WO2010140090A1

WO2010140090A1 - Energy information apparatus and method

Info

Publication number: WO2010140090A1
Application number: PCT/IB2010/052366
Authority: WO
Inventors: Koen Johanna Guillaume Holtman
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Priority date: 2009-06-05
Filing date: 2010-05-27
Publication date: 2010-12-09

Abstract

The present invention relates to an energy information apparatus (12) for generating and displaying energy saving information for a predetermined location including one or more devices (14, 16, 18, 20) influencing the energy consumption at said predetermined location (10), said apparatus comprising: a weather data storage means (22) for storing current weather data and/or weather trend data for the predetermined location (10), a processing means (24) for determining one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and a related energy saving information indicating the amount of energy and/or the energy costs saved by setting one or more of said devices to the respective one or more of said recommended device settings and/or performing one or more of said recommended user actions based on the current weather data and/or the weather trend data, and a display means (26) for displaying the one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and the related energy saving information.

Description

Energy information apparatus and method

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an energy information apparatus and a corresponding method for generating and displaying energy saving information for a predetermined location including one or more devices influencing the energy consumption at said predetermined location. Further, the present invention relates to a processor, in particular for such an energy information apparatus, and to a computer program.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are a lot of energy saving opportunities in daily life. In summary, among them are for residential housing:

Adaptive control heating/ventilation: up to 60-120 EUR/year/household; depends strongly on natural gas / oil price and on when the house was built (newer houses are more energy efficient; needs to overcome a usability gap to make this work.

Educating the user: up to 30-60 EUR/year/household; needs to overcome a usability gap to make this work.

Standby killer etc. (electrical devices): up to -20 EUR/year/household; already for sale, takes 8-12 months to earn back in savings, but something is preventing people from buying these.

For offices, schools etc. energy saving opportunities include improvements of control and maintenance, but the savings potential is only about 1/3 of that of total residential housing.

It is known that most households who have a programmable heating thermostat never actually program it, but are content to leave it on the default setting, with the 'night/heating off period typically being defined as 12pm-6am. Obviously this default setting is sub-optimal in most households both for energy usage and comfort.

Across the world, there are plans to roll out 'smart energy meters' in households. A smart meter generally refers to a type of advanced meter (usually an electrical meter) that identifies consumption in more detail than a conventional meter; and optionally, but generally, communicates that information via some network back to the local utility for monitoring and billing purposes (telemetering). The smart meter (for example the model considered by the Dutch government for The Netherlands) also often offers the option to report energy usage via an interface cable to another device connected to the meter, which can then send this data wirelessly to other devices (e.g. energy usage displays) in the households. Thus, smart meter deployment and cheap wireless chipsets give new

(economically viable) technical options developing useful energy usage display devices that try to change consumer behavior.

In addition to live usage data, the smart energy meter often also has a facility by which an energy provider can transmit any type of information (e.g. weather data) via the meter to a device in the home.

US 6,216,956 discloses an indoor environmental condition control and energy management system including a plurality of inputs. A user input receives user input parameters including a desired indoor environmental condition range for at least one energy unit price point. An indoor environmental condition input receives a sensed indoor environmental condition. An energy price input receives a schedule of projected energy unit prices per time periods. A processor, coupled to the inputs, computes an environmental condition deadband range for multiple energy unit price points based on the user input parameters and controls at least one energy-consuming load device to maintain the indoor environmental condition within the computed deadband range for a then-current energy unit price point. In an embodiment, the environmental condition includes at least temperature and the at least one load device includes a heating and cooling system. The processor, in one embodiment, communicates through a communications link with at least one energy supply company and selects one energy supply company for a premise to minimize energy consumption cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an energy information apparatus and a corresponding method for generating and displaying energy saving information for a predetermined location which are economically attractive, can be easily installed in provide households, i.e. without a complicated installation process and complex hardware, and which give information to the members of the household in a way that is sufficiently relevant and engaging that it will allow them to change their behavior, leading to a saving in energy usage and, preferably, an increase in comfort. According to a further object a corresponding processor and computer program shall be provided.

