Real time energy consumption management of appliances, devices, and equipment used in high-touch and on-demand services and operations

Abstract

An embodiment models and predicts energy consumption and provides recurring and realistic opportunities to reduce energy consumption throughout the work day or process cycle using user interfaces to convey positive and negative feedback in a controlled manner; and user experiences that reward positive changes with increased positive feedback and reduced negative feedback. Energy consumption of categories of appliances, devices, and equipment is considered a random variable. Using archived energy data, business data, and other related data, statistical modeling is used to create inverse cumulative probability distribution functions. An energy budget (consumption prediction) is computed so that it meets a probability p of the budget being exceeded during a given interval. When the budget is exceeded the feedback is negative, otherwise feedback is positive. Each budget is computed as the value b of the random variable such that the probability that the random variable will be less than or equal to b is 1−p.

1 - 93 . (canceled) 
     
     
         94 . A method of controlling energy consumption at a facility having energy consuming equipment and an on-site human equipment operator capable of manually controlling the energy consumption of the equipment, the method comprising:
 sub-metering the equipment at the facility to produce time series data representing energy use during each time interval of a plurality of successive non-overlapping time intervals;   repeatedly calculating, during and for each time interval, the total energy consumption of the equipment using the time series data;   receiving a selected value indicative of a probability P that the total energy consumption of the equipment will exceed an energy budget B during each time interval;   calculating the energy budget B from a statistical model of energy consumption for the equipment, wherein the energy budget B is a function of the probability P;   repeatedly comparing, during and for each time interval, the total energy consumption of the equipment to the energy budget B to determine the progress made towards reaching the energy budget B for each time interval; and   providing real-time feedback to the human equipment operator at the facility that indicates the progress made towards reaching the energy budget B within each time interval, wherein the real time feedback provides the human equipment operator with information that enables the human equipment operator to make real-time decisions about how to control the equipment in order to minimize energy consumption.   
     
     
         95 . The method of  claim 94 , further comprising:
 creating multiple statistical models, each of the multiple statistical models corresponding to one of multiple budgets B; and   calculating the multiple budgets B from their corresponding statistical models, wherein each of the multiple budgets B corresponds to one or more items of the energy consuming equipment.   
     
     
         96 . The method of  claim 95 , wherein each of the multiple budgets B corresponds to an equipment category. 
     
     
         97 . The method of  claim 94 , further comprising:
 creating the statistical model of energy consumption based on one or more archived explanatory variables, archived consumption data, or archived demand data, wherein the statistical model of energy consumption includes an inverse cumulative probability distribution function, and wherein the energy budget B is calculated by applying the probability P to the inverse cumulative probability distribution function.   
     
     
         98 . The method of  claim 97 , further comprising:
 periodically recalculating the energy budget B to reflect changes of the one or more of explanatory variables, archived consumption data, or archived demand data.   
     
     
         99 . The method of  claim 94 , further comprising:
 periodically updating the statistical model of energy consumption in order to adjust the energy budget B.   
     
     
         100 . The method of  claim 94 , further comprising:
 updating the statistical model of energy consumption to include one or more changes in business operation or equipment.   
     
     
         101 . The method of  claim 94 , further comprising:
 creating the statistical model of energy consumption based on a non-parametric empirical quantile function.   
     
     
         102 . The method of  claim 94 , further comprising:
 creating the statistical model of energy consumption based on a parametric quantile function.   
     
     
         103 . The method of  claim 94 , wherein the real-time feedback includes:
 displaying a graphical depletion gauge that indicates to the human equipment operator how much of the energy budget B remains with respect to the calculated energy budget B within each time interval.   
     
     
         104 . The method of  claim 103 , wherein the real-time feedback includes:
 repeatedly displaying a color code that is indicative of the total energy consumption of the equipment relative to the energy budget B during each time interval.   
     
     
         105 . The method of  claim 104 , wherein the color code is superimposed over the graphical depletion gauge. 
     
     
         106 . The method of  claim 94 , wherein the real-time feedback includes:
 displaying a graphical accumulation gauge that indicates to the human equipment operator how much of the energy budget B has been consumed with respect to the calculated energy budget B.   
     
