Power distribution method and apparatus
A power distribution apparatus, comprising: a plurality of switches each operable to switch a respective power source of a plurality of power sources between a first input node of a first load and a second input node of a second load; a first power meter configured to determine a first power being delivered to the first input node from the plurality of power sources via the plurality of switches; a second power meter configured to determine the power consumption of the first load; and a control module configured to control the switches to distribute power between the first and second loads in dependence on the determined first power and the determined power consumption of the first load.
1. A power distribution apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of switches each operable to switch a respective power source of a plurality of power sources between a first input node of a first load and a second input node of a second load;
a first power meter configured to determine a first power being delivered to the first input node from the plurality of power sources via the plurality of switches and generate a first power meter signal representing the determined first power;
a second power meter configured to determine a power consumption of the first load and generate a second power meter signal representing the determined power consumption; and
a control module configured to receive the first and second power meter signals and generate a switching signal based on the received first and second power meter signals to control each switch of the plurality of switches to distribute power between the first and second loads in dependence on the determined first power and the determined power consumption of the first load.
2. The power distribution apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the plurality of switches is configured to mechanically segregate a respective power source from one of the first load and the second load; and/or
each respective power source comprises one or more solar cells and/or one or more power storage devices.
3. The power distribution apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first load is a local load and wherein the second load is an electrical grid.
4. The power distribution apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first load is coupled to the electrical grid via a third node.
5. The power distribution apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a first electricity meter coupled between the third node and the electrical grid and a second electricity meter coupled between the second input node and the electrical grid.
6. The power distribution apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:
the first and second electricity meters are coupled to the electrical grid via a common transformer; or
the first and second electricity meters are coupled to the electrical grid via separate transformers.
7. The power distribution apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a first electrical meter coupled between the second input node and the third node, and a second electrical meter coupled between the third node and the electrical grid.
8. The power distribution apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the power consumption determined by the second power meter is the power consumption of the first load from the electrical grid measured at the third node.
9. The power distribution apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power consumption determined by the second power meter is the total power consumption of the first load.
10. The power distribution apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the control module is configured to control the plurality of switches such that the measured first power provided to the first input node is greater than or equal to the measured power consumption of the first load; and/or
wherein the control module is configured to control the plurality of switches such that the measured first power provided to the first input node substantially matches the measured power consumption of the first load; and/or
further comprising a third power meter configured to measure power being delivered to the second input node by the plurality of power sources via the plurality of switches, and wherein the control module is configured to control the switches to distribute power between the first and second loads in dependence on the measured power being delivered to the second input node; and/or
wherein the plurality of power sources are direct current (DC) power sources, and wherein the apparatus further comprises an inverter coupled between each of the respective power sources and the plurality of switches to convert DC to alternating current (AC).
11. A system, comprising:
the power distribution apparatus of claim 1 ; and
the plurality of power sources.
12. A method of distributing power from a plurality of power sources between a first load and a second load, each of the plurality of power sources switchable between the first load and the second load by a respective switch of a plurality of switches, the method comprising:
determining a first power being delivered to a first input node from the plurality of power sources and generating a first power meter signal representing the determined first power;
determining a power consumption of the first load and generating a second power meter signal representing the determined power consumption;
generating a switching signal based on the received first and second power meter signals; and
controlling each switch of the plurality of switches to distribute power between the first and second loads in dependence on the determined first power and the determined power consumption of the first load.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
each of the plurality of switches is configured to mechanically segregate a respective power source from one of the first load and the second load; and/or
each respective power source comprises one or more solar cells and/or one or more batteries; and/or
the first load is a local load and wherein the second load is an electrical grid.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first load is coupled to the electrical grid via a third node.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining the power consumption of the first load comprises measuring a power being delivered to the first load via the third node.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the determined power consumption of the first load comprises the total power consumption of the first load.
17. The method of claim 12 ,
further comprising measuring a second power being delivered to a second input node by the plurality of power sources via the plurality of switches, and wherein the switches are controlled in dependence on the measured second power being delivered to the second input node; and/or
wherein the plurality of switches are controlled such that the determined first power provided to the first input node is greater than or equal to the determined power consumption of the first load; and/or
wherein the plurality of switches are controlled such that the determined first power provided to the first input node substantially matches the determined power consumption of the first load.