DE102022134692A1 - Method and monitoring device for determining energy deficits in the operation of a heating system and their influence on efficiency, pollutant emissions and CO2 emissions - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for determining energy deficits in the operation of a heating system, comprising the steps of: a) recording operating data of the heating system over time; b) storing the recorded operating data in a data storage device; c) comparing the recorded and/or stored operating data with reference data to determine deviations that indicate inefficiency of the heating system. A monitoring device for determining incorrect dimensioning of a heating system, comprising a processing device, a data storage device and a sensor device connected to the processing device, wherein the sensor device is designed to be arranged on a unit of the heating system and/or on a control line of the unit and to detect activation of the unit, the processing device is set up to record the detected activation and to store and/or update at least one data set relating to properties of the activation in the data storage device.

Description

The invention relates to a method for determining energy deficits in the operation of a heating system and a monitoring device therefor.

Heating systems in Germany are subjected to a regular annual test, during which the proportion of pollutants in the exhaust gas from the burner is measured. In heating systems that run on gas or oil, preparatory processes are initially initiated in a start-up state when the burner is started, such as pre-purging the combustion chamber. After ignition, the burner goes into a heating state in which it initially works inefficiently and, for example, compensates for heat losses from the start-up state. Only then does the burner enter a stable operating state in which it can reach its maximum efficiency. The proportion of pollutants is measured 2-3 minutes after the burner is started during this stable operating state. Modern heating systems are now technically so advanced that they work extremely efficiently in operating state.

The efficiency of the combustion process is derived from the measured pollutant content in the exhaust gas of the burner system, which is also communicated to the customer, for example. However, this is not the actual efficiency of the heating system or the heating system as a whole, but merely the efficiency of the combustion process in operating mode.

Known methods for measuring the energy efficiency of the entire heating system require the installation of energy meters at various points in the heating system. For example, the difference between the flow and return temperatures is recorded, as well as the amount of liquid flowing through the heating circuit. To do this, it is recorded how much fuel was consumed by the burner device and then calculated what proportion of the primary energy provided was actually released as heat into the heating circuit.

This process is complex and can only be carried out by qualified personnel, for example due to necessary safety regulations. This is due, for example, to the fact that control lines and/or supply lines of the heating system must be opened in order to install the necessary sensors and flow meters. In addition, this method only allows an energy balance of the entire system to be determined, but not to detect inefficient operation caused by the control of the heating system.

Because measuring the energy efficiency of the entire heating system is very time-consuming, many heating system owners do not notice that their heating system is incorrectly configured and/or dimensioned, in particular over-dimensioned, and therefore does not work efficiently.

Against this background, the present invention has the object of proposing a method and a device for determining incorrect dimensioning of a heating system, wherein the method and the device can be easily applied by an end user without prior knowledge.

In order to control energy use and reduce pollutant emissions, a broad recording of the efficiency of heating systems is also desired in order to be able to easily control an incentive, e.g. a change in the duty and tax burden, for the optimization of as many heating systems as possible.

The object is achieved by a method according to patent claim 1 and a monitoring device according to patent claim 5. Further advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

To solve the problem, a method for determining energy deficits in the operation of a heating system comprises the following steps: a) recording operating data of the heating system over time; b) storing the recorded operating data in a data storage device; c) comparing the recorded and/or stored operating data with reference data to determine deviations that indicate an inefficiency of the heating system.

Every heating system has operating data that makes it particularly efficient. If there are deviations from ideal values or reference data for these operating data, then the heating system is not being operated efficiently. If the deficits are not on the control side, they indicate that the heating system is incorrectly dimensioned. Reference data is available, for example, in the form of series of measurements on heating systems or can be easily determined by calculation, for example from weather data.

Their agreement with the measured operating data indicates a particularly efficient heating process and their deviation from the measured operating data indicates an inefficient heating process.

In some embodiments, one or more of the following operating parameters of the heating system are recorded to collect the data in step a): A number of system starts within within a recurring period, an operating time of the system within recurring periods, a date and/or time of a system start, an operating time of the system after each system start, a total operating time of the heating system over a recurring period.

