Energy management system and method

Abstract

A method is provided for managing the energy usage of an energy consuming system adapted to determine the energy of a controlled space, the energy consuming system including a plurality of operating components having on and off states and a plurality of differing noise levels when making transitions between the on and off states. The method includes determining the noise levels of the components of the energy consuming system, selecting a relatively low noise level component of the energy consuming system to provide a selected noise masking component, and causing a relatively high noise level component of the energy consuming system differing from the selected noise masking component to make a transition between on and off states. The method further includes causing the selected noise masking component to make a transition between its on and off states after the transition of high noise level component. The noise level of the selected noise masking component prior is increased prior to the transition of the high noise level component and decreased thereafter. The noise level of the selected noise masking component is gradually increased and gradually decreased. The operations are performed according to the occupancy of the controlled space. A parameter band of control is determined for controlling a selected parameter of the controlled space and the selected parameter of the controlled space is determined. A parameter drift of the selected parameter within the controlled space is determined in order to determine whether the parameter drift is adjusting the parameter toward the band of control. The energy of the controlled space is determined accordingly. Energy is applied to the energy system if the drift of the selected parameter of the controlled space is not adjusting the parameter toward the band of control.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.