Method and system for tracking and budgeting energy usage

• US 7,818,270 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yardi Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Margaret M. Carey
• Inventors: Pfeister, Douglas L., Carey, Margaret M., Putnam, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes; John W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jung; Allen J
• Application Number:
  US11/335,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: 705/412, 700/291
• US Class Current: 705/412
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/82 Energy audits or management systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/845 Inventory and reporting systems for greenhouse gases [GHG]

Abstract

An energy tracking and reporting system can receive data inputs from multiple sources regarding one or more properties. A central database receives the information and correlates the information for numerous outputs. Information received by the central database can include, for example, property location, property size, property type and property use. Also, occupancy information, energy sources, utilities servicing the property, weather, ISO, environmental guidelines, and the traded or other standard price for the utilities can be stored. The system can calculate a number of factors from the data and return values to the central database. The system can track data trends and store additional information for budgeting, user reporting and certification compliance reporting. Modules can analyze the market rates, calculate efficiency benchmarks, analyze the data stored on the central database and provide the user with multiple tables and charts analyzing all of the factors that tie into energy usage.

Claims

1. A method of budgeting future energy consumption for a property, comprising the steps of:

a) receiving, at a server, over a network, from a user computer, a selection of a budget period;

b) receiving, at the server, over the network, from the user computer, a selection of a starting month and starting year for the budget period;

c) retrieving, from a database stored on the server, historical consumption data for each month in the budget period, wherein the historical consumption data is from the same month and one year previous from the starting year;

wherein a processor performs the steps of;

i) calculating an average sum of at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days for each month of the budget period using the historical consumption data;

ii) calculating at least one of a heating factor and a cooling factor for the property using the historical consumption data;

iii) modifying the historical consumption data by at least one of the heating factor and the cooling factor;

iv) modifying the historical consumption data by a per-capita consumption;

v) modifying the historical consumption data by an efficiency factor; and

vi) calculating, for the property, using at least the modified historical consumption data, a future energy consumption budget;

wherein, if historical consumption data for a selected month is unavailable, the retrieving historical consumption data step includes retrieving historical consumption data, from the database, from two years previous from the starting year, and comprises the processor performing the steps of;

i) extrapolating a target month historical consumption data from the historical consumption data of a previous month, comprising the steps of;

(1) summing an energy consumption for the months of the two years previous where at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days equal zero;

(2) dividing by selected months in the budget period to find at least one of a non-heating monthly consumption and a non-cooling monthly consumption;

(3) summing an energy consumption for months of the one year previous where at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days equal zero;

(4) dividing by selected months in the budget period to find at least one of a non-heating monthly consumption and a non-cooling monthly consumption; and

(5) calculating one of a heating consumption factor and a cooling consumption factor by 1+(((one of a non-heating monthly consumption and non-cooling monthly consumption, year one)−

(one of non-heating monthly consumption and non-cooling monthly consumption, year two))/one of non-heating monthly consumption and non-cooling monthly consumption, year two);

ii) determining if the target month experiences at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days;

iii) modifying the target month historical consumption data by at least one of the heating consumption factor and the cooling consumption factor; and

iv) calculating for the property, using at least the modified target month historical consumption data, a future energy consumption budget.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating at least one of the heating factor and the cooling factor for the property comprises the processor performing the steps of:

a) plotting a daily energy consumption against at least one of the heating and the cooling degree days;

b) determining an average slope increase in consumption per at least one of the heating and the cooling degree days;

c) dividing the average slope by a square footage of the property;

d) determining at least one of a non-heating baseline and a non-cooling baseline by calculating at least one of an average non-heating energy usage and a non-cooling energy usage for the one year previous;

e) calculating an expected energy consumption from at least one of the heating factor and the non-heating baseline and the cooling factor and the non-cooling baseline; and

f) modifying the expected energy consumption by at least one of an average heating degree days and average cooling degree days.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the historical consumption by the per-capita consumption step comprises the processor performing the steps of:

a) retrieving historical occupancy data for the one year previous;

b) calculating at least one of energy-per-capita non-heating and energy-per-capita non-cooling using the historical energy data and the historical occupancy data;

c) calculating at least one of energy-per-capita heating and energy-per-capita cooling using the historical energy data and the historical occupancy data;

d) determining a difference between a current occupancy and an occupancy the one year previous; and

e) modifying historical consumption by multiplying the difference by at least one of energy-per-capita non-heating, energy-per-capita non-cooling, energy-per-capita heating, and energy-per-capita cooling.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the historical consumption by the per-capita consumption step comprises the step of calculating, by the processor, a property baseline consumption by at least one of calculating at least one of off-peak non-cooling consumption and off-peak non-heating consumption and performing a public light and power analysis.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising forecasting the future environmental footprint by performing the steps of:

a) collecting, in the database, at least one of historical energy usage and historical emission sources;

b) converting, by the processor, the historical energy usage, historical emission sources and the common pollution levels into a common pollutant unit;

c) storing, in the database, historical emissions based on the common pollutant unit for the property;

d) tracking, in the database, current emissions based on current energy usage and emission sources for the property;

e) calculating, by the processor, an environmental footprint based on the historical and current emissions;

f) comparing, by the processor, the environmental footprint to at least one environmental baseline; and

g) forecasting, by the processor, the future environmental footprint based on the historical and current emissions.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising budgeting a future cost, a future consumption, or a future emission, by performing the steps of:

a) inputting and tracking emission guidelines in a database;

