U.S. patent application number 12/392042 was filed with the patent office on 2009-06-11 for method and system to provide a distributed local energy production system with high-voltage dc bus.
This patent application is currently assigned to Tigo Energy, Inc.. Invention is credited to Stuart D. DAVIS, Ron HADAR.
Application Number | 20090150005 12/392042 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39319106 |
Filed Date | 2009-06-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090150005 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HADAR; Ron ; et al. |
June 11, 2009 |
Method and System to Provide a Distributed Local Energy Production
System with High-Voltage DC Bus
Abstract
A method and system to provide a distributed local energy
production system with high-voltage DC bus is disclosed. In one
embodiment, a system comprises a management unit to be
interconnected via a network bus to a set of link modules, each
link module coupled to a separate local energy production unit,
each link module to include a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT)
step-up converter and a parameter monitoring unit to produce
parameter data for the respective local energy production unit, and
the local energy production units to be coupled to a high voltage
power line to deliver produced electrical energy to a consumer of
the energy; and the management unit to receive measured parameters
from the link modules, and to send control signals to link modules
to provide individual operational control of the local energy
production units, the management unit to be coupled to one or more
separate computers to provide the computers with access to the
parameter data and control of the local energy production
units.
Inventors: |
HADAR; Ron; (Cupertino,
CA) ; DAVIS; Stuart D.; (San Jose, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GREENBERG TRAURIG, LLP (SV);IP DOCKETING
2450 COLORADO AVENUE, SUITE 400E
SANTA MONICA
CA
90404
US
|
Assignee: |
Tigo Energy, Inc.
Los Gatos
CA
|
Family ID: |
39319106 |
Appl. No.: |
12/392042 |
Filed: |
February 24, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11875799 |
Oct 19, 2007 |
|
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12392042 |
|
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60852961 |
Oct 19, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
700/286 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02E 40/70 20130101;
H02J 3/385 20130101; Y02E 60/7815 20130101; H02J 13/0082 20130101;
Y02E 10/56 20130101; Y02E 10/76 20130101; Y02E 60/00 20130101; Y04S
10/12 20130101; H02J 3/381 20130101; H02J 13/00028 20200101; Y04S
10/123 20130101; H02J 3/382 20130101; H02J 2300/20 20200101; Y04S
10/50 20130101; H02J 3/387 20130101; H02J 13/00007 20200101; H02J
2300/28 20200101; H02J 2300/30 20200101; Y04S 40/121 20130101; H02J
3/386 20130101; H02J 2300/26 20200101 |
Class at
Publication: |
700/286 |
International
Class: |
G06F 19/00 20060101
G06F019/00 |
Claims
1. A system, comprising: a management unit to be interconnected via
a network to a set of link modules of a corresponding set of local
energy production units coupled to a direct current power bus,
wherein each link module is to include a Maximum Power Point
Tracking (MPPT) step-up converter to provide electrical energy
generated by a respective local energy production unit at a first
voltage onto the power bus at a second voltage higher than the
first voltage, and a parameter monitoring unit to produce parameter
data for the respective local energy production unit; and wherein
the management unit is to receive measured parameters from the link
modules, and to send control signals to the link modules to provide
individual operational control of the local energy production
units; and wherein the management unit is to be coupled to one or
more separate computers to provide the one or more computers with
access to the parameter data and control of the local energy
production units.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network and the power bus are
joined on a common wire.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the power bus delivers electrical
energy to a grid-tied inverter.
4. The system of claim 2, wherein the management unit comprises a
web server.
5. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the local energy
production units is a photovoltaic panel.
6. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the local energy
production units is at least one of: a wind turbine, a fuel cell,
and a hydroelectric turbine.
7. The system of claim 2, wherein the MPPT step-up converter is to
decouple a performance of the respective local energy production
unit from separate local energy production units coupled to the
power bus.
8. The system of claim 2, wherein the parameter data received by
the management unit from the respective local energy production
unit comprises one or more of temperature and panel identification
code.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the management unit is to
transmit power-on and power-off signals to the link modules via the
power bus to power-on and power-off individual local energy
production units.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the respective local energy
production unit comprise a local power-on and power-off
control.