In a first aspect of the present invention an energy information apparatus is presented comprising: a weather data storage means for storing current weather data and/or weather trend data for the predetermined location, a processing means for determining one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and a related energy saving information indicating the amount of energy and/or the energy costs saved by setting one or more of said devices to the respective one or more of said recommended device settings and/or performing one or more of said recommended user actions based on the current weather data and/or the weather trend data, and a display means for displaying the one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and the related energy saving information. In a further aspect of the present invention a processor is presented for an energy information apparatus for generating and displaying energy saving information for a predetermined location including one or more devices influencing the energy consumption at said predetermined location, said apparatus comprising a weather data storage means for storing current weather data and/or weather trend data for the predetermined location and a display means for displaying one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and related energy saving information, said processer being adapted for determining one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and a related energy saving information indicating the amount of energy and/or the energy costs saved by setting one or more of said devices to the respective one or more of said recommended device settings and/or performing one or more of said recommended user actions based on the current weather data and/or the weather trend data.

In a further aspect of the present invention a computer program comprising program code means for running on such a processor is presented, said program code means being provided for causing said processor to carry out the step of determining one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and a related energy saving information indicating the amount of energy and/or the energy costs saved by setting one or more of said devices to the respective one or more of said recommended device settings and/or performing one or more of said recommended user actions based on the current weather data and/or the weather trend data.

The present invention is based on the recognition that energy (and cost) savings are possible if the members of the household can be educated more about actual energy use at any given moment. It has been found that some type of feedback (e.g. through an energy usage display) might play an important role in such an education effort, but that the optimal user interface and functionality that will motivate a long term behavioral change are elusive properties.

According to the present invention it is thus proposed to generate and display an energy saving information which shall be understood as an information about the amount of energy and/or the energy costs (i.e. in terms of money) that could be saved if one or more of the proposed recommendations were followed by the user. Those recommendations are generated and displayed according to the present invention and include recommendations regarding the settings of one or more devices present at a predetermined location, which have an influence on the energy consumption at said location.

In this context, "predetermined location" shall be understood as an area of limited extent, such as a private household (e.g. a complete house or an apartment, or even only a single room), a building (e.g. a school, an office building or a storage house), or a site (e.g. a factory site). "Devices" influencing the energy consumption at that location may include devices which actively (directly) consume energy, such as heaters, air conditioning (cooling) systems, consumer electronic devices (e.g. a TV set, dishwasher, washing machine, etc.), lamps, or other electric machines. Further, "devices" may also include devices which passively (indirectly) have an influence on the energy consumption at the predetermined location, such as windows, window curtains, window blinds, doors, jalousies, and ventilation systems.

The recommendations generated according to the present invention may further include one or more recommended user actions to be performed by the user, which may include recommendations to set certain devices to certain settings (e.g. to regulate the heater to a certain level, program the electronic thermostat in a certain way, change the settings on a ventilation system, to switch off an electronic device completely rather than remaining in stand-by mode, etc.), or to perform an action that has indirectly an influence on the energy consumption, such as to close a window or a jalousie during the night, close (or keep open) windows or window curtains in un-occupied rooms. According to the present invention the recommendations and the energy saving information are generated based on data stored in a weather data storage means which include current weather data and/or weather trend data for the predetermined location since the weather is a major factor influencing the energy consumption at a predetermined location. Such weather trend data may include predicted weather data. Preferably, both the current weather data and the weather trend data are stored in the weather data storage means and are taken into account for the determination of the recommendations and the energy saving information. Furthermore, current settings of the devices that influence the energy consumption at the location may be taken into account, e.g. the present status of devices like the heater (e.g. the current settings of the room thermostats in each room) or the current status of windows, doors, jalousies etc.