In an oversized heating system, the heating target that exists when the burner starts is already reached while the burner is still operating in the inefficient start-up phase or shortly after reaching a stable burner phase, the stable operating state. In comparison to a relatively short operation in the efficient operating state, the entire inefficient heating phase with its increased pollutant emissions occurs when the burner starts. This means that the proportion of primary energy actually used for heating, be it gas or oil, is small compared to a correctly dimensioned and/or configured heating system. A lot of energy is wasted and pollutants are emitted unnecessarily.

By collecting this data, it is possible to determine the actual efficiency of the heating system during heating operation and to suggest optimization measures.

In some embodiments, in step c), the number of plant starts over a period of one year is compared with reference values for the number of plant starts over the period of one year.

If the number of plant starts is too far from the reference value, this indicates a misconfiguration and/or incorrect dimensioning.

In some embodiments, in step c), the number of plant starts on a calendar day is compared with a reference value determined based on long-term average weather data.

The weather has a strong influence on the heating energy required on any given day. If the heating system starts more often than the weather would suggest, this indicates that the heating system is incorrectly configured and/or incorrectly dimensioned.

The object is further achieved by a monitoring device for determining energy deficits in the operation of a heating system, which has a processing device, a data storage device and a sensor device connected to the processing device, wherein the sensor device is designed to be arranged on a unit of the heating system and/or on a control line of the unit and to detect an activation of the unit, the processing device is set up to record the detected activation and to store and/or update at least one data set relating to properties of the activation in the data storage device.

Because it is installed on a heating system unit, it is not necessary to disconnect the heating system cables to install the sensor device. This means that the monitoring device can be installed easily by an end user. There is also no need for the heating system to be re-certified once the monitoring device has been installed.

In some embodiments, the sensor device is designed to inductively detect the activation of the unit.

Individual units, particularly fuel valves, in the heating system are controlled magnetically. This magnetic field can be reliably measured outside the unit. This ensures that the activation of the unit can be reliably detected.

In some embodiments, the monitoring device comprises an energy generation device for arrangement on the unit, which is designed to generate energy from an alternating electromagnetic field generated by the unit operated with alternating current.

The energy harvesting device is penetrated by the alternating electromagnetic field and extracts energy from it to operate the monitoring device. This means that the monitoring device can be supplied with energy completely passively. It is not necessary to lay connecting cables to a power supply. This simplifies the installation and deinstallation of the monitoring device for the end user.

In some embodiments, the monitoring device comprises a communication device for communicating with a remotely arranged evaluation device.

This allows the monitoring device installed by the end user to be kept as simple as possible. Nevertheless, complex evaluations of the measured data are possible.

In some embodiments, the detection device and/or the sensor device to carry out at least one step of the above-mentioned method.

This realizes the advantages of the respective process step mentioned above.

In some embodiments, the sensor device can be mounted and dismounted without interfering with a control line and/or an assembly.

This simplifies handling for the end user.

• 1 eine Überwachungsvorrichtung gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung und
• 2 eine Überwachungsvorrichtung gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung mit Cloud-Anbindung.

Further features and variants of the invention are apparent from the attached figures, which show the inventive forms of the invention only schematically. They show in detail:

• 1 a monitoring device according to an embodiment of the invention and
• 2 a monitoring device according to an embodiment of the invention with cloud connection.

One in 1 The monitoring device 10 shown is intended for monitoring a heating device in the form of a heating system 22. The heating system 22 serves, for example, to supply a building with heat, in particular for space heating and the provision of hot water.

The heating system 22 has a heating control 24, a fuel release valve 26 and a burner device 28. A control line 30 is provided for controlling the fuel release valve 26. Some parts of the heating system 22 that are not relevant to the present invention are not shown in the schematic drawings.

