Method and system for assessing energy performance

• US 20060241905A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: McCalla, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,243,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

A computerized system and method for benchmarking energy performance in a building are provided. The method includes receiving utility use data for the building, receiving weather data for the building, and computing a best thermodynamic break-even temperature for the building based on the utility use data and the weather data.

Claims

1. A method implemented using a computerized system for benchmarking energy performance in a building, comprising:

receiving utility use data for the building;

receiving weather data for the building; and

computing a best thermodynamic break-even (“

TBE”

) temperature for the building based on the utility use data and the weather data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising aggregating the utility use data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising computing at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an initial estimate of how energy is used in the building.

5. The method of claim 1, further including performing linear regression analysis to obtain energy use coefficients for the building.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the linear regression analysis includes solving at least two equations simultaneously in an iterative process.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least two equations model electrical consumption in the building and electrical demand in the building.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least two equations includes a third equation that models fuel use in the building.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the fuel use includes all non-electrical energy use.

10. The method of claim 5, further including using the energy use coefficients to diagnose a problem in the building.

11. The method of claim 1, further including normalizing the energy use coefficients to obtain benchmarks regarding energy performance in the building.

12. The method of claim 11, further including using the building performance benchmarks to obtain system performance benchmarks.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the system performance benchmarks are further obtained by one or both of physically inspecting the building and looking at probability distributions of previously benchmarked buildings.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the normalizing is performed by comparing the energy use coefficients to a building metric.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the building metric is one or more of square feet of the building, number of occupants in the building, and number of beds in the building.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the best TBE temperature is obtained by plotting energy use versus degree days.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the degree days includes at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the energy use includes at least one of electrical use and fuel use.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the energy use includes at least one of electrical consumption and electrical demand.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the utility use data is received from at least one of paper invoices and electronic invoices.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the utility use data is received by scanning paper invoices.

22. The method of claim 1, further including archiving the utility use data and weather data in a database.

23. The method of claim 1, further including using a web browser to perform at least one of providing input to the method, invoking the method, and receiving output from the method.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the utility use data is obtained from at least one of an owner of the building, a utility service provider, or a utility bill consolidator.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the utility use data and weather data cover a similar time period.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the time period is at least about six months.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the utility use data is received substantially in real time.

28. A computerized system for benchmarking energy performance in a building, comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU); and

a storage device coupled to the CPU and having information stored therein for configuring the CPU to;

receive utility use data for the building;

receive weather data for the building; and

compute a best thermodynamic break-even (“

TBE”

) temperature for the building based on the utility use data and the weather data.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the CPU is further configured to aggregate the utility use data.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the CPU is further configured to compute at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the CPU is further configured to determine an initial estimate of how energy is used in the building.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the CPU is further configured to perform linear regression analysis to obtain energy use coefficients for the building.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the linear regression analysis is performed by solving at least two equations simultaneously in an iterative process.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least two equations model electrical consumption in the building and electrical demand in the building.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least two equations includes a third equation that models fuel use in the building.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the fuel use includes all non-electrical energy use.

37. The method of claim 32, further including using the energy use coefficients to diagnose a problem in the building.

38. The system of claim 28, wherein the CPU is further configured to normalize the energy use coefficients to obtain benchmarks regarding energy performance in the building.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the CPU is further configured to use the building performance benchmarks to obtain system performance benchmarks.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the system performance benchmarks are further obtained by one or both of physically inspecting the building and looking at probability distributions of previously benchmarked buildings.

41. The system of claim 38, wherein the normalizing is performed by comparing the energy use coefficients to a building metric.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the building metric is one or more of square feet of the building, number of occupants in the building, and number of beds in the building.

43. The system of claim 28, wherein the best TBE temperature is obtained by plotting energy use versus degree days.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the degree days includes at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the energy use includes at least one of electrical use and fuel use.

46. The system of claim 43, wherein the energy use includes at least one of electrical consumption and electrical demand.

47. The system of claim 28, wherein the utility use data is received from at least one of paper invoices and electronic invoices.

48. The system of claim 28, wherein the utility use data is received by scanning paper invoices.

49. The system of claim 28, wherein the CPU is further configured to archive the utility use data and weather data in a database.

50. The system of claim 28, further including using a web browser to cause the CPU to perform at least one of providing input to the system, invoking the system, and receiving output from the system.

51. The system of claim 28, wherein the utility use data is obtained from at least one of an owner of the building, a utility service provider, or a utility bill consolidator.

52. The system of claim 28, wherein the utility use data and weather data cover a similar time period.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the time period is at least about six months.

54. The system of claim 28, wherein the utility use data is received substantially in real time.

55. A computerized system for benchmarking energy performance in a building, comprising:

means for receiving utility use data for the building;

means for receiving weather data for the building; and

means for computing a best thermodynamic break-even (“

TBE”

) temperature for the building based on the utility use data and the weather data.

56. The system of claim 55, further comprising means for aggregating the utility use data.

57. The system of claim 55, further comprising means for computing at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days.

58. The system of claim 55, further comprising means for determining an initial estimate of how energy is used in the building.

59. The system of claim 55, further including means for performing linear regression analysis to obtain energy use coefficients for the building.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the means for performing linear regression analysis includes means for solving at least two equations simultaneously in an iterative process.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the at least two equations model electrical consumption in the building and electrical demand in the building.

62. The system of claim 61, wherein the at least two equations includes a third equation that models fuel use in the building.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein the fuel use includes all non-electrical energy use.

64. The system of claim 59, further including means for using the energy use coefficients to diagnose a problem in the building.

65. The system of claim 55, further including means for normalizing the energy use coefficients to obtain benchmarks regarding energy performance in the building.

66. The system of claim 65, further including means for using the building performance benchmarks to obtain system performance benchmarks.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein the system performance benchmarks are further obtained by one or both of physically inspecting the building and looking at probability distributions of previously benchmarked buildings.

68. The system of claim 65, wherein the means for normalizing is performed by comparing the energy use coefficients to a building metric.

69. The system of claim 68, wherein the building metric is one or more of square feet of the building, number of occupants in the building, and number of beds in the building.

70. The system of claim 55, wherein the best TBE temperature is obtained by plotting energy use versus degree days.

71. The system of claim 70, wherein the degree days includes at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days.

72. The system of claim 70, wherein the energy use includes at least one of electrical use and fuel use.

73. The system of claim 70, wherein the energy use includes at least one of electrical consumption and electrical demand.

74. The system of claim 55, wherein the utility use data is received from at least one of paper invoices and electronic invoices.

75. The system of claim 55, wherein the utility use data is received by scanning paper invoices.

76. The system of claim 55, further including means for archiving the utility use data and weather data in a database.

77. The system of claim 55, further including means for enabling a web browser to perform at least one of providing input to the system, invoking the system, and receiving output from the system.

78. The system of claim 55, wherein the utility use data is obtained from at least one of an owner of the building, a utility service provider, or a utility bill consolidator.

79. The system of claim 55, wherein the utility use data and weather data cover a similar time period.

80. The system of claim 79, wherein the time period is at least about six months.

81. The system of claim 55, wherein the utility use data is received substantially in real time.