An electrical distribution panel includes a primary breaker, an auxiliary breaker, and a resistive element that is electrically connected between the primary breaker and the auxiliary breaker. The resistive element is configured to provide a resulting signal based on a voltage drop of a signal from the primary breaker to the auxiliary breaker. A communication address of the auxiliary breaker is based on the voltage drop of the signal from the primary breaker to the auxiliary breaker. Related methods and devices are also discussed.

The invention is a method for intelligent current limiting enabling chaining of electrical appliances. Different embodiments apply to alternating current (AC) appliances, direct current (DC) appliances, and a combination of each. In each embodiment, current limits control the number of appliances that can be connected in the chain. If current limits are exceeded, current-limiting devices cut power to one or more of the appliances. Each appliance in the system has conductors with the capacity to carry a current load at least as large as the overall current limit. Preferably, the appliances in the system are garage appliances that are mounted to an overhead track system in a garage, where electrical outlets are scarce.

A method for handling surplus or deficit of energy in local energy systems (30) is presented. The method comprising; determining an accumulator status based on data pertaining to an accumulator (20) of a moveable device (10); determining energy status of each of a plurality of local energy systems (30) based on data pertaining to the respective local energy system 30; scoring, based on the determined accumulator status and the determined energy statuses, each of the local energy systems (30); determining, based on the respective scores of each of the plurality of local energy systems (30), a local energy system (30), among the plurality of local energy systems (30), to which the moveable device (10) is to be directed. Also a server (40) configured to handling surplus or deficit of energy in local energy systems is presented.

Systems and methods are described herein for managing the operations of a plurality of microgrid modules. A microgrid module includes transformers and/or power converters necessary for modifying the input AC or DC power sources to meet the required characteristics of the output power. The microgrid module further comprises a control software module and a power router software module. The control software module receives data from sensors in the microgrid module and controls the flow of power with controllable elements. The power router software module controls the operation of the power router. The power router can detect changes in demand for power within the microgrid module or from other microgrid modules. The power router can adjust the flow of power between the microgrid modules in response to changes in the supply of power to the microgrid module and changes in the demand for power from the microgrid module.

Methods, devices and systems for detecting an anomaly in a power network are described. A method for detecting an anomaly in a power network includes determining a baseline power usage in the power network, receiving data indicative of an active power usage in the power network, detecting an anomaly based on a difference between the baseline power usage and the active power usage, isolating a fault for an element in the power network, responsive to detecting the anomaly, and transmitting fault isolation information indicating the fault to a user device. Related devices and systems may perform operations of the method described herein.

A computer-implemented method and system is provided. The system manipulates load curves corresponding to time-variant energy demand and consumption of a built environment. The system analyzes a first, second, third, fourth and a fifth set of data. The first set of data is associated with energy consuming devices. The second set of data is associated with an occupancy behavior of users. The third set of data is associated with energy storage and supply means. The fourth set of data is associated with environmental sensors. The fifth set of data is associated with energy pricing models. The system executes control routines for controlling peak loading conditions associated with the built environment. The system manipulates an optimized operating state of the energy consuming devices. The system integrates the energy storage and supply means for optimal reduction of the peak level of energy demand concentrated over the limited period of time.

The present disclosure provides a computer-implemented method for prioritizing one or more instructional control strategies to reduce time-variant energy demand of a built environment associated with renewable energy sources. The computer-implemented method includes collection of a first set of statistical data, fetching of a second set of statistical data, accumulation of a third set of statistical data, reception of a fourth set of statistical data and gathering of fifth set of statistical data. Further, the computer-implemented method includes parsing and comparison of the first set of statistical data, the second set of statistical data, the third set of statistical data, the fourth set of statistical data and the fifth set of statistical data. In addition, the computer-implemented method includes identification and prioritization of one or more instructional control strategies to reduce the time-variant energy demand associated with the built environment.

A failure of battery modules is reliably determined. A power supply device includes: battery modules (2) each of which included a failure determination unit (21) configured to determine a failure and a normality and to output the failure and the normality as a High signal and a low signal; a failure transmission line (3) connected to the failure determination unit (21) of each battery module (2); and a module failure determination circuit (1) connected to the failure transmission line (3) and configured to determine failure and normality of the battery modules (2). The module failure determination circuit (1) includes: a voltage determination circuit (4) configured to determine a High level and a Low level of the failure transmission line (3); an impedance detection circuit (5) configured to detect an impedance with respect to a ground line (23); and a calculation circuit (6) configured to determine the failure and the normality of the plurality of battery modules (2) and an abnormality of the failure transmission line (3) based on outputs of the voltage determination circuit (4) and the impedance detection circuit (5).

A microgrid energy management system can include: a bus providing a power; a transmission line connected to the bus; a relay connected to the transmission line, sensing a microgrid according to a state of the transmission line, adjusting a relay setting, and generating a trip signal representing the relay setting; and a circuit breaker receiving the trip signal. In addition, the microgrid energy management system further includes an energy storage device connected to the bus.

A method and apparatus for determining a network topology of a hierarchical network, the apparatus including: a memory unit to store an outage state matrix representing an outage state of leaf nodes at the lowest hierarchical level of the hierarchical network; and a processing unit to decompose the stored state matrix into a first probability matrix indicating for each inner node of the hierarchical network the probability that the respective inner node forms the origin of an outage at the lowest hierarchical level of the hierarchical network and into a second probability matrix indicating for each leaf node at the lowest hierarchical level of the hierarchical network the probability that an inner node forms a hierarchical superordinate node of the respective leaf node at the lowest hierarchical level of the hierarchical network, wherein the decomposed second probability matrix is evaluated by the processing unit to determine the network topology.