System and method for optimizing daylight harvesting in distributed sites

• US 10,314,139 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2016
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Subbarayalu Venkitapathi, Prabhu Raja, Singh, Jasmine, Mandal, Subhasis, Nath, Baijayanta
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, Dedei K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chai, Raymond R
• Application Number:
  US15/078,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20170265271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/03 Sky-lights; Domes; Ventilating sky-lights E04D13/14 takes precedence; structures therefor, e.g. dormer windows E04B7/18; saw-tooth roofs with light-transmission E04B7/12
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 19/005 Combining sunlight and electric light sources for indoor illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A lighting control system for optimizing operation of skylights of distributed sites to facilitate daylight harvesting comprises a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory stores processor instructions, which causes the processor to identify skylight-linked lighting circuits from a plurality of lighting circuits by analyzing site configuration data, site instrumentation data, and ambient data, and determine interception points configured for each identified skylight-linked lighting circuit to switch from daylight utilization to electric consumption and to switch from electric consumption to daylight utilization. The processor is further caused to derive an optimum logic for the operation of skylight linked lighting circuits based on the interception points and current operating schedule of the skylight linked lighting circuits and optimize the operation of the skylights based on the optimum logic.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing operation of one or more skylights of one or more distributed sites to facilitate daylight harvesting, the method comprising:

identifying, by a lighting control system, one or more skylight-linked lighting circuits from a plurality of lighting circuits by analyzing at least one of site configuration data, site instrumentation data, or ambient data;

determining, by the lighting control system, interception points configured for each identified skylight-linked lighting circuit to switch from daylight utilization to electric consumption and to switch from electric consumption to daylight utilization, wherein the interception points are determined based on at least one of the site configuration data, the site instrumentation data or the ambient data;

deriving, by the lighting control system, a second operation schedule for the operation of one or more skylight linked lighting circuits based on the interception points and current operation schedule of the skylight linked lighting circuits;

detecting, by the lighting control system, deviations in the operation of the one or more skylights based on the derived second operation schedule;

identifying, by the lighting control system, one or more causes of the deviations by correlating the ambient data with the site instrumentation data and the site configuration data;

deriving, by the lighting control system, a corrective action for each deviation based on analysis of at least one of the one or more causes, the site configuration data, operational limitations of the skylight linked lighting circuits, historical data related to the operation of the one or more skylights, comparison with peer sites, or corrective action database;

prioritizing, by the lighting control system, the corrective actions corresponding to the deviations based on a quantum of deviation or cost associated with the corrective action; and

implementing, by the lighting control system, the corrective action corresponding to the deviations based on the prioritization to optimize the operation of the one or more skylights.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating, by the lighting control system, at least one of an alert or a report corresponding to one or more deviations upon detection of the deviations to optimize the operation of the one or more skylights.

3. The method claim 1, wherein the one or more causes of the deviations are identified by comparing operation of the skylight linked lighting circuits of the one or more distributed sites.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the site instrumentation data comprises run-hours data, lighting asset status data, a lighting schedule, skylight sensor readings data, dimmer presence and modulation of dimmers data, and consumption intensity of lighting circuit data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the site configuration data comprises a lighting schedule, configured interception points, configured set points, and an operating pattern of the skylight linked circuits.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying one or more skylight linked lighting circuits further comprises monitoring, by the lighting control system, variation in at least one of the consumption intensity of each lighting circuit, run-hours data and skylight sensor readings data based on the ambient data or the current operation schedule of the skylight.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second operation schedule is further derived based on site configuration data, comparison with peer sites, and operational limitations of the skylight-linked lighting circuits.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the interception points comprises at least one of a visibility level, a cloudiness level, or skylight sensor readings data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying one or more skylight linked circuits from a plurality of lighting circuits further comprises:

detecting, by the lighting control system, presence of the one or more skylights in a site based on analysis of at least one of the site configuration data, the site instrumentation data, the ambient data, site satellite images, or street view of the site; and

identifying, by the lighting control system, the one or more skylight linked lighting circuits from the plurality of lighting circuits corresponding to each skylight upon detecting presence of the one or more skylights.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the detecting presence of the one or more skylights in the building further comprises:

verifying, by the lighting control system, skylight sensor readings data associated with the one or more skylights by correlating the skylight sensor readings data with at least one of cloudiness level, visibility level, sunset time, or sunrise time.