The feedback to the user is achieved according to the present invention by a display means visualizing the recommendations and the related energy saving information. Different visualizations might be possible, e.g. in text form, as icons or in mixed forms, and the recommendations and the energy saving information might be given in various detail. For instance, in one embodiment it might be that only the total amount of energy and/or the energy costs that can be saved (e.g. in a certain period, such as an hour, a day, a week or even longer), if all recommendations were followed, could be displayed, while in another embodiment (or another mode that could be selected) an energy saving information is displayed for each single recommendation or groups of recommendations.

The use of a weather data storage means, which in the preferred embodiment holds enough information to determine a new trend in the weather (e.g. it is getting colder or more windy) allows the device according to the present invention to create recommendations that are related to current weather conditions and changes in the weather that have recently happened or that are predicted to happen in the near future. The recommendations can dynamically change based on the weather situation, and based on (changes in) the weather conditions the most interesting recommendations about many possible recommendations can be selected. The use of a weather data storage means thus makes it possible to create recommendations that are more engaging for the user (e.g. the members of a household) than the recommendations made by existing systems without a weather data storage means.

To select the 'most interesting' recommendation among a possibly large set of possible recommendations, the device according to the present invention can use a weighted ranking system among possible recommendations, e.g. recommendations are ranked higher if they lead to higher energy saving, recommendations are ranked higher if they are related to new weather phenomena, and recommendations are ranked higher if they have not recently been shown before.

The level of relatedness of a recommendation X to a new weather phenomenon could be computed as follows. Two times are taken, Tl and T2, with T2 later than Tl, for which weather data is available in the weather data storage means. Then, the present invention computes ES X Tl, the energy savings at the location if recommendation X is followed in the weather situation at time Tl, and ES X T2 the energy savings at the location if recommendation X is followed in the weather situation at time T2. The relatedness level value R_X=ES_X_T2 - ES X Tl indicates the increased benefit of recommendation X, given the change in the weather. By selecting recommendations X with a high R X value, the current invention can thus select recommendations that are more interesting.

In one possible embodiment, the time Tl is a time in the recent past (e.g. 2 days ago) and the time T2 is the present time - in this case the device according to the present invention will create topical recommendations based on recent changes in the weather.

In another embodiment, Tl is the current time and T2 is a time in the future, so that the weather data storage means actually holds a weather prediction (obtained from some source). In this case, the device according to the present invention will create topical recommendations based on expected changes in the weather. Such recommendations can of course be displayed together with the weather prediction itself.

The user might then have various options. For instance, the user might select various recommendations and follow them while other recommendations are not followed. The user might also ignore all recommendations or accept all of them. In a further embodiment it is proposed that in response to accepting of one or more recommendations the energy saving information is updated based on the accepted recommendations so that the user gets immediate feedback as to the amount of energy saved as a consequence of said accepted recommendations. Various further options exist as will be explained in more detail below.

The present invention thus provides an energy information apparatus and method which is retro-fittable with limited efforts and costs and which enables direct feedback to a user about energy consumption in a predetermined location increasing the user's awareness of energy saving potentials leading to a saving in energy usage. With preferred embodiments also an increasing comfort, e.g. due to a control of devices present at the predetermined location via said energy information apparatus, can be achieved. According to a preferred embodiment the apparatus according to the present invention further comprises a device settings storage means for storing current device settings information indicating the current device settings of one or more or said devices present at said predetermined location, wherein said processing means is adapted for determining said one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and said related energy saving information based on the current weather data, the weather trend data and said current device settings information. The current device settings (e.g. the actual status of a device like a window or a door, i.e. closed or open, or the actual setting of a thermostat) might be input manually, e.g. by a user, or may also be obtained directly from the respective devices, e.g. via a wireless connection, a LAN or bus system installed at the location enabling communication between the device and the energy information apparatus. Nowadays, many devices have the ability to issue a status information about the current setting, e.g. an electronic digital signal, but also respective sensors for sensing the current setting can be provided. Further, communication networks are more and more popular, also in private households, such as bus systems which allow a central control of electric devices like lamps, jalousies or windows, which communication networks can be exploited according to the present invention for transmitting current device settings to the device settings storage means and/or the processing means. This embodiment thus provides the advantage of generating more accurate energy saving information if the current device settings are taken into account in addition to the current and weather trend data.

