SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF HOME EFFICIENCY MODELING

• US 20160370814A1
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: SolarCity Corporation (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Hanley, Ryan, Zimmerly, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 10,185,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/003 Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• 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 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A method for modeling energy efficiency of a site comprises: (1) receiving temperature data associated with the site from a sensor, the temperature data including a starting temperature of the site and a corresponding starting time of a climate control system, and an ending temperature of the site and a corresponding ending time of the climate control system; (2) receiving power consumption data associated with the site from a power meter, the power consumption data including power consumption of the climate control system at the site; and (3) determining the energy transfer function that models an energy efficiency of the site based at least partially on a time it takes for the site to reach the ending temperature from the starting temperature, and the power consumption of the climate control system from the starting time to the ending time, wherein the energy transfer function determines a predicted power consumption as a function of temperature change and time.

Claims

1. A method of modeling energy efficiency of a site, comprising:

receiving temperature data associated with the site from a sensor, the temperature data including a starting temperature of the site and a corresponding starting time of a climate control system, and an ending temperature of the site and a corresponding ending time of the climate control system;

receiving power consumption data associated with the site from a power meter, the power consumption data including power consumption of the climate control system at the site; and

determining an energy transfer function that models the energy efficiency of the site based at least partially on;

a time it takes for the site to reach the ending temperature from the starting temperature; and

the power consumption of the climate control system from the starting time to the ending time,

wherein the energy transfer function determines a predicted power consumption as a function of temperature change and time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the temperature data associated with the site includes ambient temperature data outside of the site; and

determining the energy transfer function of the site is at least partially based on the ambient temperature data outside of the site.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving occupancy information of the site; and

determining the energy transfer function of the site based at least partially on the occupancy information of the site.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving structure information of the site; and

determining the energy transfer function of the site based at least partially on the structure information of the site.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the temperature data and the power consumption data associated with the site are received periodically or continuously; and

the energy transfer function of the site is determined periodically or continuously.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature data and the power consumption data associated with the site are received remotely through a network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a thermostat that records both measured temperatures and the corresponding starting and ending times of the climate control system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature data is received from at least one sensor at the site, the starting time is extracted from at least one of voltage signals or current signals measured at the site, and the ending time is extracted from at least one of the voltage signals or the current signals measured at the site.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one of voltage signals or current signals measured at the site from a power sensor;

extracting electrical signatures from the at least one of voltage signals or current signals;

determining whether an appliance at the site is turned on or off by comparing an electrical signature of the appliance with the extracted electrical signatures;

extracting time information associated with turning on or off the appliance;

determining power consumption of the appliance based on the extracted time information and the power consumption data associated with the site; and

determining the energy transfer function of the site based at least partially on the time information associated with turning on or off the appliance and the power consumption of the appliance.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving weather forecast data for a future time; and

determining power consumption estimation of the climate control system at the site at the future time based at least partially on the weather forecast data and the energy transfer function of the site.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining power consumption estimation at a plurality of sites based at least partially on energy transfer functions of the plurality of sites.

12. A system for modeling energy efficiency of a site, comprising:

a power meter configured to measure a total power consumption of the site;

a sensor configured to measure temperature at the site, and record both measured temperature over time and activities of a climate control system;

a server configured to

receive the total power consumption of the site from the power meter, the measured temperatures and the activities of the climate control system from the sensor, and weather data, remotely through a network; and

generate an energy transfer function of the site, based at least partially on the total power consumption of the site, the measured temperatures and the activities of the climate control system, and the weather data, wherein the energy transfer function determines a predicted power consumption as a function of temperature change and time.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising an activity sensor configured to detect activities at the site for determining whether the site is occupied.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a power sensor configured to measure at least one of voltage signals or current signals provided to the site.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the server is configured to receive at least one of structure information of the site, weather forecast data, or utility price information.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the power meter is configured to measure the total power consumption of the site and send the measured power consumption to the server periodically or continuously;

the sensor is configured to measure the temperature at the site, and transmit both the measured temperature over time and the activities of the climate control system to the server, periodically or continuously; and

the server is configured to generate the energy transfer function of the site periodically or continuously.

17. A method of reducing at least one of energy usage or energy cost at a site, the method comprising:

determining an energy transfer function that models energy efficiency of the site based on temperature data associated with the site and power consumption data associated with the site, the temperature data including a starting temperature of the site and a corresponding starting time of a climate control system, and an ending temperature of the site and a corresponding ending time of the climate control system, and the power consumption data including power consumption of the climate control system at the site between the starting time and the ending time, wherein the energy transfer function is based at least partly on a time it takes for the site to reach the ending temperature from the starting temperature and the power consumption of the climate control system from the starting time to the ending time;

determining, based on the energy transfer function, an adjustment to the climate control system that will reduce at least one of energy usage or energy cost;

generating a message that can be acted upon by the climate control system to implement the adjustment; and

sending the message to the climate control system enabling the climate control system to alter its power consumption in response to the message.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the energy transfer function that models the energy efficiency of the site is based at least partially on weather information at the site.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the energy transfer function that models the energy efficiency of the site is based at least partially on occupancy information of the site.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the energy transfer function that models the energy efficiency of the site is based at least partially on structure information of the site.