Grid asset manager

1. An asset manager configured to control distribution of power within an aggregated distributed energy resources system (“DERs system”), the DERs system having a plurality of assets and a system cost function, the asset manager being configured to operate with a given asset in the DERs system, each given asset having a local function as part of the system cost function, the asset manager comprising:

an interface configured to receive asset information relating to the given asset and to communicate with at least one other asset manager or a central controller in the DERs system;

a function generator operatively coupled with the interface, the function generator configured to produce a local cost function using data relating to the given asset, the local cost function representing a portion of a system cost function for the overall DERs system; and

a controller operatively coupled with the function generator, the controller configured to determine, using the local cost function, an operating point for the given asset,

the controller also being configured to use the determined operating point for the given asset to manage operation of the given asset in the DERs system.

2. The asset manager of claim 1 wherein the interface is configured to receive one or more cost functions from other asset managers, the controller configured to forward control signals to the other asset managers to manage distribution of energy of the DERs system as a function of the local cost function and the received one or more cost functions.

3. The asset manager of claim 1 wherein the local cost function includes at least a portion relating to opportunity cost.

4. The asset manager of claim 3 wherein the opportunity cost comprises tunable parameters that the controller is configured to modify to improve revenue of the given asset.

5. The asset manager of claim 1 wherein the local cost function includes at least a portion relating to response limitations of the given asset relative to a function of the given asset.

6. The asset manager of claim 1 further comprising:

the controller being configured, in response to receipt of commands to the given asset, to produce a given response with response data relating to the given asset, the controller being configured to measure the response data and calculate one or more response limitations of the given asset using the measured response data.

7. The asset manager of claim 1 wherein the given asset has an asset efficiency at a given operating point, the local cost function being inversely proportional to the asset efficiency at the given operating point.

8. The asset manager of claim 1 wherein the given asset has a power rating, the local cost function being inversely proportional to the power rating.

9. The asset manager of claim 1 wherein the local cost function includes expected future conditions at non-uniform time intervals relating to the given asset.

10. The asset manager of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to receive operating data from the given asset, and then use the operating data to determine given asset response time and/or given asset efficiency,

the function generator using the given asset response time and/or the given asset efficiency to produce the local cost function of the given asset.

11. A method of distributing power from an aggregated distributed energy resources system (“DERs system”) having a plurality of assets, the method comprising:

using a plurality of asset managers to manage the assets, each asset including a local dedicated asset manager separate from the other asset managers or a central controller, each asset manager having an interface to receive asset information relating to its asset;

for each asset, producing a local cost function using its local dedicated asset manager, each local dedicated asset manager producing its local cost function using data relating to its local asset, the cost functions of the plurality of assets in the DERs system together representing a system cost function for the overall DERs system;

determining, using the local cost function, an operating point for the given asset,

using the determined operating point for the given asset to manage operation of the given asset in the DERs system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a central agent uses the cost function for each of the plurality of assets to manage distribution of energy of the DERs system, the central agent being at least one of the asset managers.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein each asset has an asset efficiency at a given operating point, the cost function of each asset being inversely proportional to the asset efficiency at the given operating point.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein each asset has an asset efficiency at a given operating point, the cost function of each asset being inversely proportional to the asset efficiency at the given operating point,

further comprising:

providing commands to a given asset, using its given asset manager, to produce a given response with response data from the given asset; and

measuring the response data,

measured response data by the asset manager being used to calculate efficiency as a function of multiple variables, the calculated efficiency used to create the local cost function of the given asset.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein each asset has a power rating, the cost function of each asset being inversely proportional to its power rating.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein a given cost function of a given asset includes expected future conditions relating to the given asset.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving operating data from a given asset; and

the asset manager of the given asset using the operating data to determine given asset response time and/or given asset efficiency,

said producing a local cost function comprising using the given asset response time and/or the given asset efficiency to produce the local cost function of the given asset.

18. A computer program product for use on a computer system for distributing power from an aggregated distributed energy resources system (“DERs system”) having a plurality of assets, the computer program product comprising a tangible, non-transient computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code comprising:

program code for communicating with a plurality of asset managers to manage the assets, each asset including a local dedicated asset manager separate from the other asset managers, each asset manager having an interface;

program code for producing, for each asset, a local cost function using its local dedicated asset manager, each local dedicated asset manager producing its local cost function using data relating to its local asset, the cost functions of the plurality of assets in the DERs system together representing a system grid cost function for the overall DERs system;

program code for determining, using the local cost function, an operating point for the given asset; and

program code for using the determined operating point for the given asset to manage operation of the given asset in the DERs system.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising program code for to control a central agent to use the cost function for each of the plurality of assets to manage distribution of energy of the DERs system, the central agent being at least one of the asset managers.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising:

program code for receiving operating data from a given asset; and

program code for using the operating data to determine given asset response time and/or given asset efficiency,

said program code for producing comprising program code for using the given asset response time and/or the given asset efficiency to produce the local cost function of the given asset.