System and method for controlling power demand over an integrated wireless network

A system which controls appliances comprising:

• at least one first transceiver identified by an identification code and configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) demand reduction control signal having the identification code;
• at least one appliance controller unit, the appliance controller unit coupled to at least one appliance and the first transceiver;
• an appliance controller unit memory residing in the appliance controller unit, the appliance controller unit memory configured to have a unique identification code identifying the appliance controller unit such that when the RF demand reduction control signal identification code corresponds to the appliance controller unit unique identification code, the appliance coupled to the appliance controller unit is shut off;
• a second transceiver coupled to a meter, the meter coupled to the appliance, and the second transceiver configured to generate a second RF signal corresponding to an amount of demand detected by the meter;
• and
• a plurality of network transceivers configured to communicate the second RF signal to an energy management controller that initiated the RF demand reduction control signal;
• wherein the second transceiver generates the second RF signal corresponding to the amount of demand detected by the meter before the RF demand reduction control signal is received, and wherein the second transceiver generates a third RF signal corresponding to the amount of demand detected by the meter after the appliance coupled to the appliance controller unit is shut off.

A system which controls appliances comprising:

• at least one first transceiver identified by an identification code and configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) demand reduction control signal having the identification code;
• at least one appliance controller unit, the appliance controller unit coupled to at least one appliance and the first transceiver;
• an appliance controller unit memory residing in the appliance controller unit, the appliance controller unit memory configured to have a unique identification code identifying the appliance controller unit such that when the RF demand reduction control signal identification code corresponds to the appliance controller unit unique identification code, the appliance coupled to the appliance controller unit is shut off;
• a second transceiver coupled to a meter, the meter coupled to the appliance, and the second transceiver configured to generate a second RF signal corresponding to an amount of demand detected by the meter;
• and
• a plurality of network transceivers configured to communicate the second RF signal to an energy management controller that initiated the RF demand reduction control signal;
• wherein the second transceiver determines a change in demand corresponding to the amount of demand detected by the meter before the RF demand reduction control signal is received and the amount of demand detected by the meter after the appliance coupled to the appliance controller unit is shut off, such that the second RF signal corresponds to the determined change in demand.

A system which controls appliances comprising:

• at least one first transceiver identified by an identification code and configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) demand reduction control signal having the identification code;
• at least one appliance controller unit, the appliance controller unit coupled to at least one appliance and the first transceiver;
• an appliance controller unit memory residing in the appliance controller unit, the appliance controller unit memory configured to have a unique identification code identifying the appliance controller unit such that when the RF demand reduction control signal identification code corresponds to the appliance controller unit unique identification code, the appliance coupled to the appliance controller unity is shut off;
• a second transceiver coupled to a meter, the meter coupled to the appliance, and the second transceiver configured to generate a second RF signal corresponding to an amount of demand detected by the meter;
• a plurality of network transceivers configured to communicate the second RF signal to an energy management controller that initiated the RF demand reduction control signal;
• further comprising:
• a first interface coupled to the energy management controller and a communication network;
• and
• a second interface coupled to a site controller and the communication network, the site controller configured to communicate at least the second RF signal such that communications between the energy management controller and the site controller are communicated over the communication network.

A system for controlling demand in an energy delivery system, comprising:

• means for generating a demand reduction control signal by an energy management controller;
• means for transmitting a first radio frequency (RF) signal corresponding to the demand reduction control signal generated by the energy management controller to a plurality of first transceivers, one first transceiver residing in one of a plurality of appliance control units, wherein each one of the plurality of appliance control units is coupled to at least one appliance;
• means for shutting off the appliance coupled to the appliance control unit in response to receiving the first RF signal;
• means for metering a first change in demand at a plurality of meters, each one of the meters coupled to one of the appliances;
• means for transmitting a plurality of second RF signals each corresponding to one of the plurality of first changes in demand to the energy management controller from a plurality of second transceivers, each one of the second transceivers coupled to one of the plurality of meters;
• and
• means for determining a first aggregate change in demand, the first aggregate change in demand equaling a sum of the plurality of first changes in demand;
• wherein the means for metering a first change in demand meters a first change in demand before the means for generating a demand reduction control signal generates a demand reduction control signal and after the energy management controller receives an RF signal from one of the plurality of second transceivers.

