Apparatus and method for energy management based on estimated resource utilization

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

• a plurality of devices, disposed within the facility, each consuming a portion of the energy resource when turned on, and said each capable of performing a corresponding function to maintain a desired level of performance 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 energy resource while maintaining corresponding local environments and said desired level of performance, and configured to adjust said plurality of run time schedules based upon resource utilization components and resource utilization levels generated by said NOC, wherein said resource utilization components and said resource utilization levels are exclusively generated based on the consumption of the energy 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 an energy 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 energy resource while maintaining corresponding local environments and a desired level of performance, and adjusting the plurality of run time schedules based upon resource utilization components and resource utilization levels generated by the NOC, wherein the resource utilization components and the resource utilization levels are exclusively generated based on the consumption of the energy 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 energy resource when turned on, and wherein the each of the plurality of devices is capable of performing a corresponding function to maintain said desired level of performance;
• 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.