The heating system 22 is operated with oil or gas, so that the burner device 28 is also operated with oil or gas. The heating system 22 usually heats intermittently, since the heating output of the burner device 28 cannot be adjusted or can only be adjusted inaccurately. Therefore, the heating output of the burner device 28 cannot be adjusted exactly to requirements. There are also so-called modulating burners, in which the heating output of the burner device 28 can be adjusted in a predetermined range depending on the design. This adjustment of the heating output can be imprecise or the modulating burner can be operated outside of its adjustment range. In addition, such burners are not widely used due to their higher acquisition costs.

A heating energy requirement, for example of a building heated by the heating system 22, depends on many factors and can only be measured precisely on an individual basis with great effort. Therefore, control devices 24 usually use measured values that can be determined in or on the heating system 22 in order to control the burner device 28.

A frequently encountered control parameter is the flow temperature of a heating circuit. If the flow temperature falls below a predetermined value, the burner device 28 is started in order to heat the medium in the heating circuit. The burner device 28 remains in operation until the flow temperature has risen above another predetermined, higher temperature value.

In addition, a difference between the flow temperature and the return temperature is used as a rough indication of the energy released by the heating circuit. In order to determine how much heat was fed into the heating circuit, the amount of energy released is calculated from the difference between the flow temperature and the return temperature and the flow rate of the transport medium.

In order to adapt the amount of energy delivered to external conditions, in particular the weather, the heating control 24 can carry out temperature control with a target value. The lower the outside temperature of the building, for example, the more heat the heating system 22 must supply to the building in order to achieve a sufficient inside temperature. In conjunction with an outside temperature sensor, for example, a predetermined flow temperature for the respective determined outside temperature can be determined as a target value. The heating control then controls the burner device 28 so that the flow temperature of the heating circuit remains in a predetermined range around the target value. For this purpose, heating characteristics are stored in the heating control 24, which assign an appropriate flow temperature to a measured outside temperature.

The selection of a suitable heating curve is carried out during installation based on estimated data about the rooms to be heated. If residents of the rooms heated in this way notice that the temperatures reached are regularly too high or too low, such a heating curve is changed again even after the heating has been installed. In most cases, however, the originally set heating curve remains active, even if this causes the heating to operate inefficiently.

In particular, burner devices 28 that cannot be controlled or are only insufficiently controlled can be operated inefficiently if the heating characteristic curve is incorrect. is set in a learned manner. In this case, the actually efficient time in the operating state is shortened compared to the time required to start the burner. If the burner device 28 is started from a resting state, it cannot generate useful heat immediately after starting. Instead, in a first combustion phase, the heat generated is used for other purposes, since, for example, the combustion chamber must first be heated to an operating temperature. Before this, it may also be necessary to flush the combustion chamber with fresh air, which actually cools it down. Until the combustion process has reached its optimum temperature for an operating state, i.e. for the stable state after reaching the optimum operating temperature, the efficiency of the heating process is reduced.

In addition, in this first phase after the burner starts, pollutant emissions from the heating system 22 are increased. In particular, during combustion processes below the optimum temperature of the combustion chamber, a larger proportion of the combustion processes are incomplete, so that a significantly increased proportion of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides can be detected in the exhaust gases from the heating system 22 compared to the later stable state.

The pollutant load generated by the heating system 22 is measured during tests, e.g. during the regular statutory exhaust gas control measurement by the chimney sweep, but only in the operating state after at least 2-3 minutes of combustion. Burner technology has now been developed to such an extent that the permitted limit values are only exceeded in the event of a serious malfunction of the heating system 22.

However, since the efficiency of the stable part of the combustion process has been inadequate for a long time, all necessary routine tests of heating systems 22 are designed to test this condition. The background to the present invention is that nowadays most of the opportunities for increasing efficiency and reducing the pollutants emitted in most installed heating systems 22 can be found elsewhere, namely when starting the burner and in the number of burner starts carried out.

However, since this aspect is neither required by law nor is it known to customers, most modern heating systems 22 are not designed to collect or provide the data necessary to optimise the number of burner starts.

