Evaluation system, evaluation program, and evaluation method

Abstract

This evaluation system has a control unit that evaluates an air conditioning system. The control unit: acquires second operating performance information estimated based on first operating performance information acquired during a first period of a prescribed period, spatial environment information indicating an environment of a space to be air-conditioned by an air conditioning system, and information regarding estimation during a second period of the prescribed period during which the first operating performance information is not acquired; and derives evaluation information of the air conditioning system based on equipment configuration information regarding equipment included in the air conditioning system, and operating performance information for the prescribed period, which includes the first operating performance information and the second operating performance information.

Description

Evaluation system, evaluation program, evaluation method

[0001] This disclosure relates to an evaluation system, an evaluation program, and an evaluation method.

[0002] Conventionally, when updating an air conditioning system, it is known to perform an air conditioning simulation based on performance data for one year to select an optimal device. Also, when there is no performance data for one year, a technique for predicting the air conditioning load for one year from existing performance data is known.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-044555

[0004] In the above-described conventional technology, since there is an error between the predicted air conditioning load and the performance data, it is difficult to select an optimal device using the predicted air conditioning load.

[0005] An object of this disclosure is to provide an evaluation system, an evaluation program, and an evaluation method for selecting an optimal device using a predicted air conditioning load.

[0006] An evaluation system according to a first aspect of this disclosure is an evaluation system having a control unit for evaluating an air conditioning system, wherein the control unit includes first operation performance information acquired during a first period within a predetermined period, space environment information indicating the environment of the air-conditioned space by the air conditioning system, and information related to estimation in a second period within the predetermined period in which the first operation performance information has not been acquired, and acquires second operation performance information estimated based on these, and derives evaluation information of the air conditioning system based on device configuration information regarding devices included in the air conditioning system and the operation performance information for the predetermined period including the first operation performance information and the second operation performance information.

[0007] According to the first aspect of this disclosure, it is possible to select an optimal device using a predicted air conditioning load.

[0008] A second aspect of this disclosure is an evaluation system as described in the first aspect, wherein the information relating to the estimation includes one or more of the following: information indicating the length of the second period, information indicating the season of the second period, information indicating the usage pattern of the air conditioning system, and information relating to the property on which the air conditioning system is installed.

[0009] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, corrections can be made to the second operational performance information depending on the period and conditions for estimation.

[0010] A third aspect of this disclosure is an evaluation system according to the first or second aspect, wherein the control unit corrects the equipment configuration information based on the information relating to the estimation.

[0011] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, it is possible to reduce errors in the estimation of the second operational performance information.

[0012] A fourth aspect of this disclosure is an evaluation system described in any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the spatial environment information includes equipment operation information relating to the operation of equipment other than the air conditioning system, spatial operation information relating to the operation of the space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioning system, spatial configuration information relating to the configuration of the space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioning system, and external environment information indicating the environment outside the space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioning system.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, evaluation information can be derived using information about the air conditioning system, information about the space to be air-conditioned, and information about the area outside the space to be air-conditioned, thereby improving the accuracy of estimating the evaluation information.

[0014] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is an evaluation system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the control unit refers to a storage unit which stores replacement equipment information relating to candidate equipment that is a candidate for equipment to be replaced with equipment included in the air conditioning system, and selects candidate equipment that satisfies the conditions indicated by the evaluation information.

[0015] According to a fifth aspect of this disclosure, the equipment capable of handling the predicted air conditioning load can be made known to the air conditioning system manager or the like.

[0016] An evaluation program according to a sixth aspect of this disclosure is an evaluation program that causes a control unit for evaluating an air conditioning system to perform a process of obtaining first operational performance information obtained during a first period within a predetermined period, spatial environment information indicating the environment of the space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioning system, and second operational performance information estimated based on estimation information for a second period within the predetermined period during which the first operational performance information has not been obtained, and deriving evaluation information for the air conditioning system based on equipment configuration information relating to the equipment included in the air conditioning system and operational performance information for the predetermined period including the first operational performance information and the second operational performance information.

[0017] According to a sixth aspect of this disclosure, the optimal equipment can be selected using the predicted air conditioning load.

[0018] An evaluation method according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is an evaluation method having a control unit for evaluating an air conditioning system, wherein the control unit acquires first operational performance information acquired during a first period of a predetermined period, spatial environment information indicating the environment of a space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioning system, and second operational performance information estimated based on estimation information for a second period of the predetermined period in which the first operational performance information has not been acquired, and derives evaluation information for the air conditioning system based on equipment configuration information relating to equipment included in the air conditioning system and operational performance information for the predetermined period including the first operational performance information and the second operational performance information.

[0019] According to a seventh aspect of this disclosure, the optimal equipment can be selected using the predicted air conditioning load.

[0020] This is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of an evaluation system. This is a diagram showing an example of an air conditioning system. This is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an evaluation device. This is a diagram explaining the functional configuration of a server device. This is the first flowchart explaining the processing of the server device. This is the second flowchart explaining the processing of the server device.

[0021] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the evaluation system.

[0022] The evaluation system 100 of this embodiment includes a server device 200, an air conditioning system 300, and a terminal device 400. The server device 200 of this embodiment communicates with the air conditioning system 300 and the terminal device 400 via a network such as the Internet.

[0023] The server device 200 in this embodiment predicts the air conditioning load during periods when no measured values ​​of the air conditioning load have been accumulated in the air conditioning system 300, and generates evaluation information for selecting equipment that reduces power consumption using the measured values ​​of the air conditioning load and the predicted values ​​of the air conditioning load.

[0024] More specifically, in this embodiment, if the period over which operational performance information collected from the air conditioning system 300 has been accumulated is less than a predetermined period, the server device 200 estimates the operational performance information of the air conditioning system 300 for the period within the predetermined period during which operational performance information has not been accumulated. The server device 200 then combines the accumulated operational performance information, the estimated operational performance information, and the operational performance information for the predetermined period.

[0025] Furthermore, the server device 200 corrects the estimation error in the operating performance information for a predetermined period based on the period and conditions under which the operating performance information was estimated, and generates evaluation information for the air conditioning system 300 using the corrected operating performance information for the predetermined period. The evaluation information in this embodiment includes, for example, the power consumption of the air conditioning system 300.

[0026] Furthermore, the server device 200 of this embodiment identifies candidate equipment that can be replaced with equipment included in the existing air conditioning system 300, based on evaluation information. The candidate equipment identified here is, for example, equipment that consumes less power than the existing air conditioning system 300.

[0027] The air conditioning system 300 of this embodiment includes multiple air conditioners and adjusts the air in the site where the air conditioning system 300 is installed. In the following description, air conditioners will be simply referred to as equipment. Details of the air conditioning system 300 will be described later.

[0028] The terminal device 400 may be, for example, an information processing device used by the administrator of the air conditioning system 300. The server device 200 may output the generated evaluation information and information indicating the identified candidate equipment to the terminal device 400, and the terminal device 400 may display the evaluation information and information indicating the identified candidate equipment.

[0029] In this embodiment, evaluation information is generated using corrected operational performance information for a predetermined period, which corrects the estimation errors in the operational performance information for that period. Therefore, in this embodiment, highly accurate evaluation information can be generated.

[0030] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the manager of the air conditioning system 300 considers replacing equipment included in the air conditioning system 300, even if the period for which operational performance information has been accumulated is less than a predetermined period, appropriate equipment based on evaluation information can be selected as a candidate for replacement.

[0031] In the example shown in Figure 1, the evaluation system 100 includes one server device 200, but it is not limited to this. The server device 200 included in the evaluation system 100 may be implemented using multiple information processing devices. Also, the number of air conditioning systems 300 and terminal devices 400 included in the evaluation system 100 may be any number.

[0032] Furthermore, while Figure 1 shows the evaluation system 100 as including an air conditioning system 300, it is not limited to this. The air conditioning system 300 does not have to be included in the evaluation system 100.

[0033] Next, the air conditioning system 300 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of an air conditioning system.

[0034] The air conditioning system 300 of this embodiment includes a combination of two outdoor units 301 and 302, six indoor units 311 to 316, and two ventilation devices 321 and 322.

[0035] In the example shown in Figure 2, outdoor units 301 and 302 are connected to three indoor units 311-313 and three indoor units 314-316 by refrigerant piping 331 and 332, respectively. Indoor units 311 and 312 are installed in room Ra, which is the space to be air-conditioned, and work in conjunction with the outdoor unit 301 to perform air conditioning in room Ra. The space to be air-conditioned is the space that is to be air-conditioned by the air conditioning system 300.

[0036] Furthermore, indoor units 313 and 314 are installed in room Rb, which is the space to be air-conditioned, and work in conjunction with outdoor units 301 and 302 to perform air conditioning in room Rb. In addition, indoor units 315 and 316 are installed in room Rc, which is the space to be air-conditioned, and work in conjunction with outdoor unit 302 to perform air conditioning in room Rc.

[0037] Furthermore, ventilation device 321 is installed for room Ra and ventilates room Ra. Ventilation device 322 is installed for both room Rb and room Rc and ventilates room Rb and room Rc.

[0038] Figure 2 shows an example of the air conditioning system 300, and the configuration of the equipment included in the air conditioning system 300 of this embodiment is not limited to the example shown in Figure 2.

[0039] Next, the hardware configuration of the server device 200 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server device.

[0040] The server device 200 in this embodiment is a computer that includes an input device 21, an output device 22, a drive device 23, an auxiliary storage device 24, a memory device 25, a processor 26, and an interface device 27, all of which are interconnected via bus B.

[0041] The input device 21 is a device for inputting various types of information. The output device 22 is for outputting various types of information. The interface device 27 is used to connect to a network.

[0042] The evaluation program that realizes the functions of the server device 200 described later is at least a part of various programs that control the server device 200, and is provided, for example, by downloading from a network or the like.

[0043] Also, the evaluation program may be provided by a recording medium 28 on which the program is recorded. The recording medium 28 can use various types of recording media, such as a recording medium that optically, electrically, or magnetically records information like a CD-ROM, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, etc., or a semiconductor memory that electrically records information like a ROM, a flash memory, etc.

[0044] Also, when the evaluation program is downloaded from a network via the interface device 27, it is installed in the auxiliary storage device 24.

