Description:FIELD
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of electricity demand-side management and demand response technologies. More particularly, it relates to a system and a method for automated and near-real-time incentive disbursement based on smart meter–verified participation in demand response events.
DEFINITION
As used in the present disclosure, the following terms are generally intended to have the meanings set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used indicates otherwise.
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI): The term “Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)” refers to a communication and metering system enabling automated, remote measurement and transmission of electricity consumption data from electricity meters to utility systems.
Automatic Meter Reading (AMR): The term “Automatic Meter Reading (AMR)” refers to a technology configured to automatically collect electricity consumption data from electricity meters and transmit the collected data to a central system.
Baseline consumption profile: The term “baseline consumption profile” refers to an estimated electricity consumption level corresponding to an event time slot, derived from historical consumption data associated with one or more baseline days preceding the event day, except holidays and extreme weather conditions.
Consumer identifier: The term “consumer identifier” refers to a unique identifier associated with a consumer participating in a demand response program and used by the system to associate consumption data, participation records, and incentive information with the consumer.
Digital token: The term “digital token” refers to a machine-readable or cryptographically generated data object representing verified participation in a demand response event and an associated incentive value.
Demand response event: The term “demand response event” refers to a grid-management condition during which consumers are requested or instructed to modify or reduce electricity consumption during a defined time period to support grid stability or demand-supply balancing.
Event time slot: The term “event time slot” refers to a defined duration of time during which a demand response event is active and electricity consumption reduction is monitored.
Electricity meter: The term “electricity meter” refers to a device configured to measure electrical energy consumption associated with a consumer or premises and to generate consumption data.
Event day: The term “event day” refers to a calendar day on which a demand response event is scheduled or triggered.
Grid sensor: The term “grid sensor” refers to a sensing device configured to measure electrical parameters associated with an electricity distribution or transmission network, including voltage, current, frequency, or load conditions.
Historical consumption data: The term “historical consumption data” refers to electricity consumption data recorded prior to an event day and used for baseline estimation.
Interval-wise consumption data: The term “interval-wise consumption data” refers to electricity consumption data measured and recorded at predefined time intervals during an event time slot or other monitoring period.
Meter Data Management System (MDMS): The term “Meter Data Management System (MDMS)” refers to a system configured to collect, store, validate, and manage electricity consumption data obtained from electricity meters.
User interface: The term “user interface” refers to a software or hardware interface through which a consumer interacts with the system to receive demand response notifications, confirm participation, and receive incentive-related information. The user interface may comprise a mobile application, web interface, messaging interface, or other consumer interaction platform.
Verified consumption reduction: The term “verified consumption reduction” refers to a quantified reduction in electricity consumption determined by comparing actual electricity consumption during an event time slot with a baseline consumption profile.
Verified participation record: The term “verified participation record” refers to a data record generated by the system indicating that a consumer participated in a demand response event, including at least a consumer identifier and a verified consumption reduction value.
Value transfer: The term “value transfer” refers to a transfer of monetary value, credit, voucher value, loyalty value, or other incentive benefit to a consumer bank account associated with a consumer identifier.
The above definitions are in addition to those expressed in the art.
BACKGROUND
The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.
Electric power systems must continuously balance electricity generation and consumption to maintain grid stability and reliability. During peak demand periods or supply constraints, utilities and grid operators implement demand response (DR) programs to encourage consumers to reduce or shift electricity usage during predefined event time slots. In conventional DR implementations, consumer participation is verified after the event using consumption data obtained from smart meters, AMR/AMI systems, or Meter Data Management Systems (MDMS). Incentives for participation are typically delivered through bill credits, vouchers, or financial compensation processed via utility billing systems or enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms.
However, existing demand response systems often involve significant delays between participation verification and incentive disbursement, frequently extending to subsequent billing cycles. These delays reduce consumer engagement and the effectiveness of behavioural reinforcement. Additionally, current approaches often rely on fragmented integration between metering infrastructure, demand response platforms, enterprise systems, and banking or digital payment systems, with limited automation in participation validation and payout initiation. Consequently, prior systems do not provide a unified mechanism for meter-verified participation validation combined with automated, near-real-time incentive generation and secure digital disbursement.
Therefore, there is a need for a system and a method for managing demand response events with automated incentive disbursement to alleviate the above-mentioned drawbacks.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method for managing demand response events with automated incentive disbursement.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system that enables timely delivery of incentives to consumers participating in demand response events.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system that enables reliable verification of consumer participation in demand response programs based on electricity consumption data.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system that provides performance-based incentive determination corresponding to verified consumption reduction during demand response events.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system that enables near-real-time incentive issuance following verification of demand response participation.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system that improves consumer engagement and participation in demand response programs.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a method that enables a transparent and auditable mechanism for demand response participation validation and incentive disbursement.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system that reduces delays associated with conventional billing-cycle-based incentive delivery mechanisms.
Other objects and advantages of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure envisages a system for managing demand response events with automated incentive disbursement. The system comprises a meter data acquisition unit comprising a meter communication interface configured to receive electricity consumption data from a plurality of electricity meters for said demand response event. At least one electricity grid management controller communicatively coupled to said meter data acquisition unit to receive said consumption data therefrom, said electricity grid management controller being configured to establish a baseline consumption profile for said event time slot using historical consumption data corresponding to said event time slot from a plurality of baseline days preceding said event day, determine an actual consumption during said event time slot on said event day using said consumption data received from said meter data acquisition unit, compute a verified consumption reduction based on a comparison of said baseline consumption profile and said actual consumption, and generate a verified participation record comprising a consumer identifier associated with said consumer and said verified consumption reduction. A token generation circuit operatively coupled to said electricity grid management controller to receive said verified consumption reduction and said consumer identifier therefrom, said token generation circuit being configured to generate a digital token corresponding to said verified consumption reduction and to associate said digital token with said consumer identifier. A notification interface communicatively coupled to said token generation circuit to receive said digital token therefrom and communicatively coupled to the user interface to transmit said digital token thereto.
