Method and Apparatus for Optimizing and Simplifying the Enforcement of Building Energy Efficiency Regulations
AssigneeCodeCycyle LLC
InventorsDaniel Suyeyasu, Kimberly Goodrich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for enforcing energy regulations is described. The system helps building departments maximize energy savings from the energy regulation enforcement process. The system is configured to optimize enforcement given a fixed level of enforcement resources within a building department. Optimization is achieved through the use of building science and sampling systems to structure building-by-building specialized inspection lists, which are delivered to building inspectors. Information collected during the inspection process is used to determine amounts of money that can be saved via complying or not complying with specific provisions of the energy regulations.
Claims22
A method for enforcing building energy regulations in an electronic system, the method comprising:
- receiving by a processor an energy model for a building wherein the energy model specifies building components of the building selected to comply with energy regulations of a building jurisdiction submitted as part of a permitting process prior to construction of the building;
- determining in the processor a first amount of time to inspect the building described in a proposed building plan and a second amount of time to inspect the building as constructed based upon the energy model;
- determining by the processor a first set of inspectable building elements using the received energy model wherein each of the first set of inspectable building elements specify one or more first building components as candidates for inspection on the proposed building plan;
- determining by the processor by the processor a second set of inspectable building elements using the received energy model wherein each of the second set of inspectable building elements specify the one or more of the first building components as candidates for inspection in the building as constructed;
- for each inspectable building element in the first set of inspectable building elements and the second set of inspectable building elements, a) determining, by the processor, first energy values, b) based upon the one or more of the first building components in each of the inspectable building elements, determining, by the processor, one or more second building components, different from the one or more first building components, selected to not comply with the energy regulations of the building jurisdiction;
- and c) determining second energy values associated with the one or more second building components,
- based upon the first energy values and the second energy values determined for each inspectable building element in the first set of inspectable building elements and the first amount of time, prioritizing by the processor the first set of inspectable building elements;
- based upon the prioritization of the first set of inspectable building, selecting by the processor a first portion of the inspectable building elements from among the first set of the inspectable building elements which are inspected in the proposed building plan;
- based upon the first energy values and the second energy values determined for each inspectable building element in the second set of inspectable building elements and the second amount of time, prioritizing by the processor the second set of inspectable building elements;
- and
- based upon the prioritization of the second set of inspectable building elements, selecting by the processor a second portion of the inspectable building elements from among the second set of the inspectable building elements which are inspected on the building as constructed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.