SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING UTILITY COST SAVINGS

• US 20140114724A1
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Coene, Laurent, Franco, Edgard
• Granted Patent: US 10,621,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/12 Determination or prediction of behaviour, e.g. likely power consumption or unusual usage patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/14 Displaying of utility usage with respect to time, e.g. for monitoring evolution of usage or with respect to weather conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/00 Tariff metering apparatus in taximeters G07B13/00; apparatus actuated by coins, cards or the like with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas, or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

A computer system for identifying utility cost savings is provided. The computer system includes a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The at least one processor is configured to receive usage information gathered from at least one site via a first interface, administer a utility questionnaire via a second interface, and determine recommendation information describing a plurality of cost savings recommendations for the at least one site based on a set of responses to the questionnaire and the usage information.

Claims

1. A computer system for identifying utility cost savings, the computer system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor being configured to;

receive usage information gathered from at least one site via a first interface;

administer a utility questionnaire via a second interface; and

determine recommendation information describing a plurality of cost savings recommendations for the at least one site based on a set of responses to the questionnaire and the usage information.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to present the recommendation information to an external entity.

3. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor configured to administer the utility questionnaire is configured to:

request utility information from a user via the second interface; and

receive the utility information from the user via the second interface.

4. The computer system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one processor configured to request utility information is configured to:

request location information for the at least one site;

request information identifying at least one utility consumed at the at least one site; and

request information identifying at least one tariff applicable to the at least one utility.

5. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

determine a plurality of theoretical contract demand values for the at least one site;

compute a plurality of costs using the plurality of theoretical contract demand values, each of the plurality of theoretical contract demand values corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of costs; and

include, in the recommendation information, information describing at least one of the plurality of theoretical contract demand values corresponding to a respective at least one of the plurality of costs that is lower than others of the plurality of costs.

6. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

determine a power factor value for the at least one site;

determine whether at least one tariff applicable to the at least one site specifies a power factor charge for the power factor value; and

include, in the recommendation information responsive to determining that a power factor charge is specified, information describing the power factor charge.

7. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

determine a storable amount of a utility that can be stored at the at least one site;

calculate a savings based on a consumable amount of the utility that can be consumed from the storable amount;

calculate a difference between a cost of storing the storable amount and the savings;

compare the difference to a threshold; and

include, in the recommendation information responsive to the difference being beyond the threshold, information describing storing the storable amount.

8. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

identify a plurality of tariffs applicable to the at least one site;

compute a plurality of costs using the plurality of tariffs, each of the plurality of tariffs corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of costs; and

include, in the recommendation information, information describing at least one of the plurality of tariffs corresponding to a respective at least one of the plurality of costs that is lower than others of the plurality of costs.

9. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

identify at least one curtailment program applicable to the at least one site; and

include, in the recommendation information, information describing the at least one curtailment program.

10. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

calculate a cost of producing a producible amount of a utility that can be produced at the at least one site;

calculate a savings of consuming the producible amount;

calculate a difference between the cost and the savings; and

include, in the recommendation information responsive to the savings being greater than the cost, information describing producing the producible amount.

11. The computer system according to claim 10, wherein the at least one processor configured to calculate the cost of producing the producible amount is configured to calculate a cost of producing the producible amount using at least one of a fossil fuel based utility generation device and an alternative utility generation device.

12. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

determine an amount by which consumption of a utility can be reduced during a period of time at the at least one site;

calculate a savings based on the amount and the period of time; and

include, in the recommendation information, information describing the amount and the period of time.

13. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the at least one processor configured to determine the amount by which consumption of the utility can be reduced during the period of time at the at least one site is configured to:

calculate a controllable load of the at least one site;

identify a peak demand for the utility that occurred at the at least one site during a previous billing cycle;

adjust the peak demand by the controllable load to create an adjusted peak demand;

adjust demand values reported within the previous billing to not exceed the adjusted peak demand to create adjusted demand values;

calculate an adjusted cost for the previous billing cycle using the adjusted demand values; and

include, in the recommendation information responsive to the adjusted cost being lower than an unadjusted cost, information describing the controllable load.

14. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

identify a plurality of service offerings applicable to the at least one site;

compute a plurality of costs based on the plurality of service offerings, each of the plurality of service offerings corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of costs; and

include, in the recommendation information, information describing at least one of the plurality of service offerings corresponding to a respective at least one of the plurality of costs that is lower than others of the plurality of costs.

15. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

calculate a difference between a cost of installing and operating new equipment at the at least one site for a period of time and a cost of operating current equipment at the at least one site for the period of time;

compare the difference to a threshold; and

include, in the recommendation information responsive to the difference being beyond the threshold, information describing installing and operating the new equipment.

16. The computer system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one processor configured to calculate the difference between the cost of installing and operating new equipment at the at least one site for a period of time and a cost of operating current equipment at the at least one site for the period of time is configured to calculate a difference between the cost of installing and operating new lighting at the at least one site for a period of time and a cost of operating current lighting at the at least one site for the period of time.

17. A method of identifying utility cost savings using a computer system, the computer system including memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory, the method comprising:

receiving, via a system interface coupled to the at least one processor, usage information gathered from at least one site;

administering, via a user interface coupled to the at least one processor, a utility questionnaire; and

determining recommendation information describing a plurality of cost savings recommendations for the at least one site based on a set of responses to the questionnaire and the usage information.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising presenting the recommendation information to an external entity.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction for identifying utility cost savings including instructions that will cause at least one processor to:

receive, via a system interface coupled to the at least one processor, usage information gathered from at least one site;

administer, via a user interface coupled to the at least one processor, a utility questionnaire; and

determine recommendation information describing a plurality of cost savings recommendations for the at least one site based on a set of responses to the questionnaire and the usage information.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the sequences of instruction include instructions that will further cause the at least one processor to present the recommendation information to an external entity.