     
         107 . The method of  claim 106 , wherein the real-time feedback includes:
 repeatedly displaying a color code that is indicative of the total energy consumption of the equipment relative to the energy budget B during each time interval.   
     
     
         108 . The method of  claim 107 , wherein the color code is superimposed over the graphical accumulation gauge. 
     
     
         109 . The method of  claim 94 , wherein providing the real-time feedback includes:
 generating an audible sound that indicates to the human equipment operator the total energy consumption of the equipment relative to the energy budget B during each time interval.   
     
     
         110 . The method of  claim 94 , wherein multiple groups of the equipment are sub-metered, each group having its own energy budget B, further comprising:
 determining, for each group of equipment, the number of groups that exceeded the corresponding energy budget B for each time interval; and   graphically displaying, on a time scale delineating each of multiple time intervals, an indicator of the number of equipment groups that exceeded the corresponding energy budget B during each time interval.   
     
     
         111 . The method of  claim 110 , wherein the time scale includes shift labels. 
     
     
         112 . The method of  claim 94 , wherein multiple groups of the equipment are sub-metered, each group having its own energy budget B, further comprising:
 determining, for each group of equipment, the number of groups that met the corresponding energy budget B over a fixed number of previous time intervals; and   graphically displaying one of a plurality of images indicative of the number of groups of equipment that meet their corresponding budget B.   
     
     
         113 . A computer program product for controlling energy consumption at a facility having energy consuming equipment and an on-site human equipment operator capable of manually controlling the energy consumption of the equipment, wherein the equipment at a facility is sub-metered to produce time series data representing energy use during each time interval of a plurality of successive non-overlapping time intervals, comprising:
 a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in the computer usable medium for causing an application program to execute on a computer system, the computer readable program code means comprising:   computer readable program code for repeatedly calculating, during and for each time interval, the total energy consumption of the equipment using the time series data;   computer readable program code for receiving a selected value indicative of a probability P that the total energy consumption of the equipment will exceed an energy budget B during each time interval;   computer readable program code for calculating the energy budget B from a statistical model of energy consumption for the equipment, wherein the energy budget B is a function of the probability P;   computer readable program code for repeatedly comparing, during and for each time interval, the total energy consumption of the equipment to the energy budget B to determine the progress made towards reaching the energy budget B for each time interval; and   computer readable program code for providing real-time feedback to the human equipment operator at the facility that indicates the progress made towards reaching the energy budget B within each time interval, wherein the real time feedback provides the human equipment operator with information that enables the human equipment operator to make real-time decisions about how to control the equipment in order to minimize energy consumption.   
     
     
         114 . The computer program product of  claim 113 , further comprising:
 computer readable program code for creating multiple statistical models, each of the multiple statistical models corresponding to one of multiple budgets B; and   computer readable program code for calculating the multiple budgets B from their corresponding statistical models, wherein each of the multiple budgets B corresponds to one or more items of the energy consuming equipment.   
     
     
         115 . The computer program product of  claim 114 , wherein each of the multiple budgets B corresponds to an equipment category. 
     
     
         116 . The computer program product of  claim 113 , further comprising:
 computer readable program code for creating the statistical model of energy consumption based on one or more archived explanatory variables, archived consumption data, or archived demand data, wherein the statistical model of energy consumption includes an inverse cumulative probability distribution function, and wherein the energy budget B is calculated by applying the probability P to the inverse cumulative probability distribution function.   
     
     
         117 . The computer program product of  claim 96 , further comprising:
 computer readable program code for periodically recalculating the energy budget B to reflect changes of the one or more of explanatory variables, archived consumption data, or archived demand data.   
     
     
         118 . The computer program product of  claim 113 , further comprising:
 computer readable program code for periodically updating the statistical model of energy consumption in order to adjust the energy budget B.   
     
     
         119 . The computer program product of  claim 113 , further comprising:
 computer readable program code for updating the statistical model of energy consumption to include one or more changes in business operation or equipment.   
     
