System and method for determining utility cost savings

1. A computer system for identifying utility cost savings, the computer system comprising:

a memory;

and at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor being configured to:

receive usage information gathered from at least one site via a first utility meter interface including information related to a controllable load;

administer a utility questionnaire via a user interface;

determine recommendation information describing a plurality of cost savings recommendations for the at least one site based on a set of responses to the questionnaire, and the usage information;

determine an amount by which consumption of a utility can be reduced during a period of time at the at least one site;

calculate a savings based on the amount and the period of time;

include, in the recommendation information, information describing the amount and the period of time;

calculate information related to a controllable load of the at least one site;

identify a peak demand for the utility that occurred at the at least one site during a previous billing cycle;

adjust the peak demand by the controllable load to create an adjusted peak demand;

adjust demand values reported within the previous billing to not exceed the adjusted peak demand to create adjusted demand values;

calculate an adjusted cost for the previous billing cycle using the adjusted demand values; and

include, in the recommendation information responsive to the adjusted cost being lower than an unadjusted cost, information describing the controllable load; and

automatically controlling, by the at least one processor via operation of a building management system, the controllable load based on the recommendation information.

2. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to present the recommendation information to an external entity.

3. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor configured to administer the utility questionnaire is configured to:

request utility information from a user via the user interface; and

receive the utility information from the user via the user interface.

4. The computer system according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor configured to request utility information is configured to:

request location information for the at least one site;

request information identifying at least one utility consumed at the at least one site; and

request information identifying at least one tariff applicable to the at least one utility.

5. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

determine a plurality of theoretical contract demand values for the at least one site;

compute a plurality of costs using the plurality of theoretical contract demand values, each of the plurality of theoretical contract demand values corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of costs; and

include, in the recommendation information, information describing at least one of the plurality of theoretical contract demand values corresponding to a respective at least one of the plurality of costs that is lower than others of the plurality of costs.

6. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

determine a power factor value for the at least one site;

determine whether at least one tariff applicable to the at least one site specifies a power factor charge for the power factor value; and

include, in the recommendation information responsive to determining that a power factor charge is specified, information describing the power factor charge.

7. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

determine a storable amount of a utility that can be stored at the at least one site;

calculate a savings based on a consumable amount of the utility that can be consumed from the storable amount;

calculate a difference between a cost of storing the storable amount and the savings;

compare the difference to a threshold; and

include, in the recommendation information responsive to the difference being beyond the threshold, information describing storing the storable amount.

8. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

identify a plurality of tariffs applicable to the at least one site;

compute a plurality of costs using the plurality of tariffs, each of the plurality of tariffs corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of costs; and

include, in the recommendation information, information describing at least one of the plurality of tariffs corresponding to a respective at least one of the plurality of costs that is lower than others of the plurality of costs.

9. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

identify at least one curtailment program applicable to the at least one site; and

include, in the recommendation information, information describing the at least one curtailment program.

10. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

calculate a cost of producing a producible amount of a utility that can be produced at the at least one site;

calculate a savings of consuming the producible amount; calculate a difference between the cost and the savings; and

include, in the recommendation information responsive to the savings being greater than the cost, information describing producing the producible amount.

11. The computer system according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor configured to calculate the cost of producing the producible amount is configured to calculate a cost of producing the producible amount using at least one of a fossil fuel based utility generation device and an alternative utility generation device.

12. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

identify a plurality of service offerings applicable to the at least one site;

compute a plurality of costs based on the plurality of service offerings, each of the plurality of service offerings corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of costs; and

include, in the recommendation information, information describing at least one of the plurality of service offerings corresponding to a respective at least one of the plurality of costs that is lower than others of the plurality of costs.

13. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor configured to determine recommendation information is configured to:

calculate a difference between a cost of installing and operating new equipment at the at least one site for a period of time and a cost of operating current equipment at the at least one site for the period of time;

compare the difference to a threshold; and

include, in the recommendation information responsive to the difference being beyond the threshold, information describing installing and operating the new equipment.

14. The computer system according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor configured to calculate the difference between the cost of installing and operating new equipment at the at least one site for a period of time and a cost of operating current equipment at the at least one site for the period of time is configured to calculate a difference between the cost of installing and operating new lighting at the at least one site for a period of time and a cost of operating current lighting at the at least one site for the period of time.

15. A method of identifying utility cost savings using a computer system, the computer system including memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory, the method comprising:

receiving, via a system interface coupled to the at least one processor, usage information gathered from at least one site via a first utility meter interface including information related to a controllable load;

administering, via a user interface coupled to the at least one processor, a utility questionnaire;

determining recommendation information describing a plurality of cost savings recommendations for the at least one site based on a set of responses to the questionnaire and the usage information;

determining an amount by which consumption of a utility can be reduced during a period of time at the at least one site;

calculating a savings based on the amount and the period of time;

including, in the recommendation information, information describing the amount and the period of time;

calculating information related to a controllable load of the at least one site;

identifying a peak demand for the utility that occurred at the at least one site during a previous billing cycle;

adjusting the peak demand by the controllable load to create an adjusted peak demand;

adjusting demand values reported within the previous billing to not exceed the adjusted peak demand to create adjusted demand values;

calculating an adjusted cost for the previous billing cycle using the adjusted demand values; and

including, in the recommendation information responsive to the adjusted cost being lower than an unadjusted cost, information describing the controllable load; and

controlling, automatically by the computer system via operation of a building management system, the controllable load based on the recommendation information.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising presenting the recommendation information to an external entity.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction for identifying utility cost savings including instructions that will cause at least one processor to:

receive, via a system interface coupled to the at least one processor, usage information gathered from at least one site via a first utility meter interface including information related to a controllable load;

administer, via a user interface coupled to the at least one processor, a utility questionnaire;

determine recommendation information describing a plurality of cost savings recommendations for the at least one site based on a set of responses to the questionnaire and the usage information;

determine an amount by which consumption of a utility can be reduced during a period of time at the at least one site;

calculate a savings based on the amount and the period of time;

include, in the recommendation information, information describing the amount and the period of time;

calculate information related to a controllable load of the at least one site;

identify a peak demand for the utility that occurred at the at least one site during a previous billing cycle;

adjust the peak demand by the controllable load to create an adjusted peak demand;

adjust demand values reported within the previous billing to not exceed the adjusted peak demand to create adjusted demand values;

calculate an adjusted cost for the previous billing cycle using the adjusted demand values;

include, in the recommendation information responsive to the adjusted cost being lower than an unadjusted cost, information describing the controllable load; and

automatically control, by the at least one processor, the controllable load based on the recommendation information via operation of a building management system.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 17 , wherein the sequences of instruction include instructions that will further cause the at least one processor to present the recommendation information to an external entity.