[0045] The auxiliary storage device 24 realizes each storage unit and the like of the server device 200, stores the programs installed in the server device 200, and stores various necessary files, information, etc. by the server device 200. The memory device 25 reads out and stores the evaluation program from the auxiliary storage device 24 when the server device 200 is started. Then, the processor 26 realizes various processes as described later according to the evaluation program stored in the memory device 25.

[0046] Also, the terminal device 400 of the present embodiment is a computer having a processor and a memory device, and its hardware configuration may be the same as the configuration shown in FIG. 3, so the description is omitted.

[0047] Next, referring to FIG. 4, the functions of the server device 200 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the functional configuration of the server device.

[0048] The server device 200 of the present embodiment includes an operation result storage unit 210, a device configuration storage unit 220, an evaluation storage unit 230, a replacement candidate storage unit 240, an estimation correlation storage unit 245, a correction storage unit 247, a device operation storage unit 250, a space utilization storage unit 260, a space configuration storage unit 270, an environment storage unit 280, and a control unit 290.

[0049] The operation result storage unit 210, the device configuration storage unit 220, the evaluation storage unit 230, the replacement candidate storage unit 240, the estimation correlation storage unit 245, the correction storage unit 247, the device operation storage unit 250, the space utilization storage unit 260, the space configuration storage unit 270, and the environment storage unit 280 may be implemented by, for example, an auxiliary storage device 24 or the like included in the server device 200. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​Specifically, the first operational performance information may include information indicating the air conditioning load of each piece of equipment included in the air conditioning system 300, and the air conditioning load for each section included in the space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioning system 300. In other words, the first operational performance information is information indicating the measured air conditioning load of the air conditioning system 300.

[0055] Furthermore, the first operational performance information may include, for example, the power status (on / off) of each indoor unit 311 to 316 included in the air conditioning system 300, the set temperature of each indoor unit 311 to 316, the operating mode (cooling / heating), output capacity, outside air temperature, indoor temperature, etc. The first operational performance information may also include fan airflow, refrigerant evaporation temperature, refrigerant condensation temperature, air intake temperature, air outlet temperature, etc.

[0056] The second operational performance information is operational performance information estimated by the control unit 290 based on the first operational performance information. In other words, the second operational performance information is information indicating the estimated air conditioning load of the air conditioning system 300. The items of information included in the second operational performance information may be the same as the items of information included in the first operational performance information described above.

[0057] In the following explanation, the period during which the first operational performance information is accumulated will be referred to as the first period, and the period during which the first operational performance information is not accumulated will be referred to as the second period. The predetermined period in this embodiment may be any predetermined period. In this embodiment, the predetermined period is set to one year. However, the predetermined period is not limited to one year. The predetermined period may be any period that includes the four seasons.

[0058] Furthermore, the specified period does not necessarily have to include all four seasons; for example, it could be the summer period or the winter period. Also, the season may be determined based on the outside temperature.

[0059] Furthermore, the operation performance storage unit 210 of this embodiment may also store, as part of the first operation performance information, the operation performance information measured for candidate equipment whose replacement equipment information is stored in the replacement candidate storage unit 240, which will be described later.

[0060] The equipment configuration storage unit 220 stores equipment configuration information. In this embodiment, the equipment configuration information may be pre-entered by the administrator of the air conditioning system 300 and stored in the equipment configuration storage unit 220.

[0061] Specifically, the equipment configuration information includes information about the equipment included in the air conditioning system 300, cost information, etc. Furthermore, the equipment configuration information includes information indicating the model of each piece of equipment included in the air conditioning system 300.

[0062] Furthermore, the equipment configuration information includes information about the elements constituting each piece of equipment included in the air conditioning system 300, information indicating the characteristic values ​​of the elements constituting each piece of equipment, and setting information for controlling the elements constituting each piece of equipment. The equipment configuration information also includes information indicating the model of each piece of equipment included in the air conditioning system 300, horsepower, piping information, and the ratio of internal and external connections. The elements constituting each piece of equipment may be, for example, a compressor, fan, heat exchanger, valve, piping, motor, heater, etc. The manager of the air conditioning system 300 may be the person who selects the equipment to be replaced with the equipment included in the air conditioning system 300.

[0063] Furthermore, after the equipment included in the air conditioning system 300 has been replaced, information regarding the replaced equipment may be obtained from the replacement candidate storage unit 240 and included as part of the equipment configuration information.

[0064] The evaluation storage unit 230 stores evaluation information obtained through processing by the control unit 290. The evaluation information may be generated and stored in the evaluation storage unit 230 each time the control unit 290 performs a process described later.

[0065] The evaluation information is information that indicates the conditions required for the equipment constituting the air conditioning system 300, and includes information regarding the performance of the equipment. Specifically, the evaluation information in this embodiment includes information such as the power consumption and untreated heat load of the air conditioning system 300.

[0066] The replacement candidate storage unit 240 stores replacement equipment information relating to equipment that may be replaced with equipment constituting the air conditioning system 300. The replacement equipment information may be pre-entered by the administrator of the air conditioning system 300 or the administrator of the evaluation system 100, and stored in the replacement candidate storage unit 240.

