System and method for characterization of air leakage in building using data from communicating thermostats and/or interval meters
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Publication Number
US-11561022-B2
Publication Date
2023-01-24
Expiration Date
Abstract
Systems and methods for characterization of retrofit opportunities are described. Some embodiments are directed to methods for determining the air leakage rate of a building, and accordingly, for determining suitability of sealing of air leaks to improve the energy efficiency of a building. 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. 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. To isolate the impact of air leakage, subsets of the HVAC runtime data at time intervals selected to have substantially the same conditions, but different wind speeds, may be computed.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to remote building energy-audit methods that obtain, using at least one computing device disposed remote from an electronic meter of a building, HVAC information indicative of HVAC runtime at the building. The HVAC information is selected into time-interval subsets based on wind-speed-defined conditions, including wind speed values and outdoor and indoor weather parameters that satisfy a similarity threshold, using first and second wind-speed intervals to match time intervals across different wind conditions while maintaining indoor/outdoor weather similarity.
An air leakage parameter indicative of air leakage of the building is computed using the first and second subsets of HVAC information and a stack effect parameter. The stack effect parameter is calculated based on a relationship to a wind effect parameter, and at least one confidence interval is computed for one or more thermal characteristics of the building, including at least one of a value indicative of thermal insulation or a value indicative of HVAC efficiency.
The invention executes a computer model to calculate estimated one or more thermal characteristics by identifying possible values in accordance with the confidence intervals. It simulates a set of retrofit opportunity scenarios to determine suitability of the building for a retrofit opportunity to improve energy efficiency, where each scenario calculates simulated air leakage parameters and simulated thermal characteristics and compares simulated air leakage parameters with the computed air leakage.
Finally, it generates and transmits an electronic notification associated with the building, including at least one recommendation corresponding to at least one simulated retrofit opportunity to improve energy efficiency by modifying at least the air leakage of the building.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim covers 7 inventive features: remote HVAC runtime acquisition, wind-speed subset selection with outdoor/indoor weather similarity, air leakage computation using a stack-effect parameter related to a wind-effect parameter, confidence-interval computation for thermal characteristics, model-based estimation constrained by the confidence intervals, retrofit scenario simulation with comparison to computed air leakage, and an electronic notification with recommendation to modify air leakage.
Remote obtaining of HVAC runtime information from building meters
Obtaining, using at least one computing device disposed remote from an electronic meter of a building, HVAC information indicative of HVAC runtime at the building.
Wind-speed subset selection with outdoor/indoor weather similarity
Selecting a first subset of the HVAC information corresponding to a set of first time intervals characterized at least in part by a first wind speed value; selecting a second subset by matching each first time interval with a corresponding second time interval characterized at least in part by a second wind speed value less than the first wind speed value, wherein the second time intervals include outdoor weather parameters and indoor weather parameters that satisfy a similarity threshold when compared with corresponding weather parameters of a corresponding first time interval.
Air leakage computation using stack-effect parameter related to wind-effect parameter
Computing, using the at least one computing device and based on the first and second subsets of the HVAC information and a stack effect parameter, an air leakage parameter indicative of an air leakage of the building, wherein the stack effect parameter is calculated based on a relationship to a wind effect parameter.
Confidence-interval computation for thermal characteristics
Computing, using the at least one computing device, at least one confidence interval for one or more thermal characteristics of the building comprising at least one of a value indicative of a thermal insulation or a value indicative of an HVAC efficiency.
Model-based estimation of thermal characteristics constrained by confidence intervals
Executing, using the at least one computing device, a computer model to calculate an estimated one or more thermal characteristics of the building, wherein the computer model identifies possible values of the estimated one or more thermal characteristics in accordance with the at least one confidence interval.
Retrofit scenario simulation with comparison to computed air leakage
Simulating, using the at least one computing device, a set of retrofit opportunity scenarios to determine suitability of the building for a retrofit opportunity to improve energy efficiency of the building, wherein for each retrofit opportunity scenario the at least one computing device calculates one or more simulated air leakage parameters and the one or more simulated thermal characteristics for the building and compares the simulated air leakage parameters with the computed air leakage of the building.
Electronic notification with recommendation to modify air leakage
Generating and transmitting, using the at least one computing device, 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 to improve energy efficiency of the building by modifying at least the air leakage of the building.
The inventive core combines remote HVAC runtime data acquisition, wind-conditioned time-interval subset selection with outdoor and indoor weather similarity, computation of an air leakage parameter using a stack-effect parameter tied to a wind-effect parameter, confidence-interval constrained thermal-characteristic modeling, and retrofit opportunity simulation with recommendations transmitted as an electronic notification based on modifying at least air leakage.
Stated Advantages
Improves energy efficiency of the building by modifying at least the air leakage of the building via recommendations derived from simulated retrofit opportunity scenarios.
Documented Applications
Remote building energy-audit for determining retrofit opportunity suitability based on computed air leakage and confidence-interval based thermal characteristics, and transmitting electronic recommendations to an electronic device associated with the building.
Retrofit opportunity scenario simulation to estimate suitability of a building for retrofit opportunities to improve energy efficiency.
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