An Electricity Supply Control System and a Method Thereof

Abstract

An electricity supply control system and a method for connecting at least one of a load and a source to an electric grid are disclosed. The system comprises at least two electric meters, each associated with a different supply regime having different parameters, a switching unit for separately connecting and disconnecting each electric meter and a control unit in operational connection with the switching unit. The control unit comprises communication circuitry for obtaining real-time data relating to at least one of the aforementioned parameters, and is further configured to connect one of the electric meters and disconnect the other electric meter(s) based on the obtained real-time data and at least one predefined condition. Hereby a more dynamic electricity supply control system is provided.

Claims

1. An electricity supply control system for connecting at least one of a load and a source to an electric grid, said system comprising; at least two electric meters each associated with a different supply regime having different parameters; a switching unit configured to separately connect each electric meter of said at least two electric meters between the electric grid and the load/source; and a control unit in operational connection with the switching unit and configured to control the switching unit in order to connect or disconnect each electric meter; wherein the control unit comprises communication circuitry for communicating with a remote data repository in order to obtain real-time data relating to at least one of said parameters; and wherein the control unit is configured to connect one of the at least two electric meters and disconnect the other electric meter(s) based on said real-time data and at least one predefined condition.

2. The electricity supply control system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to connect one of the at least two electric meters and disconnect the other electric meters at any given moment in time, based on said real-time data and at least one predefined condition.

3. The electricity supply control system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to connect one of the at least two electric meters before disconnecting another electric meter, in order to achieve a seamless switch.

4. The electricity supply control system according to claim 1, wherein said at least two electric meters are integrated in one single unit.

5. The electricity supply control system according to claim 1, wherein said different parameters are different tariff rates, and wherein one of said at least one predefined condition is selecting the lowest value.

6. The electricity supply control system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit comprises a memory unit comprising a database including emission values associated with different types of energy sources, wherein said different parameters are type of energy source, and wherein one of said at least one predefined conditions is selecting the energy source with the lowest emission value retrieved from said database.

7. A method for connecting at least one of a load and a source to an electric grid in an electricity supply control system comprising at least two electric meters each associated with a different supply regime having different parameters, a switching unit configured to separately connect each electric meter of said at least two electric meters between the power grid and the load/source, wherein said method comprises: retrieving real-time data from a remote data repository relating to said at least one of said parameters; and operating said switching unit in order to connect one electric meter and disconnect the other electric meter(s) based on said real-time data and at least one predefined condition.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the switching unit is operated to connect one of the at least two electric meters and disconnect the other electric meters at any given moment in time, based on said real-time data and at least one predefined condition.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising connecting one of the at least two electric meters before disconnecting another electric meter, in order to achieve a seamless switch.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein said different parameters are different tariff rates, and wherein one of said at least one predefined condition is selecting the lowest value.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] For exemplifying purposes, the invention will be described in closer detail in the following with reference to embodiments thereof illustrated in the attached drawings, wherein:

[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram representation of an electricity supply control system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram representation of an electricity supply control system in according with another embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 3 illustrates a process flowchart in accordance with an embodiment with reference to the configuration of FIG. 1.

[0034] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In the following detailed description, some embodiments of the present invention will be described. However, it is to be understood that features of the different embodiments are exchangeable between the embodiments and may be combined in different ways, unless anything else is specifically indicated. Even though in the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known constructions or functions are not described in detail, so as not to obscure the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention which will be described in greater detail in the following. In the figure there is a block representation of several different electricity supply regimes 101 which supply electricity via a power grid to consumers. A power grid is to be understood as an electric grid which is a network of synchronized power (electricity) providers and consumers that are connected by transmission and distribution lines, i.e. a transmission system for electricity. Or, in other words, a power grid (an electric grid) is an interconnected network for delivering electricity from suppliers to consumers. It generally consists of high-voltage transmission lines that carry power from distant sources to demand centers, and distribution lines that connect individual customers.

