System and method for determining seasonal energy consumption with the aid of a digital computer
A system and method for determining seasonal energy consumption with the aid of a digital computer is provided. Through a power metering energy loads for a building situated in a known location are assessed as measured over a seasonal time period. Outdoor temperatures for the building are assessed as measured over the seasonal time period through a temperature monitoring infrastructure. A digital computer comprising a processor and a memory that is adapted to store program instructions for execution by the processor is operated, the program instructions capable of: expressing each energy load as a function of the outdoor temperature measured at the same time of the seasonal time period in point-intercept form; and taking a slope of the point-intercept form as the fuel rate of energy consumption during the seasonal time period.
1. A method for determining seasonal energy consumption with the aid of a digital computer, comprising the steps of:
assessing through a power meter energy loads for a building situated in a known location as measured over a seasonal time period;
assessing outdoor temperatures for the building as measured over the seasonal time period through a temperature monitoring infrastructure; and
operating a digital computer associated with a power utility and comprising a processor and a memory that is adapted to store program instructions for execution by the processor, the program instructions capable of:
expressing each energy load as a function of the outdoor temperature measured at the same time of the seasonal time period in point-intercept form; and
taking a slope of the point-intercept form as a fuel rate of energy consumption during the seasonal time period; and
using the fuel rate of energy consumption for balancing power output of power generation equipment operated under control of the power utility.
2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
finding a balance point temperature for the seasonal time period as the outdoor temperature above which the fuel rate of energy consumption deviates from the point-intercept form.
3. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining on-site power generation for the building as provided at the same time of the seasonal time period; and
adding the on-site power generation to each energy load prior to expressing each energy load as a function of the outdoor temperature.
4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein the on-site power generation comprises a photovoltaic system for the building, further comprising:
generating a set of sky clearness indexes as a ratio of each irradiance observation in a set of irradiance observations that has been regularly measured for the known location, and clear sky irradiance;
forming a time series of the set of the sky clearness indexes;
determining irradiance statistics for the photovoltaic system through statistical evaluation of the time series of the set of the sky clearness indexes; and
building power statistics for the photovoltaic system as a function of the photovoltaic system irradiance statistics and an overall power rating of the photovoltaic system.
5. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
measuring on-site power generation at periodic intervals;
remotely measuring the energy load at periodic intervals through a power metering infrastructure; and
measuring the energy load on-site at periodic intervals through a further power metering infrastructure.
6. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
remotely measuring the outdoor temperature at periodic intervals through a temperature monitoring infrastructure; and
measuring the outdoor temperature on-site at periodic intervals through a further temperature monitoring Infrastructure.
7. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
defining a heat transfer coefficient representing an overall resistance to heat flow through all surfaces comprising a surface area of the building as a function of the surface area of the building, the fuel rate of energy consumption for the seasonal time period requiring heating of the building, and a heating efficiency of the heating system used in the building; and
defining a cool transfer coefficient representing an overall resistance to cool flow through all surfaces comprising the surface area of the building as a function of the surface area of the building, the fuel rate of energy consumption for the seasonal time period requiring cooling of the building, and a cooling efficiency of the cooling system used in the building.
8. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the heat transfer coefficient R Effective is determined in accordance with:
R
Effective
=
A
Total
FuelRate
Heating
*
η
Heating
where A Total represents the surface area of the building, FuelRate Heating represents the fuel rate of energy consumption for the seasonal time period requiring heating of the building, and n Heating represents the heating efficiency of the heating system used in the building.
9. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the cool transfer coefficient R Effective is determined in accordance with:
R
Effective
=
A
Total
FuelRate
Cooling
*
η
Cooling
where A Total represents the surface area of the building, FuelRate Cooling represents the fuel rate of energy consumption for the seasonal time period requiring cooling of the building, and n Cooling represents the cooling efficiency of the cooling system used in the building.
10. A method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
estimating the surface area of the building as a function of a floor area and heights and number of floors of the building.
11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the surface area of the building A Total is determined in accordance with:
A
Total
=
2
(
A
F
)
+
4
H
A
F
where A represents the floor area of a building, F represents the number of floors, and H represents the height per floor.
12. A system for determining seasonal energy consumption with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:
a digital computer associated with a power utility and comprising a processor and a memory that is adapted to store program instructions for execution by the processor, the program instructions configured to:
assess through a power meter energy loads for a building situated in a known location as measured over a seasonal time period;
assess outdoor temperatures for the building as measured over the seasonal time period through a temperature monitoring infrastructure;
express each energy load as a function of the outdoor temperature measured at the same time of the seasonal time period in point-intercept form;
take a slope of the point-intercept form as a fuel rate of energy consumption during the seasonal time period; and
use the fuel rate of energy consumption for balancing power output of power generation equipment operated under control of the power utility.
13. A system according to claim 12 , the program instructions further configured to:
find a balance point temperature for the seasonal time period as the outdoor temperature above which the fuel rate of energy consumption deviates from the point-intercept form.
14. A system according to claim 12 , the program instructions further configured to:
determine on-site power generation for the building as provided at the same time of the seasonal time period; and
add the on-site power generation to each energy load prior to expressing each energy load as a function of the outdoor temperature.
15. A system according to claim 14 , wherein the on-site power generation comprises a photovoltaic system for the building, the program instructions further configured to:
generate a set of sky clearness indexes as a ratio of each irradiance observation in a set of irradiance observations that has been regularly measured for the known location, and clear sky irradiance;
form a time series of the set of the sky clearness indexes;
determine irradiance statistics for the photovoltaic system through statistical evaluation of the time series of the set of the sky clearness indexes; and
build power statistics for the photovoltaic system as a function of the photovoltaic system irradiance statistics and an overall power rating of the photovoltaic system.
16. A system according to claim 12 , the program instructions further configured to:
measure on-site power generation at periodic intervals;
remotely measure the energy load at periodic intervals through a power metering infrastructure; and
measure the energy load on-site at periodic intervals through a further power metering infrastructure.
17. A system according to claim 12 , the program instructions further configured to:
remotely measure the outdoor temperature at periodic intervals through a temperature monitoring infrastructure, which is located off-site from the building; and
measure the outdoor temperature on-site at periodic intervals through a further temperature monitoring infrastructure.
18. A system according to claim 12 , the program instructions further configured to at least one of:
define a heat transfer coefficient representing an overall resistance to heat flow through all surfaces comprising the surface area of the building as a function of the surface area of the building, the fuel rate of energy consumption for the seasonal time period requiring heating of the building, and a heating efficiency of a heating system used in the building; and
define a cool transfer coefficient representing an overall resistance to cool flow through all surfaces comprising the surface area of the building as a function of the surface area of the building, the fuel rate of energy consumption for the seasonal time period requiring cooling of the building, and a cooling efficiency of a cooling system used in the building.
19. A system according to claim 18 , wherein the heat transfer coefficient R Effective is determined in accordance with:
R
Effective
=
A
Total
FuelRate
Heating
*
η
Heating
where A Total represents the surface area of the building, FuelRate Heating represents the fuel rate of energy consumption for the seasonal time period requiring heating of the building, and n Heating represents the heating efficiency of the heating system used in the building.
20. A system according to claim 18 , wherein the cool transfer coefficient R Effective is determined in accordance with:
R
Effective
=
A
Total
FuelRate
Cooling
*
η
Cooling
where A Total represents the surface area of the building, FuelRate Cooling represents the fuel rate of energy consumption for the seasonal time period requiring cooling of the building, and n Cooling represents the cooling efficiency of the cooling system used in the building.