Apparatus and method for forecasting occupancy based on energy consumption

A computer data signal embodied in a non-transitory storage medium, comprising:

• computer readable program code for providing an apparatus for determining occupancy of a facility, said computer readable code comprising:
• first program code for providing a facility model processor, configured to generate occupancy components for the facility by processing a first data set comprising energy consumption and outside temperature data for the facility, said energy consumption and outside temperature data taken at a prescribed time increment over a first plurality of days, and configured to generate a normalized first data set by employing said occupancy components to remove effects of occupancy of the facility from said first data set, said occupancy components comprising:
• a lower bound of energy consumption as a function of outside temperature;
• a normalized occupancy profile component as a function of said prescribed time increment;
• a marginal energy consumption component as a function of outside temperature;
• and
• a daily occupancy level component for each of said first plurality of days;
• and
• second program code for providing a global model module, configured to receive said normalized first data set and a normalized second data set, said normalized second data set being generated by said facility model processor from energy consumption and outside temperature data taken at said prescribed time increment over a second plurality of days, and configured to generate and display comparisons of said normalized second data set with said normalized first data set over said second plurality of days.

A method for determining occupancy of a facility, comprising:

• first generating occupancy components for the facility by processing a first data set comprising energy consumption and outside temperature data for the facility, said energy consumption and outside temperature data taken at a prescribed time increment over a first plurality of days;
• second generating a normalized first data set by employing said occupancy components to remove effects of occupancy of the facility from said first data set, said occupancy components comprising:
• a lower bound of energy consumption as a function of outside temperature;
• a normalized occupancy profile component as a function of said prescribed time increment;
• a marginal energy consumption component as a function of outside temperature;
• and
• a daily occupancy level component for each of said first plurality of days;
• and
• receiving the normalized first data set and a normalized second data set, the normalized second data set being generated from energy consumption and outside temperature data taken at the prescribed time increment over a second plurality of days, and generating and displaying comparisons of the normalized second data set with the normalized first data set over the second plurality of days.