Utility-Connected Thermostat Feedback for Peak Demand Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Utilities face challenges in communicating effectively with customers to manage peak energy demand and reduce consumption, as existing HVAC controllers lack direct and efficient means to receive and display utility messages related to energy usage and conservation suggestions.
Innovation Solution
A thermostat with a display, controller, and receiver that can receive messages from utilities, allowing it to display energy usage data, conservation suggestions, and billing information, enabling users to adjust settings based on real-time energy demand and pricing tiers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If utilities implement direct communication systems with customers, then communication efficiency and energy management capability improve, but system complexity and infrastructure costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The thermostat serves as an intermediary device between the utility company and the customer. It receives messages from the utility via receiver (204) and displays them to the user through display (46), eliminating the need for direct complex communication infrastructure between utilities and all customers while maintaining effective information delivery.
2Productivity
If thermostats include message receiving and display capabilities, then customer engagement in energy conservation improves, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The thermostat is designed with multi-functionality, serving both its traditional temperature control function and the new function of receiving and displaying utility messages. The receiver (204), controller (34), and display (46) components enable the device to handle multiple tasks without requiring entirely separate systems, thereby improving energy conservation engagement while managing complexity.
3Loss of information
If real-time energy usage data is provided to users, then user awareness and consumption adjustment improve, but data transmission infrastructure and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by providing users with real-time energy usage data and utility messages through the thermostat display. The controller (34) processes received messages and presents relevant information to users, enabling them to adjust their consumption patterns based on actual energy usage and utility pricing information, thereby closing the feedback loop between utility operations and customer behavior.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure pertains generally to thermostats that are adapted to assist utilities in communicating with its customers. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a thermostat having a display, a controller and a receiver that is coupled to the controller. The receiver is adapted to receive messages from a utility, and the controller is adapted to display one or more related display messages on the display.