11. The system of claim 2, wherein the management unit is coupled
to World Wide Web (WWW), and further includes a web page accessible
via the WWW to provide access to one or more of parameter data,
unit performance, unit failure, system efficiency, power generation
information, and individual control of the local energy production
units.
12. The system of claim 2, wherein the power bus comprises a set of
conductors to transmit data and control signals while delivering
power.
13. The system of claim 2, wherein the management unit is to
receive parameter data from one or more consumers of energy.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the management unit is to
control delivery of electrical energy to one or more consumers of
energy based on parameter data received from one or more consumers
of energy.
15. A method comprising: receiving parameter data by a management
unit from a set of set of link modules of a corresponding set of
local energy production units coupled to a direct current power
bus, wherein each link module includes a Maximum Power Point
Tracking (MPPT) step-up converter to provide electrical energy
generated by a respective local energy production unit at a first
voltage onto the power bus at a second voltage higher than the
first voltage, and a parameter monitoring unit to produce parameter
data for the respective local energy production unit; and sending
control signals from the management unit to the link modules; and
communicating by the management unit with one or more separate
computers to provide the one or more computers with access to the
parameter data and control of the local energy production
units.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the parameter data is received
via the power bus.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the power bus delivers
electrical energy to at least one of: a battery storage unit, a
grid-tied inverter, a non-grid-tied inverter, a plug-in hybrid
automobile, and a car.
18. The method of claim 16, further comprising: performing a real
time trading of power based on supply and demand for power.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the (MPPT) step-up converter
decouples a performance of the respective local energy production
unit from separate local energy production units coupled to the
power bus.
20. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of
instructions, which when executed by a management unit cause the
management unit to perform a method comprising: receiving parameter
data by the management unit from a set of set of link modules of a
corresponding set of local energy production units coupled to a
direct current power bus, wherein each link module includes a
Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) step-up converter to provide
electrical energy generated by a respective local energy production
unit at a first voltage onto the power bus at a second voltage
higher than the first voltage, and a parameter monitoring unit to
produce parameter data for the respective local energy production
unit; and sending control signals from the management unit to the
link modules; and communicating by the management unit with one or
more separate computers to provide the one or more computers with
access to the parameter data and control of the local energy
production units.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] The present application is a continuation application of
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/875,799, filed Oct. 17, 2007,
which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.
No. 60/852,961, filed Oct. 19, 2006. The disclosures of the
above-referenced applications are incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] In current existing photovoltaic systems, two major problems
are the amount of engineering design time required for each
installation and the amount of labor required to install the
photovoltaic panels and equipment. A host of factors, such as
location, panel connection configuration, type of panels, type of
inverter, use of batteries, etc., contribute to a need for a custom
design approach. Manufacturers of photovoltaic panels provide a
variety of current, voltage, and power outputs from produced
panels. The potential performance from the system is rarely
realized because the common method of connecting the panels in a
combination of series and parallel configurations produces a system
in which the panels with poorest performance degrade the
performance of better panels. Once a system is installed, there is
no means by which to monitor the individual panels for optimal
energy production or failure, nor is there an efficient way to
manage decision-making with regard to servicing the system and
exchanging energy.
[0003] Existing photovoltaic systems make it very difficult to
compensate for variations in photovoltaic panels. Additional
complexity and expense is added to systems if all of the panels can
not be oriented in the same direction. Even when great care is
taken to match the photovoltaic panels in a system for optimal
performance, a number of events might occur to impede the optimal
performance.
[0004] One example of this diminution of optimal performance is
when the shade from an object crosses a panel or portion of a panel
or several panels. A power degradation occurs in the system whereby
not only the power loss due to the shading occurs, but the shaded
panel also consumes from other non-shaded panels or impedes power
from being delivered to the system from other non-shaded
panels.
