Building integrated photovoltaic devices as smart sensors for intelligent building energy management systems
Building-integrated photovoltaic devices can be provided, which function as sensors, wherein the output parameters from the device are used to provide information about light intensity and ambient temperature, in addition to providing power, to an intelligent building energy management system.
1. A method for utilizing a photovoltaic device as a sensor for an intelligent building energy management system, the method comprising the steps of:
comparing at least one of a voltage output parameter and a current output parameter from the photovoltaic device to values obtained under specific benchmark conditions; and
based on the step of comparing, providing information about current building conditions to the intelligent building energy management system as input parameters for determining optimal settings for one or more of heating, cooling, and dynamic energy-saving building elements.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the current building conditions include one or more of light intensity and ambient temperature.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein both a power output and a sensor output is used by the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a roof-top photovoltaic array based upon one or more photovoltaic technologies including one or more of crystalline silicon, cadmium telluride, copper-indium-gallium-selenide, copper-zinc-tin-sulfide, amorphous silicon, and organic photovoltaics.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein both a power output and a sensor output is used by the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a small-area roof-top photovoltaic module or cell, and a power output of the photovoltaic device is used to power a wireless transmitter for sending a sensor data output to the building energy management system.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent building-integrated photovoltaic module or cell based upon one or more photovoltaic technologies including one or more of crystalline silicon, cadmium telluride, copper-indium-gallium-selenide, copper-zinc-tin-sulfide, and amorphous silicon.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein both a power output and a sensor output is used by the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein a power output is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data to the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent building-integrated photovoltaic module or cell based upon organic photovoltaic technology.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein both a power output and a sensor output is used by the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent building-integrated photovoltaic module or cell based upon inverted architecture organic photovoltaic technology.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein both a power output and a sensor output is used by the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein a power output is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data to the building energy management system.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing dynamic calibration of the photovoltaic sensor data using non-photovoltaic sensors, and
providing additional data, from the non-photovoltaic sensors, to the intelligent building energy management system.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic energy saving building elements of the intelligent building energy management system comprise one or more of electrochromic windows, automatic window shades, attic fans, vent fans, heat pumps, HVAC systems, and radiant heat systems.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein a power output is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data to the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent window unit based upon one or more photovoltaic technologies.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein both a power output and a sensor output is used by the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein a power output is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data to the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.
21. An intelligent building energy management system comprising:
a controller; and
a photovoltaic device in communication with the controller,
wherein the controller compares at least one of a voltage output parameter and a current output parameter received from the photovoltaic device to predetermined values obtained under specific benchmark conditions to determine information about current building conditions, and determines optimal settings for one or more of heating, cooling, and dynamic energy-saving building elements based on the current building conditions.
22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the current building conditions include one or more of light intensity and ambient temperature.
23. The system of claim 21 , wherein the controller determines the optimal settings based on both a power output and a sensor output of the photovoltaic device.
24. The system of claim 21 , wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a roof-top photovoltaic array based upon one or more photovoltaic technologies including one or more of crystalline silicon, cadmium telluride, copper-indium-gallium-selenide, copper-zinc-tin-sulfide, amorphous silicon, and organic photovoltaics.
25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the controller determines the optimal settings based on both a power output and a sensor output of the photovoltaic device.
26. The system of claim 21 , wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a small-area roof-top photovoltaic module or cell, and
wherein a power output of the photovoltaic device is used to power a wireless transmitter for sending a sensor data output from the photovoltaic device to the building energy management system.
27. The system of claim 21 , wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent building-integrated photovoltaic module or cell based upon one or more photovoltaic technologies including one or more of crystalline silicon, cadmium telluride, copper-indium-gallium-selenide, copper-zinc-tin-sulfide, and amorphous silicon.
28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the controller determines the optimal settings based on both a power output and a sensor output of the photovoltaic device.
29. The system of claim 27 , wherein a power output of the photovoltaic device is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data from the photovoltaic device to the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.
30. The system of claim 21 , wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent building-integrated photovoltaic module or cell based upon organic photovoltaic technology.
31. The system of claim 30 , wherein the controller determines the optimal settings based on both a power output and a sensor output of the photovoltaic device.
32. The system of claim 21 , wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent building-integrated photovoltaic module or cell based upon inverted architecture organic photovoltaic technology.
33. The system of claim 32 , wherein the controller determines the optimal settings based on both a power output and a sensor output of the photovoltaic device.
34. The system of claim 32 , wherein a power output of the photovoltaic device is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data from the photovoltaic device to the building energy management system.
35. The system of claim 21 , further comprising:
one or more non-photovoltaic sensors,
wherein the controller uses data from the non-photovoltaic sensors to provide dynamic calibration of sensor data from the photovoltaic device.
36. The system of claim 35 , wherein the non-photovoltaic sensors provide additional data, which is not obtainable using the photovoltaic device, to the controller.
37. The system of claim 21 , wherein the dynamic energy saving building elements of the intelligent building energy management system comprise one or more of electrochromic windows, automatic window shades, attic fans, vent fans, heat pumps, HVAC systems, and radiant heat systems.
38. The system of claim 21 , wherein a power output of the photovoltaic device is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data from the photovoltaic device to the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.
39. The system of claim 21 , wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a semitransparent window unit based upon one or more photovoltaic technologies.
40. The system of claim 39 , wherein the controller determines the optimal settings based on both a power output and a sensor output of the photovoltaic device.
41. The system of claim 39 , wherein a power output of the photovoltaic device is used to power a wireless transmitter to send sensor output data from the photovoltaic device to the building energy management system for determining optimal settings.