Building integrated photovoltaic devices as smart sensors for intelligent building energy management systems

• US 9,772,260 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SolarWindow Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SolarWindow Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Conklin, John Anthony, Hammond, Scott Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Huan
• Application Number:
  US14/193,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20140330538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2005/0067 with photovoltaic panels
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/20 Sunlight
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 50/80 for controlling collection or absorption of solar radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4204 with determination of ambient light solar light G01J2001/4266
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2207/00 Application of thermometers in household appliances
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/272 Solar heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/60 Planning or developing urban green infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/221 General power management systems

Abstract

Building-integrated photovoltaic devices can be provided, which function as sensors, wherein the output parameters from the device are used to provide information about light intensity and ambient temperature, in addition to providing power, to an intelligent building energy management system.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing a photovoltaic device as a sensor for an intelligent building energy management system, the method comprising the steps of:

comparing at least one of a voltage output parameter and a current output parameter from the photovoltaic device to values obtained under specific benchmark conditions; and

based on the step of comparing, providing information about current building conditions to the intelligent building energy management system as input parameters for determining optimal settings for one or more of heating, cooling, and dynamic energy-saving building elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the current building conditions include one or more of light intensity and ambient temperature.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein both a power output and a sensor output is used by the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a roof-top photovoltaic array based upon one or more photovoltaic technologies including one or more of crystalline silicon, cadmium telluride, copper-indium-gallium-selenide, copper-zinc-tin-sulfide, amorphous silicon, and organic photovoltaics.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein both a power output and a sensor output is used by the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a small-area roof-top photovoltaic module or cell, and a power output of the photovoltaic device is used to power a wireless transmitter for sending a sensor data output to the building energy management system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent building-integrated photovoltaic module or cell based upon one or more photovoltaic technologies including one or more of crystalline silicon, cadmium telluride, copper-indium-gallium-selenide, copper-zinc-tin-sulfide, and amorphous silicon.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein both a power output and a sensor output is used by the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a power output is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data to the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent building-integrated photovoltaic module or cell based upon organic photovoltaic technology.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein both a power output and a sensor output is used by the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent building-integrated photovoltaic module or cell based upon inverted architecture organic photovoltaic technology.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein both a power output and a sensor output is used by the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein a power output is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data to the building energy management system.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing dynamic calibration of the photovoltaic sensor data using non-photovoltaic sensors, and

providing additional data, from the non-photovoltaic sensors, to the intelligent building energy management system.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic energy saving building elements of the intelligent building energy management system comprise one or more of electrochromic windows, automatic window shades, attic fans, vent fans, heat pumps, HVAC systems, and radiant heat systems.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a power output is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data to the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent window unit based upon one or more photovoltaic technologies.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein both a power output and a sensor output is used by the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein a power output is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data to the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.

21. An intelligent building energy management system comprising:

a controller; and

a photovoltaic device in communication with the controller,

wherein the controller compares at least one of a voltage output parameter and a current output parameter received from the photovoltaic device to predetermined values obtained under specific benchmark conditions to determine information about current building conditions, and determines optimal settings for one or more of heating, cooling, and dynamic energy-saving building elements based on the current building conditions.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the current building conditions include one or more of light intensity and ambient temperature.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the controller determines the optimal settings based on both a power output and a sensor output of the photovoltaic device.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a roof-top photovoltaic array based upon one or more photovoltaic technologies including one or more of crystalline silicon, cadmium telluride, copper-indium-gallium-selenide, copper-zinc-tin-sulfide, amorphous silicon, and organic photovoltaics.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the controller determines the optimal settings based on both a power output and a sensor output of the photovoltaic device.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a small-area roof-top photovoltaic module or cell, and

wherein a power output of the photovoltaic device is used to power a wireless transmitter for sending a sensor data output from the photovoltaic device to the building energy management system.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent building-integrated photovoltaic module or cell based upon one or more photovoltaic technologies including one or more of crystalline silicon, cadmium telluride, copper-indium-gallium-selenide, copper-zinc-tin-sulfide, and amorphous silicon.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the controller determines the optimal settings based on both a power output and a sensor output of the photovoltaic device.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein a power output of the photovoltaic device is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data from the photovoltaic device to the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent building-integrated photovoltaic module or cell based upon organic photovoltaic technology.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the controller determines the optimal settings based on both a power output and a sensor output of the photovoltaic device.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent building-integrated photovoltaic module or cell based upon inverted architecture organic photovoltaic technology.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the controller determines the optimal settings based on both a power output and a sensor output of the photovoltaic device.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein a power output of the photovoltaic device is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data from the photovoltaic device to the building energy management system.

35. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

one or more non-photovoltaic sensors,

wherein the controller uses data from the non-photovoltaic sensors to provide dynamic calibration of sensor data from the photovoltaic device.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the non-photovoltaic sensors provide additional data, which is not obtainable using the photovoltaic device, to the controller.

37. The system of claim 21, wherein the dynamic energy saving building elements of the intelligent building energy management system comprise one or more of electrochromic windows, automatic window shades, attic fans, vent fans, heat pumps, HVAC systems, and radiant heat systems.

38. The system of claim 21, wherein a power output of the photovoltaic device is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data from the photovoltaic device to the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.

39. The system of claim 21, wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent window unit based upon one or more photovoltaic technologies.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the controller determines the optimal settings based on both a power output and a sensor output of the photovoltaic device.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein a power output of the photovoltaic device is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data from the photovoltaic device to the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.