According to a further embodiment the apparatus further comprises a recommendations storage means for storing possible recommended device settings, changes in device settings and/or user actions for selection by said processing means. The recommendations storage means could thus be organized as a kind of look-up table listing all possible recommendations or at least listing possible recommendations that are available and useful at said predetermined location. The recommendations could also be stored in a template form, wherein each of the one or more recommendation templates includes a representation of the recommendation that can be shown by the display means, and computer readable information (e.g. in the form of constants, mathematical formulae, or executable code) that can be used by the processing means to compute energy savings values like the above described ES X Tl and R X that are associated with following the recommendation. As an example, the template for the recommendation to lower the heating thermostat settings in the location by 1 degree may include, as the representation to be shown by the display means, the text string "Lower the settings on your house thermostat by 1 degree". As a way to compute ES X Tl for this recommendation, the template may include a mathematical formula as follows

ES X Tl = max (0, 500 Units * (22 - OUTSIDETEMP Tl))

where OUTSIDETEMP Tl is a variable representing the outside air temperature at time Tl. This formula estimates the expected energy savings by assuming that (a) the current thermostat setting is 22 degrees and (b) it takes 500 Units of energy per day to raise the temperature of a location 1 extra degree over the outside air temperature. The Units are a unit of energy savings and could be Joules, cubic meters of carbon dioxide or, in a more preferred embodiment, money (e.g. Euros). If more observational variables are available (e.g. current house temperature or thermostat setting, wind speed, humidity, hours of sun per day) then a more sophisticated formula could be used, which would increase the ability of the device to select among the possible recommendations those that are most topical for the current trend in the weather and the current device settings in the location. The number of

500 Units above, which is a constant above, could also be computed using variables applying the particular location, for example in the case of a house the type and size of the house, the number of windows, how well it is isolated, and the average annual energy bill of the house. Preferably, according to a further embodiment an energy saving information storage means is provided for storing possible savings of the amount of energy and of the energy costs for possible recommended device settings and/or user actions. Hence, when the processing means generates a recommendation, for instance by selection from the recommendation storage means, it can easily determine the corresponding energy saving information associated with the particular recommendation by looking this up in the energy saving information storage means. The content thereof, i.e. the energy saving information for a particular recommendation, can, for instance, be collected based on energy consumption in the past. However, in alternative embodiments, this information can be collected from an average location, e.g. an average house, reflecting as much as possible the particular circumstances at the particular location where the energy information apparatus is installed. According to a further embodiment the processing means is adapted for using an energy saving model defining the relationship between different weather conditions, device settings of one or more devices and energy consumption in the predetermined location or in a reference location, in particular a type of location similar to the predetermined location, for determining said one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and said related energy saving information.

Preferably, the processing means is adapted for determining the energy saving model, in particular based on historical weather data for the predetermined location, historical energy consumption data for a predetermined location indicating the energy consumption at the predetermined location in the past and/or predicted energy saving information previously determined for the predetermined location. In this way, a rather accurate energy saving model can be determined so that also the energy saving information can be determined quite accurately. Preferably, the energy saving model is also not fixed, but is continuously adapted based on the actual data about the weather and the energy consumption.

In an advantageous embodiment the weather data storage means is adapted for storing historical weather data for the predetermined location. Further, the energy information apparatus comprises an energy consumption storage means for storing historical energy consumption data for the predetermined location indicating the total energy consumption and/or of one or more energy consumers at the predetermined location in the past. Preferably, the corresponding historical energy costs are also stored in addition to the energy consumption. Such historical data can be used by the processing means to accurately determine the useful recommendations for device settings and/or user actions since the resulting savings can be easily seen for the recommendations given in the past (and followed by the user). In other words, recommendations that have not resulted in sufficient or considerable energy savings in the past can be excluded or recommended with less priority than other recommendations that have resulted in a large energy saving in the past.

