An HVAC system for automatically adjusting setpoint boundaries of a space includes building equipment configured to provide heating or cooling to the space to affect an environmental condition of the space and a controller. The controller obtains occupant setpoint adjustment data indicating occupant setpoint increases or occupant setpoint decreases at multiple times during a time interval and partitions the occupant setpoint adjustment data into time period bins based on the multiple times associated with the occupant setpoint adjustment data, each of the time period bins containing occupant setpoint adjustment data characterized by a common time attribute. The controller determines a number of occupant setpoint increases and a number of occupant setpoint decreases indicated by the occupant setpoint adjustment data within each time period bin and adjusts a setpoint boundary of the space based on the number of occupant setpoint increases or the number of occupant setpoint decreases.

Computer-implemented systems and methods for estimating a replacement status of an HVAC air filter. Outdoor weather data (e.g., outdoor temperature information), is obtained. A Total Runtime Value of the HVAC system is determined based upon the obtained outdoor weather data. Finally, a replacement status of the air filter is estimated as a function of a comparison of the Total Runtime Value with a Baseline Value. By correlating air filter replacement status with an estimated runtime of the HVAC system, a credible predictor of air filter usage is provided. By estimating fan runtime based on easily-obtained outdoor weather data, the methods are readily implemented with any existing HVAC system and do not require installation of sensors or other mechanical or electrical components to the HVAC system.

An air quality control system and method is provided, in which a humidity level is controlled in such a way as to reduce an amount of dust resuspension caused by occupant or device activities in an indoor space, and taking into account type of floor surface in that space.

Heating and cooling systems at various geographical locations are controlled by a central energy management service unit to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. In some weather conditions, people may intuitively prefer a slightly warmer or cooler indoor temperature. In systems equipped with environmental learning capabilities, an apparent outdoor temperature is determined based on the geographic location itself, the season at the geographic location, the forecasted actual temperature, and one or more seasonal weather factors such as wind velocity or humidity. The apparent temperature and a trained machine learning system are used to select an automated schedule for the geographic location to be directly transmitted to devices at the location. The automated schedule can vary from typical schedules by causing the heating and cooling systems to maintain a temperature that is slightly warmer or cooler than typical indoor temperatures.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to using machine learning techniques for dynamic occupancy prediction. A computing platform may receive first data that is non-personalized and is associated with a first specific physical space, and may receive second data associated with a second specific physical space. The computing platform may normalize, for a common subspace of the first specific physical space and the second specific physical space, the first data and the second data. Using the normalized data, the computing platform may generate a predicted occupancy value for the common subspace. The computing platform may send commands directing a local HVAC control system, deployed at the common subspace, to perform a resource control action for the common subspace, which may cause the local HVAC control system to perform the resource control action for the common subspace.

A demand response system includes a mobile application of a mobile device that is configured to initiate altering an operating condition of a network device disposed at a site using location based services. A demand response application interface module is configured to enable access between a utility company and the network device to communicate energy management information therebetween. The network device is configured to be remotely altered by each of the demand response application interface module and the mobile application separately based on the location based services and the energy management information. A method of managing a demand response system includes detecting a user being disposed away from a site, detecting energy management information from a utility company associated with the site, and initiating a reduction in energy use at the site in response to the relative location of the user and the energy management information.

Techniques are described for providing remote device (e.g., thermostat, lighting, appliance, etc.) control and/or energy monitoring. A system monitors sensor data captured by one or more sensors that sense attributes relevant to user presence at one or more monitored properties and status of one or more energy consuming devices associated with the one or more monitored properties. The system analyzes the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to a set of one or more rules and performs an operation related to controlling the one or more energy consuming devices based on the analysis of the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to the set of one or more rules.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a provisioning system for a network includes a first device associated with a site. The first device includes a communication chip associated therewith. The system also includes a second device including a device identifier associated therewith. The communication chip is configured to read the device identifier on the second device to obtain information about the second device. The device identifier of the second device is transmitted to a cloud server. Information about the second device is received at the first device from the cloud server based on the device identifier. Based on the information from the cloud server about the second device it can then be joined to the network by the first device.

Methods and functional elements for enhanced thermal management of predominantly enclosed spaces to enable the construction of buildings with reduced power requirements for heating and/or air-conditioning systems. The methods may be in part based on dynamically changing functional elements with variable properties, or effective properties, in terms of their electromagnetic radiative behavior and/or their thermal energy storage properties, or the spatial distribution of the stored thermal energy, which permits the application of methods to control the overall thermal behavior of the entire structure in such a way that desired levels of inside temperature can be reached with reduced consumption of external energy (typically electricity, gas, oil, or coal). In some instances no conventional heating of cooling is required at all. In some instances the invention reduces the time to reach desired temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other predominantly enclosed spaces.

Tools, methods and systems for detecting and reporting the presence of an obstruction to an AC system of the present disclosure are able to detect the presence of the obstruction using one or more sensors connected to the air conditioning unit and displaying an alert on the computer system of the AC system when the sensors detect the presence of the obstruction. By displaying an alert at the computer system's output device, the presence of the obstruction is brought to the user's attention, allowing the user to take remedial action as needed before initiating the air conditioning system into operation, preventing the obstruction from harming the components of AC system if the system was initiated while the obstruction was still present. Additionally, the AC system may further disable or prevent the operation and initiation of itself when the sensors of the air conditioning system detect the presence of an obstruction.