Energy-saving measurement, adjustment and monetization system and method

Abstract

System and method include precisely modeling of a facility's energy usage over time based on historic data, and precisely predicting or measuring its actual, reduced energy usage over time after a redesign, retrofit, or renovation, or other positive change to the facility. The energy cost savings, whether over a time point of view (POV) of predicted, real-time, or historic, are creditable to the intervening remediation or renovation of the facility's energy footprint. In accordance with one embodiment, multiple-variable inputs are modeled using arithmetic regression and steepest-descent convergence arithmetic solutions based in large part on building-science (construction) data versus outside average temperature (t) that simplifies the modeling and measurements. Additionally is thus addressed along with a system and method that is more accurate, more repeatable, more reliable, and thus more credible and more readily monetized.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An energy efficiency meter, comprising:
 an energy load meter configured to measure one or more energy streams into a facility, wherein the one or more energy streams collectively comprise a total energy load of the facility;   one or more non-transitory, machine-readable data storage media operably coupled with the energy load meter suitably to receive from the meter and to store energy load data collectively representing the total energy load of the facility throughout a first time period, the one or more data storage media further having stored thereon device-executable energy efficiency instructions; and   data processing circuitry operably coupled with the one or more data storage media suitably to access each of the energy load data and the energy efficiency instructions, wherein the data processing circuitry is configured to process the energy load data by executing the energy efficiency instructions, and the processing includes:
 aggregating the collective energy load data for the first time period; 
 processing the aggregated energy load data together with thermal data representing an average external environmental temperature of the facility during the first time period, 
 disaggregating plural identified end-use energy load portions from the processed energy load data; and 
 producing a first analog facility model comprising the plural identified end-use energy load portions corresponding to the external environmental temperature during the first time period. 
   
     
     
         2 . The energy efficiency meter of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a thermal meter suitable to measure the external environmental temperature during the first time period and to output thermal data corresponding to the measured external environmental temperature.   
     
     
         3 . The energy efficiency meter of  claim 1 , wherein the energy load meter comprises plural energy load measurement portions each configured to measure one of the one or more energy streams. 
     
     
         4 . The energy efficiency meter of  claim 3 , wherein a first of the energy streams is an electrical energy stream. 
     
     
         5 . The energy efficiency meter of  claim 4 , wherein a second of the energy streams is a flammable gas stream, and wherein the flammable gas of the stream is selected from the group consisting of natural gas, propane, butane, and liquefied petroleum gas. 
     
     
         6 . The energy efficiency meter of  claim 1 , wherein the first period of time is selected from the group consisting of an hour, a day, a week, a month, and a year. 
     
     
         7 . The energy efficiency meter of  claim 1 , wherein the processing the aggregated energy load data together with thermal data comprises executing an iterative steepest-descent solution-convergence algorithm. 
     
     
         8 . The energy efficiency meter of  claim 7 , wherein the iterative steepest-descent solution-convergence algorithm utilizes assumed values for each of an external electric gain parameter and a heating efficiency parameter, and iteratively solves for each of internal electric gain, normalized aggregate heating loss, cooling efficiency, service water heating, heat intercept, and cool intercept parameters. 
     
     
         9 . The energy efficiency meter of  claim 8 , wherein executing the iterative steepest-descent solution-convergence algorithm comprises:
 adjusting the values of each of the external electric gain parameter and the heating efficiency parameter by an increment of 1/1000 th  of their initial assumed value in each successive iteration;   solving for the values of each of internal electric gain, normalized aggregate heating loss, cooling efficiency, service water heating, heat intercept, and cool intercept parameters; and   evaluating whether a fit indicator indicates that executing the algorithm with the adjusted values produced a better fit between the model and measured facility energy load data for the first time period.