Cloud enabled building automation system

• US 9,535,411 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2013
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Wei, Dong, Darie, Florin, Ji, Kun, Song, Zhen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Kenneth M
• Assistant Examiner(s): WYNNE, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US13/916,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20130274940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A method of controlling energy consumption in a building. The method includes receiving occupant request data including a plurality of requests, wherein each of the plurality of requests corresponds to one of a plurality of zones in the building wherein the occupant request data is received via a cloud computing resource. The method also includes receiving weather data including at least one of current weather measurement data and weather forecast data wherein the weather data is received via a cloud computing resource. In addition, a facility management rule is received via a cloud computing resource. Further, the method includes generating a plurality of output control signals via cloud computing resource, wherein each of the plurality of output control signals is based on one of a plurality of requests and predicted occupant schedules, energy price data and the facility management rule. The control signals are generated by using simulation-based model predictive control method to determine a set of optimized control signals based on optimized energy use or optimized energy cost. The optimized control signals are transmitted to controllers.

Claims

1. A method of controlling energy consumption in a building, comprising:

receiving occupant request data comprising a plurality of requests, wherein each of the plurality of requests corresponds to one of a plurality of zones in the building wherein the occupant request data is received via a cloud computing resource wherein the occupant request data includes an initial request received from an occupant of the building and wherein the initial request is associated with at least one initially requested environmental condition;

receiving occupant schedule data comprising a plurality of predicted occupant schedules, wherein each of the plurality of predicted occupant schedules corresponds to one of the plurality of zones in the building wherein the occupant request data is received via a cloud computing resource;

receiving weather data comprising at least one of current weather measurement data and weather forecast data wherein the weather data is received via a cloud computing resource;

receiving energy price data comprising at least one of current energy price data and predicted energy price data via a cloud computing resource;

receiving sensor and actuator data comprising data collected by controllers located in the building wherein the sensor and actuator data is received via a cloud computing resource;

receiving a facility management rule via a cloud computing resource;

generating a plurality of output control signals wherein each of the plurality of output control signals is based on one of the plurality of requests, one of the plurality of predicted occupant schedules, the energy price data and the facility management rule and each of the plurality of output control signals is configured to adjust building control devices in the plurality of zones in the building wherein the output control signals are generated via a cloud computing resource;

simulating each of the control signals via a cloud computing resource to determine an optimized control signal based on optimized energy use, optimized cost and building configuration information input by a building operator;

determining whether the initial request complies with the facility management rule; and

transmitting the optimized output control signal to a building automation system (BAS) of the building when the initial request complies with the facility management rule such that the BAS provides the at least one environmental condition associated with the initial request, wherein when the initial request does not comply with the facility management rule, the BAS provides a closest value for the environmental condition, relative to the initially requested environmental condition, that complies with the facility management rule and wherein a user making the request is informed that the value for the environmental condition associated with the initial request was adjusted to the closest value for the environmental condition that complies with the facility management rule.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a peak energy load time based on the energy price data, wherein the output control signal is further configured to pre-cool or pre-heat the building during a time that does not correspond to the peak energy load time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a notification indicating that the current request does not comply with the facility management rule upon determining that the current request does not comply with the facility management rule.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the occupant request data includes a preferred temperature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the occupant schedule data includes preferred office hours, meeting rooms and schedules.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the output control signal comprises a set-point corresponding to a target temperature and the building control device is a thermostat.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the output control signal comprises a set-point corresponding to a target luminance value and the building control device is a lighting system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a schedule for receiving at least one of the occupancy data, the weather data, and the energy price data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the occupancy data, the weather data, and the energy price data are received from a remote database.

10. A method of controlling energy consumption in a building, comprising:

providing a run-time module configured to receive occupant schedule data comprising a predicted occupant schedule, and weather data comprising at least one of current weather measurement data and weather forecast data wherein the occupant schedule data and weather forecast data are provided by a cloud computing resource;

providing a human-machine interface (HMI) configured to receive occupant request data comprising a current request wherein the occupant request data includes an initial request received from an occupant of the building and wherein the initial request is associated with at least one initially requested environmental condition;

simulating each of the control signals via a cloud computing resource to determine a simulated signal based on optimized energy use, optimized cost and building configuration information input by a building operator;

determining whether the initial request complies with a facility management rule; and

providing an interface module configured to receive an output control signal from the run-time module and transmit the output control signal to a building automation system (BAS) of a building, wherein the output control signal is based on the occupant schedule data, the weather data, the occupant request data, and the simulated signal, and wherein when the initial request complies with the facility management rule the BAS provides the at least one environmental condition associated with the initial request, and wherein when the initial request does not comply with the facility management rule, the BAS provides a closest value for the environmental condition, relative to the initially requested environmental condition, that complies with the facility management rule and wherein a user making the request is informed that the value for the environmental condition associated with the initial request was adjusted to the closest value for the environmental condition that complies with the facility management rule.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving energy price data including at least one of current energy price data and predicted energy price data wherein the output control signal is further based on the energy price data.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a peak energy load time based on the energy price data, wherein the output control signal is further configured to pre-cool or pre-heat the building during a time that does not correspond to the peak energy load time.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating a notification indicating that the current request does not comply with the facility management rule upon determining that the current request does not comply with the facility management rule.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the output control signal comprises a set-point corresponding to a target temperature and the building control device is a thermostat.