HVAC Adapter for Individual Billing and Real-Time Pricing Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fan-coil units in central HVAC systems lack efficient temperature control and billing mechanisms, leading to energy wastage due to the difficulty in retrofitting modern thermostats and the inability to measure and bill individual usage, resulting in inequitable cost allocation and lack of incentives for energy conservation.
Innovation Solution
An adapter that connects industry-standard low-voltage thermostats to fan-coil units, enabling wireless communication and usage tracking, allowing for real-time electricity pricing and individual billing, thereby providing incentives for energy conservation and equitable cost allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fan-coil units are equipped with simple on/off switches for temperature control, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but temperature control precision deteriorates and energy wastage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a thermostat as an intermediary device between the user and the fan-coil unit. The thermostat precisely measures room temperature and automatically controls the fan-coil unit's operation, eliminating the need for users to directly manage complex controls while maintaining precise temperature control through automated feedback mechanisms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If individual usage measurement and billing systems are implemented, then energy conservation incentives are improved and cost allocation equity is enhanced, but device complexity and system cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through usage counters that track energy consumption and billing systems that provide financial feedback to users. This feedback loop enables users to see the direct relationship between their usage patterns and costs, motivating energy conservation behaviors while the system automatically manages the complexity of measurement and billing calculations.
3Manufacturing precision
If modern thermostats are retrofitted to existing fan-coil units, then temperature control precision is improved, but the difficulty of retrofitting and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the temperature control system into modular components: a standalone thermostat device, communication interfaces, and control modules that can be independently installed and configured. This segmentation allows modern thermostats to be retrofitted to existing fan-coil units without requiring complete system replacement, reducing installation complexity while maintaining precision control capabilities.
4Device complexity
If central HVAC systems use centralized cost allocation, then system management simplicity is improved, but cost allocation equity deteriorates and individual accountability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by enabling individualized cost allocation at each fan-coil unit location. Usage counters and billing systems track consumption at the individual unit level rather than averaging costs across the entire building. This local measurement approach preserves detailed usage information while maintaining relatively simple centralized management through automated data collection and billing processing.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, an adapter to connect an industry-standard low-voltage thermostat to a central HVAC system that may be a two-pipe system with a mains-voltage fan-coil unit that is equipped with a usage counter which may be read out wirelessly. Through the same wireless connection, the adapter may respond to changes in the price of electricity. Additional embodiments add features to the usage counter and communication capability.