System for execution of a load operating plan for load control

A system for managing use of a consumable resource by a plurality of loads receiving the resource from one or more suppliers, comprising:

• a plurality of intelligent load controllers, each associated with a load and each controller comprising:
• a load resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period;
• a load status component for monitoring load status data for the associated load;
• a communication component for exchanging control and load status messages with other associated controllers, including at least one higher-level, group controller for a load group that includes this load controller and at least one other controller;
• and
• a load control computer program executing a stored load operating plan specifying two or more load operating levels associated with achieving user objectives for different portions of a defined time period and accessing a load control goal set, said computer program being responsive to measurements from the load resource measuring component, the load control goal set and data from the load status component to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load, the determination of the load operating level including both upward adjustments of the load operating level relative to the load operating plan when the higher-level, group controller message communicates an available resource usage rate, and downward adjustments of the load operating level relative to the load operating plan to achieve usage rate goals of the load control goal set or when the higher-level, group controller seeks to reduce a usage rate of the load group that includes this controller, and
• a group level controller networked to exchange control and load status messages with the plurality of intelligent load controllers, the group level controller comprising:
• a group resource measuring component for computing the rate of use of the resource by the one or more loads associated with the plurality of load controllers, based on messages from the plurality of load controllers, and storing resulting computed measurements;
• a memory for storing a group operating plan;
• and
• a group control computer program executing the stored group operating plan, said computer program being responsive to the group resource measuring component, the load status messages and messages from the common supplier to determine a group operating level and provide control messages to the plurality of load controllers to cause an operating level adjustment of one or more of the plurality of loads.

A system for managing use of a consumable resource by one or more loads, comprising:

• one or more intelligent load controllers, each associated with at least one load and each controller comprising:
• a load resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period;
• a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load;
• a communication component for exchanging messages with other associated controllers, including at least one higher-level, group controller for a load group that includes this load controller and at least one other controller;
• a memory for storing a load operating plan specifying two or more load operating levels associated with achieving user objectives for different portions of a defined time period and a load control goal set specifying two or more maximum usage rate goals for different portions of a defined time period;
• and
• a load control computer program responsive to the load resource measuring component, the load status component, the messages exchanged with other associated controllers, the load operating plan and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load, the determination of the load operating level including both upward adjustments of the load operating level relative to the load operating plan when the higher-level, group controller message communicates an available resource usage rate, and downward adjustments of the load operating level relative to the load operating plan to achieve usage rate goals of the load control goal set or when the higher-level, group controller seeks to reduce a usage rate of the load group that includes this controller, and
• a group level controller associated with the one or more load controllers, the group level controller comprising:
• a group resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the one or more loads associated with the one or more load controllers, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period, and storing the measurements;
• a communications component for exchanging messages with the one or more load control programs;
• a memory for storing a group operating plan and a group control goal set;
• and
• a group control computer program responsive to the group resource measuring component, the load status messages, the group operating plan and a group control goal set to determine a group operating level and provide control messages to the one or more load controllers.

A method for managing use of a consumable resource using an intelligent load controller at an associated load, the load controller comprising:

• a resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period;
• a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load;
• a communication component for exchanging messages with other associated controllers, including at least one higher-level, group controller for a load group that includes this load controller and at least one other controller;
• and
• a processor and memory
• the method comprising:
• storing in the memory a load operating plan specifying two or more load operating levels associated with achieving user objectives for different portions of a defined time period and a load control goal set specifying two or more maximum usage rate goals for different portions of a defined time period;
• and
• controlling a load control computer program responsive to the resource measuring component, the load status component, the messages exchanged with other associated controllers, the load operating plan and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load, the determination of the load operating level including both upward adjustments of the load operating level relative to the load operating plan when the higher-level, group controller message communicates an available resource usage rate, and downward adjustments of the load operating level relative to the load operating plan to achieve usage rate goals of the load control goal set or when the higher-level, group controller seeks to reduce a usage rate of the load group that includes this controller.

