Zone-Based HVAC Energy Control Using Mobile Proximity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current energy management systems lack transparency and active participation from consumers in energy conservation, relying on passive measures like monthly bills and inadequate real-time data, and often inconvenience users with demand response programs that are not well-received.
Innovation Solution
An energy management system that includes a database for site report data, a processor to analyze energy usage, and mobile devices for real-time monitoring and control, enabling users to schedule energy use and receive alerts, with features like proximity detection to adjust settings based on user location and energy pricing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If passive energy display technologies are provided to show current energy prices, then consumers gain energy price awareness, but consumers still lack active participation in energy conservation and must manually curtail usage
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables energy-consuming devices to automatically adjust their operation based on energy pricing signals and user-defined preferences. The energy management system autonomously schedules device operation during lower-cost periods without requiring manual user intervention, while still achieving energy conservation goals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback to consumers about energy consumption patterns, cost savings achieved, and scheduled operations. This feedback loop enables consumers to understand the impact of automated scheduling and adjust preferences accordingly, creating active participation without manual curtailment.
2Productivity
If demand response systems force curtailment on customers to react to load levels, then utility load management is improved, but end users are inconvenienced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically schedules energy-consuming devices based on real-time energy pricing, load conditions, and user-defined preferences. Rather than forcing fixed curtailment, the system flexibly adjusts device operation times to balance utility load management with user convenience, allowing operations during acceptable time windows.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different scheduling strategies to different devices and locations based on user-specific preferences and requirements. Each device can have customized operational constraints and priorities, ensuring that local user needs are met while contributing to overall load management.
3Measurement precision
If smart meters are deployed to measure and report consumption data, then real-time energy measurement capability is improved, but communication and analytical infrastructure is lacking for utility companies to analyze future demand
Solution Approach 1:
The energy management system acts as an intermediary between smart meters and utility companies, performing local analysis and scheduling of energy consumption. The system processes consumption data and pricing signals locally to generate schedules, reducing the analytical burden on utility infrastructure while enabling sophisticated demand management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis and scheduling of energy consumption patterns based on historical data and pricing signals. By pre-scheduling device operations during lower-cost periods, the system proactively manages demand without requiring complex real-time analytical infrastructure at utility companies.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an aspect of the disclosure, a zone based energy management system includes controlling at least one network device at a site using the proximity detection of a mobile device which may be based upon the detection of a plurality of zones. The network device may be a thermostat associated with the HVAC system of the site or other energy consuming appliances. Each of the zones may be associated with a corresponding temperature set-point of the thermostat or other energy consuming device where the temperature set point corresponding to a zone may be different from the temperature set points corresponding with each of the other zones.