Gross Energy Load Modeling for Building Water Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy management systems fail to provide consumers with a comprehensive understanding of their gross energy consumption, leading to misperceptions about energy efficiency after adopting renewable energy sources, as they only track net power consumption from utilities and lack methods to aggregate on-site energy production and consumption.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using a digital computer to model gross energy load by combining utility-provided net power consumption statistics with on-site generation, evaluating thermal performance through controlled tests, and analyzing potential energy investments to estimate the impact of changes on overall energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If net power consumption statistics are used to track energy usage, then utility billing is simplified, but comprehensive understanding of gross energy consumption is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments energy consumption data into multiple components: net power consumption from utilities, on-site renewable energy generation, and gross energy consumption. By dividing the tracking system into these separate segments, the patent enables both simplified utility billing (using net consumption) and comprehensive energy analysis (using gross consumption data), resolving the contradiction between simplicity and information completeness.
2Loss of energy
If on-site renewable energy systems are installed, then monthly utility bills are reduced, but accurate assessment of energy efficiency improvements becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary modeling framework that acts as a mediator between on-site renewable energy systems and energy efficiency assessments. This framework separates the effects of renewable generation from energy consumption patterns, allowing accurate assessment of energy efficiency improvements even when utility bills are reduced by on-site generation. The intermediary model enables independent evaluation of efficiency measures without the confounding effect of renewable energy offsetting consumption.
3Device complexity
If energy consumption tracking focuses only on net power purchase, then utility accounting is simplified, but energy balancing decisions are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system adds another dimension to energy tracking by maintaining separate accounting layers: the net power consumption dimension for simplified utility accounting, and the gross energy consumption dimension for reliable energy balancing decisions. This multi-dimensional approach allows the same data infrastructure to support both simplified accounting and accurate decision-making, resolving the contradiction between complexity and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Gross energy load can be determined by combining periodic net load statistics, such as provided by a power utility or energy agency, with on-site power generation, such as photovoltaic power generation, as produced over the same time period. The gross energy load provides an indication upon which other types of energy investment choices can be evaluated. These choices can include traditional energy efficiencies, such as implementing electrical efficiency measures, which includes cutting down on and avoiding wasteful energy use and switching to energy efficient fixtures, and improving the thermal efficiency and performance of a building. The choices can also include non-traditional energy efficiencies, such as replacing a gasoline-powered vehicle with an electric vehicle, fuel switching from a water heater fueled by natural gas to a heat pump water heater, and fuel switching from space heating fueled by natural gas to a heat pump space heater.