The invention involves the automated testing of HVAC units using an energy management system. The automated HVAC test is performed to understand if one or more HVAC units are operational across one or more locations. If an HVAC unit is not operational, HVAC testing could be performed to understand which component or stage of the HVAC unit is not working as designed. The automated HVAC test is also used to calculate the efficiency of the HVAC unit(s) being tested. The various HVAC tests are performed on all HVAC units as a form of preventative maintenance and diagnostics. These tests can be scheduled on-demand, for a future date and time, or on a recurring schedule (monthly or quarterly). A report is generated for each HVAC test and can be viewed and exported from a cloud-based energy management platform.

An HVAC system is monitored or tested using a tube with a measurement instrument in the tube. The tube is connected to an HVAC system and an output of the HVAC system is measured using the measurement instrument. The tube is connected between the HVAC system and a volume to be conditioned. A reading of the measurement instrument is noted while the tube is connected between the HVAC system and volume. The volume is disconnected from the tube and a valve is connected to the tube. The valve is adjusted until the reading of the measurement instrument is approximately the same with the valve as when the volume was connected. A setting of the valve is noted and then used to test the HVAC system in the future or to test other HVAC systems simulating the same load.

A method for fine-grained indoor temperature measurement includes receiving sensor data and activity telemetry data from one or more smart devices. Feature transformation is performed on the sensor data and activity telemetry data to a common latent feature space so as to reduce an influence of a domain of the one or more smart devices. Latent features resulting from the feature transformation on the sensor data and activity telemetry data is input into a machine learning model trained with features of the latent feature space and labeled ambient temperatures to predict an ambient temperature at a location of the one or more smart devices.

An HVAC system is monitored or tested using a tube with a measurement instrument in the tube. The tube is connected to an HVAC system and an output of the HVAC system is measured using the measurement instrument. The tube is connected between the HVAC system and a volume to be conditioned. A reading of the measurement instrument is noted while the tube is connected between the HVAC system and volume. The volume is disconnected from the tube and a valve is connected to the tube. The valve is adjusted until the reading of the measurement instrument is approximately the same with the valve as when the volume was connected. A setting of the valve is noted and then used to test the HVAC system in the future or to test other HVAC systems simulating the same load.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is disclosed a method of determining the use of hot water performed in a system including a water heater and an air handler. The method includes: sensing a temperature of influent flowing into the water heater; sensing a temperature of effluent flowing out of the air handler; calculating a temperature difference between the temperature of the influent and the temperature of the effluent; and determining whether hot water is used by calculating whether the temperature difference is greater than a predetermined value.

A temperature-sensing bulb support for an air-conditioner indoor unit, and an air-conditioner indoor unit are disclosed. The temperature-sensing bulb support includes: a support body. The support body is adapted to be fixed to a housing of the air-conditioner indoor unit. The support body defines a filter mesh positioning groove configured to accommodate an end frame bar of a filter mesh, and the support body further defines a temperature-sensing bulb accommodating groove configured to accommodate a temperature-sensing bulb. The temperature-sensing bulb accommodating groove is isolated from the filter mesh positioning groove by a partition wall, and the temperature-sensing bulb accommodating groove is located outside the filter mesh positioning groove. The temperature-sensing bulb is placed outside the filter mesh while protecting the temperature-sensing bulb, such that the temperature-sensing bulb can detect ambient temperature more accurately, aiding in increasing accuracy of control over the air-conditioner indoor unit.

The embodiments described herein include sensor mounting clamps configured to lock a sensor, such as a temperature sensor, in place relative to a structure, such as a pipe or tube, of a heating, ventilating, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) unit. More specifically, the sensor mounting clamps described herein include sensor mounting portions configured to receive a sensor, and to hold the sensor in place relative to a structure of an HVAC unit. In addition, the sensor mounting clamps described herein include locking mechanisms having interlocking pockets configured to lock the sensor mounting clamps in place around a structure of an HVAC unit. For example, the sensor mounting clamps described herein may include interlocking pockets having interior passages configured to receive a retention piece, such as a cotter pin, cylindrical pin, or screw, to lock the interlocking pockets in place relative to each other, or may include interlocking pockets configured to directly engage with each other. In addition, the sensor mounting clamps described herein may include a flange configured to constrain longitudinal motion of a sensor.

Environmental conditions affecting a sensor having a thermal coefficient are compensated by applying an adaptive filter to an environmental condition reference signal. The resulting adaptive cancellation signal may be used to provide feedback control to a first heating element.

A button module that includes a housing having a user operable button, a circuit board within the housing and a removable electrical connector, wherein a second module can be electrically connected at the electrical connection, wherein the button module can perform one or more functions in signal-communication with the second module through the electrical connection, such as perform one or more functions programmed on the circuit board utilizing electrical circuits in the second module, or the circuit board being configured to communicate with one or more wireless devices over one or more wireless networks.

Systems/methods for measuring airstream parameters. The methods comprise: measuring a humidity and temperature by sensors of airstream sensor device(s) arranged symmetrically within a single cross-sectional plane of an air flow conveyance structure of an HVAC system; measuring, by absolute pressure sensor(s), a barometric pressure of an atmosphere outside of the air flow conveyance structure; receiving, by a transmitter, humidity measurement values and temperature measurement values from the sensors and barometric pressure value(s) from the absolute pressure sensor(s); computing a velocity weighted temperature value for the airstream based on the temperature measurement values; using the humidity measurement values, the velocity weighted temperature value, and the barometric pressure value to determine a psychrometric property associated with the airstream; and causing operations of the HVAC system, a building automation system or an application controller to be controlled based on the determined psychrometric property.