In order to enable this surprisingly simple and efficient optimization for all installed heating systems 22, the monitoring device 10 has a processing device 12, a data storage device 14, a sensor device 16 and a power supply device 18. The sensor device 16 is connected to the processing device 12 by means of a connecting cable 20.

The sensor device 16 is designed to inductively detect whether the fuel valve 26 is activated and thus open or not. Conventional fuel valves 26 are activated via the control line 30 using alternating current, so that during operation, i.e. when they are open, they generate an alternating electromagnetic field in the space surrounding them.

If the sensor device 16 detects this alternating field, it sends a corresponding activity signal to the processing device 12 or to a sensor input 34 of the processing device 12. Depending on how highly integrated the sensor device 16 used is, this signal can be displayed by changing a voltage label (for example 0 V = valve is closed, 5 V = valve is open). Other variants, such as transmission via UART, USB, a CAN bus or other interfaces are of course also conceivable.

In its simplest form, the processing device 12 counts the number of burner starts. In some embodiments, the processing device 16 can record additional data, such as the respective duration of a burn event, which results from the time during which the fuel valve 26 was open.

In further embodiments, the sensor device 16 has an inductive detection device, for example a single or multiple conductor loop arranged around the control line 30. A magnetic field is created around the control line 30 both when the fuel valve 26 is switched on or off and while the fuel valve 26 is supplied with electrical current. The change in this magnetic field induces a voltage in the conductor loop, which can be used as a signal for activating or deactivating the fuel valve 26 by means of amplification and/or processing. The signals obtained in this way are often very weak. If the fuel valve 26 is controlled with direct current, only a short pulse can be detected when it is switched on or off.

In order to be able to process these signals reliably, the processing device 12 can have corresponding signal processing modules and/or signal processing methods which for example, can be implemented in software. If a large amount of interference and/or interference from outside the conductor loop is detected, the processing device 12 can have an AI system, for example a CNN, to separate the signal to be detected from the external interference. This means that even very weak signals, which are superimposed by strong amplification of noise, for example, can be reliably detected.

The processing device 12 stores these operating parameters or operating data of the fuel valve 26 in the data storage device 14, whereby the type and amount of data stored can vary. In its simplest form, the processing device 12 only stores the number of burner starts.

In this case, for example, each time the processing device 12 detects a burner start, a memory location of the data storage device 14 is increased by one.

In some embodiments, the processing device 12 in the data storage device has more complex storage structures, for example a database or a structured logbook. In these further embodiments, the processing device 12 can, for example, store the date, time and/or burning time for each start-up process of a heating system 22.

As soon as a sufficient amount of operating data of the heating system 22 has been collected and stored in the manner described above, the processing device 12 can analyze the determined stored data. The amount of data that is sufficient for the analysis depends on the desired type, depth and accuracy of the analysis.

A group of analysis methods that can be used favorably has as common steps the determination of reference values or limit values, to each of which certain malfunctions, inefficiencies and/or suggestions for action are assigned. Malfunctions, inefficiencies and/or suggestions for action can also be indicated by a deviation from the reference values and/or limit values.

In a first example of an analysis method, the processing device 12 has stored operating data of the heating system 22 for a whole year, i.e. for twelve months, in the data storage device 14. The processing device 12 uses the stored data to determine the total number of burner starts in the period under investigation. If the number of burner starts exceeds a first limit value, the result of the analysis is that the burner device 28 is designed to be too large. If the number of burner starts exceeds a second limit value but is below the first limit value, the result of the analysis is that the heating characteristic curve has been incorrectly selected. If the number of burner starts is below a third limit value, the result of the analysis is that the heating device 22 is designed to be too small.

In a second example of an analysis method, operating data of the heating system 22 for a limited period of time, for example for all days in November, are stored in the data storage device 14. In this case, the processing device 12 can, for example, compare the number of burner starts for each day with a first, second and/or third limit value obtained from weather data, as in the first example.

To determine the limit values, a reference number of burner starts for one day can be determined based on weather data, for example, which would indicate an efficiency of 100%. Accordingly, a number of burner starts significantly higher than this, for example 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% or 50% higher, would indicate too high a heating output in the (stable) operating state, i.e. that the heating system is oversized.

