Method and apparatus for optimizing and simplifying the enforcement of building energy efficiency regulations
AssigneeCodeCycle LLC
InventorsDaniel Suyeyasu, Kimberly Goodrich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for enforcing energy regulations is described. The system helps building departments maximize energy savings from the energy regulation enforcement process. The system is configured to optimize enforcement given a fixed level of enforcement resources within a building department. Optimization is achieved through the use of building science and sampling systems to structure building-by-building specialized inspection lists, which are delivered to building inspectors. Information collected during the inspection process is used to determine amounts of money that can be saved via complying or not complying with specific provisions of the energy regulations.
Claims18
A method for enforcing building energy regulations in an electronic system, the method comprising:
- receiving by a processor an energy model for a building wherein the energy model specifies building components of the building selected to comply with energy regulations of a building jurisdiction submitted as part of a permitting process prior to construction of the building and associated with an approved building plan for the building;
- determining by the processor a set of inspectable building elements for the building using the received energy model wherein each of the inspectable building elements specify one or more first building components in accordance with the approved building plan;
- for each inspectable building element in the set of inspectable building elements, a) determining, by the processor, first energy values associated with the one or more first building components specified in the approved building plan and b) determining, by the processor, second energy values associated with one or more second building components, different from the one or more first building components, selected to not comply with the energy regulations of the building jurisdiction;
- based upon the first energy values and the second energy values determined for each inspectable building element, prioritizing by the processor the set of inspectable building elements;
- based upon the prioritization of the inspectable building elements, selecting by the processor a first portion of the inspectable building elements from among the set of inspectable building elements;
- randomly selecting by the processor a second portion of the inspectable building elements from among the set of inspectable building elements;
- based upon the first portion and the second portion of the inspectable building elements, generating by the processor a list of inspectable building elements;
- determining by the processor a location in a plan view of the approved building plan of each of the inspectable building elements from the list of inspectable building elements;
- and
- during a construction phase of the building, outputting by the processor to a display a plan view of the approved building plan and the location on the plan view of each of the inspectable building elements from the list of inspectable building elements to enable a building inspector to perform a field inspection of the building under construction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.