Method and system for tracking and budgeting energy usage

• US 8,719,185 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yardi Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mc Energy Inc. (Mitsubishi Corporation)
• Inventors: Carey, Margaret M., Pfeister, Douglas L., Putnam, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Allen J
• Application Number:
  US12/892,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 705/412
• US Class Current: 705/412
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/82 Energy audits or management systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/845 Inventory and reporting systems for greenhouse gases [GHG]

Abstract

An energy tracking and reporting system can receive data inputs from multiple sources regarding one or more properties. A central database receives the information and correlates the information for numerous outputs. Information received by the central database can include, for example, property location, property size, property type and property use. Also, occupancy information, energy sources, utilities servicing the property, weather, ISO, environmental guidelines, and the traded or other standard price for the utilities can be stored. The system can calculate a number of factors from the data and return values to the central database. The system can track data trends and store additional information for budgeting, user reporting and certification compliance reporting. Modules can analyze the market rates, calculate efficiency benchmarks, analyze the data stored on the central database and provide the user with multiple tables and charts analyzing all of the factors that tie into energy usage.

Claims

1. A method of calculating future energy consumption for a property comprising the steps of:

a) receiving, at a server, over a network, from a user computer, a selection of a first time period;

b) receiving, at the server, over the network, from the user computer, a selection of a starting time for the first time period;

c) retrieving, from a database connected to the server, historical energy consumption data for the property for a plurality of subdivisions of the first time period, wherein the historical consumption data for the first time period comprises data for one or more subdivisions of a first previous year, wherein the first previous year is one year previous to the first time period;

d) performing by a processor the steps of;

i) calculating an average sum of at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days for each of the plurality of subdivisions of the first time period using the historical consumption data;

ii) calculating at least one of a heating factor and a cooling factor for the property using the historical consumption data by;

(1) determining a rate of increase in energy consumption per at least one of the heating and the cooling degree days; and

(2) dividing the rate of increase by a square footage corresponding to the property;

iii) modifying the historical consumption data by multiplying the historical consumption data for each of the plurality of subdivisions of the first previous year by at least one of the heating factor and the cooling factor;

iv) modifying the historical consumption data by a per-capita consumption by determining a per-capita consumption rate based on a first occupancy amount and multiplying the determined consumption rate by an estimated increase or decrease in the first occupancy amount; and

v) modifying the historical consumption data by subtracting an amount of reduced consumption due to actions at the property, wherein the resulting amount provides an estimate of future energy consumption for the property;

e) when historical consumption data for one or more subdivisions of the first previous year is unavailable, retrieving historical consumption data, from the database, from one or more of a plurality of subdivisions of a second previous year, wherein the second previous year is more than one year prior to said first time period, and performing by a processor the steps of;

i) extrapolating a target historical consumption data for one or more target subdivisions of the first previous year for which consumption data is unavailable from the historical consumption data of the second previous year, comprising the steps of;

(1) summing an energy consumption for the subdivisions of the second previous year wherein at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days equal zero;

(2) dividing by the number of selected subdivisions in the first time period to find at least one of a non-heating consumption and a non-cooling mean subdivision consumption;

(3) summing an energy consumption for subdivisions of the first previous year wherein at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days equal zero;

(4) dividing by the number of selected subdivisions in the first time period to find at least one of a non-heating consumption and a non-cooling mean subdivision consumption; and

(5) calculating one of a heating consumption factor and a cooling consumption factor by applying the following formula;

1+(((one of a non-heating subdivision consumption and a non-cooling subdivision consumption, first previous year)−

