# US 10,769,734 B2 · Systems and methods for advanced energy settlements, network-based messaging, and software applications for electric power grids, microgrids, grid elements, and/or electric power networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,769,734 B2 - Document ID: US10769734B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/993,703 - Filed: 2016-01-12 - Published: 2016-07-14 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-01-13 - Assignees: Causam Energy, Inc. - Applicants: Causam Energy, Inc. - Inventors: Joseph W. Forbes, Jr.; Nathaniel Taylor Brockman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10769734B2 ## CPC - G06Q 50/06: Energy or water supply - G06Q 20/085: {involving remote charge determination or related payment systems} - G06Q 20/102: {Bill distribution or payments} - G06Q 20/145: {Payments according to the detected use or quantity} - G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y04S 50/12: Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation - 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 - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - 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 Systems and methods for advanced energy settlements in electric power grid are proposed. At least one energy customer, at least one retail electric provider and at least one distributed generator connect to an advanced energy settlement platform communicatively. The advanced energy settlement platform is operable to summate a customer balance from all the settlement blocks during a billing period and collect payments from the at least one energy customer automatically; aggregate and settle distributed energy charges with distributed generators and fixed energy charges with the energy retailer or retail energy provider for the at least one energy customer during the billing period. The advanced energy settlement platform also provides interactive graphical user interface for different participants in the advanced energy settlement and for advanced energy settlements application development kit (ADK) for access to functionality within the advanced energy settlement platform. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for advanced energy management in an electric power grid, comprising: providing a server platform in network communication with a multiplicity of grid elements from at least one energy customer in the electric power grid and at least one user device for the at least one energy customer; the server platform providing at least one interactive graphical user interface (GUI) for the at least one user device for network communication, wherein the at least one user device is operable to build an application program for the at least one energy customer via the at least one interactive GUI by selecting application tiles from an application store in the server platform; the server platform collecting revenue grade energy data from the multiplicity of grid elements, comprising power consumption data, power supply data, and/or power curtailment data; wherein the revenue grade energy data is measured through sub metering technology in real time; aggregating the revenue grade energy data from energy customers into settlement blocks; underpinning a settlement process for a billing period based on the settlement blocks; mapping settlement blocks to at least one appropriate energy power purchase agreement in effect; calculating the cost of each settlement block; summating a customer balance from all the settlement blocks during a billing period and collecting payments from the at least one energy customer automatically; the server platform generating recommendations for the at least one energy customer based on a customer profile, the revenue grade energy data, and real-time market data, wherein the recommendations include a power model, a purchase of at least one grid element, a commodity plan, and an incentive; and the server platform aggregating and settling distributed energy charges with distributed generators for the at least one energy customer during the billing period through a clearing house. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the cost of each settlement block includes Time of Use (TOU), demand, taxes, access fees and energy charges. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising integrating the server platform with an existing distributed energy market exchange, wherein the existing distributed energy market exchange provides prices on distributed generation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising providing a real time energy purchasing solution matching real energy consumption by the at least one energy customer against energy currently available with the existing distributed energy market exchange. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising storing and organizing packet level information for forecasting, data mining, revenue extraction, event detection, sophisticated energy management and enterprise integration. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein customer payment for the billing period for both distributed generators and an existing energy retailer for the at least one energy customer is managed in a single energy bill to the at least one energy customer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising providing intelligent analytics for distributed generators by capturing and transforming market data for trending, forecasting, planning and maximizing revenue/investment opportunities. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising providing intelligent analytics for energy customers by capturing and transforming the revenue grade energy data for energy management, forecasting, procurement, profiling, bill optimization and recommendation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the energy customers have generation capability, wherein the energy customers have exportable generation capability, and wherein the energy customer act as generators. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the server platform comprises an application development kit (ADK) accessible via the at least one interactive GUI. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the ADK includes application design patterns providing visual patterns for branding, white labeling, and themable implementation of new Apps. ### Claim 12 A system for advanced energy management in an electric power grid, comprising: a server platform in network communication with a multiplicity of grid elements from at least one energy customer in the electric power grid and at least one user device for the at least one energy customer; wherein the server platform is operable to provide at least one interactive graphical user interface (GUI) for the at least one user device for network communication, wherein the at least one user device is operable to build an application program for the at least one energy customer via the at least one interactive GUI by selecting application tiles from an application store in the server platform; wherein the server platform is operable to create a customer profile for each of the at least one energy customer; wherein the server platform is operable to collect revenue grade energy data from the multiplicity of grid elements, comprising power consumption data, power supply data, and/or power curtailment data; wherein the revenue grade energy data is measured through sub metering technology in real time; wherein the server platform is operable to: aggregate the revenue grade energy data from the at least one energy customer into settlement blocks; underpin a settlement process for a billing period based on the settlement blocks; map settlement blocks to appropriate energy power purchase agreement in effect; calculate the cost of each settlement block; summate a customer balance from all the settlement blocks during a billing period and collect payments from the at least one energy customer automatically; wherein the server platform is operable to generate recommendations for the at least one energy customer based on the customer profile, the revenue grade energy data, and real-time market data, wherein the recommendations include a power model, a purchase of at least one grid element, a commodity plan, and an incentive wherein the server platform is further operable to aggregate and settle distributed energy charges with distributed generators for the at least one energy customer during the billing period through a clearing house. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the cost of each settlement block includes Time of Use (TOU), demand, taxes, access fees and energy charges. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the server platform is integrated with an existing distributed energy market exchange, wherein the existing distributed energy market exchange provides prices on distributed generation. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the server platform is operable to provide a real time energy purchasing solution matching the at least one customer's real energy consumption against energy currently available with the existing distributed energy market exchange. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the server platform is operable to store and organize packet level information for forecasting, data mining, revenue extraction, event detection, sophisticated energy management and enterprise integration. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein customer payment for the billing period for both distributed generators and an existing energy retailer for the at least one energy customer is managed in a single energy bill. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the server platform is operable to provide intelligent analytics for distributed generators by capturing and transforming market data for trending, forecasting, planning and maximizing revenue/investment opportunities. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the server platform is operable to provide intelligent analytics for energy customers by capturing and transforming the revenue grade energy data for energy management, forecasting, procurement, profiling, bill optimization and recommendation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one energy customer has generation capability, wherein the at least one energy customer has exportable generation capacity, and wherein the at least one energy customer acts as a generator. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the server platform comprises an application development kit (ADK) accessible via the at least one interactive GUI. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the ADK includes application design patterns providing visual patterns for branding, white labeling, and themable implementation of new Apps. ### Claim 23 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the server platform is further operable to aggregate and settle fixed energy charges with an energy retailer or retail energy provider for the at least one energy customer during the billing period. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a configurable market purchasing rules engine ranks and selects energy supplies from one or more energy suppliers based on customer preferences including cost, payment preference, and locality. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one interactive GUI presents to the at least one energy customer electric pricing plan alternatives and marketing information about merchants, products, and/or services associated with or related to the customer profile and/or power usage of the at least one customer. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising a kilowatt packet (kWp) settlement timeline.