Method and apparatus for performing an energy audit

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for performing an energy audit are disclosed, including using one or more current sensors clamped to an existing lighting system to measure one or more current or voltage signals over a first period of time; calculating a first power usage from the one or more current or voltage signals; replacing the existing lighting system with a replacement lighting system; using the one or more current sensors to measure one or more current or voltage signals of the replacement lighting system over a second period of time; calculating a second power usage from the one or more current or voltage signals; determining a power difference between the first power usage and the second power usage; using the power difference to estimate a cost savings between the first period of time and the second period of time; and generating an energy audit report. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

1 . A method for performing an energy audit, the method comprising:
 using at least one current sensor in electrical communication with a first lighting system to measure at least one of a current and voltage signal over a first period of time;   calculating a first power usage from the at least one of a current and voltage signal measured over the first period of time;   using the at least one current sensor in electrical communication with a secondary lighting system to measure at least one of a current and voltage signal of replacement second lighting system over a second period of time;   calculating a second power usage from the at least one of a current and voltage signal measured over the second period of time; and   determining a power difference between the first power usage and the second power usage.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising using the power difference between the first power usage and the second power usage to estimate a cost savings over a period of time. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , the method further comprising generating an energy audit report, the energy audit report comprising at least one of: a breakdown of the cost savings for replacing the first lighting system with the second lighting system, a graphical representation of the first power usage and the second power usage over a period of time, a graphical representation of an annual cost of operation for the first lighting system and the second lighting system, and a graphical representation of the return on investment of implementing the second lighting system. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , the first period of time comprising seven days, the second period of time comprising seven days. 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus for performing an energy audit, the apparatus comprising:
 an electric power monitor comprising:
 a housing; 
 a system bus within the housing; 
 at least one processor coupled to the system bus; 
 system memory coupled to the at least one processor; 
 at least one non-transitory memory unit coupled to the at least one processor; 
 a power port coupled to the system bus; 
 a communication port coupled to the system bus; 
 at least one current sensor port coupled to the system bus; and 
 power usage code stored on the at least one non-transitory memory unit; and 
   at least one current sensor coupled to the at least one current sensor port;   wherein the power usage code when executed by the at least one processor is configured to perform a method, comprising:
 use the one or more current sensor to measure one or more current or voltage signal over a first period of time; 
 calculate a first power usage from the one or more current or voltage signal measured over the first period of time; 
 use the one or more current sensor to measure one or more current or voltage signal over a second period of time; 
 calculate a second power usage from the one or more current or voltage signal measured over the second period of time; and 
 calculate a power difference between the first power usage and the second power usage. 
   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , the electric power monitor further comprising at least one hard drives coupled to the system bus. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , the electric power monitor further comprising a GPS module coupled to the system bus. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , the electric power monitor further comprising an external power source coupled to the power port. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , the electric power monitor further comprising a battery coupled to the system bus. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , the communication port comprising at least one of: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, 6LoWPan, ZigBee, and a cellular network radio. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , the electric power monitor further comprising an expansion port coupled to the system bus. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , the electric power monitor further comprising a digital readout display coupled to the system bus. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , the electric power monitor further comprising a communication connection indicator coupled to the system bus, the communication connection indicator comprising at least one of: a Wi-Fi indicator, an Ethernet indicator, a Bluetooth indicator, a 6LoWPan indicator, a ZigBee indicator, and a cellular network indicator. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , the electric power monitor further comprising one or more current sensor indicator coupled to the system bus. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , the at least one current sensor comprising at least one of a Hall Effect current sensor and a core current transformer. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , the apparatus further comprising an expansion module coupled to the expansion port. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , the apparatus further comprising a communication gateway coupled to the communication port, the communication gateway being connected to a cloud. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , the apparatus further comprising at least one of a local server and a mobile device connected to the communication gateway. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , the apparatus further comprising at least one of a remote server and a mobile device connected to the cloud and configured to communicate with the electric power monitor through the communication gateway. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further configured to use the power difference to estimate a cost savings between the first period of time and the second period of time. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further configured to generate an energy audit report. 
     
     
         22 . An apparatus for performing an energy audit, the apparatus comprising:
 an electric power monitor comprising:
 a housing; 
 a system bus within the housing; 
 at least one processor coupled to the system bus; 
 system memory coupled to the at least one processor; 
 at least one non-transitory memory unit coupled to the at least one processor; 
 at least one hard drive coupled to the system bus; 
 a GPS module coupled to the system bus; 
 a power port coupled to the system bus; 
 an external power source coupled to the power port; 
 a battery coupled to the system bus; 
 a communication port coupled to the system bus, the communication port comprising at least one of: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, 6LoWPan, ZigBee, and a cellular network radio; 
 an expansion port coupled to the system bus; 
 at least one current sensor port coupled to the system bus; 
 a digital readout display coupled to the system bus; 
 a communication connection indicator coupled to the system bus, the communication connection indicator comprising at least one of: a Wi-Fi indicator, an Ethernet indicator, a Bluetooth indicator, a 6LoWPan indicator, a ZigBee indicator, and a cellular network indicator; 
 at least one current sensor indicator coupled to the system bus; and 
 power usage code stored on the at least one non-transitory memory unit; 
   at least one current sensor coupled to the at least one current sensor port, the at least one current sensor comprising at least one of a Hall Effect current sensor and a core current transformer;   an expansion module coupled to the expansion port;   a communication gateway coupled to the communication port, the communication gateway being connected to a cloud;   at least one of a local server and a mobile device connected to the communication gateway; and   at least one of a remote server and the mobile device connected to the cloud and configured to communicate with the electric power monitor through the communication gateway;   the power usage code when executed by the at least one processor being configured to:
 use the at least one current sensor to measure at least one of a current and voltage signal over a first period of time; 
 calculate a first power usage from the at least one current or voltage signal measured over the first period of time; 
 use the at least one current sensor to measure at least one of a current and voltage signal over a second period of time; 
 calculate a second power usage from the at least one of a current and voltage signal measured over the second period of time; 
 calculate a power difference between the first power usage and the second power usage; 
 use the power difference to estimate a cost savings between the first period of time and the second period of time; 
 and generate an energy audit report.