A method for power sharing between a plurality of electrical appliances electrically coupled to an AC circuit is provided. The method can include obtaining, by one or more control devices of a first electrical appliance of the plurality of electrical appliances, data indicative of a request of a second electrical appliance of the plurality of electrical appliances to switch from a first power mode to a second power mode. In response to obtaining the data indicative of the request, the method can further include determining, by the one or more control devices, whether any of the plurality of electrical appliances are currently configured in the second power mode. Furthermore, in response to determining none of the plurality of electrical appliances are currently configured in the second power mode, the method can include transmitting, by the one or more control devices, data indicative of approval of the request.

The methods and apparatus described enable automatic configuration, or commissioning, of controller devices and load control devices through a low voltage communication network controlled by one or more controller devices. These methods and apparatus further enable expansion of the load control system by connection of additional loads and or load control devices and or controller devices which will reinitialize the low voltage communication network and automatically reconfigure the controller devices and load control devices connected to the network.

The methods and apparatus described enable automatic configuration, or commissioning, of controller devices and load control devices through a low voltage communication network controlled by one or more controller devices. These methods and apparatus further enable expansion of the load control system by connection of additional loads and or load control devices and or controller devices which will reinitialize the low voltage communication network and automatically reconfigure the controller devices and load control devices connected to the network.

An intelligent circuit breaker electrically is capable of being actuated and interfacing with a conventional circuit breaker. The intelligent circuit breaker includes a wireless transceiver for communicating with other intelligent circuit breakers, a breaker controller, memory, and a display. The memory may be used to temporarily store data of interest regarding the intelligent circuit breaker's status, power consumption, operating history, and the like. The intelligent circuit breaker may advantageously be constructed in a form factor which is compatible with standard circuit breaker panels.

A group of homes, businesses, or other electric power consuming premises are aggregated and commonly controlled to dynamically reduce loads in sufficient quantities, and with sufficient rapidity and duration, to participate as a market participant in the energy markets including participating as a peaking power plant. While the amount of reduced power consumption for a single premises is typically quite small, the total reduced consumption of an aggregation of just a few thousand homes or businesses may be on the order of hundreds of kilowatts. A premises power controller in conjunction with intelligent circuit breakers, which may include dimmers, enable dynamic management of individual loads in each premises.

An electrical power consumption control unit that controls power consumed by one or more electrical devices connected thereto including a computer processor having a memory operably connected thereto storing computer instruction code, the unit further including a communication module operable to receive control signals from a remotely located energy manager requesting modification of power consumed by the one or more connected electrical devices, a monitoring module operable to monitor power consumed by the one or more connected electrical devices, and wherein the computer instruction code, when executed by the computer processor, causes the computer processor to control the supply of electrical power to the one or more connected electrical devices, and transmit one or more notifications to the remotely located energy manager regarding the power consumed by the one or more connected electrical devices.

A method for power sharing between a plurality of electrical appliances electrically coupled to an AC circuit is provided. The method can include obtaining, by one or more control devices of a first electrical appliance of the plurality of electrical appliances, data indicative of a request of a second electrical appliance of the plurality of electrical appliances to switch from a first power mode to a second power mode. In response to obtaining the data indicative of the request, the method can further include determining, by the one or more control devices, whether any of the plurality of electrical appliances are currently configured in the second power mode. Furthermore, in response to determining none of the plurality of electrical appliances are currently configured in the second power mode, the method can include transmitting, by the one or more control devices, data indicative of approval of the request.

An asset manager controls power distribution within an aggregated distributed energy resources system (DERs system) having a plurality of assets. The asset manager is configured to operate with a given asset. As such, the asset manager has 1) an interface to receive asset information relating to the given asset and to communicate with another asset manager in the DERs system, and 2) a function generator configured to produce a local cost function using data relating to the given asset only. The local cost function represents a portion of a system cost function for the DERs system. The asset manager also has 3) a controller configured to use the local cost function for the given asset to manage operation of the given asset in the DERs system. In addition, the controller also is configured to determine, using the local cost function, an operating point for the given asset.

An electrical distribution grid energy management and router device, or GER device, may be installed in a distribution grid, and route power from power supply to one or more power consumers. The GER devices described herein may provide platforms to add one or more features to a distribution transformer, provide additional features and benefits to both the utility company and end consumer, and may serve as a platform for providing other features, such as communications services, local and remote management, and intelligence to components of the distribution grid. A GER device may include sensors to measure electrical properties of incoming and outgoing power, and may include an electrical circuit layer having a central DC power stage. A GER device may also include a communications platform for one or more communication devices to communicate with a utility, power consumers, other electrical devices/parties, and/or other GER devices to form a micro-grid.

An electrical distribution grid energy management and router device, or GER device, may be installed in a distribution grid, and route power from power supply to one or more power consumers. The GER devices described herein may provide platforms to add one or more features to a distribution transformer, provide additional features and benefits to both the utility company and end consumer, and may serve as a platform for providing other features, such as communications services, local and remote management, and intelligence to components of the distribution grid. A GER device may include sensors to measure electrical properties of incoming and outgoing power, and may include an electrical circuit layer having a central DC power stage. A GER device may include a physical layer providing a communications platform for one or more communication devices that may communicate with other GER devices to form a micro-grid, a utility, power consumers, third parties, and other electrical devices.