REALIZATION OF ENERGY SAVINGS POTENTIAL THROUGH FEEDBACK

• US 20120310416A1
• Filed: 06/01/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energyhub Incorporated (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Energyhub Incorporated (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frader-Thompson, Seth, Tepper, Michele, Johnson, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,954,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• 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 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/961 Operator interface with visual structure or function dictated by intended use

Abstract

Feedback is provided to a user based on a setting for a set of energy consuming devices. While a user modifies a thermostat'"'"'s schedule or provides user commands to adjust a setting for the set of energy consuming devices, a user interface component generates feedback to the consumer in response to an adjusted setting based on a condition for a predetermined function. A positive feedback component generates a positive feedback, such as a positive image in the user interface if the setting meets or exceeds a recommended performance metric for an operational parameter for the set of energy consuming devices. A negative feedback component generates a negative feedback, such as a negative image if the setting meets or exceeds a second condition, such as a discouraged performance metric.

Claims

1. A control system, comprising:

a memory that stores computer-executable components;

a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the computer-executable components, the computer-executable components including;

a user interface component configured to receive a selection of a set of user commands related to at least one setting of a set of energy consuming devices; and

a feedback component configured to;

in response to reception of the set of user commands, generate feedback data related to and in conjunction with the at least one setting of the set of energy consuming devices.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the feedback component is further configured to:

in response to reception of the set of user commands, determine whether the received set of user commands adjust the at least one setting to satisfy a pre-defined condition associated with the set of energy consuming devices; and

in response to a determination that an adjustment of the at least one setting based on the received set of user commands satisfies the pre-defined condition, generate feedback including an indication of a quality of an impact of the selection of the set of user commands determined based on the pre-defined condition having been satisfied, for render by the user interface component.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein the pre-defined condition includes the received set of user commands meeting or exceeding a performance metric of an operation parameter related to operation of at least one of the set of energy consuming devices, the feedback including at least one of a positive image associated with the received set of user commands and a negative image associated with the received set of user commands satisfying the pre-defined condition.

4. The control system of claim 2, wherein the computer-executable components further comprise:

an optimization component configured to adjust the at least one setting of the set of energy consuming devices based on a set of predetermined operational programmed settings that meet or exceed the pre-defined condition;

a setting component configured to set and to display the at least one setting of the set of energy consuming devices, wherein, in response to reception of the set of user commands, the setting component is further configured to adjust the at least one setting of the set of energy consuming devices; and

a comparison component configured to receive home data of the set of energy consuming devices of a home, generate a comparison of the home data with home data of homes meeting a set of predetermined criteria and display the comparison via the user interface component.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable components further comprise:

a server component that is configured to generate an electronic message with at least one of an energy profile of the set of energy consuming devices, cost saving recommendations, CO₂ data, runtime data, on-site power consumption data, on-site power generation data, and on-site storage data for the set of energy consuming devices, and to generate an input command control with the electronic message that enables an input to be received that activates a recommendation associated with the set of energy consuming devices.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable components further comprise:

a command analysis component configured to analyze the received set of user commands, generate an analysis of the received set of user commands with respect to an adjustment from a first setting to a second setting of the set of energy consuming devices, and display the analysis via the user interface component as the feedback data that includes at least one of cost change feedback and energy consumption change feedback in response to the adjustment from the first setting to the second setting.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a memory storing computer-executable instructions;

a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the computer-executable instructions to at least;

receive a set of user commands related to at least one setting of a set of energy consuming devices, control operation of the set of energy consuming devices, and render feedback associated with a setting displayed from the received set of user commands.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor further facilitates execution of the computer-executable instructions to:

in response to reception of the set of user commands, determine whether the received set of user commands adjust the at least one setting to satisfy a pre-defined condition associated with the set of energy consuming devices; and

