Load control system having an energy savings mode

• US 9,013,059 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Altonen, Gregory, Fricke, William Bryce, Jacoby, Elliot G., Pessina, Michael W., Zaharchuk, Walter S., Spira, Joel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): AMAYA, CARLOS DAVID
• Application Number:
  US13/234,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20120091804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 307/31, 307/32, 307/125
• US Class Current: 307/31
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive
• 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 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/59 for presetting
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/61 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/86 by controlling compressors within refrigeration or heat pump circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/20 Sunlight
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 : Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A load control system for a building having a lighting load, a window, and a heating and cooling system comprises a lighting control device for controlling the amount of power delivered to the lighting load, a daylight control device (such as a motorized window treatment) for adjusting the amount of natural light to be admitted through a window, and a controller for adjusting a setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system to thus control a present temperature in the building. In response to receiving a demand response command, the controller controls the lighting control device, the daylight control device, and the heating and cooling system so as to decrease a total power consumption of the load control system. The load control system may comprise a controllable switching device for disconnecting power to or disconnecting the control lines to one or more components of the heating and cooling system.

Claims

1. A load control system for a building having a lighting load located in a space of the building, a heating and cooling system, and a window located in the space of the building, the load control system comprising:

a lighting control device operable to control the amount of power delivered to the lighting load;

a daylight control device operable to control the amount of natural light to be admitted through the window; and

a controller operable to adjust a setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system to thus control a present temperature in the building, the controller operable to receive a demand response command and to control the operation of the lighting control device, the daylight control device, and the heating and cooling system in response to receiving the demand response command;

wherein, immediately after the load control system is installed and powered for the first time, the controller is operable to automatically decrease the amount of power delivered by the lighting control device to the lighting load by a first predetermined amount so as to decrease the power consumption of the lighting load, device a fully-closed position to prevent natural light from being admitted through the window by the daylight control device so as to decrease the power consumption of the heating and cooling system, and adjust the setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system by a second predetermined amount so as to decrease the power consumption of the heating and cooling system in response to receiving the demand response command.

2. The load control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless temperature sensor operable to measure the present temperature in the building and to wirelessly transmit a digital message including a value representative of the present temperature in the building;

the controller operable to receive the digital message from the wireless temperature sensor and to determine the present temperature in the building in response to the digital message.

3. The load control system of claim 2, wherein the heating and cooling system comprises a heating and cooling controller coupled to a compressor via control wiring.

4. The load control system of claim 3, wherein the controller is coupled to the heating and cooling controller of the heating and cooling system via a digital communication link.

5. The load control system of claim 4, wherein the controller transmits digital messages to the heating and cooling controller of the heating and cooling system via the digital communication link to adjust the present temperature in the building towards the setpoint temperature.

6. The load control system of claim 3, further comprising:

a controllable switching device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection with the control wiring between the heating and cooling controller and the compressor for turning off the compressor, the controller operable to control the controllable switching device to connect and disconnect power to the compressor, so as to adjust the present temperature in the building towards the setpoint temperature.

7. The load control system of claim 3, further comprising:

a controllable switching device adapted to be coupled to the compressor for disconnecting power from the controller, the controller operable to control the controllable switching device to connect power to and disconnect power from the compressor, so as to adjust the present temperature in the building towards the setpoint temperature.

8. The load control system of claim 2, wherein the heating and cooling system comprises a heating and cooling controller coupled via control wiring to a controllable damper located in the space, the load control system further comprising:

a controllable switching device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection with the control wiring between the heating and cooling controller and the controllable damper for opening and closing the damper, the controller operable to control the controllable switching device to open and close the damper, so as to adjust the present temperature in the building towards the setpoint temperature.

9. The load control system of claim 2, further comprising:

a controllable switching device adapted to be coupled to the heating and cooling system for disconnecting power from the heating and cooling system, the controller operable to control the controllable switching device to connect power to and disconnect power from the heating and cooling system, so as to adjust the present temperature in the building towards the setpoint temperature.

10. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the controller, in response to the demand response command, automatically increases the setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system when the heating and cooling system is presently cooling the building so as to decrease the power consumption of the heating and cooling system, and decreases the setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system when the heating and cooling system is presently heating the building so as to decrease the power consumption of the heating and cooling system.

11. The load control system of claim 10, wherein the controller is coupled to the lighting control device and the daylight control device via a communication link, the controller operable to receive the demand response command and to transmit digital messages to the lighting control device and the daylight control device in response to receiving the demand response command;

wherein the lighting control device decreases the amount of power delivered to the lighting load and the daylight control device decreases the amount of natural light admitted through the window in response to receiving the digital messages from the controller.

12. The load control system of claim 11, wherein the daylight control device comprises a motorized window treatment having a window treatment fabric for covering the window, the motorized window treatment operable to move the fabric between a fully-open position in which the window is not covered and a fully-closed position in which the window is covered, the motorized window treatment operable to adjust the position of the fabric in response to the demand response command so as to decrease the power consumption of the heating and cooling system.

13. The load control system of claim 12, further comprising:

an occupancy sensor for detecting whether the space is occupied or unoccupied.

14. The load control system of claim 13, wherein, when the space is unoccupied and the heating and cooling system is heating the building, the motorized window treatment moves the fabric to the fully-open position if the window may be receiving direct sunlight, and moves the fabric to the fully-closed position if the window may not be receiving direct sunlight.

15. The load control system of claim 13, wherein, when the space is occupied, the heating and cooling system is heating the building, and the room may be receiving direct sunlight, the motorized window treatment is operable to raise the fabric from an initial position to allow more sunlight to enter the space in response to the demand response command when the heating and cooling system is heating the building, the motorized window treatment operable to lower the fabric if the heating and cooling system is consuming more energy than when the fabric was in the initial position.

16. The load control system of claim 12, wherein, when the window may be receiving direct sunlight, the motorized window treatment lowers the fabric in response to the demand response command when the heating and cooling system is cooling the building, and raises the fabric in response to the demand response command when the heating and cooling system is heating the building.

17. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the demand response command comprises a planned demand response command indicating an upcoming planned demand response event, and the controller controls the lighting control device, the daylight control device, and the heating and cooling system to pre-condition the building prior to the upcoming demand response event.

18. The load control system of claim 17, wherein the controller is operable to decrease the setpoint temperature to pre-condition the building prior to the upcoming planned demand response event when the heating and cooling system is presently cooling the building, and increase the setpoint temperature to pre-condition the building prior to the upcoming planned demand response event when the heating and cooling system is presently heating the building.

19. The load control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controllable switching device for turning an electrical load on and off, the controllable switching device operable to turn off the electrical load in response to the demand response command so as to decrease the power consumption of the load control system.

20. A load control system for a building having a lighting load located in a space of the building, a heating and cooling system, and a window located in the space of the building, the load control system comprising:

a lighting control device operable to control the amount of power delivered to the lighting load;

a motorized window treatment comprising a window treatment fabric for covering the window, the motorized window treatment operable to move the fabric between a fully-open position in which the window is not covered and a fully-closed position in which the window is covered;

a wireless temperature sensor operable to measure a present temperature in the building and to wirelessly transmit a digital message including a value representative of the present temperature in the building; and

a controller operable to transmit at least one digital message to the lighting control device and the motorized window treatment via a communication link for controlling the lighting control device and the motorized window treatment, the controller operable to receive the digital message from the wireless temperature sensor and to determine the present temperature in the building in response to the digital message, the controller operable to adjust a setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system to thus control the present temperature in the building towards the setpoint temperature, the controller operable to receive a demand response command and to control the operation of the lighting control device, the motorized window treatment, and the heating and cooling system in response to receiving the demand response command;

wherein, immediately after the load control system is installed and powered for the first time, the controller is operable to automatically decrease the amount of power delivered by the lighting control device to the lighting load by a first predetermined amount so as to decrease the power consumption of the lighting load, move the fabric to the fully-closed position so as to decrease the power consumption of the heating and cooling system, and adjust the setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system by a second predetermined amount so as to decrease the power consumption of the heating and cooling system in response to receiving the demand response command.