In another embodiment a consumption information storage means is provided for storing predicted energy saving information previously determined for the predetermined location. Preferably, also the respective recommendations are stored in addition. This information can be evaluated by the processing means when determining the actual recommendations and the actual energy saving information.

As mentioned above it is preferred that input means are provided. These can be used for entering a user input for changing the current settings of one or more devices, for entering a changing current device settings information and/or weather data, and/or for accepting and/or denying one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions. This enables the user to easily update various data or, if available, for carrying out certain recommendations, e.g. by changing device settings. Even further, if certain devices can be directly controlled (i.e. if their settings can be changed) from the energy information apparatus (e.g. via a wireless link or another network) this might enable the user to perform such a control by accepting recommendations in response to which the respective device setting and/or user action is directly performed without further action by the user.

To provide the user with a better overview the processing means is preferably adapted for determining an energy consumption trend information indicating the past, current and/or predicted energy consumption and/or energy costs for the predetermined location and wherein the display means is adapted for displaying the energy consumption trend information for comparison with an energy consumption target. In this way the user can see how his behavior, i.e. the acceptance or denial of recommendations, in the past has influenced the energy consumption (and preferably also the energy costs) which might have an impact on the user's future behavior.

Advantageously, a comparison data storage means is provided for storing comparison data indicating the energy consumption and/or energy costs at a comparison location identical or similar to the predetermined location. This may also contribute to give the user a better overview and an indication whether or not his behavior regarding energy consumption is good or bad, i.e. if there is still potential for improvement or if his behavior is already better than at the comparison location. The comparison data could be collected for example by other instances of the present invention that are operating at comparable locations, with each instance sending its data over a network to a central location. In still another embodiment the processing means is adapted for determining an energy consumption information indicating the energy consumption and/or energy costs in the past, in particular in the recent past, that would have occurred if device settings had not been changed and/or user actions had not been performed in the past as recommended. This information might also be displayed and have an impact on the user's future behavior. Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims. It shall be understood that the claimed method, processor and computer program have similar and/or identical preferred embodiments as the claimed device and as defined in the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment(s) described hereinafter. In the following drawings

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a location including an energy information apparatus according to the present invention, Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of an energy information apparatus according to the present invention,

Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of an energy information apparatus according to the present invention, and Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a third embodiment of an energy information apparatus according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a predetermined location, in this example a private house 10, including an energy information apparatus 12 according to the present invention. In a house 10 a number of devices 14, 16, 18, 20 are present which have a direct or indirect influence on the energy consumption of the house 10. Various types of devices might be among such devices.

For instance, a first group of devices, represented by device 14, are connected via a bidirectional line (e.g. a W-LAN, a LAN, an RF connection or a bus system) with the apparatus 12 for transmitting information (e.g. current settings or current energy consumption) from the device 14 to the apparatus and for transmitting information (e.g. control commands or new settings) from the apparatus 12 to the device 14. Such a device 14, might, for instance, be a heater, which has a direct influence on the energy consumption of the house 10, since it directly consumes energy (e.g. oil or gas), or a controllable window in the roof, which indirectly influences the energy consumption of the house 10, e.g. by letting warm air leave the house in open state during winter time.

In this context, the term "energy" shall generally be understood as any kind of energy, particularly energy for which the user (e.g. the resident) of the house has to pay for, such as electrical energy, gas, oil or long-distance heating. Even water might be considered and taken into account in certain embodiments.

Further devices, as represented by device 16, might be connected with the apparatus 12 via a unidirectional link from the device 16 to the apparatus 12, for instance for transmitting their actual status information and settings to the apparatus 12. Those devices 16 might include consumer electronic devices, such as TV-sets, refrigerators, but possibly also windows, doors, or jalousies.

