Method for determining and using a climate energy index

• US 8,532,835 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2010
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Environmental Solutions, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Integrated Environmental Solutions, Ltd.
• Inventors: McLean, Donald John
• Primary Examiner(s): Gami, Tejal
• Application Number:
  US12/770,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20100332044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 700/291, 703/1, 621/27, 621/57, 165/204, 165/202, 165/247, 236/94
• US Class Current: 700/291
• 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 for determining a climate energy index, comprising: identifying a geographic location; identifying comfort zone criteria; determining a characteristic energy potential associated with the geographic location and the comfort zone criteria, and determining a climate energy index associated with delivered energy based on the characteristic energy potential for the geographic location.

Claims

1. A computerized method for determining at least one climate energy index, comprising:

performing processing associated with identifying, using at least one climate energy index module accessing information from at least one electronic database of weather data of at least one computer, at least one geographic location;

performing processing associated with identifying, using the at least one climate energy index module, comfort zone criteria;

performing processing associated with determining, using the at least one climate energy index module, at least one characteristic energy potential associated with the at least one geographic location and the comfort zone criteria, the at least one characteristic energy potential determined by;

analyzing at least one weather file ordinate to determine energy required to shift at least one psychometric condition of the at least one weather file ordinate to at least one nearest boundary of at least one comfort zone;

determining the at least one characteristic energy potential so that it meets an at least one specified target comfort zone; and

performing processing associated with determining, using the at least one climate energy index module, at least one climate energy index associated with delivered energy based on the at least one characteristic energy potential total for the at least one geographic location, the at least one climate energy index providing an independent metric that provides a quantification of climate for the at least one analyzed weather file ordinate for the at least one geographic location and an indication of the consequence of climate in comparison to other weather data for the same at least one geographic location and/or other weather data for at least one other geographic location for the comfort zone criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing processing associated with summing, using the at least one climate energy index module, multiple characteristic energy potentials for at least one time period, wherein the at least one time period comprises;

a year; and

/or

at least one occupancy schedule representative of the use of a building.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining at least one energy calculation related to the at least one characteristic energy potential, wherein the at least one energy calculation comprises:

at least one heating energy calculation;

at least one cooling energy calculation;

at least one humidification energy calculation; and

at least one dehumidification energy calculation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the comfort zone criteria is based upon values associated with:

occupant comfort values;

or

different comfort zones;

the different comfort zones being determined by;

at least two geographic locations;

or

cultural and/or economic differences;

or

any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one energy calculation comprises:

one or more sources of energy including;

fossil fuel energy; and

/or

renewable energy.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one weather file ordinate associated with the at least one geographic location comprises:

any weather variable data.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one occupancy schedule comprises data associated with occupancy and/or activities for a building in the at least one geographic location at various times of the day, on different days, or both.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

produce at least one monthly energy load breakdown, or at least one annual energy load breakdown, or both, for the at least one geographic location; and

determine at least one delivered energy monthly breakdown from the at least one monthly energy load breakdown, or at least one delivered energy annual breakdown from the at least one annual energy load breakdown, or both.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determine at least one building air change factor for at least one building design;

determine auxiliary load benchmark data for the at least one building design;

determine occupancy hours of the at least one building design;

determine the floor area of the building design; and

calculate at least one second index value utilizing the at least one first index value, the at least one air change factor, the auxiliary load benchmark data, the occupancy hours, and the floor area.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determine whether to adjust the at least one building design based on building simulated delivered energy data and whether the at least one building design meets pre-determined comfort conditions and at least one second index; and

/or

determine whether to adjust the at least one building design based on building measured delivered energy data and whether the at least one building design meets pre-determined comfort conditions and at least one second index.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one climate energy index comprises the use of the following as a basis for a defined comfort zone:

a predicted mean vote (PMV);

percent people dissatisfied (PDD), adaptive comfort, or psychometric values, or any combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the psychometric values comprise:

temperature, relative humidity, or moisture content, or any combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one climate enemy index is independent from:

building form, heating, ventilation, or air conditioning, or any combination thereof.