A system for managing use of a consumable resource by one or more loads, comprising:

• one or more intelligent load controllers, each associated with at least one load and each controller comprising:
• a load resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period;
• a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load;
• a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers;
• a memory for storing a load operating plan and a load control goal set;
• and
• a load control computer program responsive to the load resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers, the load operating plan and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load, and
• a group level controller associated with the one or more load controllers, the group level controller comprising:
• a group resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the one or more loads associated with the one or more load controllers, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period, and storing the measurements;
• a communications component for receiving from each of the one or more load control programs, load status messages;
• a memory for storing a group operating plan and a group control goal set;
• a group control computer program responsive to the group resource measuring component, the load status messages, the group operating plan and a group control goal set to determine a group operating level and provide control messages to the one or more load controllers;
• and
• the group level controller stores a copy of an existing load control program for at least one of the one or more loads and applies an adaptive optimizer component to the stored existing load control program, said adaptive optimizer component performing verification of an updated, optimized load control program, and transmitting it as a replacement for the existing load control program.

A method for managing use of a consumable resource using one or more intelligent load controllers, each with one or more associated loads, wherein each intelligent load controller comprises:

• a resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period;
• a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load;
• and
• a communication component for exchanging messages with other associated controllers, including at least one higher-level, group controller for a load group that includes this load controller and at least one other controller;
• and
• a load controller processor and memory, for storing a load operating plan specifying two or more load operating levels associated with achieving user objectives for different portions of a defined time period and a load control goal set specifying two or more maximum usage rate goals for different portions of a defined time period,
• and further using one or more group level controllers associated with the one or more intelligent load controllers, wherein each group level controller comprises:
• a group resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the one or more loads associated with the one or more load controllers, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period, and storing the measurements;
• a communications component for receiving from each of the one or more load control programs, load status messages;
• and
• a group controller processor and memory
• and wherein the method comprises:
• accessing a load control goal set in memory;
• controlling a load control computer program responsive to the resource measuring component, the load status component, the messages exchanged with other controllers and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load, the determination of the load operating level including both upward adjustments of the load operating level relative to the load operating plan when the higher-level, group controller message communicates an available resource usage rate, and downward adjustments of the load operating level relative to the load operating plan to achieve usage rate goals of the load control goal set or when the higher-level, group controller seeks to reduce a usage rate of the load group that includes this controller, and
• accessing a group control goal set in memory;
• controlling a group control computer program responsive to the group resource measuring component, the load status messages and a group control goal set to determine a group operating level and provide control messages to the one or more load controllers.

A method for managing use of a consumable resource by one or more loads and providing an improvement over a prior resource cost baseline, comprising:

• providing one or more intelligent load controllers, each associated with at least one load and each controller comprising:
• a load resource measuring component executing on a processor for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period;
• a load status component executing on a processor for receiving load status data for the associated load;
• a data communication component executing on a processor for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers;
• and
• a memory for storing a load operating plan and a load control goal set;
• executing a load control computer program in the load controllers responsive to the load resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers, the load operating plan and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load, the determination of the load operating level including both upward adjustments of the load operating level relative to the load operating plan when the higher-level, group controller communicates an available resource usage rate, and downward adjustments of the load operating level relative to the load operating plan to achieve usage rate goals of the load control goal set or when the higher-level, group controller seeks to reduce a usage rate of the load group that includes this controller, and
• providing a group level controller associated with the one or more load controllers, the group level controller comprising:
• a group resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the one or more loads associated with the one or more load controllers, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period, and storing the measurements;
• a data communications component for receiving from each of the one or more load control programs, load status messages;
• and
• a memory for storing a group operating plan and a group control goal set;
• executing a group control computer program in the group level controller responsive to the group resource measuring component, the load status messages, the group operating plan and a group control goal set to determine a group operating level and provide control messages to the one or more load controllers;
• providing a computer-based baseline calculator that derives a cost baseline for the at least one load and a specified period, based on stored usage level history data for the one at least one load and setting for at least one user a control goal set configured to reduce resource costs below the cost baseline;
• controlling a computer-based measurement and comparison component that compares current resource use to the cost baseline for the specified period;
• and
• controlling a computer-based billing system that initiates payments for a supplier of the resource in response to the supplier submitting a resource bill and bills the at least one user an amount equal to the supplier's resource bill for the specified period plus a savings factor, computed based on a portion of the difference between the cost baseline and the supplier's resource bill for the specified period.