Method and System for Rating Building Energy Performance

Abstract

A method of predicting energy usage having the steps of providing a computer, providing a temperature database, providing a building asset rating database, receiving inputs from a user having a floor area measure of a building, an energy usage measurement, an energy usage start date, an energy usage end date, and a geographic location identifier, determining an estimated energy rating as a function of said inputs, said temperature database, and said building asset rating database, and providing said estimated energy rating to said user.

1 . A method of predicting energy usage comprising the steps of:
 providing a computer;   providing a temperature database;   providing a building asset rating database;   receiving inputs from a user comprising:
 an floor area measure of a building; 
 an energy usage measurement; 
 an energy usage start date; 
 an energy usage end date; and 
 a geographic location identifier; 
   determining an estimated energy rating as a function of said inputs, said temperature database, and said building asset rating database; and   providing said estimated energy rating to said user.   
     
     
         2 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said temperature database comprises data records having a geographic location identifier, a temperature, and a date-time. 
     
     
         3 . The method as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said geographic location identifier is a zip code. 
     
     
         4 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said building asset rating database comprises building data records having an energy usage measurement, an energy usage start date, an energy usage end date, a geographic location, and an asset-based energy rating. 
     
     
         5 . The method as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein said asset-based energy rating is a HERS rating. 
     
     
         6 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , and further comprising the step of inserting actual building data into said building asset rating database. 
     
     
         7 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said step of determining an estimated energy rating as a function of said inputs comprises the steps of:
 calculating the number of degree days between said energy usage start date and said energy usage end date for said building data geographic location identifier using data in said temperature database;   calculating the energy usage per unit floor area per degree day;   correlating the calculated energy usage per unit floor area per degree day with an asset-based energy rating in said building asset rating database.   
     
     
         8 . The method as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein said step of correlating comprises performing numerical interpolation. 
     
     
         9 . The method as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein said step of correlating comprises performing linear regression. 
     
     
         10 . The method as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein said step of correlating comprises performing numerical curve fit. 
     
     
         11 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , and further comprising the step of inserting actual building data into said building asset rating database. 
     
     
         12 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , and further comprising the steps of:
 connecting said computer to a network; and   providing a web interface to said user.   
     
     
         13 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , and further comprising the step of providing said user an estimate of energy costs for a given time period. 
     
     
         14 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said inputs further comprises a number of building occupants, an electricity usage measurement, or a number of building rooms. 
     
     
         15 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said building asset rating database comprises multiple asset-based ratings selected from the group of HERS home energy rating system, and RESNET rating. 
     
     
         16 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , and further comprising the step of providing said user a letter based estimated energy rating between A and F.