In some embodiments of the analysis method, a reference value for the reference number is, for example, a daily average temperature. For example, a minimum expected daily average temperature can be determined for the entire year for a location of the heating system. This is the minimum daily average temperature expected at the location that can be expected on at least one day over the course of the year. This can also be determined in relation to longer measurement periods, for example a minimum daily average temperature expected in a 20-, 50- or 100-year period.

In particular, heating systems that do not have a controllable combustion output are designed for such an expected coldest day. On this day, the heating system would run at 100% according to its design, i.e. it would supply exactly the energy that the heated rooms lose. This is used to calculate how much energy would have been needed on a day to be analyzed with a higher daily average temperature. The difference between the energy needed on the coldest day and the day to be analyzed is used to calculate how many starts the heating system would have had on the day to be analyzed. to achieve their maximum possible efficiency. The reference number of starts of the heating system depends on the combustion output, which cannot be adjusted or can only be adjusted with insufficient accuracy and cannot be adjusted exactly to warmer days.

For example, the ratio of reference number to number of starts of heating system 22 provides a basis for calculating the actual efficiency of heating system 22.

In some embodiments of the analysis method, alternatively or in addition to the number of burner starts for the burner running time, a reference burner running time is determined and related to the actual burner running time, analogous to the analysis of the number of burner starts.

In a third example of an analysis method, it is determined whether the operating data of the heating system 22 stored in the data storage device 14 deviate from the largest and/or smallest limit values by more than a selectable factor. In this case, the processing device 12 detects a malfunction of the heating system 22 or a possible defect and reports it to the user, for example by means of the display device 32. If, for example, many very short burner cycles are detected based on the operating data, each of which is not carried out up to an operating state, then this indicates a malfunction of the heating system.

In a fourth example of an analysis method, a wear condition of the heating system 22 is calculated from the number of burner starts and/or the burner running time, which is determined from the operating data stored in the data storage device 14.

In a fifth example of an analysis method, a value for a possible CO2 saving and/or pollutant saving is determined from an efficiency determined using one of the above-mentioned methods. The associated parameters can be determined, for example, from pollutant measurements from combustion processes in frequently used heating systems 22. For this purpose, for example, after a burner has been started, it is determined how high the pollutant load is at any time after the burner has been started relative to the operating state and how long the burner device 28 must be in operation to reach the operating state.

In a sixth example of an analysis method, the operating data stored in the data storage device 14 is processed by an AI module that implements artificial intelligence and machine learning methods. For example, RNNs, in particular using LSTM modules, can be used to recognize patterns in time series such as those that can be formed from the operating data and associated weather data. These can be trained to classify the individual combination of weather data and operating data over a certain period of time into categories of deviations from the norm. These deviations from the norm can in turn be assigned specific recommendations for action. For example, such deviations from the norm can indicate that a buffer storage should be installed in the heating system 22, the output of the burner device 28 should be reduced, or that a check or repair of a component of the heating system might be useful.

All of these analysis methods can be performed in any combination, in parallel or sequentially.

The analysis methods make it possible to identify inefficiencies and/or malfunctions of the heating system 22 and to provide the operator with suggestions for action. For example, regardless of the heating system 22 used, it can be determined whether the heating system 22 is incorrectly dimensioned at its specific location, in its specific building and/or with this user. In this way, it can be determined whether the heating system 22 is used incorrectly in terms of regional climate, was installed in the wrong type of building, or is not suitable for the user. Malfunctions or inefficient operation can also arise in other ways. For example, a heating system 22 that was correctly dimensioned and installed in a house can suddenly be over-dimensioned after an energy renovation of the house. The way in which rooms are used can also mean that significant parts of the installed heating system's output are not required. In addition, there are also different areas within the climate zones used to dimension the heating systems 22, whose climatic conditions deviate too far from the average. If the heating system 22 is installed in such an area, this can result in incorrect dimensioning. The use of outdated climate tables has similarly negative effects. The monitoring device 10 is suitable for detecting any incorrect dimensioning and any inefficient operation, regardless of the above or other causes, regardless of the installation location, building condition and user behavior.

