a solar heating system and pump runtime; and   wherein the pump runs at a third speed during the solar heating system and pump runtime.   
     
     
       24. The system of claim 20, wherein the heater comprises a solar heating mode and a gas powered heating mode, and wherein the control system uses the solar heating mode during the day when solar heating is available and uses the gas powered heating mode at night when electrical rates are lower.