An integrated system and method measures building characteristics and user behavior to provide real-time and forecasted utility usages and costs. The system gathers current and historical heating and cooling load data, compares the data with current and historical weather data and a building system set point, and calculates the heating or cooling load needed for the building based on the user's call for heat or cooling and the ambient environmental conditions. The system additionally analyzes individual device usage using usage signatures and user inputted tracking to create a comprehensive real-time and forecast of utility usages with the estimated costs. Through history of selections with usage changes corresponding to user input of individual devices, the system will be able to learn various devices' usage. The system then creates a comprehensive, real-time forecast of utility costs including the foregoing characteristics.

An operation method for reducing energy consumption and an electronic apparatus thereof are provided. The operation method includes obtaining, by the electronic apparatus, weather forecast information, inputting, by the electronic apparatus, the weather forecast information to an artificial intelligence model for predicting an amount of power to be consumed by a first air conditioner, and displaying, by the electronic apparatus, the predicted power consumption amount of the first air conditioner output from the artificial intelligence model, wherein the artificial intelligence model is trained to obtain correlation information between a weather condition and a power consumption amount of an air conditioner, based on a weather history and operations of a plurality of air conditioners related to the weather history, and predict the amount of power to be consumed by the first air conditioner based on the correlation information and the weather forecast information.

An active airflow inhibiting apparatus for an entranceway comprises: a structure positioned adjacent an entranceway of a building and defines a passage therethrough for accessing the entranceway. The structure defines at least one plenum chamber and first and second outlet slots fluidically coupled to the plenum chamber. A fan fluidically connected to the plenum chamber supplies an airflow to the plenum chamber in order to selectively form a jet of air from the first outlet slot in a first mode of operation and from the second outlet slot in a second mode of operation The first and second outlet slots are configured so that the respective jets of air are each directed towards a centre of the structure, with the jet of air from the first outlet slot being directed away from the entranceway and the jet of air from the second outlet slot being directed towards the entranceway.

An operation method for reducing energy consumption and an electronic apparatus thereof are provided. The operation method includes obtaining, by the electronic apparatus, weather forecast information, inputting, by the electronic apparatus, the weather forecast information to an artificial intelligence model for predicting an amount of power to be consumed by a first air conditioner, and displaying, by the electronic apparatus, the predicted power consumption amount of the first air conditioner output from the artificial intelligence model, wherein the artificial intelligence model is trained to obtain correlation information between a weather condition and a power consumption amount of an air conditioner, based on a weather history and operations of a plurality of air conditioners related to the weather history, and predict the amount of power to be consumed by the first air conditioner based on the correlation information and the weather forecast information.

Methods, devices, and systems for space conditioning based on weather information are described herein. One device includes a memory, and a processor to execute executable instructions stored in the memory to receive forecasted weather information, determine, based on the forecasted weather information, future weather conditions, determine based on the future weather conditions and historical setpoint data, whether conditioning of a space is expected, and generate an alert in response to conditioning of the space being expected.

A method includes operating equipment to affect a variable state or condition of a space and training weights of a neural network by outputting control dispatches from the neural network based on simulated inputs, simulating costs associated with operating the equipment in accordance with control dispatches, and adjusting the weights to reduce the costs. The method also includes generating a control dispatch for the equipment by applying an actual measurement relating to the space as an input to the neural network, and controlling the equipment in accordance with the control dispatch.

The invention relates to a method for controlling a passive-ventilation system of a building, comprising: determining an outdoor air temperature of air in an environment of the building; determining an indoor air temperature of at least one zone inside the building; calculating a temperature difference by subtracting the determined outside air temperature from the determined indoor air temperature; and, if the calculated temperature difference is greater than zero, controlling a state of at least one passive-ventilation device of the passive-ventilation system to be in any of a closed state, an open state, and one of one or more intermediate states between closed and open state. Each of the states corresponds to one value of an opening fraction value of the at least one zone inside the building varying between 0 and 1.

A method for controlling an air conditioner outdoor unit comprises: acquiring the working mode of the air conditioner outdoor unit; acquiring sensor parameters of the air conditioner outdoor unit according to the working mode, the sensor parameters including wind direction parameters read by a wind direction sensor (163) or temperature parameters read by a temperature sensor (161); determining control parameters for the air conditioner outdoor unit by the working mode and the sensor parameters corresponding to the working mode; driving the rotating speed of a fan (121) and the rotating angle of a wind direction adjusting device (125) by use of the control parameters. In addition, a control system for the air conditioner outdoor unit is also related to.

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.

Tools, strategies, and techniques are provided for enhancing the control and operation of air curtain devices. The air curtain device can be provided with a computer system programmed to receive input data from various sensors and to communicate the sensor data to a wireless mesh computer architecture. An algorithm module can be programmed to determine adjusted settings or parameters for the air curtain device in response to the sensor data and/or other data sources such as external data sources. Data may be obtained from multiple air curtain devices configured for cooperative performance, and operating parameters or settings may be adjusted in connection with one or more of the multiple air curtain devices. A control device of the air curtain may be provided with a unitary structure suitable for efficient installation of multiple control harness connectors thereon to supply power and/or to establish data connectivity with multiple components of the control device.