# US 10,482,481 B2 · Managing grid interaction with an interconnect socket adapter configured for a solar power source

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- Number: US 10,482,481 B2
- Document ID: US10482481B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/141,657
- Filed: 2016-04-28
- Published: 2016-08-25
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2013-08-28
- Assignees: San Diego Gas & Electric Company
- Applicants: San Diego Gas & Electric Company
- Inventors: Ken Parks; Michael Colburn
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10482481B2

## CPC

- G06Q 30/0201: Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
- B60R 16/02: electric {constitutive elements}
- G01R 3/00: Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture {or maintenance} of measuring instruments {, e.g. of probe tips}
- G01R 22/061: {Details of electronic electricity meters}
- G01R 22/065: {related to mechanical aspects}
- G05F 1/66: Regulating electric power
- G06Q 30/0206: {Price or cost determination based on market factors}
- G06Q 50/06: Energy or water supply
- H01R 24/542: {Adapters}
- H01R 31/02: Intermediate parts for distributing energy to two or more circuits in parallel, e.g. splitter (with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/92)
- H01R 33/94: Holders formed as intermediate parts for linking a counter-part to a coupling part
- H02B 1/03: for energy meters
- H02J 3/008: Circuit arrangements for power supply or distribution technologies responsive to energy trading
- H02J 3/38: Arrangements for feeding a single network from two or more generators or sources in parallel; Arrangements for feeding already energised networks from additional generators or sources in parallel
- H02J 3/466: Scheduling or selectively controlling the operation of the generators or sources, e.g. connecting or disconnecting generators to meet a demand
- G01R 1/0416: {Connectors, terminals (G01R1/0425 and G01R1/0433 take precedence; with measurement function for battery poles G01R31/364)}
- H01R 33/7635: {the terminals being collectively connected, e.g. to a PCB}
- Y02E 10/56: Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
- Y02E 10/76: Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
- Y02P 80/10: Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
- Y04S 50/00: Market activities related to the operation of systems integrating technologies related to power network operation or related to communication or information technologies
- Y04S 50/14: Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards
- Y04S 50/16: Energy services, e.g. dispersed generation or demand or load or energy savings aggregation
- Y10T 29/49208: by assembling plural parts
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H02B: BOARDS, SUBSTATIONS OR SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE SUPPLY OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- 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
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A system for managing grid interaction with a solar power source includes an energy exchange server, a plurality of solar energy sources, a plurality of interconnect socket adapters, and a plurality of energy exchange controllers, each energy exchange controller coupling to one of the plurality of interconnect socket adapters and dictating energy consumption based on energy pricing data received from the energy exchange server. Each interconnect socket adapter electrically couples to the power grid, one or more energy sinks, and a solar energy source, and the energy exchange server receives a real-time energy consumption data set, a real-time energy production data set, a set of environmental parameters and a starting energy price, and generates a current aggregate electricity demand value as a function of the real-time energy consumption data set and the environmental parameters, a current aggregate electricity supply value as a function of the real-time energy production dataset and the environmental parameters, and a current energy price as a function of the starting energy price, the current aggregate electricity demand value, and the current aggregate electricity supply value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for managing grid interaction with a solar power source, comprising:
an energy exchange server, a plurality of solar energy sources, a plurality of interconnect socket adapters, and a plurality of energy exchange controllers, each energy exchange controller being communicatively coupled to one of the plurality of interconnect socket adapters;
wherein the one of the plurality of interconnect socket adapters electrically couples to the power grid, one or more energy sinks, and one of the plurality of solar energy sources; and
wherein the energy exchange server comprises a processor and a non-statutory computer readable medium with software embedded thereon, the software configured to:
receive, from each interconnect socket adapter, a real-time energy consumption data set;
receive, from a real-time energy pricing database, a set of environmental parameters and a starting energy price;
receive, from each interconnect socket adapter and one or more energy production facilities, a real-time energy production data set;
generate a current aggregate electricity demand value as a function of the real-time energy consumption data set and the environmental parameters;
generate a current aggregate electricity supply value as a function of the real-time energy production dataset and the environmental parameters; and
generate a current energy price as a function of the starting energy price, the current aggregate electricity demand value, and the current aggregate electricity supply value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the software is further configured to cause the energy exchange server to transmit the current energy price to each exchange controller.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein each exchange controller is configured to receive, from the one of the plurality of interconnect socket adapters, an amount of energy produced by the one of the plurality of solar energy sources and an aggregate amount of energy being consumed by the one or more energy sinks and determine an amount of energy sent back into the power grid as a function of the amount of energy produced by the one of the plurality of solar energy sources and the aggregate amount of energy being consumed by the one or more energy sinks.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the energy exchange server is further configured to generate, for each energy exchange controller, a total energy reimbursement value as a function of the current energy price and the amount of energy sent back into the power grid.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein each exchange controller is configured to, if the current energy price exceeds a threshold, transmit a signal to a user interface to alert users to limit or terminate energy consumption to increase the amount of energy sent back into the power grid.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein each exchange controller is configured to, if the current energy price exceeds a threshold, transmit a signal to limit or terminate energy consumption to the one or more energy sinks, such that energy draw back to the power grid is increased.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein each exchange controller is configured to, if the current energy price falls below a threshold, transmit a signal to a user interface to alert users to increase energy consumption or energy storage charging.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein each exchange controller is configured to, if the current energy price exceeds a threshold, transmit a signal to increase energy consumption or energy storage charging to the one or more energy sinks, such that energy draw back to the power grid is decreased.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the set of environmental parameters comprises a current temperature, a forecast temperature, a forecast weather condition, a time of day, a maintenance activity, an availability of fuel, a price of fuel, an estimated future price of fuel, a season, or a date.

