Method and System for Granting Redeemable Energy Credits on Deemed Energy Savings

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to a method and system for granting and trading redeemable energy credits.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Energy is essential to life and its conservation has become an absolute necessity. Conservation and efficient use of energy in the industry have for a long time been a priority of the government. People all over the world are becoming aware of the problem of consuming too much energy and are making a conscious effort to conserve it. By conserving energy we also lower the amount of pollutants we release into the air and thereby help to keep the air clean.

Concerns over the inefficient uses of energy are growing both globally and regionally. Such concerns require great national and international efforts to promote energy efficiency and conservation. More efficient energy use can increase productivity and economic competitiveness.

Conserving energy by taking actions like insulating the house and purchasing Energy Star certified (high efficiency) appliances is the smartest and most economical action to take. Minimizing the energy we need is the first step towards conservation.

US patent no 6978931 describes a method of providing an energy credit system for providing redeemable energy or mass transit credits to users who contribute power to a shared electric power grid wherein the excess power generated by each user to the power grid is measured and energy credits are awarded to those users who contribute power to the power grid. Each user receiving energy credits is allowed to redeem those

credits by acquiring fuel, power or mass transit tickets. In one embodiment of the invention, a separate energy brokerage house is provided which receives compensation from the operator of the power grid for power provided to the grid by the users and compensates the fuel or energy provider or mass transit system for the energy credits redeemed by each user. In a second embodiment, the operator of the power grid compensates the providers of fuel, energy or mass transit directly for the redeemed energy credits.

US patent no 6529883 describes a pre-payment energy metering system with two-way smart card communications. A pre-payment energy metering system uses two-way smart card communications. Secure power tine carrier communications are provided at the user locations communication between a customer terminal and the utility meter.

Two-way secure communication of data is provided through the use of a smart card or memory card which conveys data from the utility service provider to the customer's terminal and also conveys information from the customer's terminal back to the utility.

The pre-payment power system of the present invention allows users to pay for electricity prior to consumption through the use of the smart card, which is loaded with funds at a fully automatic point-of-sale (POS) terminal or at the utility service providers staffed customer service center. Back office software interfaces between the POS terminals and customer service centers, and utility service providers customer information systems.

The instant invention aims at encouraging saving power in order to conserve it. It do so by providing redeemable energy credits to various players in the industry thereby enabling the industry to reduce its power cost or alternatively meet its own demand. It is similar to Carbon Emission Reduction (CER) certificates (or carbon credits under the Kyoto protocol) wherein each unit of carbon emissions reduced creates an entitlement or quota for industries in developing countries to sell these entitlements to industries in developed countries where their emissions are higher than the limit set out for them. Each CER unit is representative of 1 kg of carbon emissions reduced by substitution or upgradation of processes causing fewer emissions.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the instant invention to obviate the above drawbacks and provide a method and system for granting and trading redeemable energy credits on deemed energy savings.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide the user with energy credit points on his energy credit note equivalent to the energy savings made by a user if his actual consumption is less than his energy consumption benchmark.

It is yet another object of the instant invention to redeem these credit points in exchange for energy or cash as desired by the user.

To achieve the aforementioned objectives the invention provides a method and system to grant redeemable energy credits to the users and suppliers of power. It provides a medium for trading these credits by means of an energy credit note. The invention focuses on renewable energy sources like agro wastes or waste fuel like high ash coal etc. It also maintains data in the form of a network so that it is spread over multiple agencies at various places.

The instant invention provides a method for granting redeemable energy credits to a user for energy saved, comprising determining the user's existing energy consumption over a predetermined period and establishing an energy consumption benchmark for said user, determining actual energy consumption by said user against his benchmark, identifying the energy savings for said user and granting equivalent energy credit points on said user's energy credit note if his actual consumption is less than his energy consumption benchmark and recording and updating credit and transaction details in the account of the said user and on his energy credit note.

The instant invention further provides a computing system for granting redeemable energy credits to a user for energy saved on energy credit notes, comprising input means responsive to operator commands enabling an operator to read data from the energy credit note, input means responsive to operator commands enabling an operator to enter data to access or alter the database, data depicting energy usage, compute

energy credit points or penalty or access his account, memory for storing the database containing records pertaining to the details of the user, processor coupled to the input and the memory programmed to process and analyze the input pertaining to the energy consumption benchmark and the actual energy consumed to compute credit points and maintain the same in the database and output means responsive to operator commands enabling an operator to feed in the upgraded data into the energy credit note.

The instant invention also provides a remote access apparatus for providing end-user access through a human interface to a desired remote utility service on a remote host computer comprising a local host computer at a nodal agency, a remote host computer at any agency registered with said nodal agency (where the energy consumption of the user is tracked, or where a user can redeem his credit points or change his authentication details) and a network connection between said local host computer and said remote host computer allowing data transfer there between.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

• FIG 1 defines a flowchart depicting the basic operation of the instant invention • FIG 2 is defines a flowchart depicting the process for granting an energy credit note to a new user

• FIG 3 illustrates a flowchart depicting the procedure for changing the personal or authentication details of a user

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The instant invention provides a system wherein energy credit notes will be provided to all users who apply to this scheme which include domestic and commercial users. In a preferred embodiment of the instant invention, these energy credit notes would be certified and issued by a nodal agency. The said nodal agency is any identified entity that is authorized for doing the same. It is also responsible for the computation and management of credit points. Also, it tracks all the energy credit notes it issues. It grants energy credit points made on the energy savings made. The instant invention attempts

to encourage the conservation of power and energy by lowering the consumption of power or using technologically advanced equipment that draws less power. Thus the instant invention aims at saving power.

