Energy search engine with autonomous control

1. A method to dynamically assess energy efficiency of a facility, the method comprising:

obtaining, with computer hardware including at least one computer processor and non-transitory computer-readable storage, a minimum energy consumption of the facility that includes installed building systems, subsystems, and components, wherein obtaining the minimum energy consumption comprises:

obtaining a theoretical minimum energy consumption of the facility based at least in part on theoretical efficiency limits of the installed building systems, subsystems, and components;

obtaining an achievable energy consumption of the facility based at least in part on specifications associated with high energy-efficiency equivalents of the installed building systems, subsystems, and components; and

obtaining a designed minimum energy consumption of the facility based at least in part on specifications associated with the installed building systems, subsystems, and components;

receiving, at least once a minute, a measurement of an actual energy consumption of the installed building systems, subsystems, and components wherein receiving the measurement of the actual energy consumption comprises:

receiving, with a first analog input/output module, first energy data associated with a first electrical circuit of the installed building systems, subsystems and components, the first energy data having a first protocol;

receiving, with a second analog input/output module, second energy data associated with a second electrical circuit of the installed building systems, subsystems and components, the second energy data having a second protocol different from the first protocol;

sampling, at least once a minute, the first and second energy data to provide first and second digital enemy data; and

transmitting at least one of the first and second digital energy data over a network having a third protocol; and

comparing, with the computer hardware, the minimum energy consumption to the measurement of the actual energy consumption to calculate an energy performance assessment that is based on theoretical, achievable, and designed enemy efficiencies of the facility, wherein comparing the minimum energy consumption to the measurement of the actual energy consumption comprises:

comparing, at least once a minute, the theoretical minimum energy consumption to the measurement of the actual energy consumption to determine the theoretical energy efficiency;

comparing, at least once a minute, the achievable minimum energy consumption to the measurement of the actual energy consumption to determine the achievable energy efficiency; and

comparing, at least once a minute, the designed minimum energy consumption to the measurement of the actual energy consumption to determine the designed energy efficiency.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the facility further comprises a building envelope and the building systems, subsystems, and components are installed within the building envelope, and obtaining the minimum energy consumption is based at least in part on cumulative loads associated with the building envelope.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the installed building systems, subsystems, and components comprise at least one of an HVAC system, a lighting system, at least one plug load, a data center system, and a water heating system.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising using a library of models of installed building systems to determine the designed minimum energy consumption.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the facility further comprises a building.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the facility further comprises a zone within a building.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising calculating a score based at least in part on an energy performance of the facility, the score being a weighted average of the theoretical, achievable, and designed energy efficiencies.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting control commands to the installed building systems, subsystems, and components based at least in part on the energy performance assessment, wherein the transmitting the control commands comprises:

transmitting, with the first analog input/output module, a first control command associated with the first electrical circuit of the installed building systems, subsystems and components, the first control command having the first protocol; and

transmitting, with the second analog input/output module, a second control command associated with the second electrical circuit of the installed building systems, subsystems and components, the second control command having the second protocol.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a status of doors, windows, and shutters associated with the facility.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the energy performance assessment is further based on the status of the doors, the windows, and the shutters.

11. An apparatus to dynamically assess energy usage of a facility, the apparatus comprising:

an energy management system including at least one computer processor, the energy management system configured to obtain a minimum energy consumption of the facility that includes installed building systems, subsystems, and components, wherein obtaining the minimum energy consumption comprises:

obtaining, with the at least one computer processor, a theoretical minimum energy consumption of the facility based at least in part on theoretical efficiency limits of the installed building systems, subsystems, and components;

obtaining, with the at least one computer processor, an achievable energy consumption of the facility based at least in part on specifications associated with high energy-efficiency equivalents of the installed building systems, subsystems, and components; and

obtaining with the at least one computer processor, a designed minimum energy consumption of the facility based at least in part on specifications associated with the installed building systems, subsystems, and components;

a plurality of measurement devices configured to measure, at least once a minute, an actual energy consumption of the installed building systems, subsystems, and components;

the energy management system including a first analog input/output module and a second analog input/output module, the enemy management system further configured to receive the measurements of the actual energy consumption of the installed building systems, subsystems and components, wherein receiving the measurement of the actual energy consumption comprises:

receiving, with the first analog input/output module, first energy data associated with a first electrical circuit of the installed building systems, subsystems and components, the first energy data having a first protocol;

receiving, with the second analog input/output module, second energy data associated with a second electrical circuit of the installed building systems, subsystems and components, the second energy data having a second protocol different from the first protocol;

sampling, at least once a minute, the first and second energy data to provide first and second digital energy data; and

transmitting at least one of the first and second digital energy data over a network having a third protocol; and

the energy management system further configured to compare, with the at least one computer processor, the minimum energy consumption to the measurement of the actual energy consumption to calculate an energy performance assessment that is based on theoretical, achievable, and designed energy efficiencies of the facility, wherein comparing the minimum energy consumption to the measurement of the actual energy consumption comprises:

comparing, at least once a minute, the theoretical minimum energy consumption of the facility to the measurement of the actual energy consumption to determine the theoretical energy efficiency;

comparing, at least once a minute, the achievable minimum energy consumption of the facility to the measurement of the actual energy consumption to determine the achievable energy efficiency; and

comparing, at least once a minute, the designed minimum energy consumption of the facility to the measurement of the actual energy consumption to determine the designed energy efficiency.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the facility further includes at least one of a building, a building envelope, an energy subsystem, a zone within the building, and a data center.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the energy performance assessment further comprises at least one of a gas energy carbon footprint, an electrical energy carbon footprint, an estimate of wasted energy, an energy rating, and a power index.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the facility further comprises a building envelope and the building systems, subsystems, and components are installed within the building envelope, and obtaining the minimum energy consumption is based at least in part on cumulative loads associated with the building envelope.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the energy management system is further configured to calculate a score based at least in part on an energy performance of the facility, the score being a weighted average of the theoretical, achievable, and designed energy efficiencies.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the facility further comprises a zone within a building.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the designed minimum energy consumption is further based at least in part on a library of models of the installed building systems.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the energy management system is further configured to receive measurements of ambient conditions associated with the facility.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the measurements of the ambient conditions comprises one or more of weather reports, outside air temperature, outside air humidity, cloud coverage, ultraviolet (UV) index, precipitation level, evaporative transpiration (ET) number, and weather forecasts.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the energy management system is further configured to transmit control commands based at least in part on the energy performance assessment, wherein transmitting the control commands comprises:

transmitting, with the first analog input/output module, a first control command associated with the first electrical circuit of the installed building systems, subsystems and components, the first control command having the first protocol; and

transmitting, with the second analog input/output module, a second control command associated with the second electrical circuit of the installed building systems, subsystems and components, the second control command having the second protocol.