b) determining, by the processor, from the comparing step and in comparison with the emission guidelines, if the property is at least generating at least one of an emissions credit or expending the at least one emissions credit;

c) tracking and documenting the generating and expending of the at least one emissions credit; and

d) budgeting at least one of a future cost, a future consumption, and a future emission based on the tracking and documenting step.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising budgeting a future cost, a future consumption, or a future emission, by performing the steps of:

a) inputting and tracking emission guidelines in a database;

b) determining, by the processor, from the comparing step and in comparison with the emission guidelines, if the property is at least generating at least one of an emissions credit or expending the at least one emissions credit;

c) tracking and documenting the generating and expending of the at least one emissions credit; and

d) budgeting at least one of a future cost, a future consumption, and a future emission based on the tracking and documenting step.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the energy usage includes the use of at least one of natural gas, heating oil, crude oil, steam, electricity, wind, solar, methane, hydropower, and nuclear.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the historical energy usage, historical emission sources, energy usage, and emission sources can take into account individual employee activities and owner purchases.

10. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium comprising instructions that cause a processor to perform the steps of:

a) receiving, at a server, over a network, from a user computer, a selection of a budget period;

b) receiving, at the server, over the network, from the user computer, a selection of a starting month and starting year for the budget period;

c) retrieving, from a database stored on the server, historical consumption data for each month in the budget period, wherein the historical consumption data is from the same month and one year previous from the starting year;

wherein a processor performs the steps of;

i) calculating an average sum of at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days for each month of the budget period using the historical consumption data;

ii) calculating at least one of a heating factor and a cooling factor for the property using the historical consumption data;

iii) modifying the historical consumption data by at least one of the heating factor and the cooling factor;

iv) modifying the historical consumption data by a per-capita consumption;

v) modifying the historical consumption data by an efficiency factor; and

vi) calculating, for the property, using at least the modified historical consumption data, a future energy consumption budget;

wherein, if historical consumption data for a selected month is unavailable, the retrieving historical consumption data step includes retrieving historical consumption data, from the database, from two years previous from the starting year, and comprises the processor performing the steps of;

i) extrapolating a target month historical consumption data from the historical consumption data of a previous month, comprising the steps of;

(1) summing an energy consumption for the months of the two years previous where at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days equal zero;

(2) dividing by selected months in the budget period to find at least one of a non-heating monthly consumption and a non-cooling monthly consumption;

(3) summing an energy consumption for months of the one year previous where at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days equal zero;

(4) dividing by selected months in the budget period to find at least one of a non-heating monthly consumption and a non-cooling monthly consumption; and

(5) calculating one of a heating consumption factor and a cooling consumption factor by 1+(((one of a non-heating monthly consumption and non-cooling monthly consumption, year one)−

(one of non-heating monthly consumption and non-cooling monthly consumption, year two))/one of non-heating monthly consumption and non-cooling monthly consumption, year two);

ii) determining if the target month experiences at least one of heating degree days and cooling degree days;

iii) modifying the target month historical consumption data by at least one of the heating consumption factor and the cooling consumption factor; and

iv) calculating for the property, using at least the modified target month historical consumption data, a future energy consumption budget.

11. The medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions to perform the steps of:

a) plotting a daily energy consumption against at least one of the heating and the cooling degree days;

b) determining an average slope increase in consumption per at least one of the heating and the cooling degree days;

c) dividing the average slope by a square footage of the property;

d) determining at least one of a non-heating baseline and a non-cooling baseline by calculating at least one of an average non-heating energy usage and a non-cooling energy usage for the one year previous;

e) calculating an expected energy consumption from at least one of the heating factor and the non-heating baseline and the cooling factor and the non-cooling baseline; and

f) modifying the expected energy consumption by at least one of an average heating degree days and average cooling degree days.

12. The medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions to perform the steps of:

a) retrieving historical occupancy data for the one year previous;

b) calculating at least one of energy-per-capita non-heating and energy-per-capita non-cooling using the historical energy data and the historical occupancy data;

c) calculating at least one of energy-per-capita heating and energy-per-capita cooling using the historical energy data and the historical occupancy data;

d) determining a difference between a current occupancy and an occupancy the one year previous; and

e) modifying historical consumption by multiplying the difference by at least one of energy-per-capita non-heating, energy-per-capita non-cooling, energy-per-capita heating, and energy-per-capita cooling.

13. The medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions to perform the steps of calculating, by the processor, a property baseline consumption by at least one of calculating at least one of off-peak non-cooling consumption and off-peak non-heating consumption and performing a public light and power analysis.

14. The medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions to perform the steps of:

a) collecting, in the database, at least one of historical energy usage and historical emission sources;

b) converting, by the processor, the historical energy usage, historical emission sources and the common pollution levels into a common pollutant unit;

c) storing, in the database, historical emissions based on the common pollutant unit for the property;

d) tracking, in the database, current emissions based on current energy usage and emission sources for the property;

e) calculating, by the processor, an environmental footprint based on the historical and current emissions;

f) comparing, by the processor, the environmental footprint to at least one environmental baseline; and

g) forecasting, by the processor, the future environmental footprint based on the historical and current emissions.

15. The medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions to perform the steps of:

a) inputting and tracking emission guidelines in a database;

b) determining, by the processor, from the comparing step and in comparison with the emission guidelines, if the property is at least generating at least one of an emissions credit or expending the at least one emissions credit;

c) tracking and documenting the generating and expending of the at least one emissions credit; and

d) budgeting at least one of a future cost, a future consumption, and a future emission based on the tracking and documenting step.