Virtual demand auditing of devices in a building

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9964932-B2
Application number	US-201213494757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2012
Priority date	Jun 12, 2012
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

Automation systems, methods, and mediums. A method includes identifying a first amount of energy consumed by a plurality of devices in a building during a first period of time while a first device in the plurality of devices is in a first state to form a first baseline. The method includes identifying a second amount of energy consumed by the plurality of devices during a second period of time while the first device is in a second state. Additionally, the method includes generating an estimated energy consumption of the first device based on a difference between the first baseline and the second amount of energy consumed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method in a data processing system for estimating energy consumption, the method comprising:
identifying a first amount of energy consumed by a plurality of devices in a building during a first period of time while a first device in the plurality of devices is in a first state to form a first baseline;
after the first period of time, identifying a second amount of energy consumed by the plurality of devices during a second period of time while the first device is in a second state;
generating an estimated energy consumption of the first device based on a difference between the first baseline and the second amount of energy consumed;
after the second period of time, changing the second state of the first device back to the first state and identifying a third amount of energy consumed by the plurality of devices during a third period of time while the first device is in the first state to form a second baseline;
comparing the second baseline with the first baseline to determine whether there was a change in energy consumption of other devices than the first device in the plurality of devices between the first period of time and the third period of time; and
adjusting the estimated energy consumption of the first device based on changes in the energy consumption of the other devices in the plurality of devices in response to determining that the energy consumption of the other devices in the plurality of devices changed.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
changing the first state of the first device to the second state in response to identifying the first baseline; and
holding other devices in the plurality of devices in a constant state during the first and second periods of time.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second state is an active state, the method further comprising:
performing multiple tests for energy consumed by the plurality of devices during different periods of time while the first device is in the active state; and
identifying average, peak and minimum values for energy consumption by the first device based on the multiple tests.

4. A method in a data processing system for estimating energy consumption, the method comprising:
identifying a first amount of energy consumed by a plurality of devices in a building during a first period of time while a first device in the plurality of devices is in a first state to form a first baseline;
after the first period of time, identifying a second amount of energy consumed by the plurality of devices during a second period of time while the first device is in a second state;
generating an estimated energy consumption of the first device based on a difference between the first baseline and the second amount of energy consumed;
after the second period of time, changing the second state of the first device back to the first state and identifying a third amount of energy consumed by the plurality of devices during a third period of time while the first device is in the first state to form a second baseline;
comparing the second baseline with the first baseline to determine whether there was a change in energy consumption of other devices than the first device in the plurality of devices between the first period of time and the third period of time;
determining whether a state of one of the other devices in the plurality of devices changed between the first period of time and the third period of time; and
repeating identification of energy consumed while the first device is in the second state to determine the estimated energy consumption of the first device in response to determining that the state of the one of the other devices changed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second state is a first active state and wherein the estimated energy consumption of the first device is a first estimated energy consumption of the first device for the first active state, the method further comprising:
identifying a third amount of energy consumed by the plurality of devices during a third period of time while the first device is in a second active state; and
generating a second estimated energy consumption of the first device for the second active state based on a difference between the first baseline and the third amount of energy consumed.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first device is a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, and wherein the first active state and the second active state are selected from a group comprising a heating state, a cooling state, and a fan-only state.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving measurements for the first amount of energy consumed from a plurality of energy sensors disposed to measure energy consumed by the plurality of devices in the building; and
summing the received measurements from each of the plurality of energy sensors to identify the first amount of energy consumed by the plurality of devices in the building.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving measurements for the first and second amounts of energy consumed from a single energy sensor disposed to measure total energy consumed by the plurality of devices in the building.

9. A data processing system configured to estimate energy consumption, the data processing system comprising:
a storage device comprising an auditing application;
an accessible memory comprising instructions of the auditing application; and
a processor configured to execute the instructions of the auditing application to:
identify a first amount of energy consumed by a plurality of devices in a building during a first period of time while a first device in the plurality of devices is in a first state to form a first baseline;
after the first period of time, identify a second amount of energy consumed by the plurality of devices during a second period of time while the first device is in a second state;
generate an estimated energy consumption of the first device based on a difference between the first baseline and the second amount of energy consumed;
after the second period of time, change the second state of the first device back to the first state and identify a third amount of energy consumed by the plurality of devices during a third period of time while the first device is in the first state to form a second baseline;
compare the second baseline with the first baseline to determine whether there was a change in energy consumption of other devices than the first device in the plurality of devices between the first period of time and the third period of time; and
adjust the estimated energy consumption of the first device based on changes in the energy consumption of the other devices in the plurality of devices in response to determining that the energy consumption of the other devices in the plurality of devices changed.

10. The data processing system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of the auditing application to:
change the first state of the first device to the second state in response to identifying the first baseline; and
hold other devices in the plurality of devices in a constant state during the first and second periods of time.

11. The data processing system of claim 9 , wherein the second state is an active state and the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of the auditing application to:
perform multiple tests for energy consumed by the plurality of devices during different periods of time while the first device is in the active state; and
identify average, peak and minimum values for energy consumption by the first device based on the multiple tests.

Assignees

• Vaughn Tyrell Craig
• Bester Colin
• Siemens Industry Inc

Inventors

• Vaughn Tyrell Craig
• Bester Colin

Classifications

• H02J13/1323

  using optical fibres · CPC title

• H02J13/14

  the power network being locally controlled, e.g. home energy management systems [HEMS] · CPC title

• H02J2105/12

  supplying households or buildings · CPC title

• Y02B70/3225

  Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving · CPC title

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title