In an embodiment, the system further comprises a user interface accessible via the consumer device configured to receive a consumer input confirming participation in response to a trigger of the demand response event, and a demand response management sub-system communicatively coupled to the user interface and the electricity grid management controller to manage participation confirmation communication. The consumer confirmation may be performed a single time during enrollment or on a one-time basis for each demand response event, depending on the program configuration.
In an embodiment, the demand response event comprises an event in which the available power supply is expected to be insufficient to meet forecasted electricity demand during said event time slot.
In an embodiment, the electricity grid management controller is further configured to trigger said demand response event based on at least one grid condition selected from the group consisting of: grid frequency below a threshold frequency, grid voltage below a threshold voltage, predicted peak demand exceeding available generation capacity during said event time slot, and a signal from a grid balancing authority, and wherein said demand response management sub-system is configured to generate and transmit said trigger to the consumer via the user interface.
In an embodiment, the historical consumption data comprises consumption data measured during said event time slot on each of a predetermined number of baseline days immediately preceding said event day.
In an embodiment, the electricity grid management controller is configured to establish the baseline consumption profile by calculating an average of the consumption data measured during the event time slot across the predetermined number of baseline days.
In an embodiment, the token generation circuit comprises a cryptographic processor configured to generate the digital token using at least one cryptographic technique selected from the group consisting of: a hash function applied to the consumer identifier and the verified consumption reduction, a digital signature algorithm, and a blockchain-based issuance protocol.
In an embodiment, the system further comprises a token registry database communicatively coupled to the token generation circuit, the token registry database being configured to store the digital token in association with the consumer identifier and token metadata corresponding to said demand response event.
In an embodiment, the system further comprises a disbursement interface configured to initiate a value transfer to a consumer bank account associated with the consumer identifier based on the digital token, wherein the value transfer comprises at least one value transfer mechanism selected from the group consisting of: an electronic funds transfer, a bill credit applied to an electricity account, a voucher, a gift card, a loyalty points credit, and a cryptocurrency transfer.
In an embodiment, the electronic funds transfer comprises an instant payment via a real-time payment rail selected from the group consisting of: Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), Faster Payments, and equivalent real-time payment systems.
In an embodiment, the electricity grid management controller is configured to establish the baseline consumption profile using at least one baseline estimation technique selected from the group consisting of: a rolling average calculation across the baseline days, a weather-adjusted average, a regression-based model using historical consumption data, and a machine learning model trained on consumption data from the event time slot on baseline days.
In an embodiment, the consumption data comprises interval-wise data received from at least one data source selected from the group consisting of: smart meters, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) systems, Meter Data Management Systems (MDMS), and grid sensors.
In an embodiment, the system further comprises an enrollment module configured to register the consumer identifier and to associate the consumer identifier with at least one identifier selected from the group consisting of a meter identifier corresponding to an electricity meter associated with the consumer, a consumer device identifier corresponding to the user interface, and a payment identifier corresponding to a consumer bank account.
In an embodiment, the enrollment module is communicatively coupled to the demand response management sub-system to provide the consumer identifier and associated identifiers thereto.
In an embodiment, the token generation circuit is configured to generate the digital token based on at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: a magnitude of the verified consumption reduction, a time of the event time slot, a type of the demand response event, and dynamic pricing data received from the electricity grid management controller for the event time slot.
In an embodiment, the digital token comprises at least one token format selected from the group consisting of: a machine-readable code, a cryptographic token, a data structure having predefined fields, and a smart contract executable on a distributed ledger.
In an embodiment, the electricity grid management controller is configured to execute the comparison using at least one comparison technique selected from the group consisting of: a subtraction algorithm, a statistical comparison, and a machine learning classifier.
In an embodiment, the token generation circuit is configured to generate the digital token in real-time or near-real-time upon computation of the verified consumption reduction.
The present disclosure further envisages a method for managing demand response events with automated incentive disbursement. The method comprises the steps of:
• triggering, by an electricity grid management controller, a demand response event having a defined event time slot on an event day;
• receiving, by a meter data acquisition unit comprising a meter communication interface, consumption data from a plurality of electricity meters associated with a plurality of consumers for the demand response event;
• providing, by the meter data acquisition unit, the consumption data to the electricity grid management controller;
• establishing, by the electricity grid management controller, a baseline consumption profile for the event time slot using historical consumption data corresponding to the event time slot from a plurality of baseline days preceding the event day;
• determining, by the electricity grid management controller, actual consumption during the event time slot on the event day using the consumption data;
• computing, by the electricity grid management controller, a verified consumption reduction based on a comparison of the baseline consumption profile and the actual consumption;
• generating, by the electricity grid management controller, a verified participation record comprising a consumer identifier associated with the consumer and the verified consumption reduction;
• providing, by the electricity grid management controller, the verified consumption reduction and the consumer identifier to a token generation circuit;
• generating, by the token generation circuit, a digital token corresponding to the verified consumption reduction and associating the digital token with the consumer identifier;
• providing, by the token generation circuit, the digital token to a notification interface; and
• transmitting, by the notification interface, the digital token to the user interface on the consumer device.
In an embodiment, prior to receiving the consumption data, the method further comprises:
• transmitting, by a demand response management sub-system (104), the trigger to a user interface (102) executable on a consumer device.
• receiving, by the user interface, a consumer input confirming participation in the demand response event.
• transmitting, by the user interface, the confirmation of participation to the demand response management sub-system.
• providing, by the demand response management sub-system, the confirmation of participation to the electricity grid management controller.
