US-12626035-B2 - Implementation of building energy consumption reduction using distributed computational resources

US12626035B2US 12626035 B2US12626035 B2US 12626035B2US-12626035-B2

Abstract

Improved energy conservation, including realization of a ZNET (Zero Net Energy including Transportation) paradigm, can be encouraged by providing energy consumers with a holistic view of their overall energy consumption. Current energy consumption in terms of space heating, water heating, other electricity, and personal transportation can be modeled by normalizing the respective energy consumption into the same units of energy. Options for reducing energy that can include traditional energy efficiencies, such as cutting down on and avoiding wasteful energy use and switching to energy efficient fixtures, and improving the thermal efficiency and performance of a building, can be modeled. Additional options can also include non-traditional energy efficiencies, such as replacing a gasoline-powered vehicle with an electric vehicle, fuel switching from a water heater fueled by natural gas to a heat pump water heater, and fuel switching from space heating fueled by natural gas to a heat pump space heater.

Inventors

Thomas E. Hoff

Assignees

CLEAN POWER RESEARCH, L.L.C.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240708

Claims (12)

1 . A system for facilitating implementation of building energy consumption reduction using distributed computational resources, comprising: a distributed computational system configured to execute computer-executable code, the distributed computational system further configured to: present a single user interface through which user input is received, the user input comprising selections of a plurality of equipment associated with a user and related to energy consumption, the user input further comprising selections of replacements for at least some of the equipment; determine a thermal characteristic of the building by remotely controlling at least one of a heating source and a cooling source inside the building; determine a total consumption of energy obtained from a power utility by a building associated with the user over a set time period; determine a change to the total energy consumption associated with replacing at least some of the equipment with the replacement equipment based on the thermal characteristic and display the changed total energy consumption on a graph on the single user interface; obtain at least one characteristic of a renewable energy generation system sufficient to satisfy at least a portion of the changed total energy consumption of the building, wherein the graph further reflects an installation of the renewable energy generation system; display a plurality of energy consumption statistics on the user interface at a same time as the graph, the energy consumption statistics comprising a statistic associated with the equipment, a statistic associated with the replacement equipment, and a statistic associated with a connection of the renewable power generation system; and display the total energy consumption on the graph at the same time as the changed total energy consumption is displayed on the graph and when the graph reflects the installation of the renewable energy generation system, wherein the replacement equipment comprises two or more of electricity-related equipment, building envelope equipment, space conditioning equipment, and water heating equipment.
2 . A system according to claim 1 , the distributed computational system further comprising: one or more databases storing listings of the equipment and the replacement equipment, the listing further comprising prices associated with the equipment and the replacement equipment, a type of fuel used by the equipment and the replacement equipment and an energy-related characteristic associated with the equipment and the replacement equipment, wherein the user input is based on the data from the one or more databases.
3 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein the building envelope equipment comprises one or more of a window, window shade, ceiling insulation, wall insulation, a radiant barrier, a roof ridge vent, and a fixture that conserves energy within an envelope of the building.
4 . A system according to claim 3 , wherein the replacement equipment that comprises building energy equipment change the thermal characteristic and wherein the changed thermal characteristics affects at least one characteristic of at least one of the replacement equipment other than the building energy equipment.
5 . A system according to claim 3 , the distributed computational system configured to receive the at least one characteristic of the renewable energy generation system from the user.
6 . A system according to claim 3 , the distributed computational system configured to receive from the user the at least the portion of the changed total energy consumption and to determine the at least one characteristic of the renewable energy generation system using the at least the portion.
7 . A method for facilitating implementation of building energy consumption reduction using distributed computational resources, comprising: presenting by a distributed computational system a single user interface through which user input is received, the user input comprising selections of a plurality of equipment associated with a user and related to energy consumption, the user input further comprising selections for replacements for at least some of the equipment; determining by the distributed computational system a thermal characteristic of the building by remotely controlling at least one of a heating source and a cooling source inside the building; determining by the distributed computational system a total consumption of energy obtained from a power utility by a building associated with the user over a set time period; determining by the distributed computational system a change to the total energy consumption associated with replacing at least some of the equipment with the replacement equipment based on the thermal characteristic and display the changed total energy consumption on a graph on the single user interface; and obtaining by the distributed computational system at least one characteristic of a renewable energy generation system sufficient to satisfy at least a portion of the changed total energy consumption of the building, wherein the graph further reflects an installation of the renewable energy generation system, system; displaying by the distributed computational system a plurality of energy consumption statistics on the user interface at a same time as the graph, the energy consumption statistics comprising a statistic associated with the equipment, a statistic associated with the replacement equipment, and a statistic associated with a connection of the renewable power generation system; and displaying by the distributed computational system the total energy consumption on the graph at the same time as the changed total energy consumption is displayed on the graph and when the graph reflects the installation of the renewable energy generation system, wherein the replacement equipment comprises two or more of electricity-related equipment, building envelope equipment, space conditioning equipment, and water heating equipment.
8 . A method according to claim 7 , further comprising: storing in one or more databases listings of the equipment and the replacement equipment, the listing further comprising prices associated with the equipment and the replacement equipment, a type of fuel used by the equipment and the replacement equipment and an energy-related characteristic associated with the equipment and the replacement equipment, wherein the user input is based on the data from the one or more databases.
9 . A method according to claim 7 , wherein the building envelope equipment comprises one or more of a window, window shade, ceiling insulation, wall insulation, a radiant barrier, a roof ridge vent, and a fixture that conserves energy within an envelope of the building.
10 . A method according to claim 9 , wherein the replacement equipment that comprises building energy equipment change the thermal characteristic and wherein the changed thermal characteristics affects at least one characteristic of at least one of the replacement equipment other than the building energy equipment.
11 . A method according to claim 9 , further comprising receiving the at least one characteristic of the renewable energy generation system from the user.
12 . A method according to claim 9 , further comprising receiving from the user the at least the portion of the changed total energy consumption and to determine the at least one characteristic of the renewable energy generation system using the at least the portion.

