Systems and methods of home efficiency modeling

• US 10,185,345 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: SolarCity Corporation (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Hanley, Ryan, Zimmerly, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Norton, Jennifer L
• Application Number:
  US14/746,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20160370814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/003 Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• 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: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A method for modeling energy efficiency of a site comprises: (1) receiving temperature data associated with the site from a sensor, the temperature data including a starting temperature of the site and a corresponding starting time of a climate control system, and an ending temperature of the site and a corresponding ending time of the climate control system; (2) receiving power consumption data associated with the site from a power meter, the power consumption data including power consumption of the climate control system at the site; and (3) determining the energy transfer function that models an energy efficiency of the site based at least partially on a time it takes for the site to reach the ending temperature from the starting temperature, and the power consumption of the climate control system from the starting time to the ending time, wherein the energy transfer function determines a predicted power consumption as a function of temperature change and time.

Claims

1. A system for modeling energy efficiency of a site, comprising:

a power meter that measures a total power consumption of the site;

a sensor that measures temperature at the site, and record both measured temperatures of the site over time and activities of a climate control system;

a server to;

receive the total power consumption of the site from the power meter, the measured temperatures of the site and the activities of the climate control system from the sensor, and weather data, remotely through a network;

generate an energy transfer function of the site, based at least partially on the total power consumption of the site, the measured temperatures of the site, the activities of the climate control system, and the weather data, wherein the energy transfer function determines a predicted power consumption of the site as a function of temperature change at the site and time; and

control operations of the climate control system by altering its power consumption based on the generated energy transfer function.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an activity sensor configured to detect activities at the site for determining whether the site is occupied.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power sensor configured to measure at least one of voltage signals or current signals provided to the site, wherein the server is configured to generate the energy transfer function of the site, based at least partially on the total power consumption of the site, the measured temperatures of the site, the activities of the climate control system, and the weather data by:

extracting electrical signatures from the at least one of voltage signals or current signals;

determining operational time of an appliance of the climate control system based on the extracted electrical signatures and an electrical signature of the appliance of the climate control system;

determining a power consumption of the appliance of the climate control system based at least partially on;

the total power consumption of the site; and

the operational time of the appliance of the climate control system; and

generating the energy transfer function of the site, based at least partially on the power consumption of the appliance of the climate control system, the measured temperatures of the site, the activities of the climate control system, and the weather data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to receive at least one of structure information of the site, weather forecast data, or utility price information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the power meter is configured to measure the total power consumption of the site and send the measured power consumption to the server periodically or continuously;

the sensor is configured to measure the temperature at the site, and transmit both the measured temperature over time and the activities of the climate control system to the server, periodically or continuously; and

the server is configured to generate the energy transfer function of the site periodically or continuously.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the measured temperatures over time include a starting temperature of the site and an ending temperature of the site;

the activities of the climate control system include a starting time of an appliance of the climate control system corresponding to the starting temperature, and an ending time of the appliance of the climate control system corresponding to the ending temperature; and

the server generates the energy transfer function of the site, based at least partially on the total power consumption of the site, the measured temperatures of the site, the activities of the climate control system, and the weather data by;

determining, based at least partially on the total power consumption of the site, the measured temperatures of the site, and the activities of the climate control system;

a time period for the site to reach the ending temperature from the starting temperature; and

a power consumption of the appliance of the climate control system from the starting time to the ending time; and

generating the energy transfer function of the site based at least partially on the time period for the site to reach the ending temperature from the starting temperature, the power consumption of the appliance of the climate control system from the starting time to the ending time, and the weather data.