[0067] In the following explanation, equipment that may be replaced in the existing air conditioning system 300 may be referred to as candidate equipment. Replacement equipment information includes information about candidate equipment, cost information, etc. The items of information included in the replacement equipment information may be the same as the items included in the equipment configuration information.

[0068] The estimation-related memory unit 245 stores estimation-related information regarding the period and conditions under which the second operational performance information was estimated. The estimation-related information includes the length of the second period and information indicating the season of the second period. Information indicating the season may be, for example, summer, winter, or transitional season. The estimation-related information may also include information indicating the method for estimating the second operational performance information, information indicating the type of building (property) in which the air conditioning system 300 is installed, and information indicating the use of the space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioning system 300. Information indicating the type of building (property) includes information indicating the use of the building. The estimation-related information in this embodiment only needs to include one or more of the above-mentioned information. The estimation-related information also includes information related to weather and information related to the building's performance. Information related to the building's performance includes, for example, the building's thermal insulation, window area size, and age of the building.

[0069] The estimation-related information in this embodiment may be generated each time the control unit 290 estimates the second operational performance information and stored in the estimation-related storage unit 245. Alternatively, the estimation-related information in this embodiment may be temporarily held in the estimation-related storage unit 245 as temporary information that the control unit 290 refers to when correcting operational performance information for a predetermined period.

[0070] The correction storage unit 247 stores correction information. This correction information is referenced by the control unit 290 when correcting operational performance information for a predetermined period, and is stored in the correction storage unit 247 in advance by the administrator of the evaluation system 100 or the like.

[0071] The correction information in this embodiment includes a correction coefficient and calculation formula corresponding to the period and conditions when the second operational performance information was estimated.

[0072] The calculation formula is, for example, "operating performance information before correction" × α1 × α2 × .... In this case, α1 is a factor that corrects for the difference in the length of the period between the first period and the second period. α2 is a correction coefficient that corrects for seasonal differences. α3 is a correction coefficient that corrects for differences in building use. α4 is a correction coefficient that corrects for differences in building performance.

[0073] The operational performance information for a specified period will have a larger error compared to operational performance information measured during that period as the second period included in the specified period is longer. In addition, the second operational performance information included in the operational performance information for the specified period includes parameters whose values ​​change depending on the season and the use of the air-conditioned space.

[0074] Therefore, the correction information in this embodiment may include correction coefficients and formulas corresponding to the length of the second period, correction coefficients and formulas corresponding to the season of the second period, correction coefficients and formulas corresponding to the use of the air-conditioned space, and so on.

[0075] Furthermore, the magnitude of the error in the operational performance information for a predetermined period differs depending on the estimation method for the second operational performance information. Therefore, the correction information in this embodiment may include a correction coefficient and calculation formula corresponding to the estimation method for the second operational performance information. Moreover, instead of a correction coefficient and calculation formula corresponding to the estimation method for the second operational performance information, the correction information may include a reliability score indicating the accuracy of the second operational performance information.

[0076] The equipment operation memory unit 250 stores equipment operation information related to the operation of equipment other than the air conditioning system in the air-conditioned space. The equipment operation information is pre-entered by the administrator of the air conditioning system 300 and stored in the equipment operation memory unit 250.

[0077] In an air-conditioned space, the air conditioning equipment refers to the various components included in the air conditioning system 300. Specifically, the air conditioning equipment includes, for example, two outdoor units 301 and 302, six indoor units 311 to 316, and two ventilation devices 321 and 322. Equipment other than air conditioning equipment includes, for example, lighting fixtures, blinds attached to windows, furniture, office equipment, etc., installed in the air-conditioned space.

[0078] Equipment operation information includes, for example, information indicating the type of lighting, the occupancy rate, and the usage rate of blinds. In other words, equipment operation information is information indicating the operating schedule of equipment other than air conditioning equipment. Equipment operation information may also include information regarding the maintenance of equipment other than air conditioning equipment. Maintenance information may include information indicating the maintenance and replacement schedules for equipment other than air conditioning equipment.

[0079] The spatial operation memory unit 260 stores spatial operation information relating to the space to be air-conditioned. The spatial operation information includes operational information regarding the operation of the air conditioning equipment in the space to be air-conditioned, and information regarding the use of the rooms included in the space to be air-conditioned. The spatial operation information is pre-entered by the administrator of the air conditioning system 300 and stored in the spatial operation memory unit 260.

[0080] Specifically, spatial operation information includes information indicating the use of the rooms included in the air-conditioned space, information indicating the presence or absence of partitions, ventilation rate, number of people using the room, indoor temperature setting, and information indicating whether the adjacent room is being cooled or heated.

[0081] The spatial configuration storage unit 270 stores spatial configuration information relating to the building structure other than the equipment installed in the air-conditioned space. Here, "building" refers to the building that includes the air-conditioned space. The spatial configuration information is pre-entered by the administrator of the air conditioning system 300 and stored in the spatial configuration storage unit 270.

[0082] Spatial configuration information specifically includes, for example, information indicating the type of glass used in the building, the area of ​​the building's windows, and its thermal insulation performance.

[0083] The environmental memory unit 280 stores environmental information that describes the environment surrounding the building. This environmental information is pre-entered by the administrator of the air conditioning system 300 and stored in the environmental memory unit 280.