[0037] The power grid is often operated by one or more control centres. The consumer is normally limited to one entity that is responsible for the transmission of electricity; however, in deregulated energy markets the consumer is often free to choose between various suppliers or providers of electricity. Thus, the block 101 can be seen as a plurality of suppliers. However, if applicable, the block 101 can be seen as a single supplier that provides different types of supply regimes. A supply regime in this context is to be understood as an electricity supplier having a specific set of parameters associated with it, such as e.g. tariff rate (price per billing unit of electricity), type of power plant/energy source, location, operating status, etc.

[0038] Further, the system 100 comprises a plurality N (N being any suitable integer) of electric meters 103.1-103.N, or sometimes called supply meters, which measure the amount of electric energy consumed by a consumer (or load) 104. Where each of the electric meters 103.1-103.N is associated with a different supply regime having different parameters, e.g. different tariff rates (most commonly price per kilowatt hour [kWh]) or type of power plant (e.g. nuclear, wind, solar, hydro, coal, etc.). Moreover, the system 100 does not have to be a fixed system, it may also be a mobile system provided in e.g. an electric car, boat, etc. For example it may be used to provide the most favourable price of electricity when charging an electric car directly from the power grid, or when selling the electricity stored in the electric car back to the grid.

[0039] Further, the system 100 further comprises a switching unit 102 configured to separately connect each of the electric meters 103.1-103.N between the power grid and the load. The switching unit may therefore be in operational connection with each of the electric meters 103.1-103.N. The switching unit 102 can be controlled, e.g. by a control signal, in order to activate or deactivate any particular electricity feed (indicated by arrows 107) from any particular supply regime 101. This is for example done by connecting or disconnecting any particular electric meter 103.1-103.N between the load 104 and the power grid. It should be noted that the switching unit 102 is illustrated between the power grid and the electric meters 103.1-103.N in this particular example, it may however be positioned between the load 104 and the electric meter 103.1-103. N. In other words, the electricity supply control system 100 is arranged between the electric grid (e.g. represented by arrows between the supplier(s) 101 and the switching unit (102)) and the load.

[0040] The switching unit 102 can also be a single switching unit comprising a plurality of switching elements (102.1-102.N in FIG. 2), one for each of the electric meters in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. Moreover, the electric meters 103.1-103.N may be integrated in one single unit. The single electric meter unit may then comprise appropriate circuitry for measuring the consumed electric energy for a plurality of different supply regimes 101. In other words, the single electric meter unit may comprise a plurality of inputs (one for each supply regime of the plurality of supply regimes 101) and one output for the load 104.

[0041] The switch between two supply regimes may be done such that the two supply regimes associated with the two electric meters 103.1, 103.2 are simultaneously providing electricity for a short duration of time, in order to ensure no interruption of the electricity feed to the consumer during the event of a switch. This can for example be done, in accordance with the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, by having both of the switching elements 102.1-102.N associated with the two electric meters 103.1, 103.2 in a conducting state for a short duration of time, e.g. 1-5 seconds or less (in the millisecond range) depending on the intended application. It can also be done by having a capacitor within the switching unit 102 to act as an intermediate supply during switching events.

[0042] The system 100 further comprises a control unit 105, e.g. an IOT (Internet of Things) control box, which is configured to control the switching unit 102, i.e. to effectively connect or disconnect each electric meter 103.1-103.N between the electric grid and the load 104. The control unit 105 also has communication circuitry for communicating (indicated by arrow 108) with a remote data repository 106 in order to real-time data relating to the parameters which are associated with each of the supply regimes 101 in the system. This can for example be obtaining real-time values of the current tariff rate for one or all of the supply regimes 101.

[0043] The control unit 105 may further contain suitable software or hardware for comparing the obtained data, and to control the switching unit 102 based on the outcome and a predefined condition, e.g. connecting the electric meter of the plurality of electric meters 102.1-102.N that is associated with a supply regime 101 having a parameter that has the lowest or highest value.

[0044] Similarly, the electric meters 103.1-103.N may measure the amount of electric energy supplied by a source 104 (e.g. a farm with a windmill or a resident solar panel) to a power grid 101 in accordance with the second scenario discussed earlier in the application. The arrows 107 may simply then be facing in opposite directions. For the sake of brevity it is assumed that the skilled person readily understands how the inventive concept is applied in the second scenario and can extract the necessary information from the description without these specific details.

