System and method for remotely measuring, monitoring and billing thermal energy usage

#The invention is directed to a system for remotely monitoring and billing for thermal energy usage. More particularly, the system involves monitoring, for example, the use of thermal energy at plant or other facilities, transmitting the energy usage data to a centralized billing facility for computing the cost of the energy used, generating a energy usage bill, and sending the energy usage bill via e-mail and/or allowing the energy usage customer to remotely access the generated energy usage bill. The customer access can be, for example, via the Internet using wireless transmission or the public switched telephone network or by using a local area network (LAN), etc.

#The following prior art issued U.S. patents are examples of the prior art in which computer or data processing systems facilitate the transfer of information. 1 U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Issue Date 6,360,181 GEMMELL et al. Mar. 19, 2002 6,343,277 GAUS et al. Jan. 29, 2002 6,324,523 KILLEEN, Jr. et al. Nov. 27, 2001 6,278,983 BALL Aug. 21, 2001 6,237,051 COLLINS May 22, 2001 6,211,782 SANDELMAN et al. Apr. 3, 2001 6,202,056 NUTTALL Mar. 13, 2001 6,021,394 TAKAHASHI Feb. 1, 2000 5,953,682 McCARRICK et al. Sep. 14, 1999 5,878,401 JOSEPH Mar. 2, 1999 5,819,232 SHIPMAN Oct. 6, 1998

#Gemmell et al., Ball, Collins, Takahashi, McCarrick et al., Joseph and Shipman are representative of prior art dealing with inventory control, resource allocation or asset tracking systems. Killeen, Jr. et al. is representative of prior art dealing with management of financial transactions. Gaus et al. is representative of prior art dealing with the management of energy transactions. Nuttal is representative of prior art dealing with the accounting for usage rights of, for example, copyrights or the like. Sandelman et al. is representative of prior art dealing with monitoring the operation of HVAC equipment and alarming the onset of fault conditions through the Internet. None of these patents discloses a system or method for remotely measuring thermal energy usage and generating an energy usage invoice.

#FIG. 1 depicts a shell and tube heat exchanger with arranged sensors for practicing the preferred embodiment of the invention;

#FIG. 2 depicts a typical water cooled chiller including sensors for practicing the preferred embodiment of the invention;

#FIG. 3 depicts a closed loop system with arranged sensors for practicing the preferred embodiment of the invention;

#A detailed description of the invention in relation to billing for the usage of thermal energy by monitoring flow rates and temperature differentials will be presented below in four sections. It will be understood by those skilled in the art, however, that the specific thermal energy embodiment is not limiting and that the inventive system is also applicable for remote billing of thermal energy by, for example, monitoring and measuring the equipment's electricity usage and deriving thermal energy usage therefrom.

#Section 1 describes the equipment layout at the energy point of use and capture of data. Section 2 describes the data transmission equipment that can be employed for transmitting energy usage data and billing information to a remote location. Section 3 describes the process from the receipt of data to the updates written to the primary application database at the remote location. Section 4 describes new computer software that powers the administrative, reseller or representative, and end users Web based “Gateways.”

#Section 1