Description

This application relates in general to energy conservation and planning and, in particular, to a system and method for facilitating implementation of building equipment energy consumption reduction using distributed computational resources. BACKGROUND Concern has been growing in recent days over energy consumption in the United States and abroad. The cost of energy has steadily risen as power utilities try to cope with continually growing demand, increasing fuel prices, and stricter regulatory mandates. Power utilities must also maintain existing infrastructure, while simultaneously finding ways to add more generation capacity to meet future needs, both of which add to the cost of energy. Moreover, burgeoning energy consumption continues to impact the environment and deplete natural resources. Such concerns underlie industry and governmental efforts to strive for a more efficient balance between energy consumption and supply. For example, the Zero Net Energy (ZNE) initiative, backed by the U.S. Department of Energy, promotes the goal of balancing the total energy used by a building annually with the total energy generated on-site. In California, the 2013 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) builds on earlier ZNE goals by mandating that all new residential and commercial construction be ZNE-compliant, respectively, by 2020 and 2030. The IEPR defines a building as consuming zero net energy if the net amount of energy produced by renewable energy resources on-site roughly equals the value of the energy consumed by the building annually. As the principal source of energy for most consumers, power utilities and energy agencies are at the forefront of energy efficiency initiatives, such as ZNE. These organizations often reach out to their customers through educational and incentive programs that are frequently pitched as ways to lower monthly energy bills. Typically, they urge energy conservation by cutting down on and avoiding wasteful energy use and by switching to energy efficient fixtures. They also often promote the on-site adoption of alternative sources of renewable energy. Lowering monthly utility bills, however, is just a part of the broader problem of balancing energy consumption against supply. The average consumer continually consumes energy, whether electricity, natural gas, or other source; electricity may be purchased from the power utility or, less frequently, generated on-site. At home, energy may be used for space heating and cooling, lighting, cooking, powering appliances and electrical devices, heating water, and doing laundry. Energy may also be consumed for personal transportation needs, whether by private conveyance or public mass transit. To raise energy awareness, power utilities often provide periodic energy consumption statistics that are gathered through the use of smart power meters or similar technologies. Such statistics, though, invariably reflect net power consumption based only upon the energy purchased from the power utility. Energy generated (and consumed) on-site is not included, as utilities currently lack practicable ways of gathering and aggregating on-site energy production and consumption values into their own power consumption statistics, in part, due to the vagaries in end-consumer equipment and energy consumption patterns. Utility-provided net power consumption statistics can mask the overall efficiency of a building, particularly where on-site power generation and consumption significantly contributes to gross energy load. Effective energy balancing requires decreasing the amount of energy consumed and generating energy on-site. Performing both of these steps is crucial to lowering gross energy load, yet determining how efficiently energy is consumed is often skipped when a switch to an alternative energy source is made first. For instance, the installation of a photovoltaic (PV) system on a private residence frequently leads a consumer to (erroneously) conclude that further efforts at increasing energy efficiency are no longer necessary or worthwhile. The immediacy of lower monthly utility bills and favorable net power consumption statistics can reinforce this misperception. Therefore, a need remains for an approach to empowering consumers, particularly residential customers, with full knowledge of actual gross energy consumption and an understanding what options and alternatives work best for their energy needs, especially in situations where renewable energy sources are already in place. SUMMARY The percentage of the total fuel purchased for space heating purposes can be fractionally inferred by evaluating annual fuel purchase data. An average of monthly fuel purchases during non-heating season months is first calculated. The fuel purchases for each month is then compared to the average monthly fuel purchase, where the lesser of the average and that month's fuel purchase are added to a running total of annual space heating fuel purchases. In addition, the overall