System for remotely controlling energy distribution at local sites

A method for power management, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting, from a central station via a wireless transmitter, messages directed to a plurality of power switch control circuits, each of said power switch control circuits interposed between a power supply line and a plurality of local electrical loads;
• receiving said messages at said power switch control circuits;
• and
• at one or more of said power switch control circuits, in response to said messages, disengaging the local electrical loads according to locally configurable settings;
• wherein each of said power switch control circuits comprises a set of controllable switches interposed between the power supply line and a local electrical loads, each controllable switch;
• and
• wherein said step of disengaging the local electrical loads according to locally configurable settings comprises the step of disengaging said controllable switches according to a locally configurable priority;
• and
• wherein one or more of said controllable switches comprises a bimetal member that is normally closed thereby allowing current to flow to the electrical load associated therewith, said bimetal member being deformed by a control signal which causes heating of the bimetal member and thereby results in the opening of the controllable switch and stoppage of the current flow.

A method for power management, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting, from a central station via a wireless transmitter, messages directed to a plurality of power switch control circuits, each of said power switch control circuits interposed, along with an associated series-connected circuit breaker, between a power supply line and a plurality of local electrical loads;
• receiving said messages at said power switch control circuits;
• at one or more of said power switch control circuits, in response to said messages, disengaging the local electrical loads according to locally configurable settings;
• and
• placing said power switch control circuits in a designated alert stage level, from among a plurality of alert stage levels, in response to at least one of the messages transmitted by said central station;
• wherein the circuit breaker is operative independent of the controllable switch to break a circuit connection to the controllable switch's electrical load in response to an over-current condition at the electrical load;
• and
• wherein one or more of said controllable switches comprises a bimetal member that is normally closed thereby allowing current to flow to the electrical load associated therewith, said bimetal member being deformed by a control signal which causes heating of the bimetal member and thereby results in the opening of the controllable switch and stoppage of said current flow.

A system for reducing power consumption in a power distribution system, comprising:

• a plurality of wireless energy control units, each of said wireless energy control units comprising a wireless receiver and controlling power flow from incoming power wires through a set of circuit breakers to one or more local electrical loads;
• at least one wireless transmitter;
• and
• a central station, said central station transmitting messages via said at least one wireless transmitter to said wireless energy control units, said messages instructing said wireless energy control units to switch among a non-alert stage level and a plurality of alert stage levels, said wireless energy control units responding thereto by selectively modifying the power flow to their respective local electrical loads according to the alert stage level instructed by the central station;
• wherein each of said energy control units comprises a plurality of controllable switches each interposed, along with a series-connected circuit breaker from said set of circuit breakers, between the power wires and the plurality of local electrical loads, said controllable switches capable of causing said power wires to be individually connected to or disconnected from the plurality of local electrical loads;
• and
• wherein one or more of said controllable switches comprises a bimetal member that is normally closed thereby allowing current to flow to the electrical load associated therewith, said bimetal member being deformed by a control signal which causes heating of the bimetal member and thereby results in the opening of the controllable switch and stoppage of said current flow.

A method for reducing power demand within a power distribution system, said method comprising the steps of:

• transmitting, from a central station via a wireless transmitter, messages directed to a plurality of wireless energy control units, each of said wireless energy control units controlling power flow from incoming power supply wires to one or more local electrical loads;
• receiving said messages at said wireless energy control units, said messages instructing said wireless energy control units to switch among a non-alert stage level and a plurality of different alert stage levels;
• and
• at one or more of said power switch control circuits, in response to said messages, selectively modifying the power flow to the respective local electrical loads based upon the alert stage level instructed by the central station;
• wherein each of said energy control units comprises a plurality of controllable switches interposed, along with an associated circuit breaker, between the power wires and the plurality of local electrical loads, said controllable switches capable of causing said power wires to be individually connected to or disconnected from the plurality of local electrical loads;
• wherein each circuit breaker is operative independent of the controllable switch to break the circuit connection to its electrical load in response to an over-current condition at the electrical load;
• and
• wherein one or more of said controllable switches comprises a bimetal member that is normally closed thereby allowing current to flow to the electrical load associated therewith, and wherein said method further comprises deforming said bimetal member by a control signal which causes heating of the bimetal member and thereby results in the opening of the controllable switch and stoppage of said current flow.