in response to a determination that an adjustment of the at least one setting based on the received set of user commands satisfies the pre-defined condition, generate feedback including an indication of a quality of an impact of the set of user commands determined based on the pre-defined condition having been satisfied, for render by a user interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to generate a positive feedback indicating the quality of the impact of the set of user commands to be an increase of a pre-defined positive characteristic of the set of energy consuming devices based on the pre-defined condition being satisfied, wherein the positive feedback includes a positive image, and wherein the pre-defined condition includes an operational setting of the set of energy consuming devices being set by the received user commands that meets or exceeds a recommended setting for operation of the set of energy consuming devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to generate a negative image via the user interface in response to the pre-defined condition being satisfied, and the pre-defined condition includes an operational setting of the set of energy consuming devices being set by the received user commands that meets or exceeds a discouraged setting for operation of the set of energy consuming devices that is discouraged based on a predetermined energy usage, a predetermined cost, or predetermined outcome of the operational setting.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to adjust the at least one setting based on a set of predetermined operational programmed settings that meet or exceed the pre-defined condition and in response to a user selection for the set of predetermined operational programmed settings, wherein the set of predetermined operational programmed settings includes at least one predetermined operational programmed setting that modifies the set of energy consuming devices towards a net zero energy consumption and meets or exceeds the pre-defined condition including recommended settings of the set of energy consuming devices.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of a programmable communicating thermostat, a home energy manager, a mobile device, and a website server, and the set of energy consuming devices includes at least one of a demand response appliance configured to manage power consumption by responding to communication commands, a Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) unit, a refrigerator, a dishwasher, a dryer, a washer, an electric vehicle charger and any other energy consuming device configured to operate for a building structure, or a home.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to analyze the received user commands, generate an analysis of the received user commands with respect to at least one of a cost change and an energy consumption change feedback from a first operational setting to a second operational setting of the set of energy consuming devices, and display the analysis via a user interface with the at least one of the cost change and the energy consumption change feedback of the set of energy consuming devices related to a change of the first operational setting to the second operational setting, wherein the analysis is based on at least one of a thermodynamic model of a home, past data related to the set of energy consuming devices, heuristical data or an average data based on other homes or similar energy consuming devices.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device including at least one processor, a set of user commands that effect an adjustment of at least one setting of a set of energy consuming devices; and

presenting feedback proximate to the at least one setting rendered via a user interface that is related to the at least one setting.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether the adjustment of the at least one setting satisfies a pre-defined condition; and

generating the feedback including an indication of a quality of an impact of the set of user commands determined based on the pre-defined condition having been satisfied, for render by the user interface of the device.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating a recommendation related to the at least one setting of the set of energy consuming devices and a user command control that enables an activation of the recommendation towards the set of energy consuming devices.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying, in the user interface, the at least one setting, the feedback and data related to the adjustment of the at least one setting resulting from the set of user commands, wherein the feedback includes an image that is associated with and based on the at least one setting of the set of energy consuming devices,

wherein the data related to the adjusting the at least one setting includes a comparison of home data of the set of energy consuming devices of a home with home data of other homes meeting a set of predetermined criteria that includes at least one of home construction criteria, appliance criteria, weather criteria, and geographical criteria that are within a criteria range of the home having the set of energy consuming devices.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein a positive image is presented in response to a first performance metric related to energy consumption of the set of energy consuming devices being met or exceeded, and a negative image is presented in response to a second performance metric related to energy consumption of the set of energy consuming devices being satisfied, wherein the first performance metric includes at least one of cost of energy for the set of energy consuming devices, amount of energy consumed by the set of energy consuming devices, runtime data for the set of energy consuming devices and an amount of carbon dioxide produced by the set of energy consuming devices.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

adjusting the at least one setting based on a set of predetermined operational programmed schedules that meet the pre-defined condition in response to a single optimization command being received.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating an electronic message with the at least one of an energy profile of the set of energy consuming devices, cost saving recommendations, CO₂ data, runtime data, on-site power consumption data, on-site power generation data, on-site storage data, and a comparison of the set of energy consuming devices of a home with energy consuming devices of other homes; and

presenting the electronic message in a consumer application of at least one of a mobile phone, mobile device or a personal computer,

wherein the electronic message includes whether the set of user commands adjusting the at least one setting satisfies the pre-defined condition.