Another group of devices, represented by device 18, are connected to the apparatus via a unidirectional link for transmitting information from the apparatus to the devices 18. Such devices 18 might include devices which are controllable by the apparatus 12, e.g. jalousies, windows or certain electronic devices, such as lamps or jalousies.

Still further, a fourth group of devices, represented by device 20, includes devices which are not directly connected to their apparatus 12, such as ordinary doors, windows, radiators. Particularly in older houses, this holds for most or for all devices present there.

Of course, the kind of connection between the devices and the apparatus 12 much depends on the particular facilities within the house and the functionalities of the respective devices. However, the kind of facilities and functionalities does generally not have an influence on the general idea of the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows a further simple embodiment of an energy information apparatus 12 according to the present invention. It comprises a weather data storage means 22, e.g. an electronic memory device such as a semiconductor memory (e.g. a flash memory), for storing weather data and/or weather trend data (preferably both) for the predetermined location 10. The energy information apparatus 12 further comprises a processing means 24, such as a microprocessor or a computer, for determining one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and a related energy saving information indicating the amount of energy and/or the energy costs saved by setting one or more of the devices 12, 14, 16, 18 to the respective one or more of said recommended device settings and/or performing one or more of said recommended user actions based on the current weather data and/or the weather trend data (preferably both) that can be retrieved from the weather data storage means 22. Still further, the energy information apparatus 24 comprises a display means 26, e.g. a small monitor or display (e.g. an LED display), for displaying the one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and a related energy saving information. A more elaborate embodiment of an energy information apparatus 12 according to the present invention is schematically illustrated in Fig. 3. In addition to the elements illustrated in Fig. 2 the embodiment of the energy information apparatus 12 shown in Fig. 3 further comprises a device settings storage means 28, e.g. an electronic memory, for storing current device settings information indicating the current device settings of the devices 14 and 16, which are able to transmit such settings information about their present settings (e.g. their present status such as on, off or stand-by, or the current temperature level for a heater, etc.). The device setting storage means 28 is also coupled to the processor 24 for transmitting the device settings storage information stored therein to the processor 24 for taking it into account, in addition to the weather data, for the determination of the energy saving information.

In addition, an input means 30, e.g. an input terminal such as a keyboard or a touch-screen terminal, is provided for entering a user input for various purposes. Such purposes may include, depending on the respective implementation and desired functionality, the change of the current settings of one or more devices. For instance, the current settings of the devices 14 and 18 could be changed by a user input at the input means 30 through the processor 24 (and, if needed, a control unit) since these devices allow to receive information from the energy information apparatus 12. Further, via the input means 30 the current device settings information and/or weather data may be entered or changed. For instance, for devices like the devices 18 and 20, which are not able to transmit their actual settings to the energy information apparatus 12, a user can input this information via the input means 30 into the device settings storage means 28 (and/or directly to the processor 24). It should be noted that, for the present invention to make a recommendation for a device, it is not absolutely necessary that the current settings of the device are known to the present invention. As shown in the example of a template above, the recommendations can be made based on intelligent guesses about such settings, for example the guess that the average heating system thermostat is set at 22 degrees Celsius. It is not a huge problem if such a guess leads to making a recommendation that about that makes no sense, e.g. a recommendation to close all windows that is made when all windows have already been closed. Such a recommendation can be made in a somewhat tentative wording. E.g. 'closing any open windows in this weather will lead to a savings of XXX'; the user will simply discard the recommendation if it is not applicable.

Further, also the weather data could be inputted into the weather data storage means 22 by the user, particularly the current weather data, if the weather data storage means 22 is not updated automatically, for instance through a link to a weather station somewhere at the predetermined location (e.g. outside the house) or to an external weather data provider, for instance through the internet.

