# US 11,909,208 B2 · Capacity estimator for an energy generation and/or storage system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,909,208 B2 - Document ID: US11909208B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/351,470 - Filed: 2021-06-18 - Published: 2021-12-23 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-06-18 - Assignees: Enphase Energy, Inc. - Applicants: Enphase Energy, Inc. - Inventors: Ayyapu Reddy Pallam; Sandeep Chandran; Rishabh Goel; Samuel Mattathil Joseph; Sumit Saraogi; Ashish Bansal; Jayant Somani; Badrinarayanan Kothandaraman; Ankit Prakash Gupta; Jan Spencer Rosen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909208B2 ## CPC - H02J 3/004: {Generation forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future energy generation} - H02S 50/00: Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification - G01J 1/18: using comparison with a reference electric value - H02S 40/32: comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules - H02S 50/10: Testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells (testing of semiconductor devices during manufacturing {H10P74/00}) - F24S 2201/00: Prediction; Simulation - H02J 2101/24: Photovoltaics - Y02E 10/56: Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers - Y04S 10/50: Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00) - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - F24S: SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS (for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00) - 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 and apparatus for estimating capacity of a system including an energy generation system, an energy storage system or both. The method and apparatus initially estimate the system capacity based on a facility location and size. The initial estimate may be adjusted through adjustment of at least one parameter. An updated capacity estimate is generated and displayed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Apparatus for estimating capacity of a system including an energy generation system, an energy storage system, or both comprising: one or more processors coupled to one or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the operations comprising: receiving indicium of a location for installation of the system; receiving indicium of facility size; determining an initial estimate of energy capacity of the system based, at least in part, upon the indicium of location and the indicium of facility size; generating and displaying a bill of particulars comprising a listing of components required to meet an estimated capacity of a modeled system; enabling a user to adjust at least one parameter of the modeled system comprising at least one of: a facility size; an amount of daily energy consumed by a facility to be powered by the system; a duration of a backup to be supplied by the energy storage system; an initial estimate of energy capacity of solar energy generation and/or capacity of energy storage; determining an updated estimate of capacity of the system based, at least in part, upon the adjusted at least one parameter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiving of indicium of facility size further comprises estimating the facility size based on the location. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein enabling further comprises displaying at least one control element that is configured to be manipulated to adjust the at least one parameter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the control element is a slider. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter further comprises a plurality of loads that are to be powered by the energy storage system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one of receiving a main load bus bar rating in amperes or a main service breaker rating in amperes for a type of the backup. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising generating and displaying at least one of a financial model based upon the updated estimate of capacity or a measure of energy independence. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the parameters form at least a portion of a model of the energy generation system, energy storage system, or both, and when the parameters are adjusted, the model is updated using the adjusted parameters. ### Claim 9 A method for estimating capacity of a system including a energy generation system, an energy storage system or both comprising: receiving indicium of a location for installation of the system; receiving indicium of facility size; determining an initial estimate of energy capacity of the system based, at least in part, upon the indicium of location and the indicium of facility size; generating and displaying a bill of particulars comprising a listing of components required to meet an estimated capacity of a modeled system; enabling a user to adjust at least one parameter of the modeled system comprising at least one of: a facility size; an amount of daily energy consumed by a facility to be powered by the system; a duration of a backup to be supplied by the energy storage system; an initial estimate of energy capacity of solar energy generation and/or capacity of energy storage; determining an updated estimate of capacity of the system based, at least in part, upon the adjusted at least one parameter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein receiving of indicium of facility size further comprises estimating the facility size based on the location. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein enabling further comprises displaying at least one control element that is configured to be manipulated to adjust the at least one parameter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the control element is a slider. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one parameter further comprises a plurality of loads that are to be powered by the energy storage system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising at least one of receiving a main load bus bar rating in amperes or a main service breaker rating in amperes for a type of the backup. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising generating and displaying at least one of a financial model based upon the updated estimate of capacity or a measure of energy independence. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the parameters form at least a portion of a model of the energy generation system, energy storage system, or both, and when the parameters are adjusted, the model is updated using the adjusted parameters.