11. A system for determining at least one climate energy index, comprising:

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

at least one application coupled to the at least one server and/or the at least one client, the at least one application comprising at least one climate energy index module utilizing information from at least one electronic database of at least one computer, the at least one application configured for;

performing processing associated with identifying, using at least one climate energy index module accessing information from at least one electronic database of weather data of at least one computer, at least one geographic location;

performing processing associated with identifying, using the at least one climate energy index module, comfort zone criteria;

performing processing associated with determining, using the at least one climate energy index module, at least one characteristic energy potential associated with the at least one geographic location the comfort zone criteria, the at least one characteristic energy potential determined by;

analyzing at least one weather file ordinate to determine energy required to shift at least one psychometric condition of the at least one weather file ordinate to at least one nearest boundary of at least one comfort zone;

determining the characteristic energy potential so that it meets an at least one specified target comfort zone; and

performing processing associated with determining, using the at least one climate energy index module, at least one climate energy index associated with delivered energy based on the at least one characteristic energy potential total for the at least one geographic location, the at least one climate energy index providing an independent metric that provides a quantification of climate for the at least one analyzed weather file ordinate for the at least one geographic location and an indication of the consequence of climate in comparison to other weather data for the same at least one geographic location and/or other weather data for at least one other geographic location for the comfort zone criteria.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

performing processing associated with summing, using the at least on climate energy index module, multiple characteristic energy potentials for at least one time period, wherein the at least one time period is;

a year; and

/or

at least one occupancy schedule representative of the use of a building.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising determining at least one energy calculation related to the at least one characteristic energy potential, wherein the at least one energy calculation comprises:

at least one heating energy calculation;

at least one cooling energy calculation;

at least one humidification energy calculation; and

at least one dehumidification energy calculation.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the comfort zone criteria is based upon values associated with:

occupant comfort values;

or

different comfort zones;

the different comfort zone being determined by;

at least two geographic locations;

or

cultural and/or economic differences;

or

any combination thereof.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one energy calculation comprises:

one or more sources of energy including;

fossil fuel energy; and

/or

renewable energy.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one weather file ordinate associated with the at least one geographic location comprises:

any weather variable data.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one occupancy schedule includes data associated with occupancy and/or activities for a building in the at least one geographic location at various times of the day, on different days, or both.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one application is also configured for:

producing at least one monthly energy load breakdown, or at least one annual energy load breakdown, or both, for the at least one geographic location; and

determining at least one delivered energy monthly breakdown from the at least one monthly energy load breakdown, or at least one delivered energy annual breakdown from the at least one annual energy load breakdown, or both.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one application is also configured for:

determining at least one building air change factor for at least one building design;

determining auxiliary load benchmark data for the at least one building design;

determining occupancy hours of the at least one building design;

determining the floor area of the building design; and

calculating at least one second index value utilizing the at least one first index value, the at least one air change factor, the auxiliary load benchmark data, the occupancy hours, and the floor area.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one application is also configured for:

determining, using the at least one application, whether to adjust the at least one building design based on building simulated delivered energy data and whether the at least one building design meets pre-determined comfort conditions and at least one second index; and

/or

determining, using the at least one application, whether to adjust the at least one building design based on building measured delivered energy data and whether the at least one building design meets pre-determined comfort conditions and at least one second index.

24. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one climate energy index comprises the use of the following as a basis for a defined comfort zone:

a predicted mean vote (PMV);

percent people dissatisfied (PDD), adaptive comfort, or psychometric values, or any combination thereof.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the psychometric values comprise:

temperature, relative humidity, or moisture content, or any combination thereof.

26. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one climate energy index is independent from:

building form, heating, ventilation, or air conditioning, or any combination thereof.