[0005] In existing photovoltaic systems, Maximum Power Point
Tracking (MPPT) is generally performed on the total connected panel
structure rather than on each panel individually. Maximum power
from the sum of the total connected panels in the structure is less
than the sum of each panel's maximum power produced separately and
then summed with other panels in the system. This discrepancy in
total power is due to the fact that in practice it is very
difficult to find all panels in any system with exactly identical
characteristics so that when all panels are coupled together the
poorly performing panels degrade the performance of the well
performing panels. Manufacturing tolerances for photovoltaic panels
are typically 5 percent to 10 percent.
[0006] Also in existing systems, because there is such a need to
match the characteristics of the panels to each other so closely
for optimal performance, it is very difficult to design a system
that uses a variety of panels and also a variety of manufacturers
of panels. Matching panel characteristics also makes it very hard
to add on to the system or replace damaged panels at a later time
as well, because the originally used panel may no longer be in
production.
[0007] Further, existing photovoltaic systems have no way to
determine which of the panels are causing the degradation in
performance or which panel or component in the system may be the
cause of a failure of the system to deliver power. Loss of power
may be due, for example, to accumulation of dust, deposits, debris
or other items lying on the panel surface, or to temperature
differences due to different underlying materials etc., some of
which cannot be easily detected. Also, vegetation may be a
changeable influence, as for example a shading tree may shift in
the wind and hence create unpredictable problems.
SUMMARY
[0008] Described herein are methods and apparatuses to use a
shielded enclosure for exchanging secure data. Some embodiments are
summarized in this section.
[0009] In one embodiment, a local energy production system is
described that offers better efficiency and increased power
production when suboptimal conditions are encountered in the local
environment, offering high system reliability through redundancy
and a means for fast identification of failed panels, thus allowing
the system, through timely replacement of panels, to return to full
rated capacity quickly. In one embodiment, a system and method are
described that allow users to mix and match different panels in a
system and also to mix and match panels with different output power
levels.
[0010] In one embodiment, a system comprises a management unit to
be interconnected via a network bus to a set of link modules, each
link module coupled to a separate local energy production unit,
each link module to include a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT)
step-up converter and a parameter monitoring unit to produce
parameter data for the respective local energy production unit, and
the local energy production units to be coupled to a high voltage
power line to deliver produced electrical energy to a consumer of
the energy; and the management unit to receive measured parameters
from the link modules, and to send control signals to link modules
to provide individual operational control of the local energy
production units, the management unit to be coupled to one or more
separate computers to provide the computers with access to the
parameter data and control of the local energy production
units.
[0011] The present disclosure includes methods and apparatuses
which perform these methods, including data processing systems
which perform these methods, and computer readable media which when
executed on data processing systems cause the systems to perform
these methods.
[0012] Other features of the disclosure will be apparent from the
accompanying drawings and from the detailed description which
follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and
not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which
like references indicate similar elements.
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary energy generation system
according to one embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates a link module connected to each
photovoltaic panel in the system, according to one embodiment.
[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram describing a process
according to one embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT
[0017] In the following description, for purposes of explanation,
numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a
thorough understanding of the description. It will be apparent,
however, to one skilled in the art that embodiments of the
disclosure can be practiced without these specific details. In
other instances, structures and devices are shown in block diagram
form in order to avoid obscuring the description.
[0018] Reference in this specification to "one embodiment" or "an
embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or
characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is
included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The
appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in
the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same
embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually
exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are
described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by
others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be
requirements for some embodiments but not other embodiments.
[0019] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of exemplary energy generation
system 100 according to one embodiment. Photovoltaic panels 101a-n
are each an individual electrical energy production unit. All
panels 101a-n provide power to a common Network/High Voltage Bus
102, and components of the system communicate with each other
through link modules 200a-n, described in the discussion of FIG. 2,
below, over bus 102. The bus feeds the produced electrical energy
to a consumer of the energy, in this case grid-tied inverter 103.
Alternatively, consumer 103 could be a battery storage unit or
non-grid-tied inverter, or another Network/High Voltage Bus.