In addition, the processing device 12, as in 2 shown, have a cloud server 36. The functions of the processing The device 12 and in particular the data storage device 14 are divided between a local device that is installed at the end user and a cloud component. The connection between the local device and the cloud component is established, for example, by means of a communication device 38 that has, for example, one of the following interfaces: Bluetooth, ZigBee, WiFi, Ethernet. The communication device 38 can, for example, establish a connection to the Internet and, via this, establish a connection to the cloud server 36.

In particular, the contents of the data storage devices 14 can be exchanged.

The cloud server 36 can, for example, have a web interface that provides the user of the monitoring device with all measured data and the knowledge gained from it for dimensioning the heating system.

In some embodiments, the cloud server 36 and/or the monitoring device 10 may have an interface by means of which a specialist, for example a heating engineer, can retrieve the operating data and/or the analysis results and use them to optimize the heating system.

In some embodiments, the monitoring device 10 has an energy recovery device 40, which can be arranged, for example, together with the sensor device 16 on the control line 30 or the fuel release valve 26. If the fuel release valve 26 is operated with alternating current, an alternating electromagnetic field is formed in the space around the fuel release valve 26. The energy recovery device 40 inductively extracts the energy required for the operation of at least part of the monitoring device 10 or for the entire monitoring device 10 from this alternating field.

For this purpose, the energy generation device 40 has a coil device that is arranged as perpendicularly as possible to the field lines of the alternating electromagnetic field. In further embodiments, at least two coil devices are provided that are arranged obliquely to one another, so that at least through one of the coil surfaces of the coil devices there is a constantly changing magnetic flux generated by the fuel release valve 26, which induces an electric current in the coil device.

Electrical energy generated by the energy generation device 40 may, in some embodiments, be collected and/or stored by the energy supply device 18 until devices of the monitoring device 10 require it.

Due to the energy generation device 40, it is no longer necessary to provide an electrical power connection for the monitoring device 10, which further simplifies its installation and operation.

The monitoring device 10 is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to install. It enables the described methods, in particular the analysis methods, to be carried out reliably over a large area. By collecting the operating data, for example in the cloud server 26, information can be obtained about the actual efficiency of the heating systems 22 installed in a country, for example.

It would also be possible, on the basis of the operating data determined as described above, to identify heating systems 22 whose efficiency is too far removed from the achievable efficiency. This possibility has not yet been made available because the data required for this is not recorded and/or stored in a way that would make the data obtained from different heating systems 22 comparable. The innovative monitoring device 10 therefore also offers the possibility, for example, of levying taxes and/or fees for heating systems 22 which, according to the above analyses, have an unnecessarily high level of pollution and/or energy consumption.

In order to achieve energy savings or a reduction in pollutants, a special levy could be introduced for particularly inefficient heating systems, the amount of which can be determined on the basis of the analyses mentioned here. It would also be possible to set up a reward or incentive system for increasing the efficiency of heating systems on the basis of the data collected. This incentive system could, for example, be structured in a similar way to the existing procedure for allocating emission reduction certificates.

Even if the disclosed examples only relate to heating systems 22 operated with oil or gas, the present monitoring device 10 can also be used advantageously with heat pumps. Heat pumps are also inefficient at the beginning of their heating cycle and have a stable operating state in which they have the highest efficiency. After a cold start, heat pumps require a certain amount of time to to create thermodynamic conditions that allow heat to be extracted from the respective medium, for example air. This involves using energy in the form of electricity, which cannot be used as heating energy or can only be used with great losses. Depending on the electricity mix used, this means that pollutants are generated elsewhere without any benefit in the form of heat being gained.

At the beginning of a heating process, the heat yield is even negative. Only gradually does the efficiency approach its maximum, which is approximately reached after 8 to 15 minutes, depending on the system. From this point on, the heat pump is in a stable operating state. This therefore offers the same savings potential as with an oil or gas-powered heating system.