[0084] Environmental information specifically includes outside temperature, outside humidity, solar radiation, the orientation of the building, information indicating the presence or absence of shade, information indicating the presence or absence of neighboring buildings, meteorological information, and weather conditions.

[0085] Furthermore, the types of information stored in each of the aforementioned memory units are not limited to the examples given above, and may include information of other types.

[0086] Furthermore, in the following description, information including equipment operation information, spatial operation information, spatial configuration information, and environmental information may be referred to as spatial environment information. In other words, equipment operation information, spatial operation information, spatial configuration information, and environmental information are all included in spatial environment information. In this embodiment, each of the equipment operation information, spatial operation information, spatial configuration information, and environmental information may be acquired over a predetermined period and stored in their respective memory units. In other words, in the evaluation system 100 of this embodiment, spatial environment information for a predetermined period may be accumulated.

[0087] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 4, a device operation memory unit 250, a spatial operation memory unit 260, a spatial configuration memory unit 270, and an environmental memory unit 280 are provided, and device operation information, spatial operation information, air conditioning configuration information, and environmental information are stored in each memory unit, but the system is not limited to this. The server device 200 may have a spatial environment memory unit instead of having a device operation memory unit 250, a spatial operation memory unit 260, a spatial configuration memory unit 270, and an environmental memory unit 280, and the device operation information, spatial operation information, air conditioning configuration information, and environmental information may be stored in the spatial environment memory unit as spatial environment information.

[0088] In this embodiment, information regarding the air conditioning system 300, information regarding the air-conditioned space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioning system 300, and information regarding the area outside the air-conditioned space are stored, and by using this information, the accuracy of the control unit 290's estimation of the second operational performance information and the estimation of evaluation information can be improved.

[0089] Next, the control unit 290 of this embodiment will be described. The control unit 290 of this embodiment includes an input receiving unit 291, a storage control unit 292, a performance estimation unit 293, an estimated information acquisition unit 294, a performance correction unit 295, an evaluation estimation unit 296, an exchange candidate identification unit 297, and an output unit 298.

[0090] The input receiving unit 291 receives various inputs to the server device 200. Specifically, for example, the input receiving unit 291 receives inputs of equipment configuration information, exchange equipment information, and spatial environment information.

[0091] The storage control unit 292 stores the input information in each storage unit according to the type of information input by the input reception unit 291.

[0092] In this embodiment, the performance estimation unit 293 estimates the operation performance information for a second period based on the length of a first period within a predetermined period and the first operation performance information stored in the operation performance storage unit 210, and uses this as the second operation performance information. The second operation performance information estimated by the performance estimation unit 293 may be stored in the operation performance storage unit 210 by the storage control unit 292.

[0093] The performance estimation unit 293 of this embodiment estimates second operational performance information using, for example, the equipment operation information for the second period stored in the equipment operation memory unit 250, the spatial operation information for the second period stored in the spatial operation memory unit 260, the spatial configuration information for the second period stored in the spatial configuration memory unit 270, and the environmental information for the second period stored in the environmental memory unit 280.

[0094] The performance estimation unit 293 of this embodiment may estimate second operational performance information using a trained air conditioning performance model constructed by a machine learning algorithm such as a neural network algorithm like a multilayer perceptron (MLP).

[0095] In this case, the air conditioning performance model may be a pre-trained machine learning model that uses at least one of the following as explanatory variables (in this embodiment, all of them) – equipment operation information, spatial operation information, spatial configuration information, and environmental information – and the second operational performance information as the target variable.

[0096] Furthermore, the performance estimation unit 293 may estimate second operational performance information by performing an air conditioning performance simulation on a physical model of the air-conditioned space.

[0097] In this case, the air conditioning performance simulation is a dynamic heat load (air conditioning load) simulation, which can be performed using known simulation software such as EnergyPLus (registered trademark). In this case, the performance estimation unit 293 performs a dynamic load (air conditioning load) simulation on a physical model constructed for the air-conditioned space and calculates time-series estimates for the second period. Specifically, the performance estimation unit 293 uses equipment operation information, space operation information, space configuration information, and environmental information to construct the physical model or set them as simulation conditions to derive second operational performance information as a simulation result.

[0098] The physical model constructed for the space to be air-conditioned may be a simple heat balance model or a model provided in simulation software.

[0099] Furthermore, the performance estimation unit 293 may use the above-mentioned air conditioning performance model and air conditioning performance simulation in combination to generate second operational performance information, for example, using the method disclosed in Patent Document No. 2022-044555.

[0100] Specifically, the performance estimation unit 293 applies a correction to the results of the air conditioning performance simulation using the air conditioning performance error estimated by the air conditioning performance error estimation model (which has learned the error of the results under simulation conditions), calculates the corrected result, and uses this result as the second operational performance information. This suppresses errors in the air conditioning performance simulation caused by insufficient simulation conditions or deviations from actual conditions, making it possible to obtain more accurate second operational performance information.

[0101] The estimation information acquisition unit 294 acquires estimation-related information when the performance estimation unit 293 estimates the second operational performance information. Specifically, the estimation information acquisition unit 294 acquires estimation-related information such as the length of the second period, information indicating the season of the second period, and information indicating the estimation method for the second operational performance information. The estimation-related information acquired by the estimation information acquisition unit 294 may be stored in the estimation-related storage unit 245 by the storage control unit 292.

