Method for saving energy efficient setpoints

Solution Overview

Problem

There is no conventional approach to effectively encourage users to adopt energy-efficient setpoints in smart climate control systems, as users often fail to update their setpoint schedules to reduce energy consumption, despite the potential for significant savings.

Innovation Solution

A computing device detects changes in setpoint schedules that decrease energy consumption and sends notifications to users, prompting them to adopt these changes through a user interface, allowing them to select options to implement the energy-efficient settings, thereby making it easier to save energy and informing them of potential financial benefits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users manually manipulate setpoints in real time, then ease of operation is improved, but energy consumption increases because users do not adopt energy-efficient changes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides feedback to users by sending notifications that highlight energy-saving opportunities when they manually adjust setpoints. The notification includes the current setpoint, the energy-efficient setpoint recommendation, and the potential energy savings, enabling users to make informed decisions that reduce energy consumption while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of user setpoint changes before they are fully implemented. By detecting changes in real-time and immediately providing feedback with energy-efficient recommendations, the system allows users to adjust their behavior proactively rather than reactively, reducing energy consumption while maintaining operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of energy

If users create setpoint schedules, then energy consumption decreases through automated control, but ease of operation worsens because users are reluctant to make changes to their schedules

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidease of operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides feedback to users by sending notifications that highlight energy-saving opportunities when they manually adjust setpoints. The notification includes the current setpoint, the energy-efficient setpoint recommendation, and the potential energy savings, enabling users to make informed decisions that reduce energy consumption while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of user setpoint changes before they are fully implemented. By detecting changes in real-time and immediately providing feedback with energy-efficient recommendations, the system allows users to adjust their behavior proactively rather than reactively, reducing energy consumption while maintaining operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of energy

If the system provides detailed energy-saving information to users, then energy consumption decreases, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the most relevant information for energy-saving decisions and presents it in a simplified format. Instead of providing comprehensive technical data, the notification focuses on the key elements: current setpoint, recommended setpoint, and potential savings, reducing device complexity while maintaining effectiveness in reducing energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides localized, context-specific information tailored to the user's specific setpoint change rather than generic energy-saving advice. The notification is customized to the particular situation, providing relevant information only where needed, which reduces overall system complexity while effectively addressing energy consumption in specific contexts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS9835352B2Method for saving energy efficient setpoints

Publication Date: 2017.12.05 OPOWER

AI summary

Techniques for saving energy efficient setpoints are described herein. A computing device can detect a change in a setpoint schedule based on setpoint data from a client computing device. The computing device can determine that the change in the setpoint schedule decreases energy consumption for a corresponding utility customer associated with the client computing device. The computing device can generate a notification including an indication that the change in the setpoint schedule decreases energy consumption for the corresponding utility customer. The computing device can further send the notification to the client computing device to cause a prompt to be displayed on a user interface of the client computing device, in which the prompt includes the sent notification. The computing device may cause a prompt to be displayed on the client computing device that includes options including an option to adopt the change in the setpoint schedule using the setpoint data.