Evaluating Energy Saving Improvements

• US 20100305998A1
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Empowered Energy Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Empowered Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: de la Torre Bueno, Ted, de la Torre Bueno, Jose
• Application Number:
  US12/768,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20100305998A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/163 Real estate management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/82 Energy audits or management systems therefor

Abstract

A computer is used for obtaining information about a plural number of energy-saving measures. This can include information about costs of combinations of said energy-saving measures, said costs include first information about costs of making the measures, second information about rebates for the measures, and third information about energy-saving that will occur from the measures, where at least some of said third information will depend on said combinations of said energy-saving measures. An iterative algorithm is used which determines combinations and which determines which of the combinations produce maximum savings by combinations of the said first, second and third information. A report can be created.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

using the computer for obtaining information about a plural number of energy-saving measures;

using the computer for determining information about costs of combinations of said energy-saving measures, said costs include first information about costs of making the measures, second information about rebates for the measures, and third information about energy-saving that will occur from the measures, where at least some of said third information will depend on said combinations of said energy-saving measures;

running an iterative algorithm which determines combinations and which determines which of said combinations produce maximum savings by combinations of the said first, second and third information; and

producing a report indicative of a combination determined by said using.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said iterative algorithm is one which evaluates multiple different combinations according to a figure of merit.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said iterative algorithm defines the solution which is not necessarily an optimum solution.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein said iterative algorithm is an evolutionary algorithm.

5. A method as in claim 4, wherein said evolutionary algorithm is one which finds a number of possible combinations of said first, second and third information, evaluates each of said number of combinations, maintains best ones of said possible combinations, and forms a next generation of possible solutions by randomly combining elements of said best ones and repeats until exit criterion are met.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein said iterative algorithm exits without necessarily determining an ideal result.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein said iterative algorithm exits after a specified total number of iterations.

8. A method as in claim 6, wherein said iterative algorithm exits after a specified amount of computational processing time.

9. A method as in claim 6, wherein said iterative algorithm exits after a specified successive changes in the solution(s) figure(s) of merit are less than a specified amount.

10. A method as in claim 5, wherein said evolutionary algorithm introduces random changes into at least some of the values.

11. A method as in claim 1, wherein said information includes information about energy-saving measures which must occur together where if they do not occur together, little or no savings are occurred.

12. A method as in claim 1, wherein said information includes information about modifications where one modification makes another modification moot.

13. An energy reduction system, comprising:

A computer which is programmed for obtaining information about a plural number of energy-saving measures, and to determine information about costs of combinations of said energy-saving measures, said costs include first information about costs of making the measures, second information about rebates for the measures, and third information about energy-saving that will occur from the measures, where at least some of said third information will depend on said combinations of said energy-saving measures and to run running an iterative algorithm which determines combinations and which determines which of said combinations produce maximum savings by combinations of the said first, second and third information; and

producing a report indicative of a combination determined.

14. A system as in claim 13, wherein said iterative algorithm is one which evaluates multiple different combinations according to a figure of merit.

15. A system as in claim 13, wherein said iterative algorithm repeats until determining an ending condition, where at said ending condition, a result is obtained which is not necessarily an optimum solution.

16. A system as in claim 15, wherein said iterative algorithm is an evolutionary algorithm.

17. A system as in claim 16, wherein said evolutionary algorithm is one which finds a number of possible combinations of said first, second and third information, evaluates each of said number of combinations, maintains best ones of said possible combinations, and forms a next generation of possible solutions by randomly combining elements of said best ones and repeats until exit criterion are met.

18. A system as in claim 15, wherein said information includes information about energy-saving measures which must occur together where if they do not occur together, little or no savings are occurred.

19. A system as in claim 15, wherein said information includes information about modifications where one modification makes another modification moot.

20. A method, comprising:

using the computer for obtaining information about a plural number of energy-saving measures;

using the computer for determining information about costs of combinations of said energy-saving measures, said costs include at least first information about costs of making the measures, and second information about energy-saving that will occur from the measures, where at least some of said second information depend on non-linear combinations of said first information energy-saving measures;

running an iterative algorithm which determines combinations of said first and second information and which determines which of said combinations produce maximum savings by combinations of the said first and second information, and continues evaluating combinations according to a figure of merit and finding a solution which is not necessarily an optimum solution until an exit condition is met, where said exit condition is not related to said solution; and

producing a report indicative of a combination determined by said using.

21. A method as in claim 20, wherein said iterative algorithm exits after a specified total number of iterations.

22. A method as in claim 20, wherein said iterative algorithm exits after a specified amount of computational processing time.

23. A method as in claim 20, wherein said iterative algorithm exits after a specified successive changes in the solution(s) figure(s) of merit are less than a specified amount.