Building Fault Emissions Modeling for Energy Waste Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing building management systems (BMS) fail to accurately determine the amount of energy wasted due to fault conditions, associated costs, and carbon emissions, leading to inefficiencies and unexpected downtime.

Innovation Solution

A BMS that includes fault detection rules to identify faulty building devices, calculates energy waste and emissions using a fault emissions model, and initiates automated actions to correct faults, such as generating work orders or alerts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If a BMS monitors and controls building subsystems to improve efficiency, then building operations are improved and operating costs decrease, but the system cannot accurately determine energy waste due to fault conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy waste determination accuracyVSAvoidfault condition measurement capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary calculation process that uses fault detection data, operational parameters, and emissions models to estimate energy waste. This intermediary system bridges the gap between fault detection and accurate energy waste measurement by computing additional energy consumption based on fault duration, equipment type, and operational conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-generated harmful factors

If the BMS determines detailed fault emissions and energy waste, then carbon emissions tracking is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecarbon emissions trackingVSAvoidemissions calculation system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the emissions tracking system into modular components: fault detection modules, emissions model databases, calculation engines for different equipment types, and reporting modules. Each component handles specific aspects of emissions tracking independently, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive tracking capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring emissions models and fault detection rules before faults occur. Emissions models are pre-loaded with equipment-specific parameters, and fault detection rules are established in advance, enabling rapid emissions calculation when faults occur without requiring complex real-time analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of energy

If the BMS implements automated fault detection and emissions calculation, then energy waste reduction is achieved, but the system requires more advanced processing capabilities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy waste reductionVSAvoidprocessing power requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements partial action by focusing automated detection and calculation on high-impact fault conditions and critical equipment only. Rather than continuously analyzing all building subsystems, the system selectively applies automated emissions calculation to equipment where faults would result in significant energy waste, reducing processing requirements while maintaining effective energy conservation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4309013B1Systems and methods for determining equipment energy waste
Publication Date: 2026.01.28 JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HLDG LLP
  • EP4309013B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4309013B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4309013B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A building management system (BMS) includes one or more memory devices having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including using the operating data to evaluate one or more fault detection rules (624) to determine whether at least one of the plurality of building devices is experiencing a fault condition, in response to determining that at least one of the plurality of building devices is experiencing the fault condition, determining an amount of carbon emissions generated due to the fault condition based on a fault emissions model (676) associated with the fault condition and initiating an automated response based on the amount of carbon emissions associated with the fault condition.