[0102] The performance correction unit 295 corrects the operational performance information for a predetermined period based on the estimated related information stored in the estimated information acquisition unit 294, the correction information stored in the correction storage unit 247, and the equipment configuration information stored in the equipment configuration storage unit 220.

[0103] More specifically, the performance correction unit 295 corrects the second operational performance information from the operational performance information for a predetermined period, which includes the first operational performance information and the second operational performance information.

[0104] The performance correction unit 295 identifies the correction information to be used to correct the second operating performance information from among the correction information stored in the correction storage unit 247, based on the length of the second period indicated by the estimated related information, the season of the second period, the estimation method of the second operating performance information, the use of the air-conditioned space and the type of building, etc. Then, the performance correction unit 295 corrects the second operating performance information estimated by the performance estimation unit 293 using the identified correction information.

[0105] The correction information identified here includes correction coefficients and formulas corresponding to the length of the second period indicated by the estimation-related information, the season of the second period, the estimation method for the second operational performance information, and the use and type of building of the air-conditioned space. In this embodiment, by correcting the second operational performance information using the estimation-related information concerning the estimation of the second operational performance information, the error in the estimation of the second operational performance information can be reduced.

[0106] The evaluation estimation unit 296 derives evaluation information for the air conditioning system 300 based on the corrected operating performance information for a predetermined period, which includes second operating performance information corrected by the performance correction unit 295, and the equipment configuration information stored in the equipment configuration storage unit 220.

[0107] The evaluation estimation unit 296 of this embodiment may estimate evaluation information using a trained air conditioning evaluation model constructed by a machine learning algorithm such as a neural network algorithm such as a multilayer perceptron.

[0108] In this case, the air conditioning evaluation model may use the corrected operating performance information for a predetermined period and the equipment configuration information stored in the equipment configuration storage unit 220 as explanatory variables, and the evaluation information as the objective variable.

[0109] Furthermore, the evaluation estimation unit 296 of this embodiment may estimate evaluation information by performing an air conditioning evaluation simulation on a physical model of the air conditioning system 300.

[0110] In that case, the air conditioning evaluation simulation may be a power consumption simulation if, for example, power consumption is used as evaluation information, and can be performed using known simulation software such as EnergyPLus (registered trademark). In this case, the operation performance information and equipment configuration information for a predetermined period after correction may be used to construct a physical model or set as simulation conditions to calculate the simulation results, which may then be used as evaluation information.

[0111] Furthermore, the evaluation estimation unit 296 of this embodiment may estimate evaluation information using a combination of an air conditioning evaluation model (for example, an air conditioning evaluation error estimation model) and an air conditioning evaluation simulation, for example, using the method disclosed in Patent Document No. 2022-044555.

[0112] Specifically, the evaluation estimation unit 296 may perform a correction on the simulation results from the air conditioning evaluation simulation using the air conditioning evaluation error estimated by the air conditioning evaluation error estimation model (which has learned the error of the results under the simulation conditions), calculate the corrected simulation results, and use these as the estimated evaluation information results. This suppresses errors in the air conditioning evaluation simulation caused by insufficient simulation conditions or deviations from actual simulation conditions, and enables the derivation of more accurate evaluation information.

[0113] The replacement candidate identification unit 297 identifies candidate devices from among the candidate devices whose replacement device information is stored in the replacement candidate storage unit 240 that satisfy the conditions indicated by the evaluation information obtained as an estimation result by the evaluation estimation unit 296.

[0114] The output unit 298 outputs various types of information from the server device 200. Specifically, for example, the output unit 298 outputs evaluation information estimated by the evaluation estimation unit 296 and information indicating candidate equipment identified by the replacement candidate identification unit 297 to the terminal device 400.

[0115] Next, referring to Figure 5, the processing of the server device 200 in the evaluation system 100 of this embodiment will be described. Figure 5 is a first flowchart illustrating the processing of the server device. In the following description, the processing shown in Figure 5 may be referred to as the evaluation process.

[0116] The evaluation process shown in Figure 5 may be executed, for example, when an instruction to output evaluation information is given to the server device 200. The instruction to output evaluation information may be input from the terminal device 400, in which case the control unit 290 of the server device 200 may receive the instruction to output evaluation information via the input reception unit 291. The evaluation process shown in Figure 5 may also be executed periodically. In that case, the server device 200 may execute the evaluation process at predetermined intervals.

[0117] In this embodiment, the control unit 290 of the server device 200 estimates second operating performance information, which is operating performance information for a second period within a predetermined period, using the performance estimation unit 293 (step S501). When the second operating performance information is estimated by the performance estimation unit 293, the control unit 290 may store the first operating performance information and the second operating performance information for the predetermined period in the operating performance storage unit 210 as operating performance information for the predetermined period.

[0118] Next, the control unit 290 acquires estimation-related information related to the estimation by the actual estimation unit 293 using the estimation information acquisition unit 294 (step S502). The acquired estimation-related information may be stored in the estimation-related storage unit 245.

