# US 2014/0195405 A1 · System and method for billing a utility consumer after installation of a new lighting technology

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- Number: US 2014/0195405 A1
- Document ID: US20140195405A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/148,570
- Filed: 2014-01-06
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2007-05-03
- Assignees: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
- Applicants: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
- Inventors: Neal R. Verfuerth; Michael J. Potts
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195405A1

## CPC

- G06Q 20/145: {Payments according to the detected use or quantity}
- G06Q 30/00: Commerce
- G06Q 40/00: Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
- G06Q 50/06: Energy or water supply
- 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

## Abstract

A method includes obtaining, at a metering device, power usage information associated with operation of a second technology; calculating, at a processor and based on the power usage information obtained from the metering device, a power base load capacity relief of an electrical system to a utility provider resulting from change from a first technology to the second technology; receiving, at the processor, a technology cost including fixed and variable costs to install and maintain the second technology; calculating, at the processor, a return needed for repayment of the technology cost; determining, by the processor, a new utility rate by apportioning the return needed for repayment of the technology cost as a function of the power base load capacity relief and calculating; and providing a utility invoice to the utility consumer for a power reduction over time at the new utility rate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computerized method for billing a utility consumer after installation of a new lighting technology by the utility consumer at a facility associated with the utility consumer, the computerized method comprising:
obtaining, at a processor, power usage information associated with operation of a second lighting technology;
calculating, at the processor, a power base load capacity relief resulting from change from a first lighting technology to the second lighting technology;
receiving, at the processor, a technology cost including fixed and variable costs to install and maintain the second lighting technology;
determining, by the processor, a new utility rate by apportioning a return needed for repayment of the technology cost as a function of the power base load capacity relief; and
calculating and providing a utility invoice to the utility consumer for a power reduction over time at the new utility rate, the power reduction over time provided by use of the second lighting technology;
wherein the amount billed to the utility consumer via the utility invoice is less than a cost savings attained by the utility consumer via the power base load capacity relief such that the amount billed to the utility consumer is financed via a portion of the cost savings.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the new utility rate is not applied to actual energy use over time and the utility invoice does not request payment for energy use over time.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein calculating and providing the utility invoice are completed by the processor and a communications interface coupled to the processor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the new utility rate and the invoice accounts for the value of pollution credits gained through use of the second technology.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising communicating pollution credit information to a trading exchange for trading of pollution credits.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein payment of costs is the only repayment source for installation and maintenance of the second technology.