The present invention is unmatched in terms of simplification, handling, feasibility, user-friendliness and costs compared to the prior art.

For example, the cost of installing slide valves, heat meters and fuel meters using conventional means is around €2,000. In comparison, the cost of installing the present invention is only €200.

The present invention has a number of advantages: Specific automated statements on efficiency in heating operation, specific automated statements on relative pollutant emissions, greater accuracy than conventional heat meters, direct display/conversion of CO2 emissions, specific calculation and display of recommendations on system optimization, dimensioning, fuel, pollutants and CO2 saving potential. The present invention also has a self-charging, self-sufficient inductive energy supply. It is user-friendly and can be used immediately by end users.

Heating systems 22 in Germany currently carry out an average of 20,000 starts per year. By specifically adapting the installed heating systems 22 based on the data determined by the monitoring device 10, it is possible to reduce this number to less than 12,000, in some cases to less than 5,000. This would save significant amounts of pollutants and CO2. Even just doubling the average burning time and reducing the number of burner starts by half would reduce pollutant emissions by more than 50%.

In particular, the monitoring device 10 and the analysis methods make it possible to determine the efficiency of the heating system 22 in its specific environment. Incorrect dimensioning is detected regardless of the building type, environmental data or user behavior.

In addition, the creation of a central database could make it possible to record environmental pollution and measure consumption at the state level in accordance with the polluter pays principle.

List of reference symbols

10

Monitoring device

12

Processing facility

14

Data storage facility

16

Sensor device

18

Energy supply facility

20

Connecting cable (of the sensor device)

22

Heating system

24

Heating control

26

Fuel release valve (heating system unit)

28

Burner device

30

Control line

32

Display setup

34

Input module

36

Cloud server

38

Communication facility

40

Energy generation facility

Claims (10)

Method for determining energy deficits in the operation of a heating system (22), characterized by the steps: a) recording operating data of the heating system (22) over time; b) storing the recorded operating data in a data storage device (14); c) comparing the recorded and/or stored operating data with reference data to determine deviations which indicate an inefficiency of the heating system (22). Procedure according to Claim 1 , characterized in that for the acquisition of the data in step a) one or more of the following operating parameters of the heating system (22) are recorded: A number of system starts within a recurring period, an operating time of the system within recurring periods, a date and/or time of a system start, an operating time of the system after each system start, a total operating time of the heating system over a recurring period. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in step c) the number of plant starts over a period of one year is compared with reference values for the number of plant starts over the period of one year. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in step c) the number of system starts on a calendar day is compared with a reference value determined on the basis of long-term average weather data or from measured weather data for the respective day. Monitoring device (10) for determining energy deficits in the operation of a heating system (22), comprising a processing device (12), a data storage device (14), a sensor device (16) connected to the processing device (12), wherein the sensor device (16) is designed to be arranged on a unit (26) of the heating system (22) and/or on a control line (30) of the unit (26) and to detect an activation of the unit (26), the processing device (12) is designed to record the detected activation and to store and/or update at least one data set relating to properties of the activation in the data storage device (14). Monitoring device according to Claim 5 , characterized in that the sensor device (16) is designed for inductive detection of the activation of the unit (26). Monitoring device according to Claim 5 or 6 , characterized by an energy generation device for arrangement on the unit (26), which is designed to generate energy from an alternating electromagnetic field generated by the unit (26) operated with alternating current. Monitoring device according to one of the Claims 5 until 7 , characterized by a communication device (38) for communicating with remotely arranged devices of the processing device (12). Monitoring device according to one of the Claims 5 until 8th , characterized in that the processing device (12) and/or the sensor device (16) are designed to carry out at least one step of a method according to one of the Claims 1 until 4 is set up. Monitoring device according to one of the Claims 5 until 9 , characterized in that the sensor device (16) can be mounted and dismounted without interfering with a control line (30) and/or the unit (26).

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