In an embodiment of the instant invention, the energy savings are based on the actual consumption benchmarked. The said energy includes energy that may be used for domestic purposes as well as commercial purposes. Energy may be saved by either non-consumption or short drawl of energy achieved by substitution or up-gradation of technology. The actual consumption of electricity is benchmarked against existing consumption over a predetermined period. The decided predetermined period is at least one day. After benchmarking, credit points are granted to users who consume power below the benchmarked unit. However, users who consume electricity in excess of benchmarked units are penalized.

In yet another embodiment of the instant invention, the credit points on the energy credit note may be traded preferably, but not limiting to, at industries that consume power at a higher rate or they may be exchanged for various forms of power with institutions that supply power. This will consequently enable the industry to reduce its power cost or alternatively meet its own demand.

The said energy credit note may be a smart card provided by a bank or any other financial institution or an electricity board office or any other designated office or institution. It may also be a paper document or any other means that serve as a negotiable derivative and a tool to aid financial transactions.

The details of the said energy credit note are maintained in a record book or any other paper format or any electronic format. The data includes the identification of the user, his authentication means, and a record of his transactions, which includes details of debit and credit. The said data relating to any user is maintained in the form of an account and is assigned an account number. The account contains the updated details of the available or sold credits.

There are also provided various communication protocols to enable the users to access their accounts through various agencies including nationalized or private banks or any

other identified institutions or organizations. Alternatively, the users can get details of their accounts by telecommunication or from call centers.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a flowchart for calculating the energy savings for a user and the equivalent credit points or penalty and grant the same on his energy credit note. This procedure is carried out once in every decided time period. In step 101 , the user's existing energy consumption is determined.

Next, in step 102, the energy consumption benchmark is established using a decided protocol over a predetermined period for the said user.

In step 103, the user is informed about his calculated energy consumption benchmark so that he can take measures to ensure his energy consumption is less than the decided benchmark to earn energy credit points.

Further, in step 104, the user's actual energy consumption is determined as against his benchmark.

Next, in step 105, the energy savings for the user are calculated by comparing his actual consumption and his energy consumption benchmark.

If the user does not already hold an energy credit note, as determined in step 106, he is provided with a new energy credit note.

If the user already holds an energy credit note, then in step 107, his authentication details are read from his energy credit note.

Further, in step 108, these authentication details are verified from the database at the server.

If the user's authentication details are valid as determined in step 109, then in step 110, it is established if the actual energy consumption of the user is less than his energy consumption benchmark.

If the user's actual energy consumption is less than his energy consumption benchmark, then in step 111 , his equivalent credit points are calculated according to his savings using a decided protocol and they are granted on his energy credit note in step 113.

If the user's actual energy consumption is more than his energy consumption benchmark, then the equivalent penalty is calculated for him in step 112 and it is either debited from his energy credit note or implemented in some other decided manner if the credit points to be debited exceed his existing credit points in step 114.

Next, in step 115, the updated credits are recorded at the database at the server end, client end and in the energy credit note.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a flowchart for granting an energy credit note to a new user. In step 201 , the agency takes in the required user details and verifies them with the said user.

Next, in step 202, the said user is provided with a unique identification number and authentication means to validate him at the time of selling fuel or redeeming his credit points.

In step 203, an account is opened for the said user to keep track of his credits, debits and transactions.

These details are then recorded in step 204, onto his newly issued energy credit note and sent to the remote computer at the server in the nodal agency.

Finally, in step 205, the said user is informed of his identification number and authentication means.

FIGURE 3 illustrates a flowchart for changing the personal or authentication details of a user. In step 301 , the user is asked if he would like to change his personal details or his authentication details. Personal details include details like birth date, address, contact number etc. Authentication details include the user's unique identification number and his authentication means. However, a user cannot alter his unique identification number.

Next, in step 303, if the user wishes to alter his personal details as ascertained in step 302, then they are acquired from the database at the server.

Else, in step 304, the authentication details to be altered are read from the said user's energy credit note.

Now, in step 305, the altered details are acquired from the said user.

In step 306, it is ascertained if the above-mentioned details are valid.

As decided in step 307, if the authentication details are to be changed, the changed authentication details are recorded onto the energy credit note of the user in step 308.

Further, in step 309, the updated details are sent to the server to be recorded at the database.

The present invention is not intended to be restricted to any particular form or arrangement, or any specific embodiment, or any specific use, disclosed herein, since the same may be modified in various particulars or relations without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention hereinabove shown and described of which the apparatus or method shown is intended only for illustration and disclosure of an operative embodiment and not to show all of the various forms or modifications in which this invention might be embodied or operated.