Orchestrated energy

Abstract

A facility providing systems and methods for managing and optimizing energy consumption and/or production is provided. The facility provides techniques for optimizing energy-consuming and energy-producing systems to meet specified demands or goals in accordance with various constraints. The facility relies on models to generate an optimization for an energy system. In order to use generic models to simulate and optimize energy consumption for an energy system, the generic models are calibrated to properly represent or approximate conditions of the energy system during the optimization period. After the appropriate models have been calibrated for a given situation using one or more modeling parameter sets, the facility can simulate inputs and responses for the corresponding system. The facility uses the generated simulations to generate a plan or control schedule to be implemented by the energy system during the optimization period.

1 . A method, performed by a computing system, for managing energy consumption within an energy-consuming system during a period, the method comprising:
 determining, by the computing system, environmental conditions for the energy-consuming system, wherein determining at least one environmental condition for the energy system comprises invoking a device abstraction layer or service to communicate with a first device;   calibrating, by the computing system, at least one of a plurality of models;   identifying, by the computing system, one or more constraints for the period;   identifying, by the computing system, one or more objectives for the period;   determining, for the energy-consuming system,
 susceptibility of the energy system to change conditions based on a component within the energy system that drives conditions within the energy-consuming system, 
 drive strength of the component within the energy system that drives conditions within the energy-consuming system, and 
 an entropy rate in the absence of the component within the energy system that drives conditions within the energy-consuming system; 
   linearizing the susceptibility, drive strength, and entropy rate;   generating, by the computing system, a control schedule for the energy-consuming system during the period based at least in part on the identified one or more constraints for the period, the linearized susceptibility, and the linearized drive strength, the linearized entropy rate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 controlling a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system in accordance with the generated control schedule.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 periodically generating a modeling parameter set for the energy-consuming system and storing the generated modeling parameter set in a modeling parameter set library in association with the energy-consuming system.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing the generated control schedule to the energy-consuming system.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the models include:
 a thermal model, and   an electrical model.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determined environmental conditions comprise:
 at least one weather-related value for the energy-consuming system during the period;   at least one occupancy-related value for the energy-consuming system during the period; and   at least one size-related value for the energy-consuming system during the period.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one weather-related value for the energy-consuming system comprises a forecasted minimum outdoor temperature, a forecasted median outdoor temperature, and a forecasted maximum outdoor temperature for the energy-consuming system for the period, wherein the at least one occupancy-related value for the energy-consuming system comprises a day of the week for the period, and wherein the at least one size-related value for the energy-consuming system comprises an area of the energy-consuming system. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the energy system is one of: a pool pump, an electric vehicle charger, a lighting system, or a water heater. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining, by the computing system, a plurality of generic models representative of energy consumption; and   selecting, by the computing system, from among a library of modeling parameter sets and based at least in part on the determined environmental conditions, a modeling parameter set for the period,   wherein the calibrating comprises calibrating at least one of the obtained generic models representative of energy consumption based at least in part on the selected modeling parameter set for the period.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 performing a plurality of simulations, wherein each simulation generates,
 a plurality of simulated input values to the calibrated at least one model; and 
 a plurality of simulated responses to the simulated input values. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 linearly optimizing, by the computing system, the simulated input values generated for a prediction quantity by the performed simulation.   
     
     
         12 . A method for managing energy within an energy system over a period, the method comprising:
 determining, by a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system controller, a plurality of physical characteristics of the energy system;   determining, by the HVAC system controller, a plurality of environmental conditions that can affect energy consumption by the energy system;   selecting, by the HVAC system controller, from among a plurality of modeling parameter sets and based at least in part on the determined environmental conditions, at least one modeling parameter set;   calibrating, by the HVAC system controller, a model based at least in part on:
 one or more of the determined plurality of physical characteristics of the energy system, and 
 the selected at least one modeling parameter set; 
   generating, by the HVAC system controller, a control schedule for the energy system based at least in part on the calibrated model.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 selecting, by the HVAC system controller, at least one simulation for the calibrated model based at least in part on comparing the one or more constraints to a simulated response curve of the at least one simulation.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the energy system comprises a single building. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the energy system comprises a plurality of buildings. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein selecting the at least one modeling parameter set comprises:
 for each of a plurality of modeling parameter sets,
 for each of a plurality of attributes of the modeling parameter set,
 determining a value for the attribute of the modeling parameter set, 
 determining a value for a corresponding attribute of a determined physical characteristic of the energy system or a determined environmental condition, and 
 calculating a difference between each of the values determined for the attribute of the modeling parameter set; 
 
 calculating a distance for the modeling parameter set based at least in part on the calculated differences. 
   
     
     
         17 .- 28 . (canceled)