System and method for characterization of retrofit opportunities in building using data from communicating thermostats
Inventors
Zeifman, Michael • Lazrak, Amine
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11162703-B2
Publication Date
2021-11-02
Expiration Date
Abstract
Systems and methods for characterization of retrofit opportunities are described. The methods may comprise computing, using at least one computing device disposed remote from a building and based at least in part on heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) runtime data associated with the building, one or more thermal characteristics of the building. In some embodiments, a model-predicted indoor temperature may be fitted against thermal data measured by a thermostat at the building. The thermal characteristic of the building may comprise a thermal insulation, an air leakage rate and/or an HVAC efficiency. The method may be used to determine, using the at least one computing device, suitability of the building for a retrofit opportunity to improve energy efficiency of the building. Determining the suitability may comprise evaluating the one or more thermal characteristics. The HVAC runtime data may be computed based on data received from a thermostat or a meter, such as an electric or a gas meter.
Core Innovation
The invention receives measured thermal data from a thermostat disposed at a building, where the measured thermal data comprises first indoor temperature data indicative of a temperature inside the building. The invention computes, using a mathematical model, second indoor temperature data indicative of a temperature inside the building, where the mathematical model includes a value indicative of a temperature of one or more walls of the building over time. The computing is performed by at least one computing device disposed remote from the building.
The invention down-selects the first indoor temperature data by varying a time period for at least two data points such that the down-selected first indoor temperature corresponds to a previously recorded actual resource consumption profile. The invention further computes confidence intervals for one or more thermal characteristics of the building, comprising at least one selected from thermal insulation, an air leakage rate, and HVAC efficiency. A computer model utilizing a curve-fitting protocol correlates the second indoor temperature data with the down-selected first indoor temperature data and calculates estimated thermal characteristics, wherein the computer model constrains a search space for possible values in accordance with the confidence intervals.
The invention simulates a set of retrofit opportunity scenarios to determine suitability of the building for a retrofit opportunity to improve energy efficiency of the building. For each retrofit opportunity scenario, the computing device calculates one or more simulated thermal characteristics and compares the simulated one or more thermal characteristics with the estimated one or more thermal characteristics. The invention then transmits an electronic notification to an electronic device associated with the building, where the notification comprises at least one recommendation corresponding to at least one simulated retrofit opportunity.
Claims Coverage
The patent includes two independent claims: a method independent claim and an apparatus independent claim. Across these independent claims, the inventive features cover remote thermostat-measured thermal analytics, model-based generation of indoor temperatures including wall temperature over time, down-selection aligned to an actual resource consumption profile, confidence-interval estimation of thermal characteristics, curve-fitting with constrained search space, simulation of retrofit opportunity scenarios with suitability determination, and transmission of recommendations via electronic notification.
Remote thermostat thermal data reception and remote computation
Receiving measured thermal data from a thermostat disposed at the building, the measured thermal data comprising first indoor temperature data indicative of a temperature inside the building; and computing, using at least one computing device disposed remote from the building, second indoor temperature data indicative of a temperature inside the building.
Model including wall temperature over time
The mathematical model includes a value indicative of a temperature of one or more walls of the building over time.
Down-selecting data to match a previously recorded actual resource consumption profile
Down-selecting the first indoor temperature data by varying a time period for at least two data points such that down-selected first indoor temperature corresponds to a previously recorded actual resource consumption profile.
Confidence-interval computation for thermal characteristics
Computing confidence intervals for one or more thermal characteristics of the building comprising at least one selected from thermal insulation, an air leakage rate, and HVAC efficiency.
Curve-fitting with constrained search space in accordance with confidence intervals
Executing a computer model utilizing a curve-fitting protocol to correlate the second indoor temperature data with the down-selected first indoor temperature data and calculate estimated thermal characteristics, wherein the computer model constrains a search space for possible values in accordance with the confidence intervals.
Simulating retrofit opportunities and determining suitability by comparison
Simulating a set of retrofit opportunity scenarios to determine suitability of the building for a retrofit opportunity to improve energy efficiency of the building, where simulated thermal characteristics are calculated and compared with estimated thermal characteristics.
Electronic notification with recommendations corresponding to simulated retrofit opportunities
Transmitting an electronic notification to an electronic device associated with the building, the notification comprising at least one recommendation corresponding to at least one simulated retrofit opportunity.
Apparatus performing the remote thermostat analytics method
At least one processor and at least one storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that cause the processor to perform the remote thermostat thermal data reception, model-based computation, down-selection, confidence-interval computation, curve-fitting, retrofit simulation, and electronic notification.
Across both independent claims, the core inventive coverage is a remote computing framework that correlates thermostat-measured indoor temperature data with model-based second indoor temperature data including wall temperature over time, down-selects data aligned to a previously recorded actual resource consumption profile, computes confidence intervals and uses them to constrain a curve-fitting search space for estimated thermal characteristics, then simulates retrofit opportunity scenarios to determine retrofit suitability and transmits electronic notifications with recommendations.
Stated Advantages
Scaling remote audits.
Documented Applications
Remote building thermal analytics to characterize retrofit opportunities and determine suitability for a retrofit opportunity to improve energy efficiency of the building, including transmitting retrofit recommendations to an electronic device associated with the building.
Predicting future heat gains or losses using a trained machine learning system based on computed heat gains or losses from the mathematical thermal model [procedural detail omitted for safety].
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