Systems, apparatuses and methods for appliances with integrated energy storage

Abstract

An intelligent energy system includes an energy-consuming appliance, a battery module coupled to the appliance, and a bidirectional converter coupled to the appliance and the battery module by a power bus. The battery module is configured to provide power to the appliance. The bidirectional converter converts between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) and interfaces with a power infrastructure external to the appliance. The system further includes a control unit communicatively coupled to the battery module, the bidirectional converter, and the appliance. The control unit is configured to determine a charge and discharge schedule for the battery module. The battery module coupled with the bidirectional converter provides uninterrupted power to the appliance, abstracts the power demands of the appliance from local power infrastructure, and allows for greater appliance peak power draw than would otherwise be practical or possible.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.