[0020] In one embodiment, the measured parameters from, and control
for, each individual photovoltaic panel is transmitted on top of
the Network/High Voltage Bus to a Management Unit 104. The
Management Unit also is used for other status and control
operations within the energy generation system. It can provide
monitoring and control functions for optional components of the
system, such as, for example, an inverter, battery energy storage
unit, wind generator, hydro-electric generator, fuel cells, and
other electrical energy production units. Parameters and data
collected from the components of local energy production system 100
are given a time stamp as they are collected.
[0021] In one embodiment, the management Unit 104 is connected to a
network using TCP/IP protocol. The network-connected Management
Unit makes it possible to monitor and administer the system from
any computer connected to a local area network (LAN) via connection
105. If the LAN is connected to the Internet, then control and
monitoring of the system can be performed from any computer with
connections to the Internet. Typically a web server 106 (software
only or a separate hardware module) is added to provide, for
example, web-based control and monitoring of site/software 107. In
other cases, for example, direct transfer protocols maybe used to
enable central communication using FTP or other, similar or
proprietary protocols. Such protocols may be used to inform a
central utility of actual power generated, and hence to allow a
more proactive management of the electric grid. In other cases, the
owner/operator of such a system may decide whether enough power has
been generated to remotely turn on, for example, an
air-conditioning unit, etc.
[0022] In one embodiment, a web page displayed by software instance
107 shows photovoltaic panel data, panel performance, panel
failure, system efficiency, and power generation information. The
web page provides a way to control the system as well. Means to
enable/disable panels, inverter, battery units, and other energy
producing equipment in the system are implemented. In one
embodiment, the website 107 will interact with management unit 104
and that will in turn control the panels and other units and
provide its information to the website for viewing or downloading.
In some cases, the website may be hosted on the management unit
104, in other it may reside on a separate server. Panel level and
subsystem monitoring is provided to a user or service provider
through a web site or web browser. This capability enables the user
or service provider to maintain the system, monitor performance for
optimal performance, detect failures, and service the system when
required.
[0023] In one embodiment, the web-enabled software instance 107
provides a database that can display historical data of the
parameters measured. Analysis of the parameters can be performed
and displayed to provide system performance tracking, trends, and
insight into realizing optimal performance from the system.
[0024] In one embodiment, a power-sharing structure is built into
web-based control and monitoring software 107, thus enabling
consumers and producers of power within the community to trade
power with each other. The power-trading schema is designed so that
a real time trading of power is based on the supply and demand for
power at any given time. Consumers and producers of power may
decide whether to supply or consume based on the current value of
the power. For example, a web-enabled air conditioning unit may be
configured with a number of parameters specified by the owner of
the air conditioning unit within the community to turn on if
appropriate conditions are met. One obvious parameter is the
temperature of the dwelling. Another obvious parameter is the cost
of the power to run the conditioner.
[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates a link module (LM) 200 connected to each
photovoltaic panel 101n in the system, in accordance with one
embodiment. A link module could also be connected to other energy
producing or consuming units in the system. The link module links
the photovoltaic panel or energy producing/consuming unit to the
Network/High Voltage Bus 102.
[0026] In one embodiment, within the link module for a photovoltaic
panel a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) step-up converter 201
is implemented, thus making it possible for the performance of each
panel to be decoupled from the performance of all other panels in
the system. An MPPT method is implemented on each panel separately.
MPPT refers to the highest energy output point on the
current/voltage/exposure diagram of a panel. The MPPT for each
panel is different, and each one is modulated by some of the issues
discussed earlier in the background sections. By operating the
panel at the MPPT, maximum energy extraction is achieved. In
systems of current designs, panels are either in series (maximum
current equals lowest panel current) or in parallel (maximum
voltage is limited by lowest panel voltage), or in a matrix, which
has the lowest maximums of all. In an example of the one embodiment
of the invention described herein, each panel supplies power to the
Network/High Voltage Bus separately; thus there is no longer a need
to pay close attention to how each panels is matched to the other
panels in the system. The panel will push the largest current it
can onto the bus, but cap it at a maximum open end voltage. The
actual current of each panel will be limited by the MPPT wattage
and the actual bus voltage. Panels from many different
manufacturers with wide parameter differences can be connected to
the same Network/High Voltage Bus. Manufacturers of photovoltaic
panels using the system according to one embodiment may find they
need not focus on costly wafer sorting methods to match panels
closely, thus reducing cost of panels produced.