Still further, through the input means 30 the user is able to accept and/or deny one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions which can neither be used to control devices directly and/or to see which effects such denials or acceptances have on the energy saving, provided the processor 24 provides a direct feedback by updating the determined energy saving information based on such acceptances and denials. Another embodiment of an energy information apparatus according to the present invention is schematically depicted in Fig. 4. In addition to the elements shown in Fig. 3 the energy information apparatus 12 further comprises a recommendations storage means 32, e.g. an electronic memory, for storing possible recommended device settings and/or user actions for selection by the processor 24. Therein, the recommendations for device settings and/or user actions can be stored, for instance as a listing or in template form. Preferably only those recommendations are stored (or accessible for selection) which are available at the predetermined location (or only those recommendations are marked accordingly for selection by the processor 24). Further, in this embodiment an energy saving information storage means 34, e.g. an electronic memory, is provided for storing possible savings of the amount of energy and of the energy costs for possible recommended device settings and/or user actions. Hence, if the processor selects a particular device setting or user action from the recommendations storage means 32 it can also look up the corresponding possible saving that would be achieved if the user accepted said recommendation. The content of this database can be administered in various ways. For instance, the possible savings can be adapted based on real situations that appeared in the past or can be provided with data from the user via the input means 30. Further, data can also be loaded into the energy saving information storage means 34 from outside, e.g. from an energy provider or another service provider specialized on how to save energy.

To give an example, such an energy saving information could indicate that if the heater in a certain room is regulated down by two levels during the coming night for ten hours, an amount of 1OkWh of electrical energy and of 0.5 EUR can be saved.

Since the costs for energy are changing from time to time, the information stored in the energy saving information storage means has to be updated from time to time, which can also be automated if an external link is provided.

The energy information apparatus 12 according to the present invention further comprises an energy consumption storage means 36, e.g. an electronic memory, for storing historical energy consumption data for the predetermined location indicating the total energy consumption and/or the energy consumption of one or more energy consumers at the predetermined location in the past. Based on this historical energy consumption data it is possible to determine (i.e. foresee) more accurately, how much energy can be saved if certain measures were taken by the user since it can be seen which energy had been saved in the past for such measures. A further improvement can be achieved if the weather data storage means 22 in this case store historical weather data so that also this information could be taken into account for determining the energy saving information.

Still further, the energy information apparatus 12 comprises a consumption information storage means 38, e.g. an electronic memory, for storing predicted energy saving information previously determined for the predetermined location. Based on this historical energy saving information another improvement in the determination of the current energy saving information can be obtained.

Finally, a comparison data storage means 40 is provided, e.g. an electronic memory, for storing comparison data indicating the energy consumption and/or energy costs at a comparison location identical or similar to the predetermined location. This database can be used by the processor 24 to retrieve information about the energy consumption and/or the energy costs for particular recommendations that it is intended to give to the user. Hence, with such comparison data storage means there is no need to collect and store energy consumption data and/or energy costs for the actual location that have appeared in the past, provided the data of the comparison location reflect the real situation with sufficient accuracy.

