Apparatus and method for occupancy based energy consumption management

An apparatus for controlling consumption of a resource by a facility, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of devices, disposed within the facility, each consuming a portion of the resource when turned on, and said each capable of performing a corresponding function within an acceptable operational margin by cycling on and off;
• a network operations center (NOC), disposed external to the facility, configured to generate a plurality of run time schedules, wherein said plurality of run time schedules coordinates run times for said each of said plurality of devices to control the consumption of the resource while maintaining corresponding local environments while operating within corresponding acceptable operating margins, and configured to adjust said plurality of run time schedules based upon occupancy components and occupancy levels generated by said NOC, wherein said occupancy components and said occupancy levels are exclusively generated based on the consumption of the resource and outside temperature;
• a plurality of control nodes, disposed within the facility, each coupled to a corresponding one of said plurality of devices, wherein said plurality of control nodes is coupled together via an energy management network that is operatively coupled to said NOC, and wherein said plurality of control nodes transmits sensor data and device status to said NOC via said energy management network for generation of said plurality of run time schedules, and wherein said plurality of control nodes executes selected ones of said run time schedules to cycle said plurality of devices on and off;
• and
• one or more sensor nodes, coupled to said energy management network, configured to provide one or more global sensor data sets to said NOC, wherein said NOC employs said one or more global sensor data sets in determining said run times.

A method for controlling consumption of a resource by a facility, comprising:

• via a network operations center (NOC) external to the facility, generating a plurality of run time schedules, wherein the plurality of run time schedules coordinates run times for each of a plurality of devices to control the consumption of the resource while maintaining corresponding local environments while operating within corresponding acceptable operating margins, and adjusting the plurality of run time schedules based upon occupancy components and occupancy levels generated by the NOC, wherein the occupancy components and the occupancy levels are exclusively generated based on the consumption of the resource and outside temperature;
• controlling the each of the plurality of devices via corresponding control nodes, wherein the each of the plurality of devices consumes a portion of the resource when turned on, and wherein the each of the plurality of devices is capable of performing a corresponding function within an acceptable operational margin by cycling on and off;
• and
• coupling the corresponding control nodes together via an energy management network that is operatively coupled to the NOC, and
• employing the energy management network to transmit sensor data and device status to the NOC for generation of the plurality of run time schedules.