Systems and methods for performing building energy management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing building energy management systems require substantial processing resources and are complex, making them costly and difficult to implement, and often result in discomfort to occupants during demand response events.
Innovation Solution
A building energy management system that prioritizes electrical loads based on importance and adjusts power thresholds dynamically in response to demand response signals and occupancy changes, using a controller to shed lower priority loads and restore them as needed, with minimal impact on occupant comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing building energy management systems are implemented, then energy management functionality is achieved, but substantial processing resources are required and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments building loads into priority groups (critical, high, medium, low) and processes them hierarchically. This segmentation allows the energy management system to handle loads in discrete priority levels rather than processing all loads uniformly, reducing computational complexity while maintaining effective energy management functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes low-priority loads from active operation when power thresholds are exceeded, isolating them from the critical load set. This extraction approach allows the system to maintain essential functions with reduced processing requirements by focusing computational resources only on critical and high-priority loads during demand response events.
2Productivity
If existing building energy management systems are implemented, then energy management functionality is achieved, but processing resources required are substantial
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts power thresholds based on real-time conditions including occupancy levels, outdoor temperature, and demand response signals. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize processing resource usage by adjusting operational parameters on-the-fly rather than using fixed, resource-intensive algorithms, achieving effective energy management with reduced computational overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The energy management system automatically prioritizes and manages loads based on pre-defined priority assignments and real-time conditions without requiring intensive external processing or manual intervention. The system serves itself by autonomously making load shedding decisions based on occupancy data and power threshold comparisons, reducing the processing resources needed for external control and monitoring.
3Productivity
If demand response events are implemented, then power targets are achieved, but occupant comfort is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different quality levels of service to different load groups based on their priority classification. Critical loads receive full power and uninterrupted service, while low-priority loads are subject to shedding. This local differentiation of service quality allows the system to achieve power targets during demand response events while preserving occupant comfort in occupied zones by maintaining critical HVAC and lighting functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-assigns priority levels to all building loads before demand response events occur and pre-establishes power thresholds based on occupancy predictions and historical data. This preliminary preparation allows the system to respond rapidly to demand response signals without making last-minute decisions that could compromise comfort, as the prioritization framework is already in place to guide load management while protecting occupied zones.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for performing energy management for a building includes generating a stack of energy loads representative of a plurality of building energy loads. The energy loads are prioritized from highest priority energy loads to lowest priority energy loads. The prioritized energy loads are then compared to a building power threshold. The lowest priority energy loads are shed until a sum of remaining energy loads is equal to or less than the building power threshold. The remaining energy loads are serviced. The processes of prioritizing the energy loads, comparing the prioritized energy loads to a building power threshold, and shedding the lowest priority energy loads is repeated in response to changes in circumstances affecting the building.