Method and system for modeling energy efficient buildings using a plurality of synchronized workflows

• US 7,912,807 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2009
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Environmental Solutions, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Integrated Environmental Solutions, Ltd.
• Inventors: Quincey, Richard John, McLean, Donald John
• Primary Examiner(s): VINCENT, DAVID ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US12/461,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 706/1, 706/62, 706 10- 12, 706 14- 15, 706/45, 706/52, 705300-301, 703/1
• US Class Current: 706/52
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/14 Activity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/50 Load
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/026 using a predictor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25011 Domotique, I-O bus, home automation, building automation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A system and method of analysis, including, but not limited to: receiving raw data related to at least one project; receiving user preferences in at least one workflow, wherein each step in the a workflow constitutes a single instance of a component of a workflow such that the state of a unique component is always the same if the same component is comprised in other workflows; determining metrics related to the at least one project; analyzing the data & metrics to identify patterns; drawing conclusions from the data, metrics and patterns; and generating at least one report that presents the metrics, patterns and conclusions.

Claims

1. A method of navigating modeling of at least one building in order to improve at least one building design in order to improve enemy efficiency, compliance, or any design issue related to sustainable building design and operation, or any combination thereof, including, but not limited to:

receiving, by at least one application configured to operate on at least one computer, user input building design data;

receiving, at the at least one computer, input user preference data in a plurality of workflows, wherein each step in the plurality of workflows constitutes a single instance of at least one component of a workflow such that the state of a unique component is always the same if the same component is comprised in other workflows;

determining, at the at least one computer, internally calculated metrics related to the at least one building design, wherein the metrics comprise;

climate metrics, urban metrics, building form metrics, thermal metrics, day light metrics, light metrics, water metrics, or sustainability metrics, or any combination thereof;

analyzing, at the at least one computer, the building design data, the user preference data and the metrics to identify patterns;

drawing conclusions related to the at least one building design, at the at least one computer, from the building design data, the user preference data, the metrics and the patterns;

remodeling, at least one time, at the at least one computer, the at least one building design in order to improve energy efficiency, compliance, or any design issue related to sustainable building design and operation, or any combination thereof; and

generating, at the at least one computer, at least one report that presents the metrics, patterns and conclusions;

wherein the plurality of navigator workflows guides at least one user through one or more tasks, which include, but are not limited to;

building design data input, user preference data input, analysis, iteration, or report generation, or any combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one report has context, hierarchy and multiple reinforcement of key messages using a number of methods tables, text, story, video, imagery &

graphical or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preference data includes, but is not limited to:

desired focus or expertise;

desired outcome;

desired delivery timescales;

design stage information;

desired complexity;

or

any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein workflows may be operated upon in parallel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein components of the plurality of workflows:

are inputs, directions, actions or advice, or any combination thereof;

are capable of initiating at least one event and/or sequence;

or

are capable of being completed by at least one user and appended to with user data comprising date information, time, or notes;

or

any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the the plurality of workflows are used by or in any form of quality assurance process.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising grouping spaces, wherein the grouping spaces includes, but is not limited to:

positional characteristics;

spatial characteristics;

activity characteristics;

functional characteristics;

metric data;

standards/benchmark comparisons;

results of analysis;

analyzed patterns;

or

derived conclusions;

or any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein raw data is reused from previous models and/or pre-made prototypes in order to achieve better productivity in modeling with fewer errors;

in order to allow user preferences regarding what data to use and how to implement the data;

or in order to implement the data automatically;

or any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the raw data is described in categories, and for each category, a template can be chosen describing the category, the categories are in a hierarchy such that data can be applied at a number of scales and sub categories subsequently apply, and wherein the hierarchy is capable of being an urban zone, building, space, properties, elemental and/or any reasonable hierarchy that describes the built environment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of workflows includes, but is not limited to, at least two of the following:

at least one complete or self-contained workflow;

at least one build task workflow;

at least one data task workflow;

at least one analysis task workflow;

at least one customized task workflow;

at least one tutorial workflow;

or

any combination thereof.

11. A system of navigating modeling of at least one building in order to improve at least one building design in order to improve energy efficiency, compliance, or any design issue related to sustainable building design and operation, or any combination thereof, including, but not limited to:

at least one server and/or at least one client coupled to a network;

at least one application coupled to the at least one server and/or the at least one client, the at least one application configured for;

receiving, by at least one application configured to operate on at least one computer, user input building design data;

receiving, at the at least one computer, user input user preference data in a plurality of workflows, wherein each step in the plurality of workflows constitutes a single instance of at least one component of a workflow such that the state of a unique component is always the same if the same component is comprised in other workflows;

determining, at the at least one computer, internally calculated metrics related to the at least one building design, wherein the metrics comprise;

climate metrics, urban metrics, building form metrics, thermal metrics, day light metrics, light metrics, water metrics, or sustainability metrics, or any combination thereof;

analyzing, at the at least one computer, the building design data, the user preference data and the metrics to identify patterns;

drawing conclusions related to the at least one building design, at the at least one computer, from the building design data, the user preference data, the metrics and the patterns;

remodeling, at least one time, at the at least one computer, the at least one building design in order to improve energy efficiency, compliance, or any design issue related to sustainable building design and operation, or any combination thereof; and

generating, at the at least one computer, at least one report that presents the metrics, patterns and conclusions;

wherein the plurality of navigator workflows guides at least one user through one or more tasks, which include, but are not limited to;

building design data input, user preference data input, analysis, iteration, or report generation, or any combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one report has context, hierarchy and multiple reinforcement of key messages using a number of methods tables, text, story, video, imagery &

graphical or any combination thereof.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the user preference data includes, but is not limited to:

desired focus or expertise;

desired outcome;

desired delivery timescales;

design stage information;

desired complexity;

or

any combination thereof.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein workflows may be operated upon in parallel.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein components of the plurality of workflows:

are inputs, directions, actions or advice, or any combination thereof;

are capable of initiating at least one event and/or sequence;

or

are capable of being completed by at least one user and appended to with user data comprising date information, time, or notes;

or

any combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of workflows are used by or in any form of quality assurance process.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising grouping spaces, wherein the grouping spaces includes, but is not limited to:

positional characteristics;

spatial characteristics;

activity characteristics;

functional characteristics;

metric data;

standards/benchmark comparisons;

results of analysis;

analyzed patterns;

or

derived conclusions;

or any combination thereof.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein raw data is reused from previous models and/or pre-made prototypes in order to achieve better productivity in modeling with fewer errors;

in order to allow user preferences regarding what data to use and how to implement the data;

or in order to implement the data automatically;

or any combination thereof.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the raw data is described in categories, and for each category, a template can be chosen describing the category, the categories are in a hierarchy such that data can be applied at a number of scales and sub categories subsequently apply, and wherein the hierarchy is capable of being an urban zone, building, space, properties, elemental and/or any reasonable hierarchy that describes the built environment.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of workflows includes, but is not limited to, at least two of the following:

at least one complete or self-contained workflow;

at least one build task workflow;

at least one data task workflow;

at least one analysis task workflow;

at least one customized task workflow;

at least one tutorial workflow;

or

any combination thereof.