In an embodiment, upon transmitting the digital token, the method comprises initiating a value transfer, by a disbursement interface, to a consumer bank account associated with the consumer identifier.
In an embodiment, the value transfer comprises at least one value transfer mechanism selected from the group consisting of: an electronic funds transfer, a bill credit applied to an electricity account, a voucher, a gift card, a loyalty points credit, and a cryptocurrency transfer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
A system and a method for managing demand response events with automated incentive disbursement, of the present disclosure, will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system for managing demand response events with automated incentive disbursement, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Figures 2A-2C illustrate a flowchart describing a method for managing demand response events with automated incentive disbursement in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
100 System
102 User Interface
104 Demand Response Management Sub-System
106 Meter Data Acquisition Unit
106a Meter Communication Interface
108 Plurality Of Electricity Meters
110 Electricity Grid Management Controller
112 Token Generation Circuit
112a Cryptographic Processor
114 Notification Interface
116 Token Registry Database
118 Enrollment Module
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of electricity demand-side management and demand response technologies.
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details, are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms "a,” "an," and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms “including,” and “having,” are open ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, elements and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The terms first, second, third, etc., should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure, as the aforementioned terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another component, region, layer or section. Terms such as first, second, third, etc., when used herein, do not imply a specific sequence or order unless clearly suggested by the present disclosure.
Electric power systems rely on demand response (DR) programs to maintain grid stability during peak demand or supply constraints by encouraging consumers to reduce or shift electricity usage during defined event time slots. In conventional implementations, consumer participation is verified after the event using consumption data from smart meters, AMR/AMI systems, or Meter Data Management Systems (MDMS), and incentives are typically delivered through billing systems or enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms in the form of bill credits. However, such systems often involve delays between participation verification and incentive disbursement, along with fragmented integration between metering infrastructure, demand response platforms, enterprise systems, and payment mechanisms, resulting in reduced consumer engagement and the absence of a unified framework for meter-verified participation validation combined with automated, near-real-time incentive generation and secure digital disbursement.
To address the issues of the existing systems and methods, the present disclosure envisages a system (hereinafter referred to as “system (100)”) and a method (hereinafter referred to as “method (200)”) for managing power consumption during demand response events. The system (100) will now be described with reference to Figure 1, and the method (200) will now be described with reference to Figure 2.
Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system for managing demand response events with automated incentive disbursement, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
The system (100) comprises a user interface (102), a demand response management sub-system (104), a meter data acquisition unit (106), a plurality of electricity meters (108), at least one electricity grid management controller (110), a token generation circuit (112), a notification interface (114), a token registry database (116), and an enrollment module (118).
The user interface (102) is accessible via a consumer device and is configured to provide a consumer interaction interface for participation in demand response events. In an embodiment, the consumer confirmation of participation may be performed a single time during initial enrollment in the demand response program, or on a one-time basis for each demand response event, depending on the configuration of the demand response program. The user interface (102) enables consumers to receive event notifications and view participation status, verified consumption reduction information, and incentive-related information.
In an embodiment, the consumer device may include, but is not limited to, a smartphone, tablet, wearable device, or portable computing device.
The user interface (102) is communicatively coupled to the demand response management sub-system (104) through a communication network. In embodiments where consumer confirmation is required, the user interface (102) is configured to receive a trigger corresponding to a demand response event having a defined event time slot on an event day, and to receive a consumer input confirming participation in response to the trigger. In embodiments where a single-time confirmation during enrollment is implemented, the consumer's participation in demand response events may be automatically determined based on the enrollment confirmation without requiring separate confirmation for each event.
In one embodiment, confirmation of participation by the consumer is optional. The consumers may provide a one-time confirmation during enrollment in the demand response program, after which they are automatically enrolled in subsequent demand response events based on predefined program rules. The electricity grid management controller (110) is configured to determine participation based on electricity consumption data measured during the event time slot and identify verified consumption reduction without requiring an explicit confirmation of participation through the user interface (102) for each event.
In an embodiment, the communication network may comprise one or more wireless communication networks, including the Internet, cellular networks, wireless local area networks (Wi-Fi), utility communication networks, or combinations thereof, configured to enable data exchange between the user interface (102) and the demand response management sub-system (104).
Upon receiving the consumer input, the user interface (102) is configured to transmit a confirmation of participation to the demand response management sub-system (104). The user interface (102) is further configured to receive a digital token from a notification interface (114) and present participation status, verified consumption reduction information, and incentive-related information to the consumer.
In an embodiment, participation of the consumer in the demand response event can be inferred automatically based on electricity consumption data obtained from the electricity meter (108). In such an embodiment, the electricity grid management controller (110) determines participation by comparing the actual electricity consumption during the event time slot with the baseline consumption profile and identifying a verified consumption reduction corresponding to the consumer. Accordingly, explicit confirmation of participation through the user interface (102) may not be required.
In an embodiment, the user interface (102) is configured to display event notifications, participation confirmation controls, token information, and incentive disbursement information.
In another embodiment, the user interface (102) may be integrated with consumer engagement platforms, including messaging applications, utility applications, or web-based consumer portals.
The enrollment module (118) is configured to generate or register a consumer identifier associated with a consumer participating in the demand response program and to store the consumer identifier for use by the system (100) during demand response events. During this single-time enrollment process, the consumer may provide confirmation of participation in the demand response program, which is stored and applied to future demand response events without requiring repeated confirmations.
The enrollment module (118) is further configured to associate the consumer identifier with at least one identifier selected from the group consisting of a meter identifier corresponding to an electricity meter (108) associated with the consumer, a consumer device identifier corresponding to the user interface (102), and a payment identifier corresponding to a consumer bank account.
