System and method for personal energy-related changes payback evaluation with the aid of a digital computer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12051016-B2
Application number	US-202318296883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2023
Priority date	Feb 3, 2014
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

A system and method for personal energy-related changes payback evaluation with the aid of a digital computer are provided. An overall thermal performance of a building is estimated. One or more proposed replacements for existing equipment associated with an individual associated with the building is received. An annual electric consumption associated with the existing equipment is determined. The consumption associated the existing equipment is converted into a time series that includes a plurality of values that are each associated with a time interval. Renewable energy production data associated with the building is obtained. The time series is combined with the photovoltaic production data to obtain time series net consumption data. A cost associated with the time series net consumption data is determined. A payback associated with replacing the existing equipment is estimated using the cost.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for personal energy-related changes payback evaluation with aid of a digital computer, comprising:
a computer comprising a processor and memory within which code for execution by the processor is stored, the computer configured to:
estimate an overall thermal performance of a building by conducting an empirical test comprising remotely controlling a heating source inside the building;
receive one or more proposed replacements for existing equipment associated with an individual associated with the building, at least one of the replacement equipment affecting the overall thermal performance;
determine an annual electric consumption associated with the existing equipment;
convert the annual electric consumption associated the existing equipment into a time series comprising a plurality of values that are each associated with a time interval, wherein a distribution of the values for all time intervals in a year associated with the annual electric consumption, as factored, equals 1;
obtain renewable energy production data associated with the building for the year;
combine the time series with the renewable energy production data to obtain time series net consumption data, comprising subtracting from the time series the renewable energy production data;
find a change to the overall thermal performance of the building based on the at least one replacement equipment;
determine a size of a heating source needed to supply heat for the building with the changed overall thermal performance, one of the replacement equipment comprising the heating source;
determine annual total electricity to be consumed within the building with the changed overall thermal performance using the size;
determine a cost associated with the time series net consumption data; and
estimate a payback associated with replacing the existing equipment with the replacement equipment using the cost and the annual total electricity.

2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the renewable photovoltaic energy production data comprises photovoltaic energy production data and obtaining the renewable energy production data comprises simulating historical photovoltaic production during the year using time-and-location correlated solar resource data.

3. A system according to claim 1 , wherein each time interval equals an hour and the distribution of the values for all of the time intervals in the year associated with the annual electric consumption, as factored, equals 1, in accordance with:

∑

m
=
1

12

∑

d
=
1

28
⁢

to
⁢

31

∑

h
=
1

24

hf

m
,
d
,
h

=
1

where m, d, and h respectively represent month, day, and hour; and hf represents the percent of total annual energy being consumed in a given hour.

4. A system according to claim 1 , wherein each time interval equals an hour, further comprising:
defining a daily factor for each month and day in the year, such that the sum of the daily factors for each of the months and days equals:

d
⁢

f

m
,
d

=

∑

Hour
=
1

2
⁢
4

h
⁢

f

h
⁢

❘
"\[LeftBracketingBar]"

m
,
d

where hf h|m,d signifies the hourly factor for hour h, given month m and day d;
defining normalized hourly factors comprising hourly factors divided by the daily factor for the day associated with that hourly factor in accordance with:

hf
~

h
|
m

,
d

=

h
⁢

f

h
⁢

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m
,
d

df

m
,
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⁢
for
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h

=

1
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to

24.

5. A system according to claim 4 , wherein the distribution of the values for all of the time intervals in the year associated with the annual electric consumption, as factored, equals 1, in accordance with:

∑

m
=

Assignees

• Clean Power Res L L C

Inventors

• Hoff Thomas E

Classifications

• G06Q50/06

  Energy or water supply · CPC title

• G01K17/20 Primary

  across a radiating surface, combined with ascertainment of the heat-transmission coefficient · CPC title

• G01R21/02

  by thermal methods {, e.g. calorimetric} · CPC title

• G01K3/08

  giving differences of values (using thermoelectric elements G01K7/02); giving differentiated values · CPC title

• G01K13/00

  Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes · CPC title