SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING ENERGY

• US 20130184887A1
• Filed: 01/10/2013
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shoppertrak RCT LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Shoppertrak RCT Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Kastilahn, William C., Ainsley, Christopher, McCarthy, Bill, Storch, Randy, Marcheselli, Edward A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,217,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/291
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/026 using a predictor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power

Abstract

A method of managing energy consumption in an enclosed spaced includes the step of providing temperature and foot traffic data to a plan generator. The method further includes the steps of generating an energy plan based on the temperature and foot traffic data and controlling one or more energy consuming devices based on the energy plan.

Claims

1. A method of managing energy consumption in an enclosed space, the method comprising the steps of:

providing temperature and foot traffic data to a plan generator;

generating an energy plan based on the temperature and foot traffic data; and

controlling one or more energy consuming devices based on the energy plan.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein temperature data includes forecast and real-time data and wherein the temperature data is generated and provided to the plan generator by a weather forecast module.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the foot traffic data includes forecast and real-time data and wherein the foot traffic data is provided by a foot traffic forecast module that pulls historical traffic data from a database and utilizes an algorithm to generate a foot traffic forecast.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the generating step further includes creating or updating the energy plan based on the forecast and real-time temperature and foot traffic data.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of providing other data to the plan generator, such as national holiday information or days of operation or non-operation of a site and creating or updating the energy plan based on the other data.

6. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of sending data from a control device to an online dashboard and displaying the data on the dashboard in the form of energy usage, energy savings, and an operational status of the components of the energy management system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the energy plan includes the steps of:

determining whether an identification number associated with a site exists within a customer database;

reading traffic forecast data from the database for the identification number; and

generating the energy plan including optimal temperature and air flow profiles based on the traffic forecast data for the identification number.

8. The method of claim 1, further including the step of periodically adjusting one or more settings of one or more components of the energy management system based on the energy plan.

9. A method of managing energy utilized in an enclosed space, the method comprising the steps of:

providing forecast and real-time temperature data to a plan generator;

providing forecast and real-time foot traffic data to the plan generator;

generating an energy plan based on the forecast and real-time temperature and foot traffic data;

transmitting the energy plan to a control device; and

controlling the air temperature and air flow of one or more heating, cooling, and air conditioning units based on the energy plan.

10. The method of claim 9, further including the steps of transmitting temperature data to the control device and generating the energy plan based on the temperature data.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the forecast and real-time temperature data provided to the plan generator is generated by a weather forecast module and the forecast and real-time foot traffic data is generated by a foot traffic forecast module that pulls historical traffic data from a database and utilizes an algorithm to generate a foot traffic forecast.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the real-time foot traffic data is determined using a video counting device.

13. The method of claim 9, further including the step of controlling the activation of one or more energy consuming devices based on the energy plan.

14. An energy management system, comprising:

a plan generator that receives forecast and real-time temperature data and forecast and real-time foot traffic data and generates an energy plan based on the forecast and real-time temperature or foot traffic data;

at least one energy consuming device; and

a control device that operates the at least one energy consuming device based on the energy plan.

15. The energy management system of claim 14, wherein the plan generator receives forecast and real-time foot traffic data from a foot traffic forecast module including a video counting device.

16. The energy management system of claim 14, wherein the plan generator receives forecast and real-time temperature data from a weather forecast module.

17. The energy management system of claim 16, wherein the control device receives the energy plan from a communication device and sends control signals based on the energy plan to a programmable device.

18. The energy management system of claim 17, wherein the programmable device may be selected from the group consisting of:

a thermostat and a lighting control unit.

19. The energy management system of claim 18, wherein the programmable device is a thermostat that sends operating instructions to one or more rooftop Ethernet-enabled heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units.

20. The energy management system of claim 19, wherein the one or more HVAC units includes a sensor to sense an actual outside temperature.

21. The energy management system of claim 14, further including an online dashboard that receives data from the control device and displays the data in the form of energy usage, energy savings, and an operational status of the components of the energy management system.