Determining Energy Consumption in a Structure

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems are provided for measuring the supply of a consumable product/energy source, such as electrical power, to a facility over time and analyzing the measurements to determine the consumption or supply of the product by one or more loads and/or sources in the facility, and to determine induced and residual heat flow through the facility's envelope. Various aspects compare the measured supply of the consumable product to a database of consumption signatures, which characterize access to the consumable product by particular users. Operating conditions and facility characteristics, such as temperatures, load factors, insulation factors, etc., may be further considered in determining a particular user's access of the consumable product. To aid in the controlling of energy use, thermal resistance factors of the building are determined, which are based on the induced and residual heat flow through the facility.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, with an automated data collection processor, measurements of inside and outside environments of a building envelope, and measurements of one or more measured energy sources supplied through a building envelope; and   determining with the automated data collection processor, a thermal resistance of the building envelope based on the one or more measured energy sources supplied through the building envelope and changes between the inside and the outside environments.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 inhibiting the one or more measured energy sources from entering the building envelope; and   determining, with the automated data collection processor, a thermal resistance time function of the inside and outside environments approaching equilibrium.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising determining, with the automated data collection processor, an equilibrium thermal resistance corresponding to the inside environment reaching equilibrium with the outside environment. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further including:
 determining a thermal mass within the building envelope.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the thermal resistance includes determining an induced heat flow through the building envelope produced by the one or more measured energy sources. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein determining the thermal resistance includes determining a residual heat flow through the building envelope based on the induced heat flow and changes in the inside and outside environments. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the thermal resistance includes determining conduction, infiltration, and solar radiation components of heat flow. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 periodically updating the thermal resistance, wherein the measurements of inside and outside environments and the one or more measured energy sources supplied through the building envelope are monitored at a predetermined rate of sampling.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 autonomously controlling the inside environment with a climate control system, based on the periodically updated thermal resistance, and a forecasted outside environment.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining variations in the thermal resistance resulting from variations over time of at least one of: the inside environment, the outside environment, and the one or more measured energy sources.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 monitoring the inside environment with one or more temperature transducers embedded between layers of material forming the building envelope.   
     
     
         12 . An apparatus comprising one or more processors and memory storing instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
 receive measurements of inside and outside environments of a building envelope, and measurements of one or more measured energy sources supplied through the building envelope; and   determine a thermal resistance of the building envelope based on the one or more measured energy sources supplied through the building envelope and changes between the inside and the outside environments.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to calculate the thermal resistance as a time function of the inside and outside environments approaching equilibrium, while the one or more measured energy sources have been inhibited from entering the building envelope. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the thermal resistance is based on the inside and outside environments measured until the inside environment reaches equilibrium with the outside environment. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to determine a thermal mass within the building envelope. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to periodically update the thermal resistance, wherein the measurements of inside and outside environments and the one or more measured energy sources supplied through the building envelope are monitored at a predetermined rate of sampling. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein determining the thermal resistance includes:
 determining an induced heat flow through a building envelope produced by the one or more measured energy sources; and   determining a residual heat flow through the building envelope based on the induced heat flow and changes in the inside and the outside environments.   
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 receiving, with an automated data collection processor at a predetermined rate of sampling, measurements of inside and outside environments of a building envelope;   periodically updating, with the automated data collection processor, a determined thermal resistance based on measurements of the inside and the outside environments received at the predetermined rate of sampling; and   controlling the inside environment with a climate control system, based on the periodically updated thermal resistance.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein controlling the inside environment is further based on a forecasted outside environment. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 receiving, with the automated data collection processor at a predetermined rate of sampling, measurements of one or more measured energy sources supplied through the building envelope, and   wherein the determined thermal resistance is further based on the one or more measured energy sources received at the predetermined rate of sampling.