System and method for building cooling optimization using periodic building fuel consumption with the aid of a digital computer

A method for building cooling optimization using periodic building fuel consumption with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:

• evaluating by a computer, the computer comprising a processor and a memory, a thermal conductivity of a building based on a balance point up to which the building can be thermally sustained using only internal heating gains over a time period for a heating season;
• determining by the computer fuel consumption for cooling of the building over a time period for a cooling season using the balance point thermal conductivity;
• and
• modeling by the computer an effect of an optimization of cooling of the building on the determined fuel consumption, wherein the cooling is optimized based on the modeling.

A system for modeling building cooling fuel consumption with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:

• a computer comprising a processor configured to execute code stored in a memory, the computer configured to:
• identify a temperature difference between an average temperature outside and an average temperature inside the building over a time period for a heating season;
• identify internal heating gains within the building over the heating time period;
• find balance point thermal conductivity as a function of the internal heating gains over the temperature difference and duration of the heating time period;
• determine fuel consumption for cooling of the building over a cooling time period using the balance point thermal conductivity and a difference between an average temperature outside and an average temperature inside the building during the cooling time period;
• and
• model an effect of an optimization of cooling of the building on the determined fuel consumption, wherein the cooling is optimized based on the modeling.

A method for modeling building cooling fuel consumption with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:

• identifying by a computer, the computer comprising a processor and a memory, a temperature difference between an average temperature outside and an average temperature inside the building over a time period for a heating season;
• identifying by the computer internal heating gains within the building over the heating time period;
• finding by the computer a balance point thermal conductivity as a function of the internal heating gains over the temperature difference and duration of the heating time period;
• determining by the computer a fuel consumption for cooling of the building over a cooling time period using the balance point thermal conductivity and a difference between an average temperature outside and an average temperature inside the building during the cooling time period;
• and
• modeling by the computer an effect of an optimization of cooling of the building on the determined fuel consumption, wherein the cooling is optimized based on the modeling.