Method and system of ventilation for a healthy home configured for efficient energy usage and conservation of energy resources

Abstract

A method for providing a ventilation control compliant with an adopted ventilation standard for efficient energy usage and conservation of energy resources. The method includes operating a home energy system to generate solar energy within a daily active period and draw ambient fresh air, and setting a daily ventilation period as a fractional period of a day. The daily ventilation period is substantially coordinated with the daily active period during a heating/cooling period for the home. Additionally, the method includes determining a target volume in compliance with the adopted ventilation standard and determining a flow rate for delivering the fresh air during the daily ventilation period. Moreover, the method includes monitoring an accumulated total ventilation volume of the delivered fresh air until the accumulated total ventilation volume is within a vicinity of a target volume.

1 . An apparatus for providing fresh air flow into a home for efficient energy usage and conservation of energy resources, the apparatus comprising:
 a solar module associated with a building structure, the solar module being configured for producing thermal energy from a solar energy source during a first period of time daily;   an air plenum structure configured with the solar module to draw fresh air from an ambient region and to transfer the fresh air to an inner space of the building structure during a second period of time daily;   an energy transfer module coupled between the air plenum structure and the inner space of the building structure and configured to process and transfer the fresh air from the ambient region; and   a control module configured to operate the energy transfer module to deliver the fresh air into the inner space of the building structure within the second period of time to achieve a predetermined ventilation standard for the building structure and configured to maintain a substantially constant heating load or a substantially constant cooling load within the inner space of the building structure during the second period of time, the second period of time being associated with the first period of time for utilizing the thermal energy carried by the fresh air.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the second period of time is either substantially within the first period of time to transfer the fresh air carrying thermal energy produced by the solar module to the inner space of the building structure, or substantially after an end of the first period of time and before a start of the first period of time next day to transfer the fresh air cooled by the solar module via radiation to the inner space of the building structure. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the building structure is a residential home and the predetermined ventilation standard is ASHRAE standard 62.2 used for meeting building energy codes. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the energy transfer module comprises a blower, a damper coupled to the blower, a duct configured with the inner space or an exhaust port, and one or more sensors disposed in an upstream region and a downstream region communicating with the blower. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the control module comprises a computer readable memory, the computer readable memory including a first code directed to determine a flow rate to drive the fresh air, a second code directed to adjust the damper to direct the fresh air into the inner space or exhaust, a third code directed to receive information from the one or more sensors to determine a volume of the fresh air passing through within a selected period of time.