Energy management device and architecture with multiple security levels

An energy management device for use in an energy management architecture for managing the flow of energy in an energy distribution system, said energy management architecture comprising a network, said energy management device comprising:

• a processor coupled with said energy distribution system and operative to process externally generated power management data;
• a security module coupled with said processor and operative to receive said externally generated power management data from said network wherein said externally generated power management data comprises first and second portions, said first portion associated with a first decryption key and said second portion associated with a second decryption key, such that said first portion is capable of being decrypted only with said first decryption key and said second portion is capable of being decrypted with said second decryption key;
• and
• a network interface coupled with said processor and said network and operative to facilitate communications of externally generated power management data over said network.

An energy management device for use in an energy management architecture for managing the flow of energy in an energy distribution system, said energy management architecture comprising a network, said energy management device comprising:

• an energy distribution system interface coupled with said energy distribution system and operative to perform first and second power management functions with respect to said energy distribution system, said first power management function being associated with a first authentication key and said second power management function being associated with a second authentication key;
• a network interface coupled with said network and operative to facilitate communications thereover;
• a security module coupled with said network interface and operative to receive a power management command from said network, said power management command operative to instruct said energy distribution system interface to perform at least one of said first power management function, said second power management function, or combinations thereof;
• and
• a processor coupled with said security module and said energy distribution system interface and operative to respond to said power management command to cause said energy distribution system interface to perform said first power management function if said power management command includes said first authentication key and cause said energy distribution system interface to perform said second power management function if said power management command includes said second authentication key.

An energy management architecture for managing the flow of energy in an energy distribution system comprising:

• a network;
• at least one energy management device coupled with a portion of said energy distribution system, each of said at least one energy management device operative to implement at least one power management function in conjunction with said portion of said energy distribution system, said at least one power management function operative to respond to at least one power management command and generate power management data, each of said at least one energy management device comprising:
• a processor operative to process said at least one power management function;
• a security module coupled with said processor and operative to encrypt said power management data wherein said encrypted power management data comprises first and second portions, said first portion associated with a first decryption key and said second portion associated with a second decryption key, such that said first portion is capable of being decrypted only with said first decryption key and said second portion is capable of being decrypted with said second decryption key;
• and
• a network interface operative to couple said processor and said network, further operative to facilitate transmission of said encrypted power management data over said network and receive said at least one power management command over said network;
• said architecture further comprising:
• a power management application coupled with said network and operative to receive and process said power management data from said at least one energy management device and generate said at least one power management command to said at least one energy management device to implement said power management function.