System and method for facilitating building net energy consumption reduction with the aid of a digital computer
Improved energy conservation, including realization of a ZNET (Zero Net Energy including Transportation) paradigm, can be encouraged by providing energy consumers with a holistic view of their overall energy consumption. Current energy consumption in terms of space heating, water heating, other electricity, and personal transportation can be modeled by normalizing the respective energy consumption into the same units of energy. Options for reducing energy that can include traditional energy efficiencies, such as cutting down on and avoiding wasteful energy use and switching to energy efficient fixtures, and improving the thermal efficiency and performance of a building, can be modeled. Additional options can also include non-traditional energy efficiencies, such as replacing a gasoline-powered vehicle with an electric vehicle, fuel switching from a water heater fueled by natural gas to a heat pump water heater, and fuel switching from space heating fueled by natural gas to a heat pump space heater.
1. A system for facilitating implementation of building net energy consumption reduction with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:
a computer comprising a processor and memory within which code for execution by the processor is stored, the computer configured to:
remotely interface to an at least one meter that monitors electricity provided to a building from an external source over a set time period and obtain data regarding the provided electricity from the meter;
obtain data for space heating consumption that is representative of energy consumed to heat the building over the set time period;
obtain data for water heating consumption by a natural gas water heater that is representative of energy consumed to heat water for the building over the set time period;
normalize the provided electricity, space heating, and water heating consumption into units of energy that are the same and combine the normalized data for the provided electricity, space heating, and water heating consumption into total energy consumption for the building;
estimate an overall thermal performance of the building by conducting an empirical test comprising remotely controlling a heating source inside the building;
determine a water heating capacity for the building over the set time period; and
select a heat pump water heater based on the water heating capacity and a size of the heat pump water heater;
model using the overall thermal performance a change to the total energy consumption based on a replacement of the natural gas water heater by the heat pump water heater; and
model an on-site photovoltaic power generation system sufficient to meet at least a portion of the changed total energy consumption for the building, wherein the natural gas water heater is replaced with the heat pump based on the total energy consumption modeling and the photovoltaic power generation system is installed at the building based on the on-site photovoltaic power generation system modeling.
2. A system according to claim 1 , the computer further configured to:
determine an amount of electricity equivalent to an amount of natural gas consumed by the natural gas water heater over the set time period;
obtain an efficiency of the heat pump water heater; and
determine an amount of electricity consumption for the heat pump water heater over the set time period using the efficiency and the natural gas equivalent electricity.
3. A system according to claim 2 , the computer further configured to:
calculate an amount of photovoltaic power equivalent to the heat pump water heater electricity consumption.
4. A system according to claim 1 , the computer further configured to:
obtain an efficiency rating of the photovoltaic power generation system;
obtain an amount of space the building has for positioning the photovoltaic power generation system; and
determine whether the amount of the space available in the building is sufficient for positioning of the photovoltaic power generation system based on the efficiency rating.
5. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the space heating is performed at least in part using a natural gas space heater, the computer further configured to:
model the change to the total energy consumption further based on a replacement of the natural gas water heater with a heat pump space heater.
6. A system according to claim 5 , the computer further configured to:
determine a space heating capacity of the building over the time period; and
select the heat pump space heater based on the space heating capacity and a size of the heat pump space heater.
7. A system according to claim 1 , the computer further configured to:
model the change to the total energy consumption based on charging an electric vehicle over the set time period at the building.
8. A system according to claim 7 , the computer further configured to:
determine an electricity consumption of the electric vehicle based on a charging efficiency of the electric vehicle, a distance driven over the set time period, and an amount of electricity consumed by the electric vehicle over a unit of the distance.
9. A system according to claim 8 , the computer further configured to:
determine an amount of fuel consumed by a non-electric vehicle over the set time period based on the distance driven over the time period and fuel efficiency of the non-electric vehicle;
determine an amount of electricity equivalent to the amount of fuel;
compare the electric vehicle electricity consumption to the fuel equivalent electricity; and
provide a result of the comparison to a user.
10. A method for facilitating implementation of building net energy consumption reduction with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:
remotely interfacing by a computer, the computer comprising a processor and memory within which code for execution by the processor is stored, to an at least one meter that monitors electricity provided to a building from an external source over a set time period and obtaining by the computer data regarding the provided electricity from the meter;
obtaining by the computer data for space heating consumption that is representative of energy consumed to heat the building over the set time period;
obtaining by the computer data for water heating consumption by a natural gas water heater that is representative of energy consumed to heat water for the building over the set time period;
normalize by the computer the provided electricity, space heating, and water heating consumption into units of energy that are the same and combine the normalized data for the provided electricity, space heating, and water heating consumption into total energy consumption for the building;
estimating an overall thermal performance of the building by conducting an empirical test comprising remotely controlling a heating source inside the building;
modeling by the computer a change to the total energy consumption based on a replacement of the natural gas space heater by a heat pump space heater;
determining a space heating capacity of the building over the time period;
selecting the heat pump space heater based on the space heating capacity and a size of the heat pump space heater; and
modeling by the computer on-site photovoltaic power generation system sufficient to meet at least a portion of the changed total energy consumption for the building, wherein the natural gas space heater is replaced with the heat pump space heater based on the total energy consumption modeling and the photovoltaic power generation system is installed at the building based on the on-site photovoltaic power generation system modeling.
11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the water heating is performed at least in part using a natural gas water heater, further comprising:
determining a water heating capacity for the building over the set time period;
selecting a heat pump water heater based on the water heating capacity and a size of the heat pump water heater;
model the change to the total energy consumption further based on a replacement of the natural gas water heater with the heat pump water heater.
12. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
determining an amount of electricity equivalent to an amount of natural gas consumed by the natural gas water heater over the set time period;
obtaining an efficiency of the heat pump water heater; and
determining an amount of electricity consumption for the heat pump water heater over the set time period using the efficiency and the natural gas equivalent electricity.
13. A method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
calculating an amount of photovoltaic power equivalent to the heat pump water heater electricity consumption.
14. A method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
obtaining an efficiency rating of the photovoltaic power generation system;
obtaining an amount of space the building has for positioning the photovoltaic power generation system; and
determining whether the amount of the space available in the building is sufficient for positioning of the photovoltaic power generation system based on the efficiency rating.
15. A method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
modeling the change to the total energy consumption based on charging an electric vehicle over the set time period at the building.
16. A method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
determining an electricity consumption of the electric vehicle based on a charging efficiency of the electric vehicle, a distance driven over the set time period, and an amount of electricity consumed by the electric vehicle over a unit of the distance.
17. A method according to claim 16 , further comprising:
determining an amount of fuel consumed by a non-electric vehicle over the set time period based on the distance driven over the time period and fuel efficiency of the non-electric vehicle;
determining an amount of electricity equivalent to the amount of fuel;
comparing the electric vehicle electricity consumption to the fuel equivalent electricity; and
providing a result of the comparison to a user.