Computer-implemented system and method for determining building thermal performance parameters through empirical testing
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for modeling interval building heating energy consumption, comprising the steps of:
- finding by a computer processor total thermal conductivity, thermal mass, and effective window area for a building through a series of sequentially-performed empirical tests, at least one of the tests conducted using an electric controllable interior heat source, each successive empirical test building on findings of the earlier empirical tests;
measuring by the computer processor a difference between average indoor and average outdoor temperatures over the course of each of the empirical tests using an indoor thermometer and an outdoor thermometer; and
determining by the computer processor interval heating fuel consumption of the building over a heating season based on the total thermal conductivity, the temperature difference, and average occupancy, non-HVAC electricity consumption and solar resource,modeling by the computer processor a change in the thermal conductivity associated with replacing a material of a portion of an envelope of the building with a further material using an R-value of the material and an R-value of the further material; and
calculating by the computer processor a value of energy savings associated with the replacement using the interval heating fuel consumption and the change in the thermal conductivity;
wherein the replacement is performed based on the value of the energy savings.
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Abstract
A computer-implemented system and method to determine building thermal performance parameters through empirical testing is described. Three building-specific parameters, thermal conductivity, thermal mass, and effective window area, are empirically derived. Thermal conductivity is evaluated through an empirical test conducted in the absence of solar gain with constant indoor temperature and no HVAC. Thermal mass is evaluated through a second empirical test conducted in the absence of solar gain and no HVAC. Effective window area is evaluated through a third empirical test conducted in the presence of solar gain and no HVAC. Thermal HVAC system power rating and conversion and delivery efficiency are also parametrized. The parameters are estimated using short duration tests that last at most several days. The parameters and estimated HVAC system efficiency can be used to simulate a time series of indoor building temperature, annual fuel consumption, or maximum indoor temperature.
71 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for modeling interval building heating energy consumption, comprising the steps of:
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finding by a computer processor total thermal conductivity, thermal mass, and effective window area for a building through a series of sequentially-performed empirical tests, at least one of the tests conducted using an electric controllable interior heat source, each successive empirical test building on findings of the earlier empirical tests; measuring by the computer processor a difference between average indoor and average outdoor temperatures over the course of each of the empirical tests using an indoor thermometer and an outdoor thermometer; and determining by the computer processor interval heating fuel consumption of the building over a heating season based on the total thermal conductivity, the temperature difference, and average occupancy, non-HVAC electricity consumption and solar resource, modeling by the computer processor a change in the thermal conductivity associated with replacing a material of a portion of an envelope of the building with a further material using an R-value of the material and an R-value of the further material; and calculating by the computer processor a value of energy savings associated with the replacement using the interval heating fuel consumption and the change in the thermal conductivity; wherein the replacement is performed based on the value of the energy savings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A computer-implemented method for determining building thermal performance parameters through empirical testing, comprising the steps of:
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recording by a computer processor a building'"'"'s indoor electricity consumption and difference in indoor and outdoor average temperatures over an empirical test conducted in the absence of solar gain with constant indoor temperature and no HVAC; finding by the computer processor thermal conductivity of the building as a function of occupancy and the electricity consumption over the average temperature difference; recording by the computer processor the building'"'"'s indoor electricity consumption, difference in indoor and outdoor average temperatures, and change in indoor temperature over another empirical test conducted in the absence of solar gain and no HVAC; finding by the computer processor thermal mass of the building as a function of the thermal conductivity and the average temperature difference, occupancy, and the electricity consumption, all over the indoor temperature change; recording by the computer processor the building'"'"'s indoor electricity consumption, difference in indoor and outdoor average temperatures, and change in indoor temperature over a further empirical test conducted in the presence of solar gain and no HVAC; and finding by the computer processor effective window area of the building as a function of the thermal mass and the change in indoor temperature, the thermal conductivity and the average temperature difference, occupancy, the electricity consumption, all over the average solar energy produced during the empirical test; modeling by the computer processor a value of energy savings associated with changing the effective window area using the effective window area and a further effective window area, wherein the effective window area in the building is changed to the further effective window area based on the modeling. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification