336results about "Building thermal performance improvement" patented technology

A method of coating highly reflective granules on an adhering material of a roofing or siding material to form a roofing or siding material having an average resulting reflectivity on an upper surface of at least about 45%. The method includes the selecting of highly reflective granules and applying the highly reflective granules on an adhering material until over about 95% of a top surface of the adhering material is covered by the granules.

A roofing membrane with high solar heat reflectance includes a bituminous base sheet, a tie-layer with a reinforcement material, and a solar heat-reflective upper layer.

Provides a non-white construction surface comprising a substrate, a first reflective coating on at least a portion of an outer surface of the substrate, the coated substrate exhibiting a minimum direct solar reflectance value of at least about 25%, and a second reflective coating on at least a portion of the first reflective coating, wherein the combination of the first reflective coating and the second reflective coating provide the substrate with at least one of (i) a reflectivity of at least about 20% at substantially all points in the wavelength range between 770 and 2500 nm, and (ii) a summed reflectance value of at least 7000 as measured in the range between 770 and 2500 nm inclusive. Also provided are various substrates having the coatings described as well as methods of providing the described construction surfaces.

A smart window controller includes circuitry configured to establish a representative model of one or more building zones based on occupancy, construction, lighting, or cooling properties of a building. A lighting control strategy is implemented for the one or more building zones based on the representative model or one or more user preferences input at a first user interface screen of an external device. Automatic operations of one or more smart windows, cooling systems, or artificial lighting systems are controlled based on trigger points associated with the lighting control strategy, and a performance level of the lighting control strategy for the one or more building zones is determined based on one or more predetermined financial metrics.

A solar heat-reflective roofing product includes a base sheet, and solar heat-reflective roofing granules on top of the base sheet. The granules have a base particle with a flake-like geometry covered by a uniform coating layer. The coating layer has a thickness of at least one mil and includes a coating binder and at least one solar heat-reflective pigment. The solar heat-reflective pigment provides a solar heat reflectance of greater than 70 percent to the granules and the roofing product. Roofing products including roofing shingles and roofing membranes are described.

A roofing or siding system having an improved average resulting reflectivity. The roofing and / or siding system is at least partially coated with a plurality of granules. The granules have an average reflectivity of at least about 55% and an average hardness of over about 3 Moh's.

An architectural covering is provided. The architectural covering includes: shade material; the shade material operatively connected to a motor unit such that movement of the motor unit causes movement of the shade material; the motor unit comprising a DC motor and a shaft connected to the DC motor; a power supply unit electrically connected to the motor unit; a controller unit electrically connected to the motor unit, the controller unit having a microprocessor; and a rotation detector configured to detect rotation of the motor unit and upon detection of rotation of the motor unit transmit a signal to the microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor of the controller unit is configured to power an encoder unit in response to determination of manual movement of the shade material. A motor and control unit for an architectural covering may be provided.

The invention provides a bright white refractory roofing granule, comprising a ceramic material formed from a substantially homogenous mixture of a ceramic-forming clay, sintering material, and optionally comprising silica particles, and other potential additives, said bright white refractory roofing granule having a total solar reflectance of at least 0.80 and a Hunter Color L-value of at least 85.0, together with processes for making and using the same.

A Venetian shade and Roman shade assembly is presented having a header with a drive shaft assembly positioned in the header, the drive shaft having a plurality of lift and tilt spool assemblies. A motor controller assembly is removably positioned within the header and connected to the drive shaft assembly. The motor controller assembly includes a motor, a plurality of batteries and a motor controller that is wirelessly controllable by a remote. When the motor of the motor controller assembly is activated, the motor rotates the drive shaft assembly thereby raising or lowering the shade material as well as tilting the shade material.

The invention describes a system for controlling a shading device with a plurality of controllable shading elements. To provide a system for controlling a shading device, which reduces direct sunlight transmission and enhances thermal comfort and lighting conditions, the system comprises at least one detector unit for providing an image signal of a shading area and a control unit (5) being configured to receive said image signal, determine from said signal, whether a characteristic pattern is present in said shading area and in case said characteristic pattern is determined, control said shading elements to reduce said characteristic pattern.

Roofing granules are prepared by coating granule cores with a coating material including composite nanoparticles and curing the coating layer to dissolve the aggregate binder and disperse the nanoparticles in the coating.

In order to control the light or air permeability of an elastic extensible screen (1) disposed between an area to be protected and an external area, and having a permeability that varies with a pulling force exerted on the screen, a motorized mechanism (3) adjusts the pulling force on the screen in response to a setpoint signal, which can be determined on the basis of one or a plurality of signals from one or a plurality of sensors (12, 14, 15), in particular light sensors.

The present invention relates to a control system for automatic calibration of a blinds system installed in a room, comprising: a controller (1, 8, 9) having a memory, a clock and a processor, an occupancy sensor (2, 7), an interior light sensor (3, 7), an exterior light sensor (4). The control system is characterised in that the control system is arranged to run an automated calibration of the blinds system when the exterior light sensor indicates an outside light level above a predetermined threshold, the occupancy sensor indicates that no person is present in the room, and a predetermined time has passed since the last calibration. The invention further relates to a method for automatic calibration of a blinds system installed in a room using a control system comprising a controller (1, 8, 9) having a memory, a clock and a processor, an occupancy sensor (2, 7), an interior light sensor (3, 7), an exterior light sensor (4), the method comprising the step of: running an automated calibration of the blinds system when the exterior light sensor (4) indicates an outside light level above a predetermined threshold, the occupancy sensor (2, 7) indicates that no person is present in the room, and a predetermined time has passed since the last calibration.

The invention relates to a thermal insulation module radiant heating and cooling ground and a ventilation air conditioner system. The ground is composed of a leveling layer, a polypropylene fiber waterproof roll layer, a prefabricated combined thermal insulation module body, a floor heating pipeline, a main air inlet pipe, a branch air inlet pipe, a main exhaust pipe, a dampproof heat conduction layer, a bonding cushion layer, ground veneer or a wood floor and the ventilation air conditioner system from bottom to top in sequence. The ventilation air conditioner system is composed of a fresh air supplying pipeline system, a ground dehumidification exhaust system and an indoor exhaust pipeline system, and has the advantages of air filtering, waste heat recycling, dehumanization performing and ventilation air conditioning. The ground radiant heating and cooling can be achieved at the tail end of the floor heating, and the problems that when cooling is carried out in summer, the ground is prone to moisture condensation and damp, the cold air sinks and deposits in the floor and cannot be released to the indoor space, and the comfort level is low are solved; an air coiler pipe equipment system is removed, installing cost is saved, the effects that the PM2.5 is purified and filtered out, and people can breathe clean and fresh air without opening a window can be achieved, carbon emission is low, and energy is saved.

The invention relates to a control device (10) for use in an ambient light control system (20) for controlling ambient light entering a space (1) through an opening (2). An ambient light prediction unit (11) provides ambient light prediction values, which are predictions of an ambient light property at the opening (2). An ambient light adjusting unit (12) provides, at different ambient light adjusting time points, an ambient light adjusting signal depending on the ambient light prediction values for an upcoming ambient light prediction time period. The ambient light adjusting signal is adapted for use by an ambient light modifying element (22) for modifying the entering of ambient light into the space (1) through the opening (2). By taking the predicted ambient light conditions at the opening (2) into account, necessary adjustments can be made at temporally spaced ambient light adjusting time points, resulting in fewer disturbances of the users.

A smart window controller includes circuitry configured to establish a representative model of one or more building zones based on occupancy, construction, lighting, or cooling properties of a building. A lighting control strategy is implemented for the one or more building zones based on the representative model or one or more user preferences input at a first user interface screen of an external device. Automatic operations of one or more smart windows, cooling systems, or artificial lighting systems are controlled based on trigger points associated with the lighting control strategy, and a performance level of the lighting control strategy for the one or more building zones is determined based on one or more predetermined financial metrics.

The invention belongs to the field of renewable energy buildings and relates to a phase change heat storage lightweight wall-based high-performance solar air heating system, comprising a solar air heat collector, a phase change heat storage lightweight wall and a floor layer. An inner surface layer of the phase change heat storage lightweight wall is made of cement combined and set phase change material plates; a middle layer of the phase change heat storage lightweight wall is composed of a wall air passages; the outer surface layer is made of lightweight wall material plates. A bottom layer of the floor layer is an insulation material layer. The space around and above the air passages of the middle layer is filled with cement combined and set phase change mortar and is tamped and leveled; the upper layer of the floor layer is made of a floor facing layer. The air passages of the phase change heat storage lightweight wall are in series connection with the corresponding air passages, forming a unit; air channels of the unit are connected in parallel through pipe; the unit is serially connected in order with a reflow pipe, a reflow valve, a ventilator, the solar air heat collector, an air supply pipe and an air supply valve. The phase change heat storage lightweight wall-based high-performance solar air heating system is capable of keeping indoor temperature at 9 to 12 DEG C in remote or plateau cold areas.

Methods of controlling tint of a tintable window to account for occupant comfort in a room of a building. Some methods include receiving weather feed data from one or more weather services (or other data sources) over a communication network, determining a weather condition based on the weather feed data, and determining a tint level for the tintable window based on the weather condition and basedon whether a current time is within a time delay period at sunrise or sunset.

A system automatically adjusts environmental condition by detecting an environment value and controlling a window blinds and an environmental regulator according to a comparison between the environment value and a predetermined environment value.

An apparatus in accordance with the invention includes a gearbox assembly configured to electromechanically operate a window covering. A controller, incorporated into the window covering, is provided to control the gearbox assembly. A security device, such as a camera, motion sensor, audio sensor, proximity sensor, impact sensor, or the like, communicates with the controller and is configured to monitor security at a window associated with the window covering. Such a security sensor may, for example, monitor opening and / or closing of the window, breaking of the window, or the like. In certain embodiments, operation of the window covering is triggered in response to conditions sensed by the security device. A corresponding method is also disclosed herein.

A method of controlling tint of a tintable window to account for occupant comfort in a room of a building. The tintable window is between the interior and exterior of the building. The method predicts a tint level for the tintable window at a future time based on lighting received through the tintable window into the room at the future time and space type in the room. The method also provides instructions over a network to transition tint of the tintable window to the tint level.

An apparatus in accordance with the invention includes a window covering actuation mechanism and a gearbox assembly configured to electromechanically operate the window covering actuation mechanism. A pull cord is configured to receive “cord gestures” from a user. These “cord gestures” may include one or more of pull sequences, pull durations, numbers of pulls, durations between pulls, and strength of pulls. In certain embodiments, “cord gestures” may also be defined by pull direction. A controller receives the cord gestures and translates the cord gestures into commands for controlling the gearbox assembly. A corresponding method is also disclosed herein.

An obstruction detection system for motorized window shades is presented having a motor, shade material, a bottom bar, and a motor controller having a microprocessor. The microprocessor is configured to detect when an obstruction has been encountered when closing the motorized window shades. When an obstruction is detected, the microprocessor stops lowering the shade material and the bottom bar thereby preventing further damage or destruction. The system may also be used to report when an unexpected obstruction has been detected.

A novel energy efficient shingle is disclosed. The shingle is layered with the top layer comprising recycled glass cullet coated with a reflecting material such as TiO2. The novel shingle provides significant improvement in the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI).

A method for hybrid solar tracking, and an apparatus for hybrid solar tracking and a photovoltaic blind system using the same are disclosed. The method includes generating first predicted power output data by analyzing first measured power output data of the past; generating a lagged error; constructing a regression analysis (RA) model, and deriving second predicted power output data; constructing an artificial neural network (ANN) model, and deriving third predicted power output data; selecting either a method for solar tracking based on photovoltaic power output or a method for solar tracking based on location and time depending on whether the second measured power output data of the present time falls within a filtering range based on a first error range and a second error range; and determining the directions of photovoltaic panels according to the selected method for solar tracking.

The invention provides a solar aluminium alloy window comprising a window frame, a transmission mechanism, a revolving mechanism and a solar power supply unit. The transmission mechanism comprises a motor and worms, and the worms connected with the motor are in series connection. The revolving mechanism comprises worm gears, a revolving shaft and window sashes, the worm gears are meshed with the worms, the revolving shaft is connected with the worm gears, and the window sashes are fixedly mounted on the revolving shaft. The solar power supply unit comprises solar panels, a first light sensor and a processing unit, wherein the solar panels, the first light sensor and the processing unit are connected in sequence, and the processing unit is electrically connected with the motor. The first light sensor transmits detected optical signals to the processing unit which controls the revolving shaft to rotate through the motor, so that light acceptance angles of the solar panels can be adjusted. The solar aluminum alloy window simple and integral in structure can be installed in any houses with solar energy effectively utilized. The solar aluminum alloy window is attractive and practical and green, part of the electricity demand can be met, so that building integrated photovoltaics can be realized.

An electrochromic device (ECD) includes an electrochromic cell and, optionally, one or more additional electrochromic cells where all cells are parallel, and where at least one of the electrodes of one of the cells comprises a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) film The electrochromic cells allow the control of transmittance of two or more different portions of the electro-magnetic spectrum through the ECD. One cell can control the transmittance of visible radiation while the other cell can control the transmittance of IR radiation. The ECD can be employed as a “smart window” to control the heat and light transmission through the window. The ECD can be in the form of a laminate that can be added to an existing window.

A method of operating a motorized window covering is presented wherein in response to a standard movement command power is supplied to a motor in a continuous or generally continuous manner thereby moving the shade material from a start position to an end position in a generally continuous manner. However, in doing so, the motor rotates at a fast rate thereby causing elevated noise levels. In response to an automated movement command, power is supplied to the motor by cycling power to the motor between a powered state and an unpowered state thereby moving the shade material from a start position to an end position in an incremental manner. While moving the shade material in this incremental manner is slower, it is substantially quieter. The preferred mode of operation is selected based on whether the movement command is a standard movement command or an automated movement command.