Computer software for optimizing energy efficiency of a lighting system for a target energy consumption level
First Claim
1. A method for optimizing the energy efficiency of a lighting system including a plurality of light sources, including the steps of:
- defining a set of parameters for the lighting system; and
,using a linear programming technique, taking into account said set of parameters, to produce energy allocation output data which satisfies a total energy consumption constraint that the total energy allocated to the lighting system not exceed a target energy consumption level, and which is representative of an optimal allocation of energy to each of said light sources.
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Abstract
A method for optimizing the energy efficiency of a lighting system including a plurality of light sources, which includes the steps of defining a set of parameters for the lighting system, and using a linear programming technique, taking into account the set of parameters, to produce energy allocation output data which satisfies a total energy consumption constraint that the total energy allocated to the lighting system not exceed a target energy consumption level, and which is representative of an optimal allocation of energy to each of said light sources. The lighting system is installed in a building which includes a plurality of rooms each of which is equipped with at least one of the light sources. In general, the lighting optimization problem is translated into a linear programming problem by formulating a set of lighting system energy allocation constraints, converting these constraints into a set of constraint equations and a cost function, converting the constraint equations into a set of simultaneous linear equations, and then solving the set of simultaneous linear equations in such a manner as to minimize the cost function, to thereby produce the energy allocation output data, which is preferably in the form of an optimal brightness level for each light source. These steps are preferably implemented in computer software, which is preferably loaded in a programmable central controller of an intelligent lighting control system which is responsive to the energy allocation output data for automatically adjusting the brightness level of each of the light sources to the optimal brightness level therefor. Preferably, available energy remaining after satisfying minimum brightness levels for each room is allocated at least partially on the basis of the designated priority level of each room, and/or the energy efficiency of the light sources.
200 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for optimizing the energy efficiency of a lighting system including a plurality of light sources, including the steps of:
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defining a set of parameters for the lighting system; and
,using a linear programming technique, taking into account said set of parameters, to produce energy allocation output data which satisfies a total energy consumption constraint that the total energy allocated to the lighting system not exceed a target energy consumption level, and which is representative of an optimal allocation of energy to each of said light sources. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer system comprising:
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a processor; and computer software embodied in a storage medium, comprising; lighting optimization means for defining a set of parameters for a lighting system having a plurality of light sources and a set of linear programming equations; and
,linear programming means for solving said linear programming equations in such a manner as to produce energy allocation output data which satisfies a total energy consumption constraint that the total energy allocated to the lighting system not exceed a target energy consumption level, and which is representative of an optimal allocation of energy to each of said light sources. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An intelligent lighting control system for a lighting system having a plurality of light sources, comprising:
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a programmable controller; computer system loaded into said programmable controller, said computer system including a lighting optimization code which defines a set of parameters for the lighting system and a set of linear programming equations, and a linear programming code for solving said linear programming equations in such a manner as to produce energy allocation output data which satisfies a total energy consumption constraint that the total energy allocated to the lighting system not exceed a target energy consumption level, and which is representative of an optimal allocation of energy to each of said light sources; and
,wherein said programmable controller is responsive to said energy allocation output data for automatically controlling a brightness level of each of said light sources.
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Specification