System and method for calculating the thermal mass of a building
AssigneeEcoFactor, Inc.
InventorsJohn Douglas Steinberg, Scott Douglas Hublou
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention comprises a system for calculating a value for the effective thermal mass of a building. The climate control system obtains temperature measurements from at least a first location conditioned by the climate system. One or more processors receive measurements of outside temperatures from at least one source other than the control system and compare the temperature measurements from the first location with expected temperature measurements. The expected temperature measurements are based at least in part upon past temperature measurements obtained by said HVAC control system and said outside temperature measurements. The processors then calculate one or more rates of change in temperature at said first location.
Claims12
A system for calculating a value for the operational efficiency of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
- at least one HVAC control system that receives temperature measurements from at least a first location conditioned by at least one HVAC system;
- one or more databases that store at least said temperatures measured at said first location over time;
- and
- one or more processors that receive outside temperature measurements from at least one source other than said HVAC system, wherein said one or more processors are configured to calculate one or more rates of change in temperature at said first location for periods during which the status of the HVAC system is “on” and wherein said one or more processors are further configured to calculate one or more rates of change in temperature at said first location for periods during which the status of the HVAC system is “off”, and to relate said calculated rates of change to said outside temperature measurements.
A method for calculating a value for the operational efficiency of an HVAC system that comprises:
- receiving temperature measurements from at least a first location conditioned by at least one HVAC system;
- storing in one or more databases at least said temperatures measured at said first location over time;
- receiving outside temperature measurements from at least one source other than said HVAC system;
- and
- calculating with one or more computer processors one or more rates of change in temperature at said first location for periods during which the status of the HVAC system is “on” and calculating one or more rates of change in temperature at said first location for periods during which the status of the HVAC system is “off”, where said calculated rates of change are related to said outside temperature measurements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.