# US 10,122,170 B2 · Load adjustment sharing system and method

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- Number: US 10,122,170 B2
- Document ID: US10122170B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/008,398
- Filed: 2012-03-22
- Published: 2014-01-23
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2011-04-11
- Assignees: Philips Lighting Holding B.V.
- Applicants: Yao-Jung Wen; William Woody Delp
- Inventors: Yao-Jung Wen; William Woody Delp
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122170B2

## CPC

- H02J 3/14: by switching loads on to, or off from, the networks, e.g. progressively balanced loading
- H02J 2103/30: Simulating, planning, modelling, reliability check or computer assisted design [CAD] of electric power networks
- H02J 2105/54: according to a non-electrical condition, e.g. temperature
- Y02B 70/3225: Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
- Y02E 60/00: Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y04S 20/222: Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
- Y04S 40/20: Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

A method (3000) of load adjustment sharing for a space (100) including a first zone (110) and a second zone (120), and a control unit (10) for a load adjustment sharing system (1) are provided. The method comprises the steps of receiving (301) information (130) related to a load adjustment for the space, and receiving (302) environment information (113) about the first zone and environment information (123) about the second zone. Further, based on the environment information about the first zone, the environment information about the second zone and the information related to the load adjustment for the space, a load adjustment share (114) for the first zone and a load adjustment share (124) for the second zone are determined. The present invention may be utilized in buildings including a plurality of zones. The present invention is advantageous in that the load adjustment sharing is intelligently adapted to the environment circumstances in the different zones.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of load adjustment sharing for a space including a first zone and a second zone, wherein each zone defines a physical area within the space and each physical area includes one or more energy using loads, the method comprising:
receiving information related to a load adjustment for the space from a service provider or user input;
receiving environment information from one or more sensors in a respective zone or user input about the first zone and environment information about the second zone;
determining a load adjustment share for the first zone and a load adjustment share for the second zone based on the environment information about the first zone, the environment information about the second zone and the information related to the load adjustment for the space;
subsequently receiving information related to a load recovery adjustment for the space from the service provider or user input;
receiving new environment information from the one or more sensors in a respective zone or user input about the first zone and new environment information about the second zone;
determining a load recovery adjustment share for the first zone and a load recovery adjustment share for the second zone based on the new environment information about the first zone, the new environment information about the second zone and the information related to the load recovery adjustment for the space;
wherein the load recovery adjustment share is adapted to restore environmental conditions of each zone to a condition each had prior to the load reduction adjustment.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the load adjustment share for a zone indicates a load reduction share for the zone.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information related to the load adjustment for the space indicates a demanded load reduction associated with a demand response event.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising assigning the load adjustment share for a zone to the zone.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the environment information about a zone provides information about one or more of the following: zone type of the zone, orientation of the zone, location of the zone; and information about load conditions, wherein the information about load conditions is selected from the group consisting of current load conditions associated with the zone, predicted load conditions associated with the zone, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein:
the information about current load conditions associated with a zone includes information about load type/types currently used in the zone and amount of load used by the load type/types; and
the information about predicted load conditions associated with a zone includes information about load type/types predicted to be used in the zone and amount of load predicted to be used by the load type/types.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a load to be adjusted according to an adjustment share relates to one or more of the following: illumination load, cooling load, heating load and ventilation load.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining environment settings in a zone based on the determined load adjustment share for the zone.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising weighting the zones of the space based on the received environment information about the zones, wherein the determining of the load adjustment shares of the zones is based on the weighting of the zones.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
the environment information about a zone indicates a required load recovery for the zone, and the load adjustment share for a zone indicates a load recovery profile for the zone.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information related to the load adjustment for the space comprises information about energy pricing.

### Claim 12

A control unit for load adjustment sharing in a space having a first zone and a second zone, wherein each zone defines a physical area within the space and each physical area includes one or more energy using loads, the control unit being configured to:
receive information related to a load adjustment for the space from a service provider or user input;
receive environment information about the first zone and environment information about the second zone from one or more sensors in a respective zone or user input;
determine a load adjustment share for the first zone and a load adjustment share for the second zone based on the environment information about the first zone, the environment information about the second zone and the information related to the load adjustment for the space;
subsequently receive information related to a load recovery adjustment for the space from the service provider or user input;
receive new environment information from the one or more sensors in a respective zone or user input about the first zone and new environment information about the second zone;
determine a load recovery adjustment share for the first zone and a load recovery adjustment share for the second zone based on the new environment information about the first zone, the new environment information about the second zone and the information related to the load recovery adjustment for the space;
wherein the load recovery adjustment share is adapted to restore environmental conditions of each zone to a condition each had prior to the load reduction adjustment.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

A load adjustment sharing system comprising:
a control unit as defined in claim 12;
a first zone controller for the first zone configured to send environment information about the first zone to the control unit; and
a second zone controller for the second zone configured to send environment information about the second zone to the control unit.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The load adjustment sharing system as claimed in claim 13, wherein:
the control unit is further configured to assign the load adjustment share for the first zone to the zone controller for the first zone and the load adjustment share for the second zone to the zone controller for the second zone;
the zone controller for the first zone is further configured to determine environment settings for the first zone based on the assigned load adjustment share for the first zone; and
the zone controller for the second zone is further configured to determine environment settings for the second zone based on the assigned load adjustment share for the second zone.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The load adjustment sharing system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the zone controller for a zone is further configured to monitor current load conditions and/or to predict load conditions in the zone.