     
         120 . The computer program product of  claim 113 , further comprising:
 computer readable program code for creating the statistical model of energy consumption based on a non-parametric empirical quantile function.   
     
     
         121 . The computer program product of  claim 113 , further comprising:
 computer readable program code for creating the statistical model of energy consumption based on a parametric quantile function.   
     
     
         122 . The computer program product of  claim 113 , wherein the real-time feedback includes:
 computer readable program code for displaying a graphical depletion gauge that indicates to the human equipment operator how much of the energy budget B remains with respect to the calculated energy budget B within each time interval.   
     
     
         123 . The computer program product of  claim 122 , wherein the real-time feedback includes:
 computer readable program code for repeatedly displaying a color code that is indicative of the total energy consumption of the equipment relative to the energy budget B during each time interval.   
     
     
         124 . The computer program product of  claim 123 , further comprising:
 computer readable program code for superimposing the color code over the graphical depletion gauge.   
     
     
         125 . The computer program product of  claim 113 , wherein the real-time feedback includes:
 computer readable program code for displaying a graphical accumulation gauge that indicates to the human equipment operator how much of the energy budget B has been consumed with respect to the calculated energy budget B.   
     
     
         126 . The computer program product of  claim 125 , wherein the real-time feedback includes:
 computer readable program code for repeatedly displaying a color code that is indicative of the total energy consumption of the equipment relative to the energy budget B during each time interval.   
     
     
         127 . The computer program product of  claim 126 , further comprising:
 computer readable program code for superimposing the color code over the graphical accumulation gauge.   
     
     
         128 . The computer program product of  claim 113 , wherein providing the real-time feedback includes:
 computer readable program code for generating an audible sound that indicates to the human equipment operator the total energy consumption of the equipment relative to the energy budget B during each time interval.   
     
     
         129 . The computer program product of  claim 113 , wherein multiple groups of the equipment are sub-metered, each group having its own energy budget B, further comprising:
 computer readable program code for determining, for each group of equipment, the number of groups that exceeded the corresponding energy budget B for each time interval; and   computer readable program code for graphically displaying, on a time scale delineating each of multiple time intervals, an indicator of the number of equipment groups that exceeded the corresponding energy budget B during each time interval.   
     
     
         130 . The computer program product of  claim 129 , wherein the time scale includes shift labels. 
     
     
         131 . The computer program product of  94 , further comprising:
 computer readable program code for sub-metering multiple groups of the equipment, each group having its own energy budget B, further comprising:   computer readable program code for determining, for each group of equipment, the number of groups that met the corresponding energy budget B over a fixed number of previous time intervals; and   computer readable program code for graphically displaying one of a plurality of images indicative of the number of groups of equipment that meet their corresponding budget B.   
     
     
         132 . A computer program product for controlling energy consumption at a facility having multiple categories of energy consuming equipment and an on-site human equipment operator capable of manually controlling the energy consumption of the equipment, the method comprising, wherein the multiple categories of equipment at the facility are sub-metered to produce time series data representing energy use during each time interval of a plurality of successive non-overlapping time intervals, comprising:
 a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in the computer usable medium for causing an application program to execute on a computer system, the computer readable program code means comprising:   computer readable program code for repeatedly calculating, during and for each time interval, the total energy consumption of each category of the equipment using the time series data;   computer readable program code for receiving, for each of the multiple categories of equipment, a value indicative of a probability P that the total energy consumption of the equipment category will exceed an energy budget B for the equipment category, during each time interval;   computer readable program code for calculating, for each of the multiple categories of equipment, the energy budget B, from a statistical model of energy consumption for the equipment category where the energy budget B for each equipment category is a function of the selected probability P for each equipment category;   computer readable program code for comparing, during and for each time interval, the total energy consumption of each equipment category to the energy budget B for each equipment category to determine if the energy budget B for each category was exceeded for each time interval; and   
       computer readable program code for providing real-time feedback to the human equipment operator at the facility that indicates the number of equipment category budgets B that were met within each time interval, wherein the real time feedback provides the human equipment operator with information that enables the human equipment operator to make real-time decisions about how to control the equipment in order to minimize energy consumption.