APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING LOAD OF ENERGY CONSUMING APPLIANCES WITHIN A PREMISES

• US 20110106316A1
• Filed: 01/12/2011
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Comfort Control LP (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Drew, David Scott, Luo, Xingwen
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/278
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value

Abstract

A controller in communication with one or more energy consuming appliances for a premises includes a transmitter device for transmitting wireless signals to a utility meter to request an energy consumption reading, and a receiver device to receive wireless signals including energy consumption information. The controller is configured to receive a signal from an energy consuming appliance indicating the appliance was actuated, and to responsively transmit a signal to the utility meter to request an energy consumption reading and thereafter receive a signal including an energy consumption value. Following deactivation of the appliance, the controller is configured to transmit a signal to the utility meter to request an energy consumption reading, and thereafter receive a signal from the meter including another energy consumption value. The controller is configured to determine from a difference between the energy consumption values an estimate of the energy consumption level associated with the appliance.

Claims

1. A thermostat for monitoring the energy consumption associated with an HVAC unit having an electrically powered compressor, comprising:

a sensor that provides an output indicative of a temperature within a space of a premises;

a processor for controlling activation of at least the compressor of the HVAC unit to control the temperature in the space relative to a desired set-point temperature, the processor being configured to receive energy consumption information from a utility meter for the premises prior to activation of the compressor and subsequent to activation of the compressor, and further configured to estimate the energy consumption of the HVAC unit based at least in part upon the difference between the energy consumption prior to activation and the energy consumption subsequent to activation of the compressor; and

a display that displays an indication of the energy consumption of the HVAC system based at least in part upon the estimate.

2. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the thermostat is configured to monitor the duration of time in which the compressor is activated.

3. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the thermostat is configured to receive consumption information from a utility meter supplying the HVAC unit.

4. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the thermostat is configured to receive energy consumption information via wireless signals from the utility meter.

5. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein the thermostat is configured to receive energy consumption information from a utility meter for the premises in terms of the rate of power usage expressed in units of kilowatts, such that the difference between energy consumption prior to and subsequent to activation of the compressor is indicative of an increase in the rate of power usage expressed in kilowatts, and the estimate of consumption is based on the increase in the rate of power usage and the time duration that the HVAC unit was activated.

6. The thermostat of claim 1 where the processor is configured to obtain information about consumption after deactivation of the compressor of the HVAC unit and to estimate consumption of the HVAC unit based at least in part upon the difference between the energy consumption prior to and subsequent to deactivation of the compressor.

7. The thermostat of claim 5, further comprising a gateway for enabling connection via the internet to a website, wherein the thermostat is configured to communicate the information on the energy consumption associated with the HVAC unit to the gateway to permit an energy service provider to access the information on the energy consumption for the HVAC unit.

8. The thermostat of claim 6, wherein the thermostat is configured to receive via the gateway a signal from an energy service provider requesting curtailment of operation of the HVAC unit based on the information on the energy consumption for the HVAC unit.

9. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the thermostat is configured to determine a sum of the energy consumption by the HVAC unit within a given time period and to display on the display device an indication of the energy consumption for the given time period.

10. The thermostat of claim 9, wherein the thermostat is configured to display on the display device an indication of the energy consumption for the given time period.

11. The thermostat of claim 2, further comprising a transmitter device configured to transmit wireless signals and a receiver device configured to receive wireless signals, wherein the processor is configured to communicate via the transmitter device to the utility meter to request energy consumption information prior to activation of the compressor, and to receive via the receiver device a first energy consumption value from the utility meter that is indicative of energy consumption for the premises prior to activation of the compressor.

12. The thermostat of claim 11, wherein after activation of the compressor the processor is configured to communicate via the transmitter device to the utility meter to request energy consumption information and to receive via the receiver device a second energy consumption value indicative of energy consumption after activation of the compressor, the processor being configured to determine, from a difference between the first and second energy consumption values, a first estimate of the energy consumption of the HVAC unit.

13. The thermostat of claim 11, wherein the difference between the first energy consumption value and the second energy consumption value is indicative of an increase in the rate of power usage expressed in kilowatts, and the consumption of the HVAC unit is estimated based on the increase in the rate of power usage and the time duration that the HVAC unit was activated.

14. The thermostat of claim 11, wherein after deactivation of the heat-pump or air-conditioning unit, the processor is configured to communicate via the transmitter device to the utility meter to request energy consumption information and to receive via the receiver device a third energy consumption value, and the processor is configured to determine from a difference between the second energy consumption value and the third energy consumption value a second estimate of the energy consumption for the HVAC unit.

15. The thermostat of claim 14, wherein the difference between the second and third energy consumption values is a decrease that is indicative of the rate of power usage of the HVAC unit expressed in kilowatts, and the processor is configured to estimate energy consumption of the HVAC unit based on the decrease in the rate of power usage and the time duration that the HVAC unit was activated.

