Systems and methods for measuring and verifying energy usage in a building

• US 10,325,331 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Drees, Kirk H., Kummer, James P., Wenzel, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Betsch, Regis J
• Application Number:
  US15/199,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20160379319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/00 Arrangements for measuring electric power or power factor G01R7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/1333 adapted for special tariff measuring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A system for measuring and verifying energy savings resulting from energy conservation measures in a building includes one or more energy meters and a controller. The energy meters are configured to measure an actual amount of building energy usage The controller is configured to determine an actual amount of energy savings resulting from the energy conservation measures during the measurement and verification period and to calculate a least amount of energy savings resulting from the energy conservation measures. The least amount of energy savings is a lower confidence bound on the actual amount of energy savings. The controller is configured to cause a building management system for the building to stop performing a measurement and verification process before a normal end of the measurement and verification period in response to the least amount being greater than a target amount of energy savings to be achieved by the energy conservation measures.

Claims

1. A system for measuring and verifying energy savings resulting from energy conservation measures in a building, the system comprising:

one or more energy meters configured to measure an actual amount of energy usage for the building with the energy conservation measures during a measurement and verification period;

a controller comprising a processing circuit configured to determine an actual amount of energy savings resulting from the energy conservation measures during the measurement and verification period and an uncertainty associated with the actual amount of energy savings;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to calculate a least amount of energy savings resulting from the energy conservation measures, wherein the least amount of energy savings is a lower confidence bound on the actual amount of energy savings and is calculated using the uncertainty;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause a building management system for the building to stop performing a measurement and verification process before a normal end of the measurement and verification period in response to the least amount being greater than a target amount of energy savings to be achieved by the energy conservation measures.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause the building management system to continue the measurement and verification process to determine whether the energy conservation measures will achieve the target amount of energy savings in response to the least amount being less than the target amount.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause the building management system to continue the measurement and verification process for at least a full cycle comprising a plurality of periods.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to provide a user interface for allowing a user to set or adjust the target amount.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause the building management system to stop performing the measurement and verification process automatically without user input.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to calculate the least amount of energy savings by subtracting the uncertainty from the actual amount of energy savings.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine the actual amount of energy savings by:

calculating an estimated amount of energy usage for the building without the energy conservation measures;

identifying the actual amount of energy usage for the building measured by the one or more energy meters; and

calculating the actual amount of energy savings by subtracting the actual amount of energy usage from the estimated amount of energy usage.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to:

calculate a greatest amount of energy savings resulting from the energy conservation measures, wherein the greatest amount of energy savings is an upper confidence bound on the actual amount of energy savings and is calculated using the uncertainty; and

cause the building management system to stop performing the measurement and verification process before the normal end of the measurement and verification period in response to the greatest amount being less than the target amount.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause the building management system to continue the measurement and verification process to determine whether the energy conservation measures will achieve the target amount of energy savings in response to the greatest amount being greater than the target amount.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to output a graphical display of at least one of the uncertainty, the actual amount of energy savings, the least amount of energy savings, or the target amount of energy savings to at least one of a memory device or a user device.

11. A method for measuring and verifying energy savings resulting from energy conservation measures in a building, the method comprising:

identifying a target amount of energy savings to be achieved by the energy conservation measures;

determining an actual amount of energy savings resulting from the energy conservation measures during a measurement and verification period and an uncertainty associated with the actual amount of energy savings;

calculating a least amount of energy savings resulting from the energy conservation measures, wherein the least amount of energy savings is a lower confidence bound on the actual amount of energy savings and is calculated using the uncertainty; and

causing a building management system for the building to stop performing a measurement and verification process before a normal end of the measurement and verification period in response to the least amount being greater than the target amount.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising continuing the measurement and verification process to determine whether the energy conservation measures will achieve the target amount of energy savings in response to the least amount being less than the target amount.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a user interface for allowing a user to set or adjust the target amount.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein causing the building management system to stop performing the measurement and verification process occurs automatically without user input.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating the least amount of energy savings comprises subtracting the uncertainty from the actual amount of energy savings.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the actual amount of energy savings comprises:

calculating an estimated amount of energy usage for the building without the energy conservation measures;

measuring the actual amount of energy usage for the building with the energy conservation measures using one or more energy meters; and

calculating the actual amount of energy savings by subtracting the actual amount of energy usage from the estimated amount of energy usage.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising outputting a graphical display of at least one of the uncertainty, the actual amount of energy savings, the least amount of energy savings, or the target amount of energy savings to at least one of a memory device or a user device.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

calculating a greatest amount of energy savings resulting from the energy conservation measures, wherein the greatest amount of energy savings is an upper confidence bound on the actual amount of energy savings and is calculated using the uncertainty; and

causing the building management system to stop performing the measurement and verification process before the normal end of the measurement and verification period in response to the greatest amount being less than the target amount.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising continuing the measurement and verification process to determine whether the energy conservation measures will achieve the target amount of energy savings in response to the greatest amount being greater than the target amount.

20. A method for measuring and verifying energy savings resulting from energy conservation measures in a building, the method comprising:

identifying a target amount of energy savings to be achieved by the energy conservation measures;

determining an actual amount of energy savings resulting from the energy conservation measures during a measurement and verification period and an uncertainty associated with the actual amount of energy savings;

calculating a greatest amount of energy savings resulting from the energy conservation measures, wherein the greatest amount of energy savings is an upper confidence bound on the actual amount of energy savings and is calculated using the uncertainty; and

causing a building management system for the building to stop performing a measurement and verification process before a normal end of the measurement and verification period in response to the greatest amount being less than the target amount.