The enrollment module (118) is communicatively coupled to the demand response management sub-system (104) and is configured to provide the consumer identifier and associated identifiers thereto, thereby enabling association between the consumer, the electricity meter (108), and the user interface (102) within the system (100).
In an embodiment, the enrollment module (118) can be implemented as part of a consumer onboarding workflow within a demand response platform, a utility registration system, or a mobile-application-based enrollment interface.
In an embodiment, the enrollment module (118) is configured to perform consumer authentication, identifier validation, and storage of enrollment data prior to participation in a demand response event.
The enrollment module (118) is configured to complete consumer registration prior to participation in a demand response event.
The demand response management sub-system (104) is communicatively coupled to the user interface (102). The demand response management sub-system (104) is configured to manage demand response event communication and participation confirmation within the system (100).
The demand response management sub-system (104) is configured to receive a trigger corresponding to a demand response event from the electricity grid management controller (110) and transmit the trigger to the user interface (102). The demand response management sub-system (104) is further configured to receive a confirmation of participation from the user interface (102) and provide the confirmation of participation to the electricity grid management controller (110).
In an embodiment, the demand response management sub-system (104) is configured to maintain participation records associated with consumer identifiers and event identifiers, and to manage event notification delivery and participation tracking.
In an embodiment, the demand response management sub-system (104) can be implemented as part of a demand-side management platform, a demand flexibility platform, or a utility-operated server system comprising one or more processors and memory configured to execute demand response management instructions.
In a further embodiment, the demand response management sub-system (104) is configured to support communication channels including mobile push notifications, SMS, email notifications, messaging platforms, and web-based interfaces.
The meter data acquisition unit (106) is configured to obtain electricity consumption data corresponding to the demand response event. The meter data acquisition unit (106) comprises a meter communication interface (106a) configured to receive electricity consumption data from a plurality of electricity meters (108).
In an embodiment, the plurality of electricity meters (108) can be selected from a group consisting of smart meters, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters, Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) meters, or other electricity measurement devices associated with a plurality of consumers participating in a demand response program.
In an embodiment, the meter communication interface (106a) is configured to communicate with the plurality of electricity meters (108) using one or more communication technologies, including AMI communication protocols, radio-frequency mesh networks, cellular communication, power-line communication, optical communication, or wired network interfaces.
The meter communication interface (106a) is further configured to receive interval-wise electricity consumption data corresponding to the defined event time slot on the event day.
In an embodiment, the meter communication interface (106a) is further configured to receive consumption-related or grid-condition data from grid sensors associated with electricity distribution infrastructure.
The meter data acquisition unit (106) is communicatively coupled to the electricity grid management controller (110) and is configured to provide the received electricity consumption data thereto for verification of consumption reduction during the demand response event. The meter data acquisition unit (106), through the meter communication interface (106a), enables the acquisition and transmission of electricity consumption data required for verification of participation in the demand response event.
In an embodiment, the meter data acquisition unit (106) is configured to perform data validation, timestamp synchronization, data aggregation, or formatting of electricity consumption data before providing the electricity consumption data to the electricity grid management controller (110).
In an embodiment, the meter data acquisition unit (106) is configured to receive electricity consumption data from external metering data systems, including Meter Data Management Systems (MDMS), Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) head-end systems, or Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) data servers, in addition to receiving data directly from the plurality of electricity meters (108).
The electricity grid management controller (110) is communicatively coupled to the demand response management sub-system (104) and the meter data acquisition unit (106). The electricity grid management controller (110) is configured to receive confirmation of participation from the demand response management sub-system (104) and electricity consumption data from the meter data acquisition unit (106).
The electricity grid management controller (110) is configured to establish a baseline consumption profile for the demand response event time slot using historical consumption data corresponding to the event time slot from a plurality of baseline days preceding the event day.
In an embodiment, the baseline consumption profile can be determined using one or more techniques, including an average consumption calculation across baseline days, a rolling average calculation, a regression-based estimation model, a weather-adjusted baseline model, or a machine-learning-based baseline estimation model.
The electricity grid management controller (110) is further configured to determine actual consumption during the event time slot on the event day using the consumption data received from the meter data acquisition unit (106).
The electricity grid management controller (110) is configured to compute a verified consumption reduction based on a comparison of the baseline consumption profile and the actual consumption.
In an embodiment, the comparison can be executed using a subtraction technique, statistical comparison techniques, rule-based validation logic, or a machine-learning classifier configured to detect consumption reduction.
Upon computing the verified consumption reduction, the electricity grid management controller (110) is configured to generate a verified participation record comprising the consumer identifier associated with the participating consumer and the verified consumption reduction.
The electricity grid management controller (110) is further configured to provide the verified consumption reduction and the consumer identifier to the token generation circuit (112).
In an embodiment, the electricity grid management controller (110) may comprise one or more processors, memory modules, and data-processing engines configured to execute demand response analytics, baseline estimation, consumption comparison, and participation verification functions. The electricity grid management controller (110) may be implemented as part of a utility grid management platform, a demand response analytics server, a cloud-based control system, or an enterprise energy management system.
In an embodiment, the electricity grid management controller (110) may be implemented as or integrated with a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system used by a utility or grid operator. The SCADA system is configured to monitor grid conditions and trigger demand response events based on predefined operational parameters.
In an embodiment, the electricity grid management controller (110) is further configured to determine the occurrence of a demand response event based on grid conditions, including forecasted demand exceeding available generation capacity, grid frequency conditions, grid voltage conditions, dynamic pricing signals, or instructions from a grid balancing authority.
The token generation circuit (112) is operatively coupled to the electricity grid management controller (110). The token generation circuit (112) is configured to receive the verified consumption reduction and the consumer identifier from the electricity grid management controller (110).
The token generation circuit (112) is configured to generate a digital token corresponding to the verified consumption reduction and to associate the digital token with the consumer identifier.
