INTERVAL ANALYSIS TOOL FOR ENERGY CONSUMPTION

• US 20140129161A1
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cenergistic LLC
• Original Assignee: Cenergistic, Inc.
• Inventors: Sons, Bryan, Bullock, Jack
• Granted Patent: US 9,524,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/82 Energy audits or management systems therefor

Abstract

A system and method for analyzing energy savings for a building is provided. The method includes receiving a schedule of occupied days, an occupancy behavior profile and historical energy usage data from which an hourly interval usage is determined. A set of occupancy thresholds is determined by season. Occupied days are determined from the set of occupancy thresholds and the hourly interval usage. The hourly interval usage is analyzed to determine occupied energy consumption in hourly intervals, occupied start and stop time savings, mechanical equipment savings and temperature setpoint savings during an occupied day. The hourly interval usage is also analyzed to determine unoccupied energy consumption in the hourly intervals and refrigeration savings, mechanical equipment savings, computer equipment savings, parking lot lighting savings, hallway lighting savings and temperature setpoint savings during an unoccupied day. Energy consumption, energy savings, operational comparisons and monetary savings are reported.

Claims

1. A method of determining a total energy consumption savings in a building comprising:

receiving a schedule of occupancy, a set of operational ratings and a set of temperature setpoints for the building;

determining a number of occupied days and a number of unoccupied days from a historical energy usage;

determining an occupancy start time for each day of the set of occupied days;

determining an occupancy stop time for each day of the set of occupied days;

determining an average daily energy usage between the occupancy start time and the occupancy stop time for the set of occupied days;

determining an average hourly energy usage between the occupancy start time and the occupancy stop time for the set of occupied days;

comparing the number of occupied days to the schedule of occupancy to determine a saved number of occupied days;

multiplying the saved number of occupied days by the average daily energy usage to determine a first energy savings;

comparing the occupancy start time and the occupancy stop time to the schedule of occupancy to determine a saved number of start hours and a saved number of stop hours for the set of occupied days;

multiplying the saved number of start hours and the saved number of stop hours by the average hourly energy usage to determine a second energy savings;

determining a total occupied energy consumption for the set of occupied days and a total unoccupied energy consumption for the set of days from the historical energy usage;

computing a third energy savings from the set of operational ratings, the total unoccupied energy consumption and the total occupied energy consumption;

computing a fourth energy savings from the set of temperature setpoints, the total occupied energy consumption and the total unoccupied energy consumption; and

,

determining a total energy savings as the sum of the first energy savings, the second energy savings, the third energy savings and the fourth energy savings.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of computing a third energy savings further comprises:

receiving an operational rating for computer equipment operation;

determining a savings factor if the operational rating indicates that the computer equipment operation is not controlled during unoccupied times; and

,

computing a portion of the third energy savings by multiplying the savings factor by the total unoccupied energy consumption.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of computing a third energy savings includes:

receiving an operational rating for lighting;

determining a savings factor related to the operational ratings; and

,

computing a portion of the third energy savings by multiplying the savings factor by the total unoccupied energy consumption.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of computing a third energy savings further comprises:

receiving an operational rating for exhaust fan operation;

determining a savings factor related to the operational rating; and

,

computing a portion of the third energy savings by multiplying the savings factor by the total unoccupied energy consumption.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of computing a third energy savings further comprises:

receiving an operational rating for refrigeration equipment and a block of unoccupied days;

determining a savings factor related to the operational rating; and

,

computing a portion of the third energy savings by multiplying the savings factor by the number of unoccupied days.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of computing a fourth energy savings further comprises:

providing a first base temperature setpoint for a set of mechanical equipment during occupied times;

providing a second base temperature setpoint for the set of mechanical equipment during unoccupied times;

receiving a first temperature setpoint for the set of mechanical equipment during occupied times;

receiving a second temperature setpoint for the set of mechanical equipment during unoccupied times;

determining a first savings factor for the set of mechanical equipment as a function of the temperature difference between the first base temperature setpoint and the first temperature setpoint;

determining a second savings factor for the set of mechanical equipment as a function of the temperature difference between the second base temperature setpoint and the second temperature setpoint; and

