Building Utility Allocation via Submetering and AI Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods fail to accurately measure and manage energy consumption within buildings, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs due to the inability to track utility usage by individual tenants and the lack of comprehensive measurement of actual energy performance, which affects both operational costs and compliance with energy efficiency standards.
Innovation Solution
Implementing systems and techniques that measure the supply of consumable products like electricity over time, analyze consumption patterns, and use artificial intelligence to determine usage by individual users, while also monitoring environmental conditions and thermal performance to optimize energy management and compliance with energy efficiency standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If utility costs are averaged and allocated to each tenant equally, then the allocation process is simple, but the accuracy of cost allocation deteriorates when one tenant consumes a disproportionate amount of utility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the building's utility consumption into individual tenant portions by installing sub-meters or monitoring devices at each tenant's premises. This allows separate measurement and tracking of each tenant's electricity, water, and gas consumption, enabling accurate cost allocation based on actual usage rather than averaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary utility management system that collects data from various measurement devices, processes the consumption information, and generates detailed reports. This intermediary system bridges the gap between raw utility consumption data and actionable cost allocation information, providing both simplicity in aggregation and precision in individual tenant measurement.
2Measurement precision
If additional supply services and meters are installed to measure each tenant's electrical usage individually, then the accuracy of utility consumption measurement improves, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs universal monitoring devices that can measure multiple types of utility consumption (electricity, water, gas) through a single platform. These multi-functional devices reduce the need for separate specialized meters for each utility type, thereby lowering overall device complexity while maintaining individual tenant measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses data copying and virtual metering techniques where consumption data from physical meters is replicated and processed through software systems. This allows individual tenant usage to be measured and tracked without requiring physical reconfiguration of the electrical distribution system, reducing hardware complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
3Device complexity
If building automation systems are removed from service or electrically jumpered out, then the system complexity is reduced, but energy efficiency deteriorates due to inadequate controls and monitoring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service building automation features where the system automatically monitors utility consumption, detects anomalies, and adjusts building operations without requiring constant manual intervention. This self-managing capability maintains energy efficiency while reducing the operational complexity burden on facility staff.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where consumption data from individual tenants and building systems is continuously monitored and fed back to control systems. This real-time feedback enables automatic adjustments to lighting, HVAC, and other energy-consuming systems, maintaining energy efficiency while the system remains relatively simple to operate.
4Ease of operation
If building systems are not adjusted to reflect changes in occupancy hours, then the ease of operation is maintained, but energy efficiency worsens due to systems operating beyond optimal settings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic building management systems that automatically adjust operational parameters such as lighting schedules, HVAC setpoints, and equipment operation times based on real-time occupancy data. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize energy consumption automatically without requiring manual reconfiguration, maintaining ease of operation while preventing energy waste.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, and systems are provided for measuring the supply of a consumable product to a facility over time and analyzing the measurements to determine the consumption or supply of the product by one or more loads and/or sources in the facility, and to determine induced and residual heat flow through the facility's envelope. Various aspects compare the measured supply of the consumable product to a database of consumption signatures. Operating conditions and facility characteristics may be further considered in determining a particular user's access of the consumable product. Thermal resistance factors of the building may be determined, which are based on the induced and residual heat flow through the facility. Finally, one or more signatures of a building system are analyzed to determine a building's overall efficiency, including determining a controllable load of a building and/or determining an efficient start time for one or more building systems.