Method and device for controlling the thermal balance in buildings

Abstract

A method for controlling thermal flows in at least one building, according to which a mechanism for influencing the temperature within the building is controlled based on a plurality of input parameters. Controlling can be done in the most economical manner by triggering the mechanism that regulates the temperature of a specific monitored space or the at least one area of a specific space by using a) at least one target value, especially the desired temperature of the specific space, b) at least one general parameter characteristic of at least one variable inside and/or outside the building, which at least indirectly influences the temperature within the specific space, and c) at least one special parameter characteristic of the specific thermal flow conditions of the specific monitored space or the area of the specific space, as input parameters, and calculating the controlling of the mechanism from the input parameters in a control unit.

1 - 14 . (canceled)  
   
   
       15 . A method for controlling thermal flows in at least one building, according to which means for controlling temperature within the building are controlled based on a plurality of input parameters, wherein the means for controlling the temperature control the temperature of a specific space, or at least of an area of a specific space, under consideration and are actuated by using, as input parameters, 
 a) at least one target value and/or a desired temperature of the specific space;    b) at least one general parameter characteristic of at least one variable inside and/or outside the building, which parameter at least indirectly controls the temperature within the specific space; and    c) at least one specific parameter characteristic of specific thermal flow conditions of the specific space, or of the area of the specific space, under consideration;    and control of the means for controlling the temperature is calculated from these input parameters in a control unit.    
   
   
       16 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the means for controlling the temperature includes at least one heater and/or at least one air conditioning system and/or at least one ventilation system and/or at least one device for controlling solar radiation into the space.  
   
   
       17 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the control unit has access to a database in which historical values of the parameters (b, c) and the target values (a) of the specific space under consideration and/or the specific building under consideration are contained, and wherein the control of the means for controlling the temperature is carried out based on the input parameters taking into account these historic values, wherein the control of the means for controlling the temperature based on the input parameters is in an adaptation process while taking into account these historic values.  
   
   
       18 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the at least one general parameter (b) is a parameter, or a selection from the following parameters, measured by sensors: 
 temperature on the outside of the building under consideration;    humidity on the outside of the building under consideration;    wind on the outside of the building under consideration;    solar radiation on the outside of the building under consideration;    wherein these general parameters (b) are measured at a plurality of locations with different climatic controls.    
   
   
       19 . The method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein information about the weather forecast, of the region, is additionally used as a general parameter (b), and/or wherein sunrise and sunset are additionally calculated and are used for the control.  
   
   
       20 . The method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the general parameters (b) are transferred periodically or continuously to the control unit at least partially via a cabled or cableless network, via at least one of a LAN, wireless LAN, GPRS, using standard protocols of at least one of SMTP, ftp, http.  
   
   
       21 . The method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the general parameters (b) are measured at at least one other building, and are further used as input parameters, wherein the at least one other building is arranged adjacently or at a distance that is relevant for the climate of the building under consideration, wherein such general parameters (b) of the at least one other building are taken into account as a function of the weather forecast and/or the wind direction and/or the wind speed.  
   
   
       22 . The method as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the input parameters from the at least one other building are transmitted, or made available, to the control unit of the building under consideration via the at least one of the www, a WAN, a LAN, and wherein the building under consideration itself makes its data available to the at least one other building in the same way.  
   
   
       23 . The method as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein a plurality of buildings make available their general parameters (b) to a database and in each case the control units of other buildings can access the totality of this data.  
   
   
       24 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the value of the temperature in the specific space under consideration and/or the value of the temperature in adjacent specific spaces under consideration are used as input parameters.  
   
   
       25 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the at least one specific parameter (c) is one of, or a selection from, the following parameters: 
 window face;    insulation state;    orientation of the space under consideration with respect to a cardinal direction and solar radiation;    shadowing by adjacent buildings and/or vegetation—if appropriate season-specifically—or topography;    height of building above sea level;    coordinates of the building;    wherein these specific parameters (c) are either determined once and input into the control unit and/or wherein an entire control of at least some of the specific parameters (c) is determined automatically by the control unit in a continuous adaptation process taking into account the control of the general parameters (b) and the executed actuation of the means for temperature control on the value that is actually brought about in the specific space.    
   
   
       26 . A device for controlling the thermal flows in at least one building using a method as claimed in  claim 15 , comprising: at least one control unit with which means for controlling the temperature within the building under consideration are controlled, a plurality of sensors for determining the parameters (b, c), configured to access a weather forecast, and a communications network, in a form of a LAN, WAN, www, via which the parameters (b, c) are transferred from the sensors to the control unit or via which the weather forecast is transferred to the control unit.  
   
   
       27 . A control unit for carrying out a method as claimed in  claim 15 , comprising: at least one processor, internal means for storing data, and at least one network interface, wherein a database on which the data of the input parameters and the actually achieved target values are continuously recorded is provided in the means for storing data, and wherein the control unit is configured such that means for temperature control are actuated based on instantaneous input parameters taking into account the history contents of the database in an optimizing and learning fashion.  
   
   
       28 . A data processing program for carrying out a method as claimed in  claim 15  in a control unit.