In an embodiment, the digital token represents verified participation of the consumer in the demand response event and an incentive value corresponding to the verified consumption reduction.
The token generation circuit (112) comprises a cryptographic processor (112a) configured to generate the digital token using one or more cryptographic techniques.
In an embodiment, the cryptographic processor (112a) is configured to generate the digital token using a hash function applied to the consumer identifier and the verified consumption reduction, a digital signature technique, secure tokenization techniques, or a blockchain-based issuance protocol.
In an embodiment, the digital token comprises at least one token format selected from the group consisting of a machine-readable code, a cryptographic token, a structured data object having predefined fields, or a smart contract executable on a distributed ledger.
The token generation circuit (112) is further configured to associate the generated digital token with token metadata, including the consumer identifier, event identifier, event time slot, verified consumption reduction value, and token issuance timestamp.
In an embodiment, the token generation circuit (112) is configured to generate the digital token based on one or more parameters associated with the demand response event. The parameters may include a magnitude of the verified consumption reduction, a time of the event time slot, a type of the demand response event, and dynamic pricing data received from the electricity grid management controller (110) for the event time slot. The token generation circuit (112) is configured to incorporate one or more parameters into token data or token metadata associated with the digital token.
In an embodiment, the token generation circuit (112) is configured to generate the digital token in real-time or near-real-time upon computation of the verified consumption reduction by the electricity grid management controller (110).
The token generation circuit (112) is communicatively coupled to the notification interface (114) and is configured to provide the generated digital token thereto for transmission to the user interface (102).
In an embodiment, the token generation circuit (112) may be implemented as a secure processing module within a demand response platform, an enterprise incentive management system, a financial transaction processing module, or a distributed-ledger-enabled token issuance system.
The notification interface (114) is communicatively coupled to the token generation circuit (112) and the user interface (102). The notification interface (114) is configured to receive a digital token from the token generation circuit (112) and transmit the digital token to the user interface (102) on the consumer device.
The notification interface (114) is configured to facilitate communication of participation verification results and incentive information to the consumer following computation of a verified consumption reduction during the demand response event.
In an embodiment, the notification interface (114) is configured to transmit the digital token in real-time or near-real-time after generation by the token generation circuit (112). The notification interface (114) may further be configured to transmit notification data, including event identifiers, verified consumption reduction information, incentive value information, and token metadata.
In an embodiment, the notification interface (114) can support one or more communication channels, including mobile push notifications, in-application notifications, SMS notifications, email notifications, messaging-platform notifications, or web-based notification interfaces.
In another embodiment, the notification interface (114) can be implemented as a communication service module within a demand response platform, an enterprise notification service, a cloud messaging service, or a utility-operated communication server.
The notification interface (114) is configured to ensure secure transmission of the digital token using encrypted communication protocols, authenticated messaging sessions, or secure API-based communication.
The token registry database (116) is communicatively coupled to the token generation circuit (112). The token registry database (116) is configured to store the digital token in association with the consumer identifier and token metadata corresponding to the demand response event.
The token registry database (116) is configured to maintain token records corresponding to demand response events and verified participation of consumers.
In an embodiment, each token record stored in the token registry database (116) includes token metadata including the consumer identifier, event identifier, event time slot, verified consumption reduction value, and token issuance timestamp.
In another embodiment, the digital token comprises a cryptographic signature generated by the cryptographic processor (112a), and the token registry database (116) is configured to authenticate the digital token by verifying the cryptographic signature using a corresponding verification key. The token registry database (116) is further configured to recompute a hash value derived from the consumer identifier and the verified consumption reduction and compare the recomputed hash value with a hash value contained in the digital token.
In a further embodiment, the token registry database (116) is configured to determine token validity by verifying that the digital token exists in the token registry database (116), and that the token metadata associated with the digital token corresponds to the consumer identifier and the demand response event.
In an embodiment, the token registry database (116) can be implemented using a relational database, distributed database, enterprise database system, or distributed ledger storage system configured to maintain token records associated with digital token issuance and incentive disbursement.
In an embodiment, the token registry database (116) is further configured to support audit logging, transaction tracking, reconciliation processing, and reporting functions associated with digital token issuance and incentive disbursement.
The disbursement interface is configured to initiate a value transfer to a consumer bank account associated with the consumer identifier based on the digital token generated for the demand response event.
In an embodiment, the value transfer comprises at least one value transfer mechanism selected from the group consisting of an electronic funds transfer, a bill credit applied to an electricity account, a voucher issuance, a gift card issuance, a loyalty points credit, and a cryptocurrency transfer.
In a further embodiment, the disbursement interface is configured to initiate an instant payment transaction through a real-time payment rail including Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), Faster Payments, or equivalent real-time payment systems.
In an embodiment, the disbursement interface can be implemented as an application programming interface (API) integration module configured to communicate with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, banking APIs, payment gateways, or utility billing systems to complete the value transfer process.
Figures 2A-2C illustrate a flowchart describing a method for managing demand response events with automated incentive disbursement in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The order in which method (200) is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method steps may be combined in any order to implement method (200), or an alternative method. Furthermore, method (200) may be implemented by processing resource or computing device(s) through any suitable hardware, non-transitory machine-readable medium/instructions, or a combination thereof. The method (200) comprises the following steps:
At step 202, the method (200) includes triggering, by an electricity grid management controller (110), a demand response event having a defined event time slot on an event day.
At step 204, the method (200) includes receiving, by a meter data acquisition unit (106) comprising a meter communication interface (106a), consumption data from a plurality of electricity meters (108) associated with a plurality of consumers for the demand response event.
At step 206, the method (200) includes providing, by the meter data acquisition unit (106), the consumption data to the electricity grid management controller (110).