[0027] In one embodiment, the link module also contains a Control
and Monitoring Unit 202 that produces panel parameter information.
Said information is then fed to the Data-Com-Over-Bus Unit 203 also
within the link module. Parameters may include current, voltage,
temperature, and panel identification code (ID) per the panel. Link
modules for specific applications other than for photovoltaic
panels could be implemented that could include other or more
parameters than those mentioned above. Control of each panel is
provided to turn on and off power from the panel to the
Network/High Voltage Bus 102. Transmission of a signal from the
Management Unit over the Network/High Voltage Bus to each
individual photovoltaic panel provides the method to power on or
off a specific photovoltaic panel by sending commands from
management unit 104 to one or more Control and Monitoring Units
202a-n.
[0028] In one embodiment, in the link module, electric circuits in
combination with a microcontroller measure and accordingly generate
the panel parameters. The microcontroller has data acquisition
(DAQ) functionality to allow implementation of the measurements.
The voltage measurement method consists of a circuit measuring the
voltage with reference to the positive and negative conductors of
the photovoltaic panel. The current measurement method consists of
a circuit measuring the voltage across a low ohm value resistance
along the conduction path of power out of the panel to the step-up
converter that feeds the Network/High Voltage Bus. The known
resistance value and measured voltage then provides the calculated
current value. The temperature measurement method consists of a
circuit measuring the voltage generated by, for example, a
thermo-couple device on a suitable surface point(s) of the
photovoltaic panel.
[0029] In one embodiment, communication along the Network/High
Voltage Bus is conducted such that only one transmitter can be
active at any one time. Each link module's Data-Com-Over-Bus Unit
203 has a transceiver that is in a slave mode of operation in which
it will not transmit until after receiving a command from a master.
The Management Unit 104 is the master. In some cases, the
communication may be overlaid or modulated onto the high voltage
bus; while in other cases a separate wiring is used. The Management
Unit may initiate or respond to communication on the Network/High
Voltage Bus.
[0030] In one embodiment, the Network/High Voltage Bus uses the
same conductors to communicate and deliver power, thus simplifying
installation and maintenance of the system. Reduced material cost
is also realized, because a high-voltage conductive path requires
lighter gauge wire to deliver power efficiently, as compared to
low-voltage systems. In general, simpler wire routing and less
conductive material may be used with the Network/High Voltage Bus
system, compared to a need for stringing units in series or some
other multi-conductor wiring scheme in existence presently in
photovoltaic systems.
[0031] In one embodiment, the use of a Network/High Voltage Bus
makes it easier to do maintenance on the system while it is in
operation as well. Individual panels can be identified, repaired,
added and removed from the system even when the system is on,
mainly due to designing out the need for any series connections in
the system.
[0032] In one embodiment, the Network/High Voltage Bus 102 may also
be referred to as a High-Voltage DC (HVDC) Bus. The voltage on the
HVDC Bus may be approximately around 400 VDC. However, a range of
voltages may be considered acceptable. The range can also serve a
useful purpose (i.e., to communicate something to units connected
to it). In one embodiment, the HVDC Bus is restricted from
exceeding a predetermined voltage, because the selected components
(e.g., inverter 103) within the system can not tolerate a voltage
beyond a particular point without being damaged. In one embodiment,
the HVDC Bus is restricted from falling below a particular voltage,
to have enough potential for many consumers of the energy. For
example, in one embodiment the HVDC Bus cannot supply the grid
through a particular inverter 103 if the voltage on it drops below
a minimum value. In some cases, rather than an HVDC bus, an HVAC
bus may be used. However, it may or may not have the same voltage
and/or frequency as the grid 109.
