Systems and methods for conserving thermal and electrical energy usage in buildings and houses
View Patent ↗Systems and methods of use of movable shading devices, are disclosed. In some example implementations, the system can include one or more movable shading devices, where the one or more movable shading devices are configured to be selectively moveable, based on control by a programmable controller, with respect to an external surface of a building or house, where the external surface of the building or house includes at least one wall surface and at least one roof surface, to conserve at least one of cooling energy use associated with the building or house and/or heating energy use associated with the building or house.
1 . A system, comprising:
at least one rail connected to an exterior surface of a building such that the at least one rail is parallel to ground below the rail;
one or more movable shading devices that slide across the external surface of the building along the at least one rail to cover a window of the building or to expose the window of the building, wherein at least one of the one or more movable shading devices includes at least one PV-integrated smart glazed panel;
a programmable controller operably coupled to at least one of the one or more movable shading devices;
wherein the programmable controller is configured to slide the at least one of the one or more movable shading devices with respect to the external surface of a building or house, wherein the external surface of the building or house includes at least one wall surface and at least one roof surface, and
wherein the programmable controller is configured to move at least one of the movable shading devices based on a building energy model, wherein the building energy model comprises information and the overall optical properties of the at least one roof surface as modified by respective positions of the movable shading devices relative to the roof.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more movable shading devices includes at least one photovoltaic (PV) array panel.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more movable shading devices comprise a PV-integrated smart glazed panel on both sides of the shading devices.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more movable shading devices is configured as a rotatable, PV-integrated overhang extending over at least one wall surface of the building or house.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more movable shading devices are slidable in position with respect to a roof of the building or house.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more moveable shading devices are slidable along a slope of a roof, to cover at least some of the roof.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more movable shading devices are configured as overhangs positioned on an edge of a roof of the building or house and are configured to provide shade over at least a portion of walls and/or windows of the building or house.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more movable shading devices are configured to rotate, with respect to an edge portion of a roof and with respect to the walls, about an angular axis defined by the edge portion of the roof, such that the one or more shading devices are positionable in a plurality of various angular positions with respect to the roof and with respect to the at least one wall surface.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more shading devices are configured to be adjustable in position and/or angle to rotate about an axis of rotation defined such that the one or more shading devices are tilted at a non-zero angle with respect to a lateral roofline of a roof of the building or house, and such that the one or more shading devices tilt in a first direction at a non-zero angle or tilt in a second, opposite direction than the first direction and at a non-zero angle.
10 . The system of claim 1 , further wherein the programmable controller configured to selectively cause the movement of the one or more movable shading devices.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the programmable controller is further configured to move one or more of the movable shading devices according to solar tracking.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the climate information comprises external temperature.
13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the climate information comprises season information.
14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the climate information comprises a time of day.
15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the climate information comprises solar tracking information.
16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the building energy model comprises thermal characteristics of the building.
17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the building energy model further comprises a distinct building energy model, wherein the distinct building energy model comprises estimates of an energy performance of the at least one of the one or more movable shading devices at a plurality of predetermined time intervals.
18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one PV-integrated smart glazed panel comprise clear and tinted states.
19 . A system, comprising:
at least one rail connected to an exterior surface of a building such that the at least one rail is parallel to ground below the rail;
one or more movable shading devices that slide across the external surface of the building along the at least one rail to cover a window of the building or to expose the window of the building, wherein the one or more movable shading devices include at least one PV-integrated smart glazed panel;
a programmable controller operably coupled to at least one of the one or more movable shading devices;
wherein the programmable controller is configured to slide the at least one of the one or more movable shading devices with respect to the external surface of a building or house,
wherein the programmable controller is further configured to position one of the one or more movable shading devices on the at least one rail at an angle that is greater than 90 degrees as measured from portions of the exterior surface below the one of the movable shading devices;
wherein the external surface of the building or house includes at least one wall surface and at least one roof surface, and
wherein the programmable controller is configured to move the at least one of the movable shading devices based on a building energy model.
20 . A system, comprising:
at least one rail connected to an exterior surface of a building such that the at least one rail is parallel to ground below the rail;
one or more movable shading devices that slide across the external surface of the building along the at least one rail to cover a window of the building or to expose the window of the building, wherein the one or more movable shading devices include at least one PV-integrated smart glazed panel;
a programmable controller operably coupled to at least one of the one or more movable shading devices;
wherein the programmable controller is configured to slide the at least one of the one or more movable shading devices with respect to the external surface of a building or house,
one of the one or more movable shading devices on the at least one rail at an angle that is greater than 90 degrees as measured from portions of the exterior surface below the one of the one or more movable shading devices;
wherein the programmable controller is configured to move the at least one of the one or more movable shading devices based on a building energy model; and
wherein the angle between the shading device and the exterior surface can be controlled independently of the distance that the one of the movable shading devices slides along the rail.