At step 208, the method (200) includes establishing, by the electricity grid management controller (110), a baseline consumption profile for the event time slot using historical consumption data corresponding to the event time slot from a plurality of baseline days preceding the event day.
At step 210, the method (200) includes determining, by the electricity grid management controller (110), actual consumption during the event time slot on the event day using the consumption data.
At step 212, the method (200) includes computing, by the electricity grid management controller (110), a verified consumption reduction based on a comparison of the baseline consumption profile and the actual consumption.
At step 214, the method (200) includes generating, by the electricity grid management controller (110), a verified participation record comprising a consumer identifier associated with the consumer and the verified consumption reduction.
At step 216, the method (200) includes providing, by the electricity grid management controller (110), the verified consumption reduction and the consumer identifier to a token generation circuit (112).
At step 218, the method (200) includes generating, by the token generation circuit (112), a digital token corresponding to the verified consumption reduction and associating the digital token with the consumer identifier.
At step 220, the method (200) includes providing, by the token generation circuit (112), the digital token to a notification interface (114).
At step 222, the method (200) includes transmitting, by the notification interface (114), the digital token to the user interface (102) on the consumer device.
In an embodiment, prior to receiving said consumption data, the method (200) further comprises:
At step 202a, the method (200) includes transmitting, by a demand response management sub-system (104), the trigger to a user interface (102) executable on a consumer device.
At step 202b, the method (200) includes receiving, by the user interface (102), a consumer input confirming participation in the demand response event.
At step 202c, the method (200) includes transmitting, by the user interface (102), the confirmation of participation to the demand response management sub-system (104).
At step 202d, the method (200) includes providing, by the demand response management sub-system (104), the confirmation of participation to the electricity grid management controller (110).
In an embodiment, after transmitting the digital token to the user interface (102), the method (200) further comprises initiating a value transfer, by the disbursement interface, to the consumer bank account associated with the consumer identifier.
In an embodiment, the value transfer comprises at least one value transfer mechanism selected from the group consisting of an electronic funds transfer, a bill credit applied to an electricity account, a voucher issuance, a gift card issuance, a loyalty points credit, and a cryptocurrency transfer.
In a further embodiment, the value transfer is initiated through a disbursement interface configured to communicate with enterprise systems and banking APIs for automated transfer of incentive amounts to the consumer bank account.
In an operative configuration, the system (100) is configured to coordinate consumer participation, consumption monitoring, verification of consumption reduction, and automated incentive disbursement during demand response events. The electricity grid management controller (110) is configured to determine the occurrence of a demand response event based on one or more grid conditions and to provide a trigger corresponding to the demand response event to the demand response management sub-system (104). The demand response management sub-system (104) is configured to transmit the trigger to the user interface (102) executable on a consumer device.
In embodiments where consumer confirmation is implemented, upon receiving confirmation of participation from the user interface (102) (which may have been provided as a single-time confirmation during enrollment or as an event-specific confirmation), In embodiments where a single-time enrollment confirmation is used, the demand response management sub-system (104) retrieves the stored confirmation associated with the consumer identifier and provides it to the electricity grid management controller (110) for each demand response event.
During the defined event time slot, the meter data acquisition unit (106), through the meter communication interface (106a), is configured to receive electricity consumption data from the plurality of electricity meters (108) and to provide the electricity consumption data to the electricity grid management controller (110).
The electricity grid management controller (110) is configured to establish a baseline consumption profile using historical consumption data corresponding to the event time slot from baseline days preceding the event day, determine actual consumption during the event time slot, and compute a verified consumption reduction based on comparison of the baseline consumption profile and the actual consumption. The electricity grid management controller (110) is further configured to generate a verified participation record comprising the consumer identifier and the verified consumption reduction.
The token generation circuit (112), operatively coupled to the electricity grid management controller (110), is configured to generate a digital token corresponding to the verified consumption reduction and associate the digital token with the consumer identifier using the cryptographic processor (112a). The digital token is stored in the token registry database (116) and transmitted to the user interface (102) via the notification interface (114).
Upon generation of the digital token, the system (100) is configured to initiate automated disbursement of the incentive amount to the consumer bank account associated with the consumer identifier through the disbursement interface, thereby completing the incentive disbursement workflow following the demand response event.
Advantageously, the present disclosure provides a system (100) configured to enable automated verification of consumer participation in demand response events using electricity consumption data obtained from a plurality of electricity meters (108). The system (100) establishes a baseline consumption profile using historical consumption data and computes verified consumption reduction during an event time slot, thereby enabling objective and data-driven validation of participation. The token generation circuit (112), comprising a cryptographic processor (112a), enables secure generation of digital tokens representing verified participation and associated incentive value, while the token registry database (116) enables reliable storage, validation, audit tracking, and management and tracking of digital tokens associated with demand response events. Further, the disbursement interface enables automated value transfer to a consumer bank account associated with a consumer identifier without manual intervention. The system (100) supports multiple value transfer mechanisms, including real-time payment rails and scheduled settlement systems, thereby enabling flexible deployment across utility infrastructures. Integration of the user interface (102), demand response management sub-system (104), meter data acquisition unit (106), electricity grid management controller (110), and token-based incentive workflow enables end-to-end automation of demand response participation verification and incentive disbursement, improves consumer engagement, reduces administrative overhead, and supports scalable implementation across large consumer populations.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment but are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
The disclosed system (100) will now be explained with the help of hypothetical non-limiting anecdotal examples as stated herein below:
In an exemplary operational scenario, a residential consumer enrolled in a demand response program receives, through the user interface (102), a trigger corresponding to a demand response event generated by the electricity grid management controller (110) and transmitted via the demand response management sub-system (104). The consumer confirms participation using the user interface (102) prior to the defined event time slot.
