Computer implemented systems and methods for enhancing renewable energy educational activities
View Patent ↗Systems and methods are provided for collecting, aggregating, and analyzing data associated with the performance of systems. Energy systems, specifically renewable energy generation systems, are used as examples. The aggregated data serve as the basis for a variety of services that facilitate the adoption and deployment of these systems. Services are provided that aid in enhancing energy educational activities. The services represent the quantity of energy generation as energy demands that the students may appreciate. Furthermore, the services are interactive and may allow the students to change System Parameters so that they more fully understand the influence of these parameters on the energy generation efficiency.
1. A computer implemented method for enhancing energy educational activities, comprising:
connecting an installed System to a central database via a network;
collecting data transmitted from the System to the central database via the network in real time;
establishing an actual quantity of energy generated by said System based on the collected data in real time and associated with one or more actual System Parameters;
displaying via one or more output devices said actual quantity of energy generation as represented by one or more of an equivalent energy demand an equivalent reduction in pollution that would have been otherwise generated by a typical consumption of fossil fuels, and an equivalent savings of natural resources;
receiving at the central database one or more changed System Parameters via a user interface;
establishing an interactive quantity of energy generated by said System based on the changed System Parameters;
displaying via the one or more output devices said interactive quantity of energy generation as represented by one or more of an equivalent energy demand, and equivalent reduction in pollution that would have otherwise been generated by a typical consumption of fossil fuels, and an equivalent savings of natural resources.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said System comprises an energy usage system and energy storage system, an energy management system, or an energy generation system.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein said energy generation system comprises a renewable energy generation system.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein said renewable energy generation system comprises a solar energy generation system, a wind turbine energy generation system, a tidal energy generation system, a geothermal energy generation system, or a waste-to-energy system.
5. A system for enhancing energy educational activities, comprising:
one or more Energy Systems
sensors coupled to said Energy Systems and functional to monitor settings and performance attributes data associated with said Energy Systems;
sensors coupled to said Energy Systems and functional to measure environmental conditions data;
a local communications device functional to communicate said Energy Systems settings and performance attributes data and said environmental conditions data onto a network;
a centralized database coupled to said network and effective to receive and store said Energy Systems settings and performance attributes data and said environmental conditions data communicated from said local communications device;
a model of said Energy System performance based on said Energy Systems settings and performance attributes data;
a user interface effective to facilitate remote access to and interaction with said centralized database;
a computer readable medium containing procedures for acting upon said Energy Systems settings and performance attributes data and said environmental conditions data, said procedure actions comprising
establishing a quantity of energy generated by the Energy Systems,
displaying the quantity of energy generation as represented by an equivalent reduction in pollution,
displaying the quantity of energy generation as represented by an equivalent reduction in pollution that would otherwise have generated by typical consumption of fossil fuels,
displaying the quantity of energy generation as represented by an equivalent savings of natural resources,
receiving changes to one or more said Energy Systems settings and performance attributes data and said environmental conditions data provided by remote users of the system via a user interface, and
making changes to said model of Energy System performance based on the received changes to said one or more said Energy Systems settings and performance attributes data and said environmental conditions data; and
display output devices effective to display the results of said procedure action.
6. The system of claim 5 wherein said one or more Energy Systems comprise at least one Energy System selected from the group consisting of an energy usage system, an energy storage system, and energy management system, and an energy generation system.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein said energy generation system comprises a renewable energy generation system.
8. The system of claim 6 wherein said energy generation system comprises a renewable energy generation system.
9. A method of using a computer to provide energy educational activities comprising the steps of
connecting an installed energy System to a central database via a network;
collecting real-time data transmitted from the energy System to the central database via the network;
aggregating the collected data and data from one or more systems that are not otherwise associated with each other in the central database in association with one or more eSystem Parameters;
establishing an actual quantity of energy generated by said energy System based on the collected real-time data;
displaying via one or more output devices said actual quantity of energy generation as represented by one or more of an equivalent energy demand, an equivalent reduction in pollution that would have been otherwise generated by a typical consumption of fossil fuels, and an equivalent savings of natural resources;
establishing benchmark data based on the aggregated data in the central database;
receiving at the central database requests to display real-time data associated with the installed energy System alongside one or more of aggregated data from one or more other systems having similar System Parameters, said established benchmark data, and aggregated data across the entire central database; and
displaying via the one or more output devices results of said requested comparison.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein said energy System comprises an energy usage system and energy storage system, an energy management system, or an energy generation system.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein said energy generation system comprises a renewable energy generation system.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein said renewable energy generation system comprises a solar energy generation system, a wind turbine energy generation system, a tidal energy generation system, a geothermal energy generation system, or a waste-to-energy system.