11. A lighting control system for optimizing operation of one or more skylights of one or more distributed sites to facilitate daylight harvesting, the lighting control system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores processor instructions, which on execution, causes the processor to;

identify one or more skylight-linked lighting circuits from a plurality of lighting circuits by analyzing at least one of site configuration data, site instrumentation data, or ambient data;

determine interception points configured for each identified skylight-linked lighting circuit to switch from daylight utilization to electric consumption and to switch from electric consumption to daylight utilization, wherein the interception points are determined based on at least one of the site configuration data, the site instrumentation data or the ambient data; and

derive an second operation schedule for the operation of one or more skylight linked lighting circuits based on the interception points and current operating schedule of the skylight linked lighting circuits;

detect deviations in the operation of the one or more skylights based on the derived second operation schedule;

identify one or more causes of the deviations by correlating the ambient data with the site instrumentation data and the site configuration data;

derive a corrective action for each deviation based on analysis of at least one of the one or more causes, the site configuration data, operational limitations of the skylight linked lighting circuits, historical data related to the operation of the one or more skylights, comparison with peer sites, or corrective action database;

prioritize the corrective actions corresponding to the deviations based on a quantum of deviation or cost associated with the corrective action; and

implement the corrective action corresponding to the deviations based on the prioritization to optimize the operation of the one or more skylights.

12. The lighting control system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate at least one of an alert or report corresponding to one or more deviations upon detection of the deviations.

13. The lighting control system of claim 11, wherein the site instrumentation data comprises run-hours data, lighting asset status data, a lighting schedule, skylight sensor readings data, dimmer presence and modulation of dimmers data, and consumption intensity of lighting circuit data.

14. The lighting control system of claim 11, wherein the site configuration data comprises a lighting schedule, configured interception points, configured set points, and an operating pattern of the skylight linked lighting circuits.

15. The lighting control system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

monitor variation in at least one of the consumption intensity of each lighting circuit, run-hours data or skylight sensor readings data based on the ambient data and the current operation schedule of the skylight to identify one or more skylight linked circuits.

16. The lighting control system of claim 11, wherein the second operation schedule is further derived based on one or more optimization parameters, wherein the one or more optimization parameters comprises site configuration data, comparison with peer sites, and operational limitations of the skylight-linked lighting circuits.

17. The lighting control system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to:

detect presence of the one or more skylights is a site based on analysis of at least one of the site configuration data, the site instrumentation data, the ambient data, site satellite images, or street view of the site; and

identify the one or more skylight linked lighting circuits from the plurality of lighting circuits corresponding to each skylight upon detection presence of the one or more skylights.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for optimizing operation of one or more skylights of one or more distributed sites to facilitate daylight harvesting, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

identify one or more skylight-linked lighting circuits from a plurality of lighting circuits by analyzing at least one of site configuration data, site instrumentation data, or ambient data;

determine interception points configured for each identified skylight-linked lighting circuit to switch from daylight utilization to electric consumption and to switch from electric consumption to daylight utilization, wherein the interception points are determined based on at least one of the site configuration data, the site instrumentation data or the ambient data; and

derive an second operation schedule for the operation of one or more skylight linked lighting circuits based on the interception points and current operating schedule of the skylight linked lighting circuits;

detect deviations in the operation of the one or more skylights based on the derived second operation schedule;

identify one or more causes of the deviations by correlating the ambient data with the site instrumentation data and the site configuration data;

derive a corrective action for each deviation based on analysis of at least one of the one or more causes, the site configuration data, operational limitations of the skylight linked lighting circuits, historical data related to the operation of the one or more skylights, comparison with peer sites, or corrective action database;

prioritize the corrective actions corresponding to the deviations based on a quantum of deviation or cost associated with the corrective action; and

implement the corrective action corresponding to the deviations based on the prioritization to optimize the operation of the one or more skylights.