Automatic energy management and energy consumption reduction, especially in commercial and multi-building systems

Abstract

Automatic energy management is provided, in even the most complex multi-building system. The necessity of a human operator for managing energy in a complex, multi-building system is reduced and even eliminated. Computer-based monitoring and computer-based recognition of adverse energy events (such as the approach of a new energy peak) is highly advantageous in energy management. Immediate automatic querying of energy users within a system of buildings for energy curtailment possibilities is provided. Such immediate, automatic querying may be answered by the energy users through artificial intelligence and/or neural network technology provided to or programmed into the energy users, and the queried energy users may respond in real-time. Those real-time computerized responses with energy curtailment possibilities may be received automatically by a data processing facility, and processed in real-time. Advantageously, the responses from queried energy users with energy curtailment possibilities may be automatically processed into a round-robin curtailment rotation which may be implemented by a computer-based control system. Thus, impact on occupants is minimized, and energy use and energy cost may be beneficially reduced in an intelligent, real-time manner. The invention also provides for early-recognition of impending adverse energy events, optimal response to a particular energy situation, real-time analysis of energy-related data, etc.

1 - 64 . (cancelled).  
   
   
       65 . A computer based method of avoiding a new energy peak, comprising: 
 priming a computer-based system with data as to energy peak(s) already reached in a building system;    for current energy usage in the building system, obtaining, in real-time, computer-readable data from which to automatically forecast if a new energy peak is approaching; and    real-time automatic processing the obtained computer-readable data to forecast whether or not a new energy peak is approaching.    
   
   
       66 . The computer-based method of avoiding a new energy peak of  claim 65 , wherein the building system comprises at least two buildings.  
   
   
       67 . The computer-based method of  claim 66 , including compiling a complete array of historical data in computer-readable form, determining one or more patterns thereform, and comparing therewith current real-time data to forecast if a new peak is going to be reached.  
   
   
       68 . The computer-based method of  claim 66 , including neural network based prediction.  
   
   
       69 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein, if the real-time automatic processing of the obtained computer-readable data provides a forecast that a new energy peak is approaching, initiating an immediate, real-time, automatic response.  
   
   
       70 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein no human operator intervention is involved in either the automatic processing to forecast whether or not a new energy peak is approaching nor the immediate, real-time, automatic response to the forecast that a new energy peak is approaching.  
   
   
       71 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein the computer-readable data from which to automatically forecast if a new energy peak is approaching comprises data from the energy users in the building system.  
   
   
       72 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein the computer-readable data is from a source selected from the group consisting of sensing devices; electric meters used for billing; and information from individual devices.  
   
   
       73 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein demand for each individual device is forecast based on temperature forecasts; patterns historically observed and learned via artificial intelligence and under continual update; and occupancy where the individual device is provided.  
   
   
       74 - 112  (cancelled).