[0033] In most electrical systems where electrical energy is
provided to components of the system, control of the voltage level
of the electrical energy is done by the supplier of the energy or
the "power supply". This scheme, however, is not the case in a
system in which the supplier of the electrical energy has a point
in its operating range where the current and voltage provided
produce a maximum power output under the current working conditions
of the unit. For a photovoltaic cell, this point is called the
maximum power point (MPP). An electrical device that can take power
from the photovoltaic cell at the cells' MPP is said to have MPP
tracking or MPPT functionality. Given the desirability of pulling
the most power possible from the photovoltaic cell under the given
conditions, a power supply is then designed to provide feedback at
its input, not its output. Ideally, given a very efficient power
supply, input power equals output power. There is no way to provide
control on both the input and the output and maintain the
efficiency of the power supply (unless the supply has some means to
store energy). In the exemplary embodiment described herein, only
the input side is controlled to maintain MPPT, because there is an
alternative way to control the output side, which in this example
is the HVDC Bus. Because the grid has infinite capacity to absorb
the energy from the HVDC Bus compared to the size of the
photovoltaic system, it becomes the function of the inverter that
pulls the energy from the HVDC Bus and puts the energy on the grid
to control the HVDC Bus voltage. Like the supply that maintains the
MPPT for the solar cell, the inverter also provides feedback on its
input not its output. It maintains the HVDC Bus voltage by dumping
enough current onto the grid to keep the HVDC Bus within a desired
range.
[0034] Different kinds of strategies may be employed for control of
the power supply that feeds the HVDC Bus constituted by panel 101
and step-up converter 201. In one embodiment, a step-up converter
could be operated to act as a current source into the HVDC bus 102.
In one embodiment, the step-up converter has a cap to control the
voltage for cases in which the inverter 103 is not maintaining
sufficient output. This insufficient output can happen for various
reasons, such as shorts, disconnects, islanding, etc.
[0035] In one embodiment, the HVDC Bus as described herein provides
an alternative to distributing power and replace existing AC grids.
In one embodiment, the replacement is done initially on a very
small level--within the house, house to house, block by block,
development by development, and community by community. In one
embodiment, the infrastructure is grown from small pockets of
connected units.
[0036] In one embodiment, the HVDC Bus is used to distribute power
from solar panels via a DC to DC converter to an inverter that is
tied to the grid. In a second embodiment, the HVDC Bus includes a
battery storage unit connected to it, or includes electrical
devices within the house that use the HVDC Bus voltage directly by
way of switching power methods. Pluggable hybrid cars could also
connect directly to an HVDC Bus.
[0037] In one embodiment, the HVDC bus communicates the amount of
power available. Consider the embodiment of a distributed energy
system that uses an HVDC Bus to distribute the energy. When the
voltage is higher in the range, producers of energy are numerous
compared to consumers and the price of the energy has a lower
price. When the voltage is lower in the range, producers of energy
are limited compared to the number of consumers and the price of
the energy is high. In one embodiment of a distributed system where
there is a variety of both producer units and consumer units, each
unit determines whether to participate by connecting to the HVDC
Bus based on the HVDC Bus voltage (i.e., cost/pay). In one
embodiment, a storage mechanism such as a battery bank in a hybrid
car could be both a consumer and a producer on this system. In one
embodiment, large storage devices such as a vanadium redox flow
battery system are both a producer and consumer in this system (buy
low when alternate energy sources are plentiful or in low demand
times and sell high at peak periods).
[0038] One embodiment comprises a method to provide a distributed
local energy production system with high-voltage DC bus, as
described in the flow process of FIG. 3. In process 302, a
management unit receives parameter data from a set of set of link
modules, with each link module coupled to a separate local energy
production unit, each link module including a Maximum Power Point
Tracking (MPPT) step-up converter and a parameter monitoring unit
producing the parameter data for the respective local energy
production unit, and the local energy production units coupled to a
high voltage power line to deliver produced electrical energy to a
consumer of the energy.