(one of non-heating subdivision consumption and non-cooling subdivision consumption, second previous year))/one of non-heating subdivision consumption and non-cooling subdivision consumption, second previous year) to obtain a heating consumption factor and a cooling consumption factor;

ii) determining if the one or more target subdivisions experiences at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days; and

iii) modifying the one or more target subdivision historical consumption data by multiplying the one or more target subdivisions'"'"' historical consumption data by at least one of the heating consumption factor and the cooling consumption factor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating at least one of the heating factor and the cooling factor for the property comprises performing by a processor the further steps of:

a) determining at least one of a non-heating baseline and a non-cooling baseline by calculating at least one of an average non-heating energy usage and a non-cooling energy usage for the first previous year;

b) calculating an expected energy consumption from at least one of the heating factor and the non-heating baseline and the cooling factor and the non-cooling baseline; and

c) modifying the expected energy consumption by at least one of an average heating degree days and average cooling degree days.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the historical consumption by the per-capita consumption step comprises the processor performing by a processor the steps of:

a) retrieving historical occupancy data for the first previous year;

b) calculating at least one of energy-per-capita non-heating and energy-per-capita non-cooling using historical energy data and the historical occupancy data;

c) calculating at least one of energy-per-capita heating and energy-per-capita cooling using historical energy data and the historical occupancy data;

d) determining a difference between a current occupancy and an occupancy the first previous year; and

e) modifying historical consumption by multiplying the difference by at least one of energy-per-capita non-heating, energy-per-capita non-cooling, energy-per-capita heating, and energy-per-capita cooling.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the historical consumption by the per-capita consumption step comprises the step of calculating, by the processor, a property baseline consumption by at least one of calculating at least one of off-peak non-cooling consumption and off-peak non-heating consumption and performing a public light and power analysis.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising forecasting the future environmental footprint by performing the steps of:

a) collecting, in the database, at least one of historical energy usage and historical emission sources;

b) converting, by the processor, the historical energy usage, historical emission sources and the common pollution levels into a common pollutant unit;

c) storing, in the database, historical emissions based on the common pollutant unit for the property;

d) tracking, in the database, current emissions based on current energy usage and emission sources for the property;

e) calculating, by the processor, an environmental footprint based on the historical and current emissions;

f) comparing, by the processor, the environmental footprint to at least one environmental baseline; and

g) forecasting, by the processor, the future environmental footprint based on the historical and current emissions.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising calculating a future cost, a future consumption, or a future emission, by performing the steps of:

a) inputting and tracking emission guidelines in a database;

b) determining, by the processor, from the comparing step and in comparison with the emission guidelines, if the property is at least generating at least one of an emissions credit or expending the at least one emissions credit;

c) tracking and documenting the generating and expending of the at least one emissions credit; and

d) calculating at least one of a future cost, a future consumption, and a future emission based on the tracking and documenting step.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating a future cost, a future consumption, or a future emission, by performing the steps of:

a) inputting and tracking emission guidelines in a database;

b) determining, by the processor, from the comparing step and in comparison with the emission guidelines, if the property is at least generating at least one of an emissions credit or expending the at least one emissions credit;

c) tracking and documenting the generating and expending of the at least one emissions credit; and

d) calculating at least one of a future cost, a future consumption, and a future emission based on the tracking and documenting step.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the energy usage includes the use of at least one of natural gas, heating oil, crude oil, steam, electricity, wind, solar, methane, hydropower, and nuclear.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the historical energy usage, historical emission sources, energy usage, and emission sources are based at least in part on individual employee activities and owner purchases.

10. The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

a) collecting, in the database, historical information regarding any pollution credits corresponding to the property; and

b) determining, based at least in part on the historical information regarding pollution credits corresponding to the property, an estimate of pollution credits for the property for a selected time period.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

a) collecting, in the database, historical information regarding the relative amount of green energy used for the property;

b) comparing the amount of green energy used for the property to a predetermined amount; and

c) providing an alert if the amount of green energy used for the property is below the predetermined amount.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

a) collecting, in the database, historical information regarding gas emission levels for the property;

b) comparing at least one gas emission level for the property to a preselected number;

c) determining, based on said comparing step, whether the at least one gas emission level for the property exceeds a preselected number.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of subdivisions comprises a month.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the starting time for the first time period comprises a starting month and starting year.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the historical consumption data for one of the first previous year'"'"'s subdivisions comprises data for the month in the year immediately preceding an initial year included in the first time period.