# US 2020/0401742 A1 · System and method for facilitating building net energy consumption reduction with the aid of a digital computer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0401742 A1 - Document ID: US20200401742A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/009,341 - Filed: 2020-09-01 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2014-02-03 - Assignees: Clean Power Research, L.L.C. - Applicants: Clean Power Research, L.L.C. - Inventors: Thomas E. Hoff - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200401742A1 ## CPC - G06F 30/20: Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) - G06F 17/18: for evaluating statistical data {, e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis (forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04)} - G06Q 10/0631: Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations - G06Q 10/067: Enterprise or organisation modelling - G06Q 10/0674: {using process simulation} - G06Q 50/06: Energy or water supply - G06F 30/13: Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads - G06F 2119/06: Power analysis or power optimisation - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Improved energy conservation, including realization of a ZNET (Zero Net Energy including Transportation) paradigm, can be encouraged by providing energy consumers with a holistic view of their overall energy consumption. Current energy consumption in terms of space heating, water heating, other electricity, and personal transportation can be modeled by normalizing the respective energy consumption into the same units of energy. Options for reducing energy that can include traditional energy efficiencies, such as cutting down on and avoiding wasteful energy use and switching to energy efficient fixtures, and improving the thermal efficiency and performance of a building, can be modeled. Additional options can also include non-traditional energy efficiencies, such as replacing a gasoline-powered vehicle with an electric vehicle, fuel switching from a water heater fueled by natural gas to a heat pump water heater, and fuel switching from space heating fueled by natural gas to a heat pump space heater. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for facilitating implementation of building net energy consumption reduction with the aid of a digital computer, comprising: a computer comprising a processor and memory within which code for execution by the processor is stored, the computer configured to: remotely interface to an at least one meter that monitors electricity provided to a building from an external source over a set time period and obtain data regarding the provided electricity from the meter; obtain data for space heating consumption that is representative of energy consumed to heat the building over the set time period; obtain data for water heating consumption by a natural gas water heater that is representative of energy consumed to heat water for the building over the set time period; normalize the provided electricity, space heating, and water heating consumption into units of energy that are the same and combine the normalized data for the provided electricity, space heating, and water heating consumption into total energy consumption for the building; model a change to the total energy consumption based on a replacement of the natural gas water heater by a heat pump water heater; and model on-site photovoltaic power generation system sufficient to meet at least a portion of the changed total energy consumption for the building, wherein the natural gas water heater is replaced with the heat pump and the photovoltaic power generation system is installed at the building based on the modeling. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, the computer further configured to: determine a water heating consumption for the building over the set time period; and select the heat pump based on the water heating consumption and a size of the heat pump. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A system according to claim 2, the computer further configured to: determine an amount of electricity equivalent to an amount of natural gas consumed by the natural gas water heater over the set time period; obtain an efficiency of the heat pump water heater; and determine an amount of electricity consumption for the heat pump water heater over the set time period using the efficiency and the natural gas equivalent electricity. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A system according to claim 3, the computer further configured to: calculate an amount of photovoltaic power equivalent to the heat pump water heater electricity consumption. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, the computer further configured to: obtain an efficiency rating of the photovoltaic power generation system; obtain an amount of space the building has for positioning the photovoltaic power generation system; and determine whether the amount of the space available in the building is sufficient for positioning of the photovoltaic power generation system based on the efficiency rating. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, wherein the space heating is performed at least in part using a natural gas space heater, the computer further configured to: model the change to the total energy consumption further based on a replacement of the natural gas water heater with a heat pump space heater. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A system according to claim 6, the computer further configured to: determine a space heating capacity of the building over the time period; and select the heat pump space heater based on the space heating capacity and a size of the heat pump space heater. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, the computer further configured to: model the change to the total energy consumption based on charging an electric vehicle over the set time period at the building. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A system according to claim 8, the computer further configured to: determine an electricity consumption of the electric vehicle based on a charging efficiency of the electric vehicle, a distance driven over the set time period, and an amount of electricity consumed by the electric vehicle over a unit of the distance. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A system according to claim 9, the computer further configured to: determine an amount of fuel consumed by a non-electric vehicle over the set time period based on the distance driven over the time period and fuel efficiency of the non-electric vehicle; determine an amount of electricity equivalent to the amount of fuel; compare the electric vehicle electricity consumption to the fuel equivalent electricity; and provide a result of the comparison to a user. ### Claim 11 A system for facilitating implementation of building net energy consumption reduction with the aid of a digital computer, comprising: remotely interfacing by a computer, the computer comprising a processor and memory within which code for execution by the processor is stored, to an at least one meter that monitors electricity provided to a building from an external source over a set time period and obtaining by the computer data regarding the provided electricity from the meter; obtaining by the computer data for space heating consumption that is representative of energy consumed to heat the building over the set time period; obtaining by the computer data for water heating consumption by a natural gas water heater that is representative of energy consumed to heat water for the building over the set time period; normalize by the computer the provided electricity, space heating, and water heating consumption into units of energy that are the same and combine the normalized data for the provided electricity, space heating, and water heating consumption into total energy consumption for the building; modeling by the computer a change to the total energy consumption based on a replacement of the natural gas water heater by a heat pump water heater; and modeling by the computer on-site photovoltaic power generation system sufficient to meet at least a portion of the changed total energy consumption for the building, wherein the natural gas water heater is replaced with the heat pump and the photovoltaic power generation system is installed at the building based on the modeling. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, further comprising: determining a water heating consumption for the building over the set time period; and selecting the heat pump based on the water heating consumption and a size of the heat pump. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A method according to claim 12, further comprising: determining an amount of electricity equivalent to an amount of natural gas consumed by the natural gas water heater over the set time period; obtaining an efficiency of the heat pump water heater; and determining an amount of electricity consumption for the heat pump water heater over the set time period using the efficiency and the natural gas equivalent electricity. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method according to claim 13, further comprising: calculating an amount of photovoltaic power equivalent to the heat pump water heater electricity consumption. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, further comprising: obtaining an efficiency rating of the photovoltaic power generation system; obtaining an amount of space the building has for positioning the photovoltaic power generation system; and determining whether the amount of the space available in the building is sufficient for positioning of the photovoltaic power generation system based on the efficiency rating. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, wherein the space heating is performed at least in part using a natural gas space heater, further comprising: modeling the change to the total energy consumption further based on a replacement of the natural gas water heater with a heat pump space heater. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A method according to claim 16, further comprising: determining a space heating capacity of the building over the time period; and selecting the heat pump space heater based on the space heating capacity and a size of the heat pump space heater. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, further comprising: modeling the change to the total energy consumption based on charging an electric vehicle over the set time period at the building. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A method according to claim 18, further comprising: determining an electricity consumption of the electric vehicle based on a charging efficiency of the electric vehicle, a distance driven over the set time period, and an amount of electricity consumed by the electric vehicle over a unit of the distance. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A method according to claim 19, further comprising: determining an amount of fuel consumed by a non-electric vehicle over the set time period based on the distance driven over the time period and fuel efficiency of the non-electric vehicle; determining an amount of electricity equivalent to the amount of fuel; comparing the electric vehicle electricity consumption to the fuel equivalent electricity; and providing a result of the comparison to a user.