[0045] Next, an exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described in order to further elucidate the inventive concept; the different parameters associated with the electric meters 103.1-103.N are chosen to be tariff rates. This should however not be construed as limiting to the scope of the invention but instead a mere example of several viable parameters, e.g. type of power plant, location of the power plant, emission rates, operating status, etc. For the sake of convenience, the number of parameters associated with each supply regime is in this example chosen to be only one. Moreover the predefined condition, upon which the connecting or disconnecting of an electric meter is based, is then suitably chosen to be a lowest rate, i.e. the electric meter associated with lowest value of the retrieved real-time data is chosen to be connected, and the other electric meters are disconnected.

[0046] Further, when the system is operational, the control unit can be configured to analyze the real-time data in order to determine the lowest tariff rate at any given moment in time. For example, a first electric meter 103.1 may be associated with a floating tariff rate, meaning that the price per billing unit of electricity changes over time, e.g. hourly, daily weekly, etc. A second electric meter 103.2 may be associated with a fixed tariff rate. In this exemplary embodiment, the number of electric meters 103.1-103.N in the system is, for the sake of brevity, chosen to be only two, i.e. N=2.

[0047] The control unit 105 here communicates over a wireless communication link 108 with a remote data repository 106 in order to obtain real-time values of these two parameters (tariff rates), or at least for the floating tariff rate, in order to compare the two values in order to determine which value is the lowest (i.e. which tariff rate is the cheapest) at any given moment in time. The fixed rate may alternatively be provided directly to the control unit, e.g. via a user-interface, and stored within a memory unit of the control unit. The control unit can then further be configured to control the switching unit 102 in order to disconnect the supply from the supplier having the currently higher tariff rate and to connect the supply from the supplier having the currently lower tariff rate, thereby ensuring that the consumer (load 104) receives the most cost-efficient electricity, assuming that the supply with the higher tariff rate was the currently active one. The load 104 can be a household residence, an office building or any industrial premises.

[0048] As is readily understood by the skilled artisan the inventive concept can be practiced with a system having only two electric meters 103.1, 103.2, with one switching element 102.1, 102.2 associated with each electric meter 103.1, 103.2. However, one can also have more than two electric meters, where for example one has a floating tariff rate and the others have fixed tariff rates of different contract lengths, e.g. 2, 3, 5 or 10 years. Moreover, one can have a plurality of electric meters each being associated with a floating tariff rate, but each from a different electricity supplier. For example if the price per billing unit were to differ between the floating tariff rates from the various suppliers, e.g. that during some months (or weeks, days, hours) supplier A has the lowest floating tariff rate, while during other time periods supplier B has the lowest floating tariff rate and during some other time periods supplier C has the lowest floating tariff rate, etc.

[0049] To facilitate the understanding of the present invention, a detailed example is provided in reference to FIG. 3. The process 300 illustrated in FIG. 3 is applicable in an example electricity supply system, comprising two electric meters each associated with a different supply regime having different parameters. The first supply regime, called supply regime A, is an electricity supplier where the electricity is generated at a power plant having an emission value A1, fixed tariff rate A2 with a set contract or subscription length. The second supply regime B is an electricity supplier where the electricity is generated at a power plant having an emission value B1 and a floating tariff rate B2 which changes by the hour. The control unit 105 of the system is then provided with a predefined condition 301, which is to activate (or connect) the electric meter associated with the supply regime having the lowest emission value unless the tariff rate of the supply regime having the lowest emission value is more than 1.3 times greater than the tariff rate of the other supply regime. The control unit 105 can be provided, as indicated by the arrow 310, with this predefined condition by a consumer e.g. by a user-interface provided on the control unit or on a website connected to the control unit 105. Further, the control unit 105 retrieves, as indicated by the arrow 311, real-time data, relating to the parameters associated with the two supply regimes A and B, from a remote data repository 106.

