Cost optimization for buildings with hybrid ventilation systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9892472-B2
Application number	US-201313763826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2013
Priority date	Feb 27, 2012
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A method including: computing a total cost for a first zone in a building, wherein the total cost is equal to an actual energy cost of the first zone plus a thermal discomfort cost of the first zone; and heuristically optimizing the total cost to identify temperature setpoints for a mechanical heating/cooling system and a start time and an end time of the mechanical heating/cooling system, based on external weather data and occupancy data of the first zone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
simulating energy consumption of the first zone for a predetermined time by using temperature setpoints, a start time and an end time of the mechanical heating/cooling system associated with the computed total cost;
heuristically optimizing a total cost associated with a first zone in a building to identify optimal temperature setpoints for a mechanical heating/cooling system and a start time and an end time of the mechanical heating/cooling system based on external weather data and occupancy data of the first zone,
wherein the total cost is based on an actual energy cost of the first zone plus a thermal discomfort cost of the first zone;
wherein the actual energy cost of the first zone is equal to electricity cost of the first zone for a predetermined time plus gas/oil cost of the first zone for the predetermined time;
wherein the thermal discomfort cost is a cost value lost due to discomfort of at least one person in the first zone as represented by the following equation:
Discomfort cost =(1−RP)* pr max *people,

wherein RP is relative performance of a person compared to maximum performance pr max as a function of a thermal sensation value, pr max is a maximum performance rate which indicates a maximum monetary value generated by the person at their full thermal comfort, a high RP indicates a high comfort level of the person and a low RP indicates a low comfort level of the person; and
wherein the thermal sensation value is determined by applying a comfort model to an operative temperature value for the first zone.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first zone includes at least one room.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heuristic optimization includes repeating steps of computing a total cost and simulating energy consumption using different temperature setpoints, start times and end times of the mechanical heating/cooling system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermal discomfort cost of the first zone is a cost value lost due to discomfort of at least one person in the first zone.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature setpoints include a temperature of the first zone for a minimum cooling cost or a temperature of the first zone for a minimum heating cost.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein windows in the first zone are closed at the start time of the mechanical heating/cooling system and the windows in first zone are opened at the end time of the mechanical heating/cooling system.

7. A system, comprising:
a memory device for storing a program;
a processor in communication with the memory device, the processor operative with the program to:
simulate energy consumption of the first zone for a predetermined time by using temperature setpoints, a start time and an end time of the mechanical heating/cooling system associated with the computed cost;
heuristically optimize a total cost associated with a first zone in a building to identify temperature optimal setpoints for a mechanical heating/cooling system and a start time and an end time of the mechanical heating/cooling system based on external weather data and occupancy data of the first zone,
wherein the total cost is based on an actual energy cost of the first zone plus a thermal discomfort cost of the first zone;
wherein the actual energy cost of the first zone is equal to electricity cost of the first zone for a predetermined time plus gas/oil cost of the first zone for the predetermined time;
wherein the thermal discomfort cost is a monetary cost value lost due to discomfort of at least one person in the first zone as represented by the following equation:
Discomfort cost =(1−RP)* pr max *people,

wherein RP is relative performance of a person compared to maximum performance pr max as a function of a thermal sensation voting value, pr max is a maximum performance rate which indicates a maximum monetary value generated by the person at their full thermal comfort, a high RP indicates a high comfort level of the person and a low RP indicates a low comfort level of the person; and
wherein the thermal sensation value is determined by applying a comfort model to an operative temperature value for the first zone.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first zone includes at least one room.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the temperature set points include a temperature of the first zone for a minimum cooling cost or a temperature of the first zone for a minimum heating cost.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein windows in the first zone are closed at the start time of the mechanical heating/cooling system and the windows in first zone are opened at the end time of the mechanical heating/cooling system.

11. A computer program product, comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code configured to perform the steps of:
simulating energy consumption of the first zone for a predetermined time by using temperature setpoints, a start time and an end time of the mechanical heating/cooling system associated with the computed cost, prior to the step of heuristically optimizing;
heuristically optimizing a total cost associated with a first zone in a building to identify optimal temperature setpoints for a mechanical heating/cooling system and a start time and an end time of the mechanical heating/cooling system, based on external weather data and occupancy data of the first zone,
wherein the total cost is based on an actual energy cost of the first zone plus a thermal discomfort cost of the first zone;
wherein the actual energy cost of the first zone is equal to electricity cost of the first zone for a predetermined time plus gas/oil cost of the first zone for the predetermined time;
wherein the thermal discomfort cost is a monetary cost value lost due to discomfort of at least one person in the first zone as represented by the following equation:
Discomfort cost =(1−RP)* pr max *people,

wherein RP is relative performance of a person compared to maximum performance pr max as a function of a thermal sensation voting value, pr max is a maximum performance rate which indicates a maximum monetary value generated by the person at their full thermal comfort, a high RP indicates a high comfort level of the person and a low RP indicates a low comfort level of the person; and
wherein the thermal sensation value is determined by applying a comfort model to an operative temperature value for the first zone.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the first zone includes at least one room.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the temperature setpoints include a temperature of the first zone for a minimum cooling cost or a temperature of the first zone for a minimum heating cost.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein windows in the first zone are closed at the start time of the mechanical heating/cooling system and the windows in first zone are opened at the end time of the mechanical heating/cooling system.

Assignees

• Ji Kun
• Lu Yan
• Siemens Corp

Inventors

• Ji Kun
• Lu Yan

Classifications

• F24F11/63

  Electronic processing · CPC title

• F24F11/46

  Improving electric energy efficiency or saving · CPC title

• F24F11/006

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F24F2011/0075

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• G06Q50/06 Primary

  Energy or water supply · CPC title