SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EVALUATING CHANGES IN THE EFFICIENCY OF AN HVAC SYSTEM

• US 20100070234A1
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EcoFactor, Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: EcoFactor, Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Hublou, Scott Douglas, Steinberg, John Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/130
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/00 Control inputs relating to environmental factors not covered by group F24F2110/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/10 Weather information or forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/005 Testing of complete machines, e.g. washing-machines or mobile phones testing of machine parts G01M13/00; testing of electric apparatus or components G01R31/50

Abstract

The invention comprises systems and methods for evaluating changes in the operational efficiency of an HVAC system over time. The climate control system obtains temperature measurements from at least a first location conditioned by the climate system, and status of said HVAC system. One or more processors receives measurements of outside temperatures from at least one source other than said HVAC system and compares said temperature measurements from said first location with expected temperature measurements. The expected temperature measurements are based at least in part upon past temperature measurements.

Claims

1. A system for evaluating changes in the operational efficiency of an HVAC system over time comprising:

at least one HVAC control system that receives temperature measurements from at least a first location conditioned by at least one HVAC system, and receives status of said HVAC system;

one or more processors that receive measurements of outside temperatures from at least one source other than said HVAC system and compare said temperature measurements from said first location with expected temperature measurements wherein the expected temperature measurements are based at least in part upon past temperature measurements and said outside temperature measurements; and

one or more databases that store at least said temperature measurements obtained from said first location over time.

2. A system as in claim 1 in which said processors receive measurements of outside temperatures for geographic regions such as ZIP codes from sources other than said HVAC control systems.

3. A system as in claim 1 wherein said temperature measurements are obtained from a programmable thermostat that communicates using the Internet.

4. A system as in claim 1 in which said processors communicate with said HVAC system using a network that includes an electricity meter.

5. A system as in claim 1 in which said HVAC system includes a programmable thermostat and said programmable thermostat is the sole source for current data regarding temperature inside said location conditioned by said HVAC system.

6. A system as in claim 1 in which said HVAC system measures inside said first location at only one physical location.

7. A system as in claim 1 in which the status of said HVAC system includes whether said system is “

on”

or “

off”

.

8. A system for detecting and correcting for anomalous behavior in HVAC control systems comprising:

a first HVAC control system that receives temperature measurements from at least a first location conditioned by at least one HVAC system, and receives status of said HVAC system;

at least a second HVAC control system that obtains temperature measurements from at least a second location conditioned by a second HVAC system, and status of said second HVAC system;

one or more processors that receive measurements of outside temperatures from at least one source other than said first and second HVAC systems and compare said temperature measurements from said first HVAC system and said second HVAC system and said outside temperature measurements; and

one or more databases that store said temperatures measurements.

9. A system as in claim 8 in which said processors receive said outside temperature measurements for geographic regions such as ZIP codes from sources other than said HVAC control systems.

10. A system as in claim 8 wherein said temperature measurements are obtained from a programmable thermostat that communicates with said HVAC control system using the Internet.

11. A system as in claim 8 in which said processors communicate with said HVAC system using a network that includes an electricity meter.

12. A system as in claim 8 in which said HVAC system includes a programmable thermostat and said programmable thermostat is the sole source for current data regarding temperature inside said location conditioned by said HVAC system.

13. A system as in claim 8 in which said HVAC system measures inside said first location at only one physical location.

14. A system as in claim 8 in which the status of said HVAC system includes whether said HVAC system is “

on”

or “

off”

.

15. A method for evaluating changes in the operational efficiency of an HVAC system over time comprising:

storing temperature measurements from at least a first location conditioned by an HVAC system; and

comparing said temperature measurements from said first location with expected temperature measurements wherein the expected temperature measurements are based at least in part upon past temperature measurements and based at least in part on outside temperature measurements from a second location.

16. The method as in claim 15 wherein said outside temperature measurements are for geographic regions such as ZIP codes from sources other than said HVAC system.

17. The method in claim 15 further comprising communicating with a programmable thermostat associated with said HVAC system using the Internet.

18. The method as in claim 15 further comprising communicating with said HVAC system using a network that includes an electricity meter.

19. The method as in claim 15 wherein a programmable thermostat associated with said HVAC system is the sole source for current data regarding temperature inside the first location conditioned by said HVAC system.

20. The method as in claim 15 further comprising whether the status of said HVAC system is “

on”

or “

off”

.