Realtime, verified and automated demand response energy saving controller

Abstract

Energy saving devices and methods for HVAC or other energy consuming systems and particularly plug and play energy saving controllers adapted to predict energy usage and savings, such as by extending the fan run time of HVAC systems after the heating or cooling unit has shut off and/or by stopping the compressor or heater for a short duration of time if the compressor or heater has been running continuously for fixed periods of time, while the fan is still blowing, wherein the energy saving controller is integrated with a wireless-enabled, real-time measurement and verification system, and with demand response capability.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An energy saving controller for overriding a thermostat, the energy saving controller being configured for mounting between the thermostat and a controller for an air handler unit having a fan and an HVAC component selected from the group consisting of a heater and a compressor, the energy saving controller comprising a wireless module for wirelessly connecting to a wireless router connected to Internet, the energy saving controller being configured to control the air handler unit based on a demand response request sought and retrieved by the energy saving controller from a utility provider via the Internet, the energy saving controller being further configured to stream in real-time to a remote server data about actual amount of energy consumed by the air handler unit, thus allowing a user of the air handler unit and also the utility provider to see the actual amount of energy consumed by the air handler unit, and thus verify that the air handler unit saves an expected amount of energy. 
     
     
         2 . The energy saving controller of  claim 1 , wherein the control of the air handler unit is further based on an input from a probe. 
     
     
         3 . The energy saving controller of  claim 2 , wherein the probe is a temperature probe. 
     
     
         4 . The energy saving controller of  claim 1 , further being configured to periodically report via the Internet to the utility provider the ON and OFF status of the air handler unit. 
     
     
         5 . The energy saving controller of  claim 4 , wherein the energy saving controller is configured to seek and retrieve the demand response request by periodically accessing and reading commands from a READ URL of the utility provider and wherein the reporting occurs by periodically accessing and writing to a WRITE URL, thus without access by the utility provider to the energy saving controller. 
     
     
         6 . The energy saving controller of  claim 1 , further being configured to extend the fan run time after the HVAC component has shut off, when outside of a demand response occurrence. 
     
     
         7 . The energy saving controller of  claim 1 , further being configured to provide also compressor rest if the compressor has been running continuously for a period of time. 
     
     
         8 . The energy saving controller of  claim 1 , further being configured to monitor ON and OFF durations of the HVAC component, in a first cycle, and, of ON duration of a second cycle immediately following the first cycle, and determining the fan's first run time extension based on the ON and OFF durations of the first cycle and the ON duration of the second cycle. 
     
     
         9 . The energy saving controller of  claim 1 , further being configured for shutting down the HVAC component for a first predetermined duration and means for overriding determining of the fan's first run time extension amount if the HVAC component have run continuously for a second predetermined duration during the current cycle, while allowing the fan to run for a fan's second run time extension amount equal with the first predetermined duration. 
     
     
         10 . The energy saving controller of  claim 1 , further comprising circuitry configured to process a floating state thermostat fan output signal, received by the energy saving controller from the thermostat, into an OFF state signal, to avoid the floating state thermostat fan output signal to falsely trigger the fan to turn ON. 
     
     
         11 . An energy saving controller being configured for electrical connection to energy consuming equipment, the energy saving controller comprising a wireless module configured to wirelessly connect to a wireless router connected to Internet, the energy saving controller being further configured to control the energy consuming equipment based on a demand response request issued by a utility provider and accessed via the Internet by the energy saving controller, such that the control of the energy consuming equipment based on the demand response request occurs without access by the utility provider to the energy saving controller or to the energy consuming equipment. 
     
     
         12 . The energy saving controller of  claim 11 , wherein the control of the energy consuming equipment is further based on an input from a probe. 
     
     
         13 . The energy saving controller of  claim 12 , wherein the probe is a temperature probe. 
     
     
         14 . The energy saving controller of  claim 11 , wherein the energy consuming equipment is refrigeration equipment. 
     
     
         15 . The energy saving controller of  claim 11 , further being configured to receive an input from a current sensor associated with a power line feeding the energy consuming equipment and to stream in real-time to a remote server data about actual amount of energy consumed by the energy consuming equipment. 
     
     
         16 . The energy saving controller of  claim 15 , wherein the current sensor is a current transformer that measures the amount of energy consumed by the energy consuming equipment. 
     
     
         17 . The energy saving controller of  claim 11 , further being configured to stream in real-time to a remote server data about actual amount of energy consumed by the energy consuming equipment, thus allowing a user and a utility provider to see the actual amount of energy consumed by the energy consuming equipment, and thus verify that the energy consuming equipment saves an expected amount of energy. 
     
     
         18 . An energy saving controller being configured for electrical connection to energy consuming equipment, the energy saving controller comprising a wireless module configured to wirelessly connect to a wireless router connected to Internet, the energy saving controller being further configured to allow a user to control the energy consuming equipment via the Internet, the energy saving controller being further configured to receive an input from a current sensor associated with a power line feeding the energy consuming equipment and to stream in real-time to a remote server data about actual amount of energy consumed by the energy consuming equipment, thus allowing the user and a utility provider to see in real-time the actual amount of energy consumed by the energy consuming equipment, and thus verify that the energy consuming equipment saves an expected amount of energy.