Energy Management System with Environmental Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current energy management systems lack a systematic approach to monitor and control energy consumption across multiple devices, providing no direct feedback on energy savings and failing to account for environmental factors like temperature, wind, and daylight in determining efficiency improvements.
Innovation Solution
An energy management system comprising a control and uplink module, sensors, and a server that monitors and controls energy-consuming devices, generates analytical energy models, and adjusts operations based on environmental parameters and user inputs, providing real-time monitoring and analysis through an interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple stand-alone apparatuses are used to control individual energy consuming devices, then each device can be controlled independently, but the system lacks integrated monitoring and control capability across all devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple stand-alone control apparatuses into a single integrated energy management system that can monitor and control multiple energy-consuming devices simultaneously. The system merges thermostat control, lighting control, and water heater control into one unified platform with centralized monitoring capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The energy management system is designed as a universal platform that can control various types of energy-consuming devices including HVAC systems, lighting, and water heaters through a single interface, eliminating the need for multiple device-specific apparatuses.
2Loss of information
If energy consumption is monitored using utility bills alone, then cost data is available, but environmental factors affecting energy consumption cannot be accounted for
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback loops that monitor energy consumption in real-time and compare it against expected consumption based on environmental conditions. Sensors provide feedback on actual usage, and the system adjusts operations to optimize efficiency while providing users with accurate efficiency metrics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces environmental sensors and computational algorithms as intermediaries between raw energy consumption data and meaningful efficiency analysis. These intermediaries capture environmental factors and translate them into corrected energy consumption metrics that accurately reflect system performance.
3Loss of energy
If consumers take steps to reduce energy consumption without systematic monitoring, then energy saving measures are implemented, but the actual energy savings cannot be reliably determined
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides continuous feedback to users about their energy consumption patterns and the effectiveness of energy-saving measures. By comparing actual consumption against baseline data and environmental conditions, the system verifies whether implemented measures are achieving expected savings and communicates this information to users in real-time.
Data Source
AI summary
An energy management system includes a control and uplink module adapted to selectively monitor and control at least one energy consuming device, the control and uplink module in communication with an electronic storage device and adapted to transmit data to the electronic storage device, a sensor in communication with the control and uplink module, wherein the sensor is adapted to execute a pre-configured measurement and transmit a signal to the control and uplink module representative of the measurement, and an interface adapted for the entry of at least one operational parameter to the control and uplink module, at least one of the signal from the sensor and the operational parameter employed by the control and uplink module to facilitate an operation of the energy consuming device, the interface employing the data transmitted to the storage device to provide an analysis of an operation of the energy consuming device.