### Claim 10

A computer-implemented method for managing grid interaction with a solar power source, comprising:
receiving, with an energy exchange server, a real-time energy consumption data set and a real-time energy production data set;
receiving, with the energy exchange server, a set of environmental parameters and a starting energy price;
generating a current aggregate electricity demand value as a function of the real-time energy consumption data set and the environmental parameters;
generating a current aggregate electricity supply value as a function of the real-time energy production dataset and the environmental parameters;
generating a current energy price as a function of the starting energy price, the current aggregate electricity demand value, and the current aggregate electricity supply value;
transmitting the current energy price to each of a plurality of exchange controllers, wherein each exchange controller communicatively couples to an interconnect socket adapter, the interconnect socket adapter electrically coupling to a power grid, a solar energy source, and one or more energy sinks;
receiving an amount of energy produced by the solar energy source;
receiving an aggregate amount of energy being consumed by the one or more energy sinks; and
determining an amount of energy sent back into the power grid as a function of the amount of energy produced by the solar energy sources and the aggregate amount of energy being consumed by the one or more energy sinks.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising generating, for each energy exchange controller, a total energy reimbursement value as a function of the current energy price and the amount of energy sent back into the power grid.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting, if the current energy price exceeds a threshold, a signal to a user interface to alert users to limit or terminate energy consumption, such that energy generated by the solar energy source may be directed into the power grid.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting, if the current energy price exceeds a threshold, a signal to limit or terminate energy consumption to the one or more energy sinks, such that energy generated by the solar energy source may be directed into the power grid.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting, if the current energy price falls below a threshold, a signal to a user interface to alert users to increase energy consumption or energy storage charging.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting, if the current energy price falls below a threshold, a signal to increase energy consumption or energy storage charging to the one or more energy sinks, such that energy draw back to the power grid is decreased.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the set of environmental parameters comprises a current temperature, a forecast temperature, a forecast weather condition, a time of day, a maintenance activity, an availability of fuel, a price of fuel, an estimated future price of fuel, a season, or a date.