A network system is provided. The network system includes: at least one component selected from an energy receiving unit receiving energy and an energy management unit managing the energy receiving unit. The energy receiving unit or the energy management unit receives energy rate related information; an energy usage amount or a usage rate of when the component is controlled on the basis of at least the energy rate related information is less than that of when the component is controlled without the basis of at least energy rate related information; if the energy rate related information is high cost information, a function of one component constituting the energy receiving unit is limited; and an operating time or an output of the energy receiving unit is adjusted in correspondence to the limited function of one component.

Aspects of the invention relate to system and method of storing off-peak electricity. The system includes an energy storage device electrically coupled to an electricity grid of at least one electricity provider, where the energy storage device has a storing capacity and is chargeable or dischargeable, upon demand, and a controller configured to control operation of the energy storage device such that the energy storage device is charged with the off-peak electricity at an off-peak time each day when a demand for electricity is low from the electricity grid, and is discharged at a peak time each day when the demand for electricity is high, to provide an amount of the stored electricity, to the at least one electricity provider.

Some embodiments include a system. The system includes a conduit system having a conduit system volume. The conduit system can convey a fluid through the conduit system volume of the conduit system. The system also includes at least one pumping mechanism operable to drive the fluid through the conduit system volume, at least one turbine operable to extract energy from the fluid conveyed by the conduit system and driven by the pumping mechanism(s), and at least one generator coupled to the turbine(s) and operable to generate electricity from the energy extracted by the turbine(s). The pumping mechanism(s) are configured to be powered by a first portion of the electricity and the system makes a second portion of the electricity available to one or more electrical loads. Other embodiments of related systems and methods are also disclosed.

A power supply management system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a fee setting unit configured to set power fee unit prices (first power fee unit price and second power fee unit price for each time slot, and a notification unit configured to notify a consumer of information on the set power fee unit prices. The first power fee unit price is a power unit price for a household electrical load, and the second power fee unit price is a power unit price in a case of using a charge/discharge device to charge a vehicle-mounted storage battery. The fee setting unit is configured to set, by predicting a load factor of a transformer, a discount rate of the second power fee unit price to become higher (second power fee unit price to become lower) as the predicted load factor becomes lower. The second power fee unit price is determined on the basis of the first power fee unit price and the discount rate.

Systems include one or more critical datacenter connected to behind-the-meter flexible datacenters. The critical datacenter is powered by grid power and not necessarily collocated with the flexboxes, which are powered “behind the meter.” When a computational operation to be performed at the critical datacenter is identified and determined that it can be performed at a lower cost at a flexible datacenter, the computational operation is instead routed to the flexible datacenters for performance The critical datacenter and flexible datacenters preferably shared a dedicated communication pathway to enable high-bandwidth, low-latency, secure data transmissions.

Provided is an electric power supply and demand control apparatus (10) including a remaining battery level acquisition unit (11) and a setting unit (12), in order to solve the aforementioned problems. The remaining battery level acquisition unit (11) acquires remaining battery level information indicating a remaining battery level of a storage battery of a consumer. The setting unit (12) sets an expectation value of a reduction in power purchase from a system performed by the consumer, on the basis of the remaining battery level information acquired by the remaining battery level acquisition unit (11). For example, a high expectation value is set for a consumer whose storage battery has a large remaining battery level. According to the present invention, it is possible to create an appropriate plan of a request for a reduction in a power purchase quantity, on the basis of the expectation value of the reduction in power purchase for each consumer determined on the basis of the remaining battery level of a storage battery of the consumer.

A computer-implemented method and system is provided. The system adaptively switches prediction strategies to optimize time-variant energy demand and consumption of built environments associated with renewable energy sources. The system analyzes a first, second, third, fourth and a fifth set of statistical data. The system derives of a set of prediction strategies for controlled and directional execution of analysis and evaluation of a set of predictions for optimum usage and operation of the plurality of energy consuming devices. The system monitors a set of factors corresponding to the set of prediction strategies and switches a prediction strategy from the set of derived prediction strategies. The system predicts a set of predictions for identification of a potential future time-variant energy demand and consumption and predicts a set of predictions. The system manipulates an operational state of the plurality of energy consuming devices and the plurality of energy storage and supply means.

The present disclosure provides a computer-implemented method for ranking one or more control schemes for controlling peak loading conditions and abrupt changes in energy pricing of one or more built environments associated with renewable energy sources. The computer-implemented method includes analysis of a first set of statistical data, a second set of statistical data, a third set of statistical data, a fourth set of statistical data and a fifth set of statistical data. Further, the computer-implemented method includes identification and execution of the one or more control schemes. In addition, the computer-implemented method includes scoring the one or more control schemes by evaluating a probabilistic score. Further, the computer-implemented method includes ranking the one or more control schemes to determine relevant control schemes for controlling real time peak loading conditions and abrupt changes in energy pricing associated with the one or more built environments.

A computer manages a plurality of resources operable as a balancing power for an external power supply. Each of the resources includes a power storage device chargeable with electric power from the external power supply. The computer executes resource selection for selecting a resource to be operated as the balancing power from among the resources in response to a charging request for the balancing power. The computer determines chargeable periods of the resources prior to the resource selection. The computer selects a resource having a short chargeable period with priority in the resource selection in response to a first charging request, and selects a resource having a long chargeable period with priority in the resource selection in response to a second charging request. A balancing period requested in the second charging request is longer than a balancing period requested in the first charging request.

In an example embodiment, a battery unit comprises a battery unit housing; and a battery unit circuit. In this example embodiment, the battery unit housing contains at least a portion of the battery unit circuit, and the battery unit circuit further comprises: a battery cell, an inverter to control the charging and discharging of the battery cell, a processor to provide control signals to the inverter for controlling the charging and discharging of the battery cell, and one of: a power plug for coupling to and uncoupling from a power outlet assembly, and a luminaire base for coupling to and uncoupling from a luminaire socket in a light fixture. In this example embodiment, the battery unit is rated at less than or equal to 2400 Volt-Amperes. The battery unit may further comprise a transceiver.