[0039] In process 304, the management unit sends control signals to
the link modules, providing individual operational control of the
local energy production units. And, in process 306 the management
unit communicating with one or more separate computers, providing
the computers with access to the parameter data and control of the
local energy production units.
[0040] From this description, it will be appreciated that certain
aspects are embodied in the user devices, certain aspects are
embodied in the server systems, and certain aspects are embodied in
a system as a whole. Embodiments disclosed can be implemented using
hardware, programs of instruction, or combinations of hardware and
programs of instructions.
[0041] In general, routines executed to implement the embodiments
may be implemented as part of an operating system or a specific
application, component, program, object, module or sequence of
instructions referred to as "computer programs." The computer
programs typically comprise one or more instructions set at various
times in various memory and storage devices in a computer, and
that, when read and executed by one or more processors in a
computer, cause the computer to perform operations necessary to
execute elements involving the various aspects.
[0042] While some embodiments have been described in the context of
fully functioning computers and computer systems, those skilled in
the art will appreciate that various embodiments are capable of
being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms and
are capable of being applied regardless of the particular type of
machine or computer-readable media used to actually effect the
distribution.
[0043] Examples of computer-readable media include but are not
limited to recordable and non-recordable type media such as
volatile and non-volatile memory devices, read only memory (ROM),
random access memory (RAM), flash memory devices, floppy and other
removable disks, magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media
(e.g., Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD ROMS), Digital Versatile
Disks (DVDs), etc.), among others. The instructions may be embodied
in digital and analog communication links for electrical, optical,
acoustical or other forms of propagated signals, such as carrier
waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.
[0044] A machine readable medium can be used to store software and
data which when executed by a data processing system causes the
system to perform various methods. The executable software and data
may be stored in various places including for example ROM, volatile
RAM, non-volatile memory and/or cache. Portions of this software
and/or data may be stored in any one of these storage devices.
Further, the data and instructions can be obtained from centralized
servers or peer to peer networks. Different portions of the data
and instructions can be obtained from different centralized servers
and/or peer to peer networks at different times and in different
communication sessions or in a same communication session. The data
and instructions can be obtained in entirety prior to the execution
of the applications. Alternatively, portions of the data and
instructions can be obtained dynamically, just in time, when needed
for execution. Thus, it is not required that the data and
instructions be on a machine readable medium in entirety at a
particular instance of time.
[0045] In general, a machine readable medium includes any mechanism
that provides (i.e., stores and/or transmits) information in a form
accessible by a machine (e.g., a computer, network device, personal
digital assistant, manufacturing tool, any device with a set of one
or more processors, etc.).
[0046] Aspects disclosed may be embodied, at least in part, in
software. That is, the techniques may be carried out in a computer
system or other data processing system in response to its
processor, such as a microprocessor, executing sequences of
instructions contained in a memory, such as ROM, volatile RAM,
non-volatile memory, cache or a remote storage device.
[0047] In various embodiments, hardwired circuitry may be used in
combination with software instructions to implement the techniques.
Thus, the techniques are neither limited to any specific
combination of hardware circuitry and software nor to any
particular source for the instructions executed by the data
processing system.
[0048] In this description, various functions and operations are
described as being performed by or caused by software code to
simplify description. However, those skilled in the art will
recognize what is meant by such expressions is that the functions
result from execution of the code by a processor, such as a
microprocessor.
[0049] Although some of the drawings illustrate a number of
operations in a particular order, operations which are not order
dependent may be reordered and other operations may be combined or
broken out. While some reordering or other groupings are
specifically mentioned, others will be apparent to those of
ordinary skill in the art and so do not present an exhaustive list
of alternatives. Moreover, it should be recognized that the stages
could be implemented in hardware, firmware, software or any
combination thereof.
[0050] Although the disclosure has been provided with reference to
specific exemplary embodiments, it will be evident that the various
modification and changes can be made to these embodiments without
departing from the broader spirit as set forth in the claims.
Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in
an illustrative sense rather than in a restrictive sense.
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