,

computing a first portion of the fourth energy savings by multiplying the first savings factor by the total occupied energy consumption; and

,

computing a second portion of the fourth energy savings by multiplying the second savings factor by the total unoccupied energy consumption.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining a set of occupied days and a set of unoccupied days further comprises:

determining a set of interval usages from a set of historical energy usage data;

determining an occupied usage threshold for a season;

determining an unoccupied usage threshold for the season;

determining an occupancy state for a day wherein the occupancy state is “

occupied”

if any interval usage in the set of interval usages exceeds the occupied usage threshold and wherein the occupancy state is “

unoccupied”

if no interval usage in the set of interval usages exceeds the occupied usage threshold;

including the day in the set of occupied days if the occupancy state is “

occupied”

; and

,

including the day in the set of unoccupied days if the occupancy state is “

unoccupied”

.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of determining the occupancy start time further comprises:

ordering the set of interval usages by time of day;

determining the occupancy start time as the time of the first interval usage in the set of interval usages that exceeds the occupied usage threshold.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of determining the occupancy stop time further comprises:

determining the occupancy stop time as the first time after the occupancy start time, when an interval usage in the set of interval usages becomes less than the unoccupied usage threshold.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of determining a total occupied energy consumption further comprises:

summing into the total occupied energy consumption, all interval usages in the set of interval usages between the occupancy start time and the occupancy stop time for all days in the set of occupied days.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of determining a total unoccupied energy consumption further comprises:

summing into the total unoccupied energy consumption, all interval usages in the set of interval usages outside of the time interval between the occupancy start time and the occupancy stop time for all days in the set of occupied days; and

,

summing into the total unoccupied energy consumption, all interval usages in the set of interval usages for all days in the set of unoccupied days.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving a schedule of occupancy, a set of operational ratings and a set of temperature setpoints for the building further comprises:

processing an entry of a scheduled number of occupied days in a month for at least twelve months;

processing an entry of a scheduled occupancy start time and the entry of a scheduled occupancy stop time;

processing a selection of the set of operational ratings and the entry of the set of temperature setpoints;

processing a selection of an operational rating condition and a temperature rating condition;

automatically selecting the set of operational ratings based on selecting an operational rating condition; and

,

automatically populating the set of temperature setpoints based on selecting a temperature rating condition.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a day; and

,

displaying an energy profile for the day wherein the energy profile includes a graph of the historical energy usage for the day and an occupancy threshold for the day.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

reporting the saved number of occupied days, the saved number of start hours and the saved number of stop hours, the first energy savings, the second energy savings, the third energy savings, the fourth energy savings and the total energy savings.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of reporting further comprises the steps of:

receiving a cost per unit of energy;

multiplying the cost per unit of energy by the total energy savings to determine a total monetary savings; and

,

reporting the total monetary savings.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of reporting further comprises the steps of:

displaying the first energy savings, the second energy savings, the third energy savings and the fourth energy savings in the electronic report as a graphical object.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of reporting further comprises the steps of:

generating a first energy profile for an occupied day;

generating a second energy profile for an unoccupied day; and

,

displaying the first energy profile and the second energy profile.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of reporting further comprises the steps of:

determining a total energy consumption as the sum of the total occupied energy consumption and the total unoccupied energy consumption;

displaying the total energy consumption and the total energy savings.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of reporting further comprises the steps of:

determining a total energy consumption as the sum of the total occupied energy consumption and the total unoccupied energy consumption; and

,

displaying the total energy consumption, the total occupied energy consumption, the total unoccupied energy consumption and the total energy savings in a report.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of reporting further comprises the steps of displaying a scheduled occupancy analysis, a daily operations analysis, an equipment operations analysis and a temperature control savings analysis in the report.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of displaying a scheduled occupancy analysis further comprises the steps of:

comparatively displaying the schedule of occupancy and the set of occupied days; and

