Refrigeration system energy monitoring and diagnostics
View Patent ↗A management center is configured to communicate with a controller for an energy consuming system at a remote location, to receive ambient temperature data corresponding to an ambient temperature at the remote location, to calculate a projected energy consumption value for at least one component of the energy consuming system based on the ambient temperature data, to receive an actual energy consumption value for the at least one component from the controller, to compare the actual energy consumption value with the projected energy consumption value, and to generate an output based on the comparison.
1. A management center configured to:
communicate with a controller for an energy consuming system at a remote location;
receive ambient temperature data corresponding to an ambient temperature at the remote location;
calculate a projected energy consumption value for at least one component of the energy consuming system based on the ambient temperature data;
receive an actual energy consumption value for the at least one component from the controller;
compare the actual energy consumption value with the projected energy consumption value; and
generate an output based on the comparison.
2. The management center of claim 1 , wherein the energy consuming system is an HVAC system.
3. The management center of claim 2 , wherein the at least one component is a compressor of the HVAC system.
4. The management center of claim 2 , wherein the at least one component is a condenser of the HVAC system.
5. The management center of claim 1 , wherein the energy consuming system is a refrigeration system.
6. The management center of claim 5 , wherein the at least one component is a compressor of the refrigeration system.
7. The management center of claim 5 , wherein the at least one component is a condenser of the refrigeration system.
8. The management center of claim 5 , wherein the at least one component is a refrigeration case of the refrigeration system.
9. The management center of claim 1 , wherein the energy consuming system is a lighting system.
10. The management center of claim 1 , the management center being further configured to provide remote access to at least one of the actual energy consumption value and the projected energy consumption value.
11. The management center of claim 1 , wherein the output includes an alarm.
12. A method comprising:
receiving, with a management center, ambient temperature data corresponding to an ambient temperature at a remote location of an energy consuming system;
calculating, with the management center, a projected energy consumption value for at least one component of the energy consuming system based on the ambient temperature data;
receiving, with the management center, an actual energy consumption value for the at least one component from a controller of the energy consuming system;
comparing, with the management center, the actual energy consumption value with the projected energy consumption value; and
generating, with the management center, an output based on the comparison.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the energy consuming system is an HVAC system.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one component is a compressor of the HVAC system.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one component is a condenser of the HVAC system.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the energy consuming system is a refrigeration system.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one component is a compressor of the refrigeration system.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one component is a condenser of the refrigeration system.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one component is a refrigeration case of the refrigeration system.
20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the energy consuming system is a lighting system.
21. The method of claim 12 , further comprising providing, over a communications network connected to the management center, remote access to at least one of the actual energy consumption value and the projected energy consumption value.
22. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the output comprises generating an alarm.