Abstract: An electricity automation application may automate control over an HVAC system in a consumer's home or other building to reduce or eliminate electricity consumption during a high-price or high-demand time interval. The consumer may grant authorization for the application to control the HVAC system at appropriate timepoints while maintaining an inside air temperature that is between minimum and maximum temperature setpoints set by the consumer. The application models temperature gains and losses for the home or building as a function of inside and outside temperatures and HVAC operating status. If a high-price or high-demand time interval is predicted, the application may determine a timepoint to precool or preheat the home or building to reduce or eliminate electricity use during the duration of the high-price or high-demand time interval.

Abstract: A power pack vending system comprises a plurality of kiosks including a magazine having a plurality of slots, and a plurality of rechargeable power packs. Each power pack has a unique identifier and is sized to be received within one slot. Each kiosk includes a computer for receiving and storing the unique identifier of each power pack received within the magazine, the specific slot the power pack is in, and current power pack information. The kiosk computer controls a charging unit for charging the power packs. The system includes a central management operation comprising a central computer and central database. The management operation communicates with each kiosk and the central database includes a database storing power pack information for every power pack and a database storing customer information. The central management operation receives, stores and processes information received from the kiosks and sends information to each of the kiosks.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for facilitating the procurement of at least one customer for at least one utility service are disclosed. In an aspect, the systems, methods, and computer program products of the present disclosure may be configured to use a convenient way encourage one or more potential customers to sign up to receive at least one utility service at a third party physical location. The potential customer or customers may then be issued a unique identifier, such as a barcode, that may be used to pay cash for the products and/or services at the same third party location at which the customer signs up for the services, thereby increasing the likelihood they will complete the full registration and payment process.

Abstract: A power pack vending system comprises a plurality of kiosks including a magazine having a plurality of slots, and a plurality of rechargeable power packs. Each power pack has a unique identifier and is sized to be received within one slot. Each kiosk includes a computer for receiving and storing the unique identifier of each power pack received within the magazine, the specific slot the power pack is in, and current power pack information. The kiosk computer controls a charging unit for charging the power packs. The system includes a central management operation comprising a central computer and central database. The management operation communicates with each kiosk and the central database includes a database storing power pack information for every power pack and a database storing customer information. The central management operation receives, stores and processes information received from the kiosks and sends information to each of the kiosks.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a customer with guaranteed savings on its long-run energy charges as between a Utility and a Competitive Retailer. Preferably the method and system, including one or more computers with microprocessors for executing computer coded instructions, obtains and stores customer attributes, current energy provider, billing cycle and switching time constraints and restrictions and receives forecasted costs and prices of the Utility and the Competitive Retailer for the customer's next billing cycle. The system processes, via the computer, the customer data and the energy data for the Utility and Competitive Retailer to determine the energy provider projected to have the lower price for the next billing cycle of the customer. Preferably, the system requests a switch to the energy provider projected to have the lower price in that customer's next billing cycle, unless the customer is currently receiving service from the projected energy provider.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of combined cycle power plants having elevated exhaust pressure from a steam turbine. The elevated exhaust pressure from the steam turbine may result in an elevated condensate pressure and temperature. A cooling system removes sensible heat from the condensate. The elevated condensate temperature results in a greater temperature difference between the condensate and the working medium in the cooling system. The amount of heat that is dissipated by the cooling system is proportionate to the heat transfer surface and the temperature difference between the condensate and the working medium. As a result of the greater temperature difference, a smaller cooling system configured to operate with a higher temperature condensate may be utilized in place of a larger cooling system configured to operate with lower temperature condensate. By reducing the size of the cooling system, the overall size of the combined cycle power plant may be reduced.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a system for optimizing steam or other cleaning medium used during soot removal in a boiler in which energy is generated by fuel combustion, with accompanying production of soot, and heat energy is transferred from the product gases to a heated medium via heat exchanger tubes on which the soot collects, by; monitoring the mass flow rate of the cleaning medium, determining which set of sootblowers are in operation, calculating appropriate high flow alarm set point and low flow set point for each particular sootblower, notifying an operator whether the sootblowers are operating within the setpoints so that appropriate action can be taken to the set of sootblowers. In addition, the invention performs leak detection by monitoring for a system bottled up situation and notifies the operator when a steam leak is detected.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of combined cycle power plants having elevated exhaust pressure from a steam turbine. The elevated exhaust pressure from the steam turbine may result in an elevated condensate pressure and temperature. A cooling system removes sensible heat from the condensate. The elevated condensate temperature results in a greater temperature difference between the condensate and the working medium in the cooling system. The amount of heat that is dissipated by the cooling system is proportionate to the heat transfer surface and the temperature difference between the condensate and the working medium. As a result of the greater temperature difference, a smaller cooling system configured to operate with a higher temperature condensate may be utilized in place of a larger cooling system configured to operate with lower temperature condensate. By reducing the size of the cooling system, the overall size of the combined cycle power plant may be reduced.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for use in producing syngas for use in a variety of commercial applications, including commercial energy generation applications. A plasma torch and cupola arrangement are used to gasify feed stock such as coal, petcoke, and/or biomass, to produce syngas and liquid waste. The syngas is directed to a cleanup train, wherein detrimental components are mechanically or chemically filtered out. The cleaned syngas is then fed into a syngas burner and used to produce heat for electricity generation for the production of electricity or to another energy producing system including synthetic natural gas, ethanol, or liquid fuel oil. In some embodiments, the syngas is fed directly to a gas turbine. The liquid waste is cooled to generate in inert solid which may then be crushed and used in a variety of construction or other applications. The disclosed system may find use in new construction as well as retrofit applications.