,

displaying the first energy savings.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of displaying a daily operations analysis further comprises the steps of:

displaying the saved number of start hours, the saved number of stop hours and the second energy savings.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of displaying an equipment operations analysis further comprises displaying the set of operational ratings and the third energy savings.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of displaying a temperature control savings analysis further comprises displaying the set of temperature setpoints and the fourth energy savings.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining a set of total energy consumption savings for the set of buildings;

displaying for each building in the set of buildings, the saved number of occupied days, the saved number of start hours, the saved number of stop hours, the first energy savings, the second energy savings, the third energy savings, the fourth energy savings and the total energy savings and the total energy consumption wherein the total energy consumption is the sum of the total occupied energy consumption and the total unoccupied energy consumption for the set of days;

summing a first grand total of the total energy consumption for the set of buildings;

summing a second grand total of the total energy savings for the set of buildings; and

,

displaying the first grand total and the second grand total.

26. A system for assessing an operational energy savings for a building comprising:

a processor with memory and a set of program instructions in memory, wherein the set of program instructions, when executed by the processor, carries out the steps of;

determining a set of occupied days and a set of unoccupied days in a set of days from a historical energy usage for the building;

determining a number of occupied days and a number of unoccupied days in the set of days from the historical energy usage for the building;

determining an occupancy start time for each day of the set of occupied days;

determining an occupancy stop time for each day of the set of occupied days;

determining an average daily energy usage between the occupancy start time and the occupancy stop time for the set of occupied days;

determining an average hourly energy usage between the occupancy start time and the occupancy stop time for the set of occupied days;

comparing the number of occupied days to a schedule of occupancy to determine a saved number of occupied days;

multiplying the saved number of occupied days by the average daily energy usage to determine a first energy savings;

comparing the occupancy start time and the occupancy stop time to the schedule of occupancy to determine a saved number of start hours and a saved number of stop hours for the set of occupied days;

multiplying the saved number of start hours and the saved number of stop hours by the average hourly energy usage to determine a second energy savings;

determining a total occupied energy consumption for the set of occupied days and a total unoccupied energy consumption for the set of days from the historical energy usage;

computing a third energy savings from a set of operational ratings, the total unoccupied energy consumption and the total occupied energy consumption;

computing a fourth energy savings from a set of temperature setpoints, the total occupied energy consumption and the total unoccupied energy consumption; and

,

determining a total energy savings as the sum of the first energy savings, the second energy savings, the third energy savings and the fourth energy savings.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the set of program instructions, when executed by the processor carry out the further steps of:

processing the entry of a scheduled number of occupied days in a month for at least twelve months;

processing the entry of a scheduled occupancy start time and the entry of a scheduled occupancy stop time;

processing the selection of the set of operational ratings and the entry of the set of temperature setpoints;

processing the selection of an operational rating condition and a temperature rating condition;

automatically selecting the set of operational ratings based on selecting an operational rating condition; and

,

automatically populating the set of temperature setpoints based on selecting a temperature rating condition.

28. The system of claim 26 further comprising a spreadsheet program for implementing the set of program instructions.

29. The system of claim 26 further comprising:

a display; and

,

a representation of the historical energy usage for the day and an occupancy threshold for the day shown on the display.

30. The system of claim 26 further comprising an electronic display of a graphical object comprising the first energy savings, the second energy savings, the third energy savings and the fourth energy savings.

31. The system of claim 26 wherein the set of program instructions when executed by the processor carry out the further steps of:

displaying the saved number of occupied days, the saved number of start hours, the saved number of stop hours, the first energy savings, the second energy savings, the third energy savings, the fourth energy savings and the total energy savings and the total energy consumption wherein the total energy consumption is the sum of the total occupied energy consumption and the total unoccupied energy consumption for the set of days;

summing a first grand total of the total energy consumption; and

,

summing a second grand total of the total energy savings.

32. The system of claim 26 further comprising:

a data collection means for determining the schedule of occupancy for the building, the set of operational ratings and the set of temperature setpoints;

an interval data analysis means for analyzing and reporting the first energy savings, the second energy savings, the third energy savings and the fourth energy savings;

an operational summary means for analyzing and reporting a scheduled occupancy analysis, a daily operations analysis, an equipment operations analysis and a temperature control savings analysis; and

,

an operational analysis rollup means for analyzing and reporting a set of buildings.