System, apparatus and method for energy management, for usage by consumers of energy from electric utility service providers, and monitoring and management of same
View Patent ↗The disclosure includes methods, systems and apparatus for predictive management of efficient selecting and receiving of retail electric utility service to a facility for a period, by automated selecting of a retail utility service provider corresponding to a selected least cost path of predicted rate plan choices across the period, wherein costs of all possible, viable time-bounded predicted rate plan choices are determined for predicted consumer usage where a predicted market of retail rate formulas for the period are predicted in relation to at least one variable, such as weather.
1. A computer implemented method for predictive management of electric power usage by an HVAC system for a building receiving electric utility service to the building, said method comprising:
predicting, by a processor, in relation to a weather forecast for a weather forecast period, a building weather forecast for the weather forecast period;
selecting, by a processor, an indoor temperature profile criteria for air in indoor space of the building for a budget period, the budget period overlapping the weather forecast period;
determining, by a processor, a proposed energy budget for operation of the HVAC system for the budget period;
modeling, by a processor for said proposed energy budget, operation of the HVAC system for said proposed energy budget to produce a corresponding model indoor temperature profile, said modeling performed in relation to the following:
said building weather forecast for the budget period,
a history of energy usage for said building, said HVAC system, or both,
a weather history for said building, and
utility rate information for said building;
selecting, by a processor, an actual energy budget based on comparing said model indoor temperature profile to the indoor temperature profile criteria; and
regulating a smart thermostat of the HVAC system in relation to said actual energy budget and at least one of the following:
said indoor temperature profile criteria, and
said model indoor temperature profile.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
said determining further comprising a plurality of the proposed energy budgets;
said modelling further comprising for said plurality of the proposed energy budgets, operation of the HVAC system for each of said plurality of the proposed energy budgets to produce a plurality of the corresponding model indoor temperature profiles;
said selecting further comprising a plurality of the model indoor temperature profiles to the indoor temperature profile criteria.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
said modeling comprising accessing a predictive model for operation of the HVAC system, the predictive model considering a weather model for operation of the building in relation to weather.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
enabling, by a communication module, bi-directional data communication with said smart thermostat over a packetized data communication network.
5. A system configured to perform the method of claim 1 .
6. A system configured to perform the method of claim 2 .
7. A system configured to perform the method of claim 3 .
8. A system configured to perform the method of claim 4 .
9. A non-transitory computer readable medium including executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method according to claim 1 .
10. A non-transitory computer readable medium including executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method according to claim 2 .
11. A non-transitory computer readable medium including executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method according to claim 3 .
12. A non-transitory computer readable medium including executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method according to claim 4 .