[0050] Next, the control unit 105 compares 302 the different emission values A1 and B1 in order to determine which value is the lowest value, in accordance with the predefined condition 301. This can be implemented by appropriately designed hardware, software or a combination thereof within the control unit 105, and will for the sake of brevity not be described in any greater detail, however, one having ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details.

[0051] In a first possible scenario A1 is deemed lower than B1, and the control unit then compares 303 the two tariff rates according to the predefined condition 301, i.e. compares the tariff rate A2 of supply regime A to the tariff rate B2 of supply regime B but with a factor of 1.3 multiplied to the tariff rate B2 of supply regime B. Consequently, if the tariff rate A2 of supplier A is less than (or equal to) 1.3 times the tariff rate B2 of supply regime B, the control unit 105 determines that the electric meter associated with supply regime A should be active, i.e. connected between the power grid and the load.

[0052] Based on which one of the two supply regimes (A or B) is the currently active one, i.e. which one of the two electric meters is currently connected between the power grid and the load, the control unit may either supply a control signal in order to perform a switch (if B is currently active) or do nothing (if A is currently active).

[0053] However, if the comparison 303 of the tariff rates would have given another result, i.e. that tariff rate A2 times was greater than 1.3 times the tariff rate B2 it would not matter that A2 was associated with a lower emission rate, the control unit would then determine that supply regime B should be active, i.e. that the electric meter associated with supply regime B should be connected, in accordance with the predefined condition 301.

[0054] Analogously, if it would have been determined that supply regime B had the lowest emission value B1 of the two emission values A1, B1 the control unit may determine which one of the two electric meters should be connected based on a comparison 304 between the two retrieved tariff rates A2, B2 in accordance with the predefined condition 301. Thus, a consumer who is environmentally conscious is provided with a very dynamic alternative regarding the operation of their electricity supply and which is easily configurable to each specific consumer. However, this is merely one exemplary embodiment of how the invention may be utilized. Obvious alternatives and modifications such as, providing the emission rates A1, A2 directly, e.g. via a user-interface, to the control unit in order to omit one step in the process 300 must be considered to fall within the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the scenario with equal emission values was omitted for the sake of brevity, however as the skilled artisan readily understands the predefined conditions may easily be adapted to account for such a scenario, e.g. to then directly compare the tariff rates of supply regimes having equal emission values.

[0055] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart 400 in order to illustrate a method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. Firstly, at least two electric meters, each associated with a different supply regime having different parameters are provided 401. Next, a switching unit is connected 401 to the at least two electric meters. The switching unit is configured to separately connect each of the at least two electric meters between a power grid and a load. Thus, the switching unit may be at least two switches, were each switch is arranged between each of the at least two electric meters and the power grid, or arranged between each of the at least two electric meters and the load. The switching unit may alternatively also be an electric relay as known in the art.

[0056] Further, a predefined condition is set 403, e.g. by a user or operator. The condition may e.g. be selecting the supply regime having the largest output of power, which is then one parameter that differs between the different supply regimes, and real-time values of this parameter may be retrieved for each of the supply regimes. Other viable parameters may be tariff rate, emission rate, etc. as previously discussed.

[0057] Moving on, real-time data from a remote data repository is retrieved 404. The real-time data may then accordingly a quantified value representing the power output for each of the different supply regimes. This can e.g. be used to evenly distribute the load on a plurality of supply regimes. Next, based on this real-time data and the predefined condition a control signal is supplied 405 in order to control the switching unit so that it connects the appropriate electric meter and disconnects the other electric meter(s). It is readily understood that if the correct electric meter already was connected when the control signal was supplied 404, this merely results in that the configuration of the switching unit is maintained, alternatively if the appropriate electric meter was not connected a switching event is enabled.

[0058] The invention has now been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, several variations of the electrical motor control system are feasible. For example, the control unit may be configured with fixed values for some of the parameters that do not change over time, as already exemplified. Further, the controller may be remotely configured from e.g. a web-interface. Such and other obvious modifications must be considered to be within the scope of the present invention, as it is defined by the appended claims. It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting to the claim. The word comprising does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps than those listed in the claim. The word a or an preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. claims in the application.