[0119] Next, the control unit 290 corrects the second operational performance information based on the estimated related information acquired by the performance correction unit 295 and the correction information stored in the correction storage unit 247 (step S503). More specifically, the performance correction unit 295 identifies the correction information to be used for correction from the correction information stored in the correction storage unit 247 based on the estimated related information, and corrects the second operational performance information based on the identified correction information. Details of the process in step S503 will be described later.

[0120] Next, the control unit 290 inputs the corrected operating performance information for a predetermined period and the equipment configuration information to the evaluation estimation unit 296 (step S504) and estimates the evaluation information of the existing air conditioning system 300 (step S505). The evaluation information from the evaluation estimation unit 296 may be stored in the evaluation storage unit 230.

[0121] Here, we will specifically explain the processing of the performance correction unit 295 in step S503.

[0122] For example, suppose the length of the second period indicated by the estimated related information is three months. In this case, the performance correction unit 295 may identify the correction information corresponding to the length of the second period "three months" from the correction information stored in the correction storage unit 247, and use the identified correction information to correct the second operational performance information. The correction information corresponding to the length of the second period may include a correction coefficient and calculation formula determined such that the increase or decrease in the air conditioning load due to the correction becomes smaller the longer the first period is.

[0123] In this embodiment, by applying such corrections to the second operational performance information, it is possible to correct the estimation error corresponding to the length of the second period.

[0124] Furthermore, let's assume that the season of the second period indicated by the estimated related information was summer. In this case, the performance correction unit 295 may identify the correction information corresponding to summer from among the correction information stored in the correction storage unit 247, and use the identified correction information to correct the second operational performance information.

[0125] The correction information identified here may include, for example, correction coefficients and formulas that compensate for seasonal load fluctuations. Seasonally fluctuating loads include, for example, solar radiation, insulation load of wall materials, and humidity. The impact of these loads on air conditioning operation differs significantly between summer and winter.

[0126] In this embodiment, by applying such corrections to the second operational performance information, the second operational performance information can be modified to reflect the influence of the season during the second period.

[0127] Furthermore, let's assume that the use of the air-conditioned space indicated by the estimated related information is an office. In this case, the performance correction unit 295 may identify the correction information corresponding to an office from the correction information stored in the correction storage unit 247, and use the identified correction information to correct the second operational performance information.

[0128] When the space to be air-conditioned is used as an office, the air conditioning system 300 operates only on weekdays, and the time of day when it operates tends to vary. In contrast, when the space to be air-conditioned is used as a commercial space, it tends to operate at roughly the same time every day.

[0129] Therefore, when comparing the case where the air-conditioned space is used as an office with the case where it is a commercial space, the error in the estimation by the actual estimation unit 293 is likely to be larger when the air-conditioned space is used as an office. Accordingly, the correction information identified here may include a correction coefficient and calculation formula corresponding to the magnitude of the estimation error depending on the use of the air-conditioned space. The calculation formula and correction coefficient are as described above.

[0130] In this embodiment, by applying such corrections to the second operational performance information, the second operational performance information can be made into operational performance information that corrects for estimation errors according to the use of the air-conditioned space.

[0131] In this embodiment, the second operational performance information is corrected, and the operational performance information for a predetermined period, including the corrected second operational performance information, is used as the corrected operational performance information for the predetermined period to derive evaluation information for the air conditioning system 300. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if the period for which the operational performance information was measured is short, the existing air conditioning system 300 can be evaluated using operational performance information with reduced errors.

[0132] In this embodiment, after estimating the second operational performance information, correction information is identified based on the estimation-related information, and the estimated second operational performance information is corrected using the identified correction information. However, the embodiment is not limited to this.

[0133] In this embodiment, when estimating the second driving performance information, estimation-related information may be acquired to identify correction information, and the estimation of the second driving performance information may include the correction information. In this way, the control unit 290 of this embodiment can acquire driving performance information for a predetermined period, including the first driving performance information and the corrected second driving performance information.

[0134] Furthermore, the control unit 290 of this embodiment identifies candidate equipment that may be replaced with equipment included in the existing air conditioning system 300 based on evaluation information of the existing air conditioning system 300, and estimates evaluation information for when the existing air conditioning system 300 is treated as an air conditioning system 300 including the candidate equipment.

[0135] Next, referring to Figure 6, the process for acquiring evaluation information of the air conditioning system 300, including candidate equipment, in the server device 200 of this embodiment will be described. Figure 6 is a second flowchart illustrating the process of the server device.

[0136] The control unit 290 of the server device 200 selects one candidate device from among the candidate devices whose replacement device information is stored in the replacement candidate storage unit 240 using the replacement candidate identification unit 297 (step S601). Subsequently, the replacement candidate identification unit 297 generates equipment configuration information for when the equipment to be replaced among the equipment included in the air conditioning system 300 is replaced with the selected candidate device (step S602).

[0137] Next, the control unit 290 uses the equipment configuration information generated in step S602 to perform an evaluation process that estimates the evaluation information of the air conditioning system after replacing the equipment to be replaced with the selected candidate equipment (step S603). In other words, once equipment configuration information is generated in step S602, the control unit 290 uses the generated equipment configuration information to execute the processes from steps S501 to S505 in Figure 5.