During the event time slot, electricity consumption data associated with the consumer is measured by an electricity meter (108). The meter communication interface (106a) of the meter data acquisition unit (106) receives interval-wise consumption data from the electricity meter (108) and provides the consumption data to the electricity grid management controller (110).
The electricity grid management controller (110) establishes a baseline consumption profile using historical consumption data corresponding to the event time slot from baseline days preceding the event day. The electricity grid management controller (110) determines actual consumption during the event time slot and computes a verified consumption reduction based on a comparison of the baseline consumption profile and the actual consumption. The electricity grid management controller (110) then generates a verified participation record comprising the consumer identifier and the verified consumption reduction.
The verified consumption reduction and the consumer identifier are provided to the token generation circuit (112), which generates a digital token using the cryptographic processor (112a). The generated digital token is stored in the token registry database (116) and transmitted to the user interface (102) via the notification interface (114).
Upon generation of the digital token, the system (100) automatically initiates an instant value transfer to the consumer bank account associated with the consumer identifier using a real-time payment rail, including Unified Payments Interface (UPI) or Immediate Payment Service (IMPS).
In an embodiment, the incentive corresponding to the verified consumption reduction is credited to the consumer bank account substantially immediately after validation of the digital token, for example, within one hour of completion of the demand response event, thereby reinforcing consumer participation and improving responsiveness of the demand response program.
In another exemplary operational scenario, a consumer participating in a demand response program confirms participation in a demand response event using the user interface (102) after receiving a trigger from the demand response management sub-system (104).
Electricity consumption data during the event time slot is obtained by the meter data acquisition unit (106) from one or more electricity meters (108), AMI systems, or Meter Data Management Systems (MDMS), and is provided to the electricity grid management controller (110). The electricity grid management controller (110) computes a verified consumption reduction using the baseline consumption profile and the measured consumption data and generates a verified participation record comprising the consumer identifier and the verified consumption reduction.
The token generation circuit (112) generates a digital token corresponding to the verified consumption reduction and stores the digital token in the token registry database (116). The notification interface (114) transmits the digital token to the user interface (102).
Following the generation of the digital token, the disbursement interface initiates a value transfer using a scheduled settlement mechanism, including Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), utility billing credit systems, or enterprise payment-processing systems integrated with the demand response platform.
In an embodiment, the value transfer is credited to the consumer bank account within a predefined settlement period, such as within 1 hour to 24 hours or less from validation of the digital token, depending on the settlement workflow of the selected payment system.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The present disclosure described hereinabove has several technical advantages, including, but not limited to, the realization of a system and a method for managing demand response events with automated incentive disbursement, that:
• enables coordinated operation of a user interface , a demand response management sub-system, a meter data acquisition unit, and an electricity grid management controller for managing consumer participation during demand response events;
• enables timely delivery of incentives to consumers participating in demand response events through automated digital-token-based incentive issuance and incentive disbursement workflows;
• enables reliable verification of consumer participation using electricity consumption data received from a plurality of electricity meters through the meter data acquisition unit;
• enables performance-based incentive determination by computing verified consumption reduction using a comparison between a baseline consumption profile and actual consumption during an event time slot;
• enables near-real-time generation and issuance of digital tokens corresponding to verified participation using a token generation circuit comprising a cryptographic processor;
• enables improved consumer engagement in demand response programs through mobile-application-based participation confirmation, notification delivery, and automated incentive disbursement mechanisms;
• enables a transparent and auditable incentive disbursement mechanism using a token registry database configured to store token metadata, and audit information;
• reduces delays associated with conventional billing-cycle-based incentive delivery mechanisms by enabling automated value transfer based on the generated digital token;
• enables secure and scalable incentive distribution architecture through cryptographic token generation, database-based validation, and automated incentive disbursement workflows; and
• enables flexible participation models including single-time enrollment confirmation and event-specific confirmation, accommodating different demand response program designs and consumer preferences.
The aspect herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation. , Claims:WE CLAIM:
1. A system (100) for managing power consumption during demand response events, said system (100) comprising:
• a meter data acquisition unit (106) comprising a meter communication interface (106a) configured to receive electricity consumption data from a plurality of electricity meters (108) for a demand response event having a defined event time slot on an event day;
• at least one electricity grid management controller (110) communicatively coupled to said demand response management sub-system (104) to receive said consumption data therefrom, said electricity grid management controller (110) being configured to:
o establish a baseline consumption profile for said event time slot using historical consumption data corresponding to said event time slot from a plurality of baseline days preceding said event day,
o determine an actual consumption during said event time slot on said event day using said consumption data received from said meter data acquisition unit (106),
o compute a verified consumption reduction based on a comparison of said baseline consumption profile and said actual consumption, and
o generate a verified participation record comprising a consumer identifier associated with said consumer and said verified consumption reduction;
• a token generation circuit (112) operatively coupled to said electricity grid management controller (110) to receive said verified consumption reduction and said consumer identifier therefrom, said token generation circuit (112) being configured to generate a digital token corresponding to said verified consumption reduction and to associate said digital token with said consumer identifier; and
• a notification interface (114) communicatively coupled to said token generation circuit (112) to receive said digital token therefrom and configured to transmit said digital token to a consumer device associated with said consumer identifier.
2. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a user interface (102) accessible via said consumer device, configured to receive a consumer input confirming participation in response to a trigger of said demand response event.
3. The system (100) as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a demand response management sub-system (104) communicatively coupled to said user interface (102) to receive said confirmation of participation therefrom, and communicatively coupled to said electricity grid management controller (110) to provide said confirmation of participation thereto.
4. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said demand response event comprises an event in which the available power supply is expected to be insufficient to meet forecasted electricity demand during said event time slot.
5. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electricity grid management controller (110) is further configured to trigger said demand response event based on at least one grid condition selected from the group consisting of: grid frequency below a threshold frequency, grid voltage below a threshold voltage, predicted peak demand exceeding available generation capacity during said event time slot, and a signal from a grid balancing authority, and wherein said demand response management sub-system (104) is configured to generate and transmit said trigger to the consumer via said user interface (102).
6. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said historical consumption data comprises consumption data measured during said event time slot on each of a predetermined number of baseline days immediately preceding said event day.
7. The system (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein said electricity grid management controller (110) is configured to establish said baseline consumption profile by calculating an average of said consumption data measured during said event time slot across said predetermined number of baseline days.
8. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said token generation circuit (112) comprises a cryptographic processor (112a) configured to generate said digital token using at least one cryptographic technique selected from the group consisting of: a hash function applied to said consumer identifier and said verified consumption reduction, a digital signature algorithm, and a blockchain-based issuance protocol.
9. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a token registry database (116) communicatively coupled to said token generation circuit (112), said token registry database (116) being configured to store said digital token in association with said consumer identifier and token metadata corresponding to said demand response event.
10. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1 and 9, further comprising a disbursement interface configured to initiate a value transfer to a consumer bank account associated with said consumer identifier based on said digital token, wherein said value transfer comprises at least one value transfer mechanism selected from the group consisting of: an electronic funds transfer, a bill credit applied to an electricity account, a voucher, a gift card, a loyalty points credit, and a cryptocurrency transfer.
11. The system (100) as claimed in claim 10, wherein said electronic funds transfer comprises an instant payment via a real-time payment rail selected from the group consisting of: Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), Faster Payments, and equivalent real-time payment systems.
12. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electricity grid management controller (110) is configured to establish said baseline consumption profile using at least one baseline estimation technique selected from the group consisting of: a rolling average calculation across said baseline days, a weather-adjusted average, a regression-based model using historical consumption data, and a machine learning model trained on consumption data from said event time slot on baseline days.
13. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said consumption data comprises interval-wise data received from at least one data source selected from the group consisting of: smart meters, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) systems, Meter Data Management Systems (MDMS), and grid sensors.
14. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an enrollment module (118) configured to register said consumer identifier and to associate said consumer identifier with at least one identifier selected from the group consisting of: a meter identifier corresponding to an electricity meter associated with said consumer, a consumer device identifier corresponding to said user interface (102), and a payment identifier corresponding to a consumer bank account.
15. The system (100) as claimed in claim 14, wherein said enrollment module (118) is communicatively coupled to said demand response management sub-system (104) to provide said consumer identifier and associated identifiers thereto.
16. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said token generation circuit (112) is configured to generate said digital token based on at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: a magnitude of said verified consumption reduction, a time of said event time slot, a type of said demand response event, and dynamic pricing data received from said electricity grid management controller (110) for said event time slot.
17. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said digital token comprises at least one token format selected from the group consisting of: a machine-readable code, a cryptographic token, a data structure having predefined fields, and a smart contract executable on a distributed ledger.
18. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electricity grid management controller (110) is configured to execute said comparison using at least one comparison technique selected from the group consisting of: a subtraction algorithm, a statistical comparison, and a machine learning classifier.
19. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said token generation circuit (112) is configured to generate said digital token in real-time or near-real-time upon computation of said verified consumption reduction.
20. A method (200) for managing power consumption during demand response events, said method (200) comprising:
• triggering, by an electricity grid management controller (110), a demand response event having a defined event time slot on an event day;
• receiving, by a meter data acquisition unit (106) comprising a meter communication interface (106a), consumption data from a plurality of electricity meters (108) associated with a plurality of consumers for said demand response event;
• providing, by said meter data acquisition unit (106), said consumption data to said electricity grid management controller (110);
• establishing, by said electricity grid management controller (110), a baseline consumption profile for said event time slot using historical consumption data corresponding to said event time slot from a plurality of baseline days preceding said event day;
• determining, by said electricity grid management controller (110), actual consumption during said event time slot on said event day using said consumption data;
• computing, by said electricity grid management controller (110), a verified consumption reduction based on a comparison of said baseline consumption profile and said actual consumption;
• generating, by said electricity grid management controller (110), a verified participation record comprising a consumer identifier associated with said consumer and said verified consumption reduction;
• providing, by said electricity grid management controller (110), said verified consumption reduction and said consumer identifier to a token generation circuit (112);
• generating, by said token generation circuit (112), a digital token corresponding to said verified consumption reduction and associating said digital token with said consumer identifier;
• providing, by said token generation circuit (112), said digital token to a notification interface (114); and
• transmitting, by said notification interface (114), said digital token to said user interface (102) on said consumer device.
21. The method (200) as claimed in claim 20, wherein prior to receiving said consumption data, said method (200) comprises:
• transmitting, by a demand response management sub-system (104), said trigger to a user interface (102) executable on said consumer device;
• receiving, by said user interface (102), a consumer input confirming participation in said demand response event;
• transmitting, by said user interface (102), said confirmation of participation to said demand response management sub-system (104); and
• providing, by said demand response management sub-system (104), said confirmation of participation to said electricity grid management controller (110).
22. The method (200) as claimed in claim 20, wherein upon transmitting the digital token, said method (200) comprises initiating a value transfer, by a disbursement interface, to a consumer bank account associated with said consumer identifier.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said value transfer comprises at least one value transfer mechanism selected from the group consisting of: an electronic funds transfer, a bill credit applied to an electricity account, a voucher, a gift card, a loyalty points credit, and a cryptocurrency transfer.

Dated this 05th Day of March 2026

_______________________________
MOHAN RAJKUMAR DEWAN, IN/PA – 25
OF R. K. DEWAN & CO.
AUTHORIZED AGENT OF APPLICANT

TO,
THE CONTROLLER OF PATENTS
THE PATENT OFFICE, AT MUMBAI