Determining Energy Consumption in a Structure

• US 20120203380A1
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netesco, LLC
• Original Assignee: Netesco, LLC
• Inventors: Scelzi, Michael Craig, Scelzi, James, Vaitses, Allan H., Bonwell, William Shawn, Hartman, Mark Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,207,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/026 arrangements for monitoring a plurality of temperatures, e.g. by multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 17/20 across a radiating surface, combined with ascertainment of the heat transmission coefficient materials therefor G01K17/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/04 the object to be measured not forming one of the thermoelectric materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/18 by investigating thermal conductivity by calorimetry G01N25/20; by measuring change of resistance of an electrically-heated body G01N27/18
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/00 Arrangements for measuring electric power or power factor G01R7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1393 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/20 using renewable energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/84 Greenhouse gas [GHG] management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49007 Indicating transducer

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems are provided for measuring the supply of a consumable product/energy source, such as electrical power, to a facility over time and analyzing the measurements to determine the consumption or supply of the product by one or more loads and/or sources in the facility, and to determine induced and residual heat flow through the facility'"'"'s envelope. Various aspects compare the measured supply of the consumable product to a database of consumption signatures, which characterize access to the consumable product by particular users. Operating conditions and facility characteristics, such as temperatures, load factors, insulation factors, etc., may be further considered in determining a particular user'"'"'s access of the consumable product. To aid in the controlling of energy use, thermal resistance factors of the building are determined, which are based on the induced and residual heat flow through the facility.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, with an automated data collection processor, measurements of inside and outside environments of a building envelope, and measurements of one or more measured energy sources supplied through a building envelope; and

determining with the processor;

an induced heat flow through the building envelope produced by the one or more measured energy sources,

a residual heat flow through the building envelope based on the induced heat flow and changes in the inside and the outside environments, and

a thermal resistance of the building envelope based on the calculated residual heat flow and the changes between the inside and the outside environments.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the automated processor calculates the thermal resistance as a time function of the inside and outside environments approaching equilibrium, while the one or more measured energy sources have been inhibited from entering the building envelope.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the thermal resistance is based on the inside and outside environments measured until the inside environment reaches equilibrium with the outside environment.

4. The method of claim 2, further including:

determining a thermal mass within the building envelope.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

including within a construction contract, a requirement that the building envelope meet a required thermal resistance which meets the determined thermal resistance.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

including within the construction contract, a requirement for determining monetary loss due to a difference between the required thermal resistance and the determined thermal resistance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermal resistance is determined to include conduction, infiltration, and solar radiation components of heat flow.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically updating the thermal resistance, wherein the measurements of inside and outside environments and the one or more measured energy sources supplied through the building envelope are monitored in real-time at a predetermined rate of sampling.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

autonomously controlling the inside environment with a climate control system, based on the periodically updated thermal resistance, and a forecasted outside environment.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the autonomous controlling of the inside environment with the climate control system is further based on a thermal mass within the building envelope and a varying cost rate of at least one of the one or more measured energy sources.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining variations in the thermal resistance resulting from variations over time of at least one of;

the inside environment, the outside environment, and one of the measured energy sources.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more measured energy sources includes human occupants, and wherein heat flow through the building envelope produced by the human occupants is determined by measured heat signatures of the human occupants entering the building envelope.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the inside environment with one or more temperature transducers embedded between layers of material forming the building envelope.

14. An apparatus comprising one or more processors and memory storing instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

receive measurements of inside and outside environments of the building envelope, and measurements of one or more measured energy sources supplied through a building envelope;

determine an induced heat flow through a building envelope produced by the one or more measured energy sources;

determine a residual heat flow through the building envelope based on the induced heat flow and changes in the inside and the outside environments, and

determine a thermal resistance of the building envelope based on the calculated residual heat flow and the changes between the inside and the outside environments.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to calculate the thermal resistance as a time function of the inside and outside environments approaching equilibrium, while the one or more measured energy sources have been inhibited from entering the building envelope.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the thermal resistance is based on the inside and outside environments measured until the inside environment reaches equilibrium with the outside environment.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to determine a thermal mass within the building envelope.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the thermal resistance is determined to include conduction, infiltration, and solar radiation components of heat flow.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to periodically update the thermal resistance, wherein the measurements of inside and outside environments and the one or more measured energy sources supplied through the building envelope are monitored in real-time at a predetermined rate of sampling.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to autonomously control the inside environment with a climate control system, based on the periodically updated thermal resistance, and a forecasted outside environment.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the autonomous controlling of the inside environment with the climate control system is further based on a thermal mass within the building envelope and a varying cost rate of at least one of the one or more measured energy sources.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to determine variations in the thermal resistance resulting from variations over time of at least one of:

the inside environment, the outside environment, and one of the measured energy sources.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the one or more measured energy sources includes human occupants, and wherein heat flow through the building envelope produced by the human occupants is determined by measured heat signatures of the human occupants entering the building envelope.

24. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to monitor the inside environment with one or more temperature transducers embedded between layers of material forming the building envelope.