Hvac system configuration and zone management

A device for constructing an HVAC system for a structure having distinct thermal zones, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory operatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the device to:
• define the structure;
• define an HVAC topology included in the structure;
• identify common elements of the HVAC topology associated with a distinct thermal zone;
• define a zone group comprising distinct zones sharing a common element;
• modify membership of the zone group in response to a determination that a first zone of the zone group no longer shares the common element with a second zone of the zone group;
• and
• determine a different common element shared by the first zone.

A device for constructing an HVAC system for a structure having distinct thermal zones, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory operatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the device to:
• define the structure;
• define a plurality of HVAC components included in the structure;
• define interconnections between two or more of the plurality of HVAC components included in the structure;
• identify a further HVAC component to be inserted into an interconnection of the structure;
• and
• identify a candidate interconnection into which the further HVAC component may be inserted.

A device, comprising:

• a processor;
• a graphic display operatively coupled to the processor;
• and
• a memory operatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the device to:
• display a plurality of HVAC system configurations on the graphic display;
• receive a user selection of HVAC system configuration;
• display the selected HVAC system configuration on the graphic display;
• display a plurality of HVAC components on the graphic display;
• receive a user selection of a HVAC component;
• apply a rules-based engine to determine the possible locations within the HVAC system configuration at which the selected HVAC component may be placed;
• and
• display the possible locations the selected HVAC component may be placed on the HVAC system configuration on the graphic display.

A device for configuring a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a building, comprising:

• a processor;
• a graphic display operatively coupled to the processor;
• and
• a memory operatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the device to:
• receive a floor plan of the building;
• receive an HVAC system configuration selected from among a set of template HVAC configurations;
• receive an HVAC component selected from among a set of template HVAC components;
• determine a candidate position for the HVAC component within the HVAC system configuration;
• display a schematic diagram of the HVAC system configuration on the graphic display;
• and
• display the candidate position for the HVAC component on the schematic diagram.

A device for configuring a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a building, comprising:

• a processor;
• a graphic display operatively coupled to the processor;
• and
• a memory operatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the device to:
• receive a floor plan of the building, wherein the floor plan includes a mapping of an HVAC system configuration to a first HVAC zone group;
• receive a change to the HVAC system configuration associated with a first HVAC zone of the first HVAC zone group;
• determine whether a second HVAC zone group is mapped to a system configuration having the same properties as the changed HVAC configuration of the first zone;
• respond to a determining that a second HVAC zone group is not mapped to a system configuration having the same properties as the changed HVAC configuration of the first zone by removing the first zone from the first HVAC zone group, creating a new HVAC zone group, and adding the first zone to the new HVAC zone group;
• and
• displaying, on the graphic display, the zone of the new zone group using a different visual representation from that of the first zone group.