Energy efficiency measuring system and reporting methods

• US 6,785,620 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2001
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pittsburgh Technology Licensing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Weatherwise USA, LLC
• Inventors: Warsaw, Rand, Parmar, Vijay, Kishlock, Teresa, Lewis, Laura
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Tung S
• Application Number:
  US09/779,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20010020219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 702/61, 702/130, 702/199, 703/37, 703/10, 703/6, 340/540, 455/423, 455/422, 455/445, 440/2, 706/45, 705/417, 705/412, 606/52, 379/207, 514/539, 364/557, 364/512
• US Class Current: 702/61
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2513 Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A method of providing energy efficiency changes to a plurality of energy consumers. The method includes calculating the energy efficiency changes for the consumers based on energy consumption histories and weather data, wherein the energy efficiency changes are calculated using individual data for each of the consumers. The method also includes reporting the energy efficiency changes to each of the consumers.

Claims

1. A method of providing energy efficiency changes to a plurality of energy consumers, comprising:

calculating the energy efficiency changes for the consumers based on energy consumption histories and weather data, wherein the energy efficiency changes are calculated using individual data for each of the consumers, wherein the energy efficiency changes represent changes to an entire consumption pattern related to at least one physical structure, and wherein the energy efficiency changes include considerations of at least one of equipment, consumer behavior, and physical aspects of the physical structure and spaces within the physical structure; and

reporting the energy efficiency changes to each of the consumers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting the energy efficiency changes to each of the consumers includes reporting the energy efficiency changes to each of the consumers on an individual basis.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting the energy efficiency changes to each of the consumers includes reporting the energy efficiency changes to each of the consumers on an aggregate basis.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting the energy efficiency changes to each of the consumers includes reporting the energy efficiency changes to each of the consumers on an individual basis as compared to an aggregate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the energy efficiency changes includes calculating the energy efficiency changes for the consumers based on prior and subsequent period weather data and consumption histories.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting the energy efficiency to each of the consumers includes reporting the energy efficiency changes to each of the consumers using at least one of the Internet, an intranet, a computer-readable medium, direct mail, telephone, electronic mail, in-person visits, and facsimile.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising calculating the consumption histories based on data that are cleaned using cleaning algorithms and human intervention.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising assuring the quality of the energy efficiency changes using hand calculations and analysis.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein assuring the quality includes using normal ratios to test a reasonableness of the energy efficiency changes.

10. An energy efficiency measurement and reporting system, comprising:

a generic import module for receiving consumer data;

a weather import module for receiving weather data;

a unique algorithm generation module in communication with the generic import module and the weather import module;

an actual weather consumption estimate module in communication with the unique algorithm generation module;

an efficiency measurement module in communication with the actual weather consumption estimate module, wherein the efficiency measurement module calculates energy efficiency changes for a plurality of energy consumers based on energy consumption histories and the weather data, wherein the energy efficiency changes are calculated using individual data for each of the consumers, wherein the energy efficiency changes represent changes to an entire consumption pattern related to at least one physical structure, and wherein the energy efficiency changes include considerations of at least one of equipment, consumer behavior, and physical aspects of the physical structure and spaces within the physical structure; and

an individual report generation module in communication with the efficiency measurement module.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a data cleaning module in communication with the generic import module; and

a weather cleaning module in communication with the weather import module.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a quality assurance module in communication with the individual report generation module.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising an aggregate report generation module in communication with the individual report generation module.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a report transmittal module in communication with the quality assurance module.

15. An energy efficiency measurement and reporting system, comprising:

a generic import module for receiving consumer data;

a weather import module for receiving weather data;

a system database in communication with the generic import module and the weather import module;

a unique algorithm generation module in communication with the system database;

an actual weather consumption estimate module in communication with the system database;

an efficiency measurement module in communication with the system database, wherein the efficiency measurement module calculates energy efficiency changes for a plurality of energy consumers based on energy consumption histories and the weather data, wherein the energy efficiency changes are calculated using individual data for each of the consumers, wherein the energy efficiency changes represent changes to an entire consumption pattern related to at least one physical structure, and wherein the energy efficiency changes include considerations of at least one of equipment, consumer behavior, and physical aspects of the physical structure and spaces within the physical structure; and

an individual report generation module in communication with the system database.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a data cleaning module in communication with the system database; and

a weather cleaning module in communication with the system database.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a quality assurance module in communication with the individual report generation module.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising a trend calculation module in communication with the system database and the individual report generation module.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a report transmittal system in communication with the quality assurance module.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising an aggregate report generation module in communication with the individual report generation module and the quality assurance module.

21. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

calculating energy efficiency changes for a plurality of energy consumers based on energy consumption histories and weather data, wherein the energy efficiency changes are calculated using individual data for each of the consumers, wherein the energy efficiency changes represent changes to an entire consumption pattern related to at least one physical structure, and wherein the energy efficiency changes include considerations of at least one of equipment, consumer behavior, and physical aspects of the physical structure and spaces within the physical structure; and

reporting the energy efficiency changes to each of the consumers.

22. A method of providing energy efficiency changes to a plurality of energy consumers, comprising:

calculating a plurality of prior and subsequent period consumption histories based on data that are cleaned using cleaning algorithms and human intervention;

calculating the energy efficiency changes for the consumers based on prior and subsequent period weather data and the prior and subsequent period consumption histories, wherein the energy efficiency changes are calculated using individual data for each of the consumers; and

reporting the energy efficiency changes to each of the consumers.

23. A method of providing energy efficiency changes to a plurality of energy consumers, comprising:

calculating the energy efficiency changes for the consumers based on prior and subsequent period weather data and prior and subsequent period consumption histories, wherein the energy efficiency changes are calculated using individual data for each of the consumers;

assuring the quality of the energy efficiency changes using hand calculations and analysis; and

reporting the energy efficiency changes to each of the consumers.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein assuring the quality includes using normal ratios to test a reasonableness of the energy efficiency changes.

25. An energy efficiency measurement and reporting system, comprising:

a generic import module for receiving consumer data;

a weather import module for receiving weather data;

a unique algorithm generation module in communication with the generic import module and the weather import module;

an actual weather consumption estimate module in communication with the unique algorithm generation module;

an efficiency measurement module in communication with the actual weather consumption estimate module, wherein the efficiency measurement module calculates energy efficiency changes for a plurality of energy consumers based on energy consumption histories and the weather data, and wherein the energy efficiency changes are calculated using individual data for each of the consumers;

an individual report generation module in communication with the efficiency measurement module; and

a quality assurance module in communication with the individual report generation module.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a report transmittal module in communication with the quality assurance module.

27. An energy efficiency measurement and reporting system, comprising:

a generic import module for receiving consumer data;

a weather import module for receiving weather data;

a system database in communication with the generic import module and the weather import module;

a unique algorithm generation module in communication with the system database;

an actual weather consumption estimate module in communication with the system database;

an efficiency measurement module in communication with the system database, wherein the efficiency measurement module calculates energy efficiency changes for a plurality of energy consumers based on energy consumption histories and the weather data, and wherein the energy efficiency changes are calculated using individual data for each of the consumers;

an individual report generation module in communication with the system database; and

a quality assurance module in communication with the individual report generation module.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising an aggregate report generation module in communication with the individual report generation module and the quality assurance module.