Measurement, scheduling and reporting system for energy consuming equipment
Disclosed are embodiments of an HVAC control system that automatically and periodically monitors potentially large amounts of HVAC data in real time, controls the HVAC system in response to the monitored data, and compiles data and produces reports using the compiled data upon user request. The reports can include data regarding the costs associated with operating the HVAC system, schedules for operating the HVAC system, and setpoints at which certain equipment of the HVAC system should be operated at a future time.
1 . A measurement and reporting system for energy consuming equipment comprising:
a control and monitoring system coupled to one or more pieces of energy consuming equipment, said control and monitoring system configured to control, at least in part, the operation of said energy consuming equipment, and configured to store information related to actual operation and defined operational parameters of said energy consuming equipment;
one or more energy consumption meters configured to track delivery of energy from an energy supply utility to said energy consuming equipment;
an energy supply utility computer system receiving and storing information from said energy consumption meters and receiving and storing information regarding energy supply pricing;
a computerized reporting system configured to receive stored information from said control and monitoring system and from said energy supply utility computer system, wherein said reporting system is configured to process, automatically or upon request by a user, at least some of said information from said energy supply utility computer system and said control and monitoring system so as to produce data indicative of costs associated with operating said energy consuming equipment, and wherein said reporting system is configured to output a report containing said data to a user of said measurement and reporting system.
2 . The measurement and reporting system of claim 1 , wherein said computerized reporting system is configured to retrieve data automatically from said energy supply utility computer at predetermined intervals.
3 . The measurement and reporting system of claim 1 , wherein said computerized reporting system is configured to retrieve data automatically from said control and monitoring system at predetermined intervals.
4 . The measurement and reporting system of claim 1 , wherein said computerized reporting system is configured to output said report automatically at predetermined intervals.
5 . The measurement and reporting system of claim 1 , wherein said computerized reporting system is configured to output said report upon request by a user.
6 . The measurement and reporting system of claim 1 , wherein said computerized reporting system is remote from said control and monitoring system.
7 . The measurement and reporting system of claim 6 , wherein said computerized reporting system is remote from said energy supply utility computer system.
8 . The measurement and reporting system of claim 6 , wherein said computerized reporting system communicates with said control and monitoring system and energy supply utility computer communicate over a public or private wide area network.
9 . The measurement and reporting system of claim 8 , wherein data in said computerized reporting system is accessed by a computer proximate to said control and monitoring system.
10 . The measurement and reporting system of claim 9 , wherein data in said computerized reporting system is accessed by a web browser program running on said computer.
11 . The measurement and reporting system of claim 8 , wherein data in said computerized reporting system is accessed by a computer remote from said control and monitoring system, said energy supply utility computer system and said computerized reporting system.
12 . The measurement and reporting system of claim 11 , wherein data in said computerized reporting system is accessed by a web browser program running on said computer.
13 . The measurement and reporting system of claim 1 , wherein said computerized reporting system is configured to output a report comparing actual performance of said energy consuming equipment to a predicted performance of the same or different energy consuming equipment.
14 . A measurement and scheduling system for energy consuming equipment comprising:
a control and monitoring system coupled to one or more pieces of energy consuming equipment, said control and monitoring system configured to control, at least in part, the operation of said energy consuming equipment, and configured to store information related to actual operation and defined operational parameters of said energy consuming equipment;
one or more energy consumption meters configured to track delivery of energy from an energy supply utility to said energy consuming equipment;
an energy supply utility computer system receiving and storing information from said energy consumption meters and receiving and storing information regarding energy supply pricing;
a computerized schedule optimizing system configured to receive stored information from said control and monitoring system and from said energy supply utility computer system, wherein said schedule optimizing system is configured to process, automatically or upon request by a user, at least some of said information from said energy supply utility computer system and said control and monitoring system so as to produce data indicative of costs associated with operating said energy consuming equipment under predicted future operating conditions, and wherein said schedule optimizing system is configured to output a report containing a schedule for operating at least some of said energy consuming equipment and setpoints at which at least some of said energy consuming equipment should be operated at a future time.
15 . The measurement and scheduling system of claim 14 , wherein said computerized schedule optimizing system is configured to receive data related to future predicted weather conditions.
16 . The measurement and scheduling system of claim 14 , wherein said computerized schedule optimizing system is configured to model costs of energy consuming equipment operation under different operating schedules and setpoints.
17 . A measurement and reporting system for energy consuming equipment comprising:
a control and monitoring system coupled to one or more pieces of energy consuming equipment, said control and monitoring system configured to control, at least in part, the operation of said energy consuming equipment, and configured to store information related to actual operation and defined operational parameters of said energy consuming equipment;
one or more energy consumption meters configured to track delivery of energy from an energy supply utility to said energy consuming equipment;
an energy supply utility computer system receiving and storing information from said energy consumption meters and receiving and storing information regarding energy supply pricing;
a computerized control system remote from said control and monitoring system, said remote computerized control system configured to receive stored information from said control and monitoring system and from said energy supply utility computer system, wherein said remote computerized control system is configured to process, automatically or upon request by a user, at least some of said information from said energy supply utility computer system and said control and monitoring system so as to produce data indicative of costs associated with operating said energy consuming equipment, and wherein said computerized control system is configured to output commands to said control and monitoring system, and wherein said control and monitoring system operates said energy consuming equipment in accordance with said commands.
18 . A method of measuring and reporting data associated with energy consuming equipment comprising:
controlling, at least in part, the operation of energy consuming equipment;
storing information related to actual operation and defined operational parameters of said energy consuming equipment;
tracking delivery of energy from an energy supply utility to said energy consuming equipment;
receiving and storing information from said energy supply utility;
receiving and storing information regarding energy supply pricing;
processing, automatically or upon request by a user, at least some of said stored information related to actual operation and defined operational parameters of said energy consuming equipment so as to produce data indicative of costs associated with operating said energy consuming equipment; and
generating a report including said data indicative of costs associated with operating said energy consuming equipment.
19 . A method of measuring data and scheduling operations of energy consuming equipment comprising:
controlling, at least in part, the operation of energy consuming equipment;
storing information related to actual operation and defined operational parameters of said energy consuming equipment;
tracking delivery of energy from an energy supply utility to said energy consuming equipment;
receiving and storing information from said energy consumption meters;
receiving and storing information regarding energy supply pricing;
processing, automatically or upon request by a user, at least some of said information related to actual operation and defined operational parameters of said energy consuming equipment so as to produce data indicative of costs associated with operating said energy consuming equipment under predicted future operating conditions; and
generating a report containing a schedule for operating at least some of said energy consuming equipment and setpoints at which at least some of said energy consuming equipment should be operated at a future time.
20 . A method of measuring and reporting data associated with energy consuming equipment comprising:
controlling, at least in part, the operation of energy consuming equipment;
storing information related to actual operation and defined operational parameters of said energy consuming equipment;
tracking delivery of energy from an energy supply utility to said energy consuming equipment;
receiving and storing information from said energy consumption meters;
receiving and storing information regarding energy supply pricing;
receiving said stored information related to actual operation and defined operational parameters of said energy consuming equipment;
processing, automatically or upon request by a user, at least some of said information so as to produce data indicative of costs associated with operating said energy consuming equipment;
generating commands to operate said energy consuming equipment; and
operating said energy consuming equipment in accordance with said commands.