A system for controlling demand in an energy delivery system comprising:

• (1) an energy management controller configured to
• communicate a demand reduction control signal to a plurality of appliance controller transceiver units, each of the appliance controller transceiver units coupled to at least one appliance such that the appliance is shut off upon receipt of the demand reduction control signal;
• and
• communicate with a plurality of meter transceiver units, each of the meter transceiver units coupled to at lest one meter configured to detect demand, and each configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal corresponding to the metered demand;
• and
• (2) a site controller transceiver configured to receive the RF signals corresponding to the metered demand from the plurality of meter transceiver units, such that the energy management controller determines a difference between the metered demand before communication of the demand reduction control signal and after the received RF signals.

A system which controls appliances comprising:

• at least one appliance controller unit, the appliance controller unit coupled to at least one appliance;
• an energy management controller configured to communicate a demand reduction control signal;
• a site controller configured to receive the demand reduction control signal and configured to communicate a first radio frequency (RF) signal corresponding to the demand reduction signal;
• a first transceiver residing in the appliance controller unit and configured to receive the first RF signal so that the appliance coupled to the appliance controller unit is shut off upon receipt of the first RF signal;
• a second transceiver coupled to a meter, the meter configured to detect demand, and configured to communicate a second RF signal corresponding to the metered demand to the site controller before the first transceiver receives the first RF signal, and further configured to communicate a third RF signal corresponding to the metered demand to the site controller after the appliance coupled to the appliance controller unit is shut off,
• wherein the second RF signal and the third RF signal are received by the site controller, and wherein information corresponding to the second RF signal and the third RF signal is communicated by the site controller to the energy management controller.

A system which controls appliances comprising:

• at least one appliance controller unit, the appliance controller unit coupled to at least one appliance;
• an energy management controller configured to communicate a demand reduction control signal;
• a site controller configured to receive the demand reduction control signal and configured to communicate a first radio frequency (RF) signal corresponding to the demand reduction signal;
• a first transceiver residing in the appliance controller unit and configured to receive the first, RF signal so that the appliance coupled to the appliance controller unit is shut off upon receipt of the first RF signal;
• a second transceiver coupled to a meter, the second transceiver configured to determine a first demand detected by the meter before the RF demand reduction control signal is received, configured to determine a second demand detected by the meter after the appliance coupled to the appliance controller unit is shut off, configured to determine a change in demand corresponding to a difference in the first demand and the second demand, and configured to communicate a second RF signal corresponding to the determined change in demand to the site controller,
• such that information corresponding to the determined change in demand is communicated by the site controller to the energy management controller.

A method for controlling demand in an energy delivery system, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating a demand reduction control signal by an energy management controller;
• transmitting a first radio frequency (RF) signal corresponding to the demand reduction control signal to a plurality of first transceivers, each one of the first transceivers residing in one of a plurality of appliance control units, wherein each one of the plurality of appliance control units is coupled to at least one appliance;
• metering a first metered demand it a plurality of meters, each one of the meters coupled to one of the appliances;
• transmitting a plurality of second RF signals each corresponding to one of the plurality of first metered demands to the energy management controller from a plurality of second transceivers, each one of the second transceivers coupled to one of the plurality of meters;
• shutting off the appliance coupled to the appliance control unit in response to receiving the first RF signal;
• metering a second metered demand at the plurality of meters;
• and
• transmitting a plurality of third RF signals each corresponding to one of the plurality of second metered demands to the energy management controller from the plurality of second transceivers.

A method for controlling demand in an energy delivery system, the method comprising the steps of:

• a generating a demand reduction control signal by an energy management controller;
• transmitting a first radio frequency (RF) signal corresponding to the demand reduction control signal to a plurality of first transceivers, each one of the first transceivers residing in one of a plurality of appliance control units, wherein each one of the plurality of appliance control units is coupled to at least one appliance;
• shutting off the appliance coupled to the appliance control unit in response to receiving the first RF signal;
• metering a first demand at a plurality of meters before the appliance is shut off, each one of the meters coupled to one of the appliances;
• metering a second demand at the plurality of meters after the appliance is shut off;
• determining a change in demand corresponding to a difference between the first metered demand and the second metered demand;
• and
• transmitting a plurality of second RF signals to the energy management controller from a plurality of second transceivers, the second RF signals each corresponding to the respective determined change in demand, and wherein each one of the second transceivers is coupled to one of the plurality of meters.