16. The thermostat of claim 14 wherein the thermostat is configured to obtain energy consumption information from an electric utility meter in terms of the power usage expressed in units of kilowatt-hours, and the processor is configured to estimate energy consumption of the HVAC unit based on the difference between the third energy consumption value and the first energy consumption value, expressed in units of kilowatt-hours, for the time duration that the HVAC unit was activated.

17. A system including a thermostat and a gateway for monitoring energy consumption associated with an HVAC unit having an electrically powered compressor, comprising:

a sensor that provides an output indicative of the sensed temperature within a space of a premises;

a processor of the thermostat that is in communication with the sensor for controlling activation of at least a compressor of an HVAC unit for controlling the temperature in the space relative to a desired set-point temperature; and

a gateway in connection with the thermostat, for enabling connection via the internet to a website, the gateway including a transmitter for transmitting wireless signals to a utility meter for the premises to request energy consumption information and a receiver for receiving wireless signals including energy consumption information from the utility meter,

wherein the gateway is configured to receive from the thermostat information indicating that the compressor will be activated, and responsively transmit a signal to the utility meter to request energy consumption information and to receive a signal including a first energy consumption value, and

wherein the gateway is configured to transmit a signal to the utility meter after activation of the compressor to request energy consumption information, and to receive a signal including a second energy consumption value,

the gateway being further configured to estimate the energy consumption of the HVAC unit based at least in part upon the difference between the first energy consumption value and second energy consumption value.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the thermostat further includes a display configured to display an indication of the energy consumption of the HVAC system based at least in part upon the estimate.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the thermostat is configured to monitor the duration of time in which the compressor is activated.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the difference between the first energy consumption value and the second energy consumption value is indicative of an increase in the rate of power usage expressed in kilowatts, and the estimate of energy consumption of the HVAC unit is based on the increase in the rate of power usage and the time duration that the HVAC unit was activated.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein after deactivation of the compressor of the HVAC unit the gateway is configured to transmit a signal to the utility meter to request energy consumption information and to receive a signal from the utility meter including a third energy consumption value, and the gateway is further configured to determine, from a difference between the second energy consumption value and the third energy consumption value, a second estimate of energy consumption of the HVAC unit.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the difference between the second and third energy consumption values is a decrease that is indicative of the rate of power usage of the HVAC unit expressed in kilowatts, and the gateway is configured to estimate energy consumption of the HVAC unit based on the decrease in the rate of power usage and the time duration that the HVAC unit was activated.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the gateway is configured to communicate information indicative of the estimate of energy consumption of the HVAC unit via the Internet to an energy service provider.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the thermostat is configured to receive via the gateway a signal from an energy service provider requesting curtailment of operation of the HVAC unit based on the information on the energy consumption of the HVAC unit.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the thermostat is configured to determine a sum of the energy consumption by the HVAC unit within a given time period and to display on the display device an indication of the energy consumption for the given time period.

26. A thermostat for monitoring the energy consumption associated with an HVAC unit having an electrically powered compressor, comprising:

a sensor that provides an output indicative of a temperature within a space of a premises;

a processor for controlling activation of at least the compressor of the HVAC unit to control the temperature in the space relative to a desired set-point temperature, the processor being configured to receive energy consumption information from a utility meter for the premises prior to activation of the compressor and subsequent to activation of the compressor, and further configured to estimate the energy consumption of the HVAC unit based at least in part upon the difference between the energy consumption prior to activation and the energy consumption subsequent to activation of the compressor; and

a display that displays an indication of the energy consumption of the HVAC system based at least in part upon the estimate;

wherein the processor of the thermostat is configured to control the display to display a graph indicating an estimated cost of the energy consumed by the heat-pump or air-conditioning unit for each day within a given month.

27. A system for monitoring energy consumption for an energy consuming load in a premises that is supplied with power monitored by a utility meter, comprising:

a gateway in communication with a plurality of switch controls for a plurality of energy consuming loads in the premises, including one or more of a thermostat, an electric water heater, and a refrigerator of a premises, the gateway being is configured to receive a signal from one of the thermostat, the electric water heater and the refrigerator indicating that the energy consuming load is activated, and configured to receive energy consumption information from a utility meter for the premises when the energy consuming load is operating and when the energy consuming load is not operating, and further configured to estimate the energy consumption of the energy consuming load unit based at least in part upon the difference between the energy consumption during operation and the energy consumption during non-operation of the energy consuming load.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the gateway is configured to transmit a signal to the utility meter to request energy consumption information and to receive a signal from the utility meter including a first energy consumption value, and configured to transmit a signal to the utility meter after deactivation of the energy consuming load to request energy consumption information and thereafter receive a signal from the utility meter including a second energy consumption value, wherein the gateway is configured to determine, from a difference between the first and second energy consumption values, an estimate of the energy consumption associated with the energy consuming load.