[0138] In the following explanation, the air conditioning system in which the equipment to be replaced has been replaced with the selected candidate equipment will be referred to as the "replaced air conditioning system."

[0139] More specifically, the control unit 290 corrects the operational performance information for a predetermined period in the replaced air conditioning system, inputs the corrected operational performance information for the predetermined period and the generated equipment configuration information into the evaluation estimation unit 296, and obtains evaluation information for the replaced air conditioning system.

[0140] In this embodiment, the operation record storage unit 210 may store operation record information measured for the selected candidate equipment. Furthermore, the first operation record information in the operation record information for a predetermined period in the air conditioning system after replacement includes the operation record information of the candidate equipment stored in the operation record storage unit 210.

[0141] When the control unit 290 obtains evaluation information for the replacement air conditioning system, the replacement candidate identification unit 297 compares the evaluation information for the existing air conditioning system 300 stored in the evaluation storage unit 230 with the evaluation information for the replacement air conditioning system (step S605). Subsequently, the control unit 290, using the replacement candidate identification unit 297, determines whether the power consumption indicated by the evaluation information for the replacement air conditioning system is smaller than the power consumption indicated by the evaluation information for the existing air conditioning system 300 (step S606).

[0142] In step S606, if the power consumption indicated by the evaluation information of the replacement air conditioning system is greater than or equal to the power consumption indicated by the evaluation information of the existing air conditioning system 300, the control unit 290 selects a different candidate device from the candidate device selected in step S601 from among the candidate devices whose replacement device information is stored in the replacement candidate storage unit 240 (step S607), and returns to step S602.

[0143] In step S606, if the power consumption indicated by the evaluation information of the replacement air conditioning system is smaller than the power consumption indicated by the evaluation information of the existing air conditioning system 300, the control unit 290 uses the replacement candidate identification unit 297 to identify the candidate equipment selected in step S601 as the equipment to be replaced, and the output unit 298 outputs the identification result to the terminal device 400 (step S608).

[0144] In this embodiment, based on the results of comparing the evaluation information of the existing air conditioning system 300 with the evaluation information of the replacement air conditioning system, candidate equipment to be replaced with the equipment to be replaced is identified, and the identification result is output to the terminal device 400. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if the period for which operating performance information has been accumulated is short, candidate equipment that will reduce power consumption can be identified using the operating performance information predicted with high accuracy, and the manager of the air conditioning system 300 can select the optimal candidate equipment.

[0145] Although embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that various modifications to the form and details are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.

[0146] Furthermore, this international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-171164, filed on 30 September 2024, and the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-171164 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0147] 100 Evaluation system 200 Server device 210 Operational performance storage unit 220 Equipment configuration storage unit 230 Evaluation storage unit 240 Replacement candidate storage unit 245 Estimation related storage unit 247 Correction storage unit 250 Equipment operation storage unit 260 Spatial operation storage unit 270 Spatial configuration storage unit 280 Environmental storage unit 290 Control unit 300 Air conditioning system 400 Terminal device

Claims

1. An evaluation system having a control unit for evaluating an air conditioning system, wherein the control unit acquires first operational performance information acquired during a first period of a predetermined period, spatial environment information indicating the environment of a space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioning system, and second operational performance information estimated based on estimation information for a second period of the predetermined period in which the first operational performance information has not been acquired, and derives evaluation information for the air conditioning system based on equipment configuration information relating to equipment included in the air conditioning system and operational performance information for the predetermined period including the first operational performance information and the second operational performance information.

2. The evaluation system according to claim 1, wherein the information relating to the estimation includes one or more of the following: information indicating the length of the second period, information indicating the season of the second period, information indicating the usage pattern of the air conditioning system, and information relating to the property on which the air conditioning system is installed.

3. The evaluation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit corrects the equipment configuration information based on the information relating to the estimation.

4. The evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the spatial environment information includes equipment operation information relating to the operation of equipment other than the air conditioning system, spatial operation information relating to the operation of the space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioning system, spatial configuration information relating to the configuration of the space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioning system, and external environment information indicating the environment outside the space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioning system.

5. The evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit refers to a storage unit that stores replacement equipment information relating to candidate equipment which is a candidate for equipment to be replaced with equipment included in the air conditioning system, and selects candidate equipment that satisfies the conditions indicated by the evaluation information.

6. An evaluation program that causes a control unit for evaluating an air conditioning system to perform a process of obtaining first operational performance information obtained during a first period within a predetermined period, second operational performance information estimated based on spatial environment information indicating the environment of the space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioning system, and information regarding estimations during a second period within the predetermined period for which the first operational performance information has not been obtained, and deriving evaluation information for the air conditioning system based on equipment configuration information relating to the equipment included in the air conditioning system and operational performance information for the predetermined period including the first operational performance information and the second operational performance information.

7. An evaluation system having a control unit for evaluating an air conditioning system, wherein the control unit acquires first operational performance information acquired during a first period within a predetermined period, and second operational performance information estimated based on spatial environment information indicating the environment of a space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioning system, for a second period within the predetermined period for which the first operational performance information has not been acquired, and derives evaluation information for the air conditioning system based on equipment configuration information relating to equipment included in the air conditioning system and operational performance information for the predetermined period including the first operational performance information and the second operational performance information.

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