As shown in Fig. 4, the weather data storage means 22 can be connected, for instance via an RF link or another communication link to the internet 44 or to a weather station 46 for obtaining current and/or weather trend data. Such weather data may generally include the temperature, humidity and air pressure, but more or less factors might be evaluated as well, such as hours of sunshine, rain or snow, or the speed and direction of wind. As described above, it is advantageous if a real weather prediction can be obtained from the weather station 46, but this is not required - recommendations can also be made based on trends observed in recent weather data. It shall be understood that all the elements of the embodiment of the energy information apparatus illustrated in Fig. 4 do not necessarily need to be present in a real implementation but a number of options for combining those elements into a certain implementation exist, particularly depending on the needs of the user, the facilities present at the location and the functionalities of the devices. Generally, all possible combinations of all elements are possible and solve the object underlying the present invention. For example, the processing means 24 and the weather data storage means 22 might not be physically in the same location as the display means 26, e.g. using an internet services architecture the processing means 24 and weather data storage means 22 might be on a remote web server outside of the location 10. Another helpful information for the user can be an energy trend information indicating the past, current and/or predicted energy consumption and/or energy costs for the predetermined location. This can be calculated by the processor in another embodiment and displayed on the display 26. This gives quite a good feedback to the user how his behavior has had an influence on the energy consumption and/or energy costs in the past. In addition, also the energy saving information could be displayed that would have been achieved provided the user had followed all (or the most important) recommendations in the past. In summary, the energy information apparatus proposed according to the present invention can show to the members of a household information including a prediction of the future energy usage of the house, preferably expressed in units that are meaningful to members of the household. For instance an information could be: "If you do not take any measure today like closing the curtains earlier or setting the heating 1 degree lower, you will use EUR 1 more in energy than yesterday, because the outside temperature is 4° lower". The prediction can be made by using some type of formula, which may use as an input measurements of the energy usage of the house and information about the weather (in the past, at present and/or in the future), which information can be obtained from local sensors in or around the house, or the general infrastructure like satellites, weather radar, professional weather stations at airports etc., or other sources that offer such data in aggregated and/or processed form. Further information might be used, like conversion information (e.g. cubic meters of natural gas to Euros), thermostat and other equipment settings, measurement of activity happening in the household (curtain open or closed, light on or off, how much energy is used at the moment), or information about energy prices that change quickly.

The energy information apparatus may also show energy usage trend information, e.g. predictions for the next day or the next few days relative to actual usage in the previous few days. Further information that may be shown includes a weather prediction or other types of usage trend information.

Connections, for instance via a smart meter to receive data, may also be used, as well as wireless communication and/or battery power to ensure that it can be installed easily. As a further option, the energy information apparatus may use an auxiliary energy information apparatus connected to a smart meter by a data cable, with this auxiliary energy information apparatus sending on data wirelessly to the energy information apparatus. Still further, the energy information apparatus could connect to a home computer, the internet, or other devices in order to create information displays that further increase user engagement. For instance, the energy saving information for the own house could be compared to an energy saving information of the neighbors or an average usage over many houses. Also historical information of an entire year could be looked at a computer.

It is further to be noted that the some or all of the calculations that lead to the creation and displaying of recommendations need not necessarily to be executed in the energy information apparatus itself, but they could also be done entirely or in part off-site, with results being transferred into the energy information apparatus.

The present invention thus aims to create sufficient levels of engagement in the members of a household or at another predetermined location by combining weather data with energy usage data. As the weather is always changing and of interest to most people, this creates an incentive for the members of the household to keep coming back to the energy information apparatus, maintaining the interest that is needed to sustain a behavioral change. Since weather data is generally the same for a large area, it can be gathered and sent to multiple energy information apparatuses in multiple homes at economically interesting prices.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single element or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measured cannot be used to advantage.

A computer program may be stored/distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunication systems.

Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An energy information apparatus (12) for generating and displaying energy saving information for a predetermined location including one or more devices (14, 16, 18, 20) influencing the energy consumption at said predetermined location (10), said apparatus comprising: a weather data storage means (22) for storing current weather data and/or weather trend data for the predetermined location (10), a processing means (24) for determining one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and a related energy saving information indicating the amount of energy and/or the energy costs saved by setting one or more of said devices to the respective one or more of said recommended device settings and/or performing one or more of said recommended user actions based on the current weather data and/or the weather trend data, and a display means (26) for displaying the one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and the related energy saving information.

2. The energy information apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a device settings storage (28) means for storing current device settings information indicating the current device settings of one or more or said devices present at said predetermined location, wherein said processing means (24) is adapted for determining said one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and said related energy saving information based on the current weather data, the weather trend data and said current device settings information.

3. The energy information apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recommendations storage means (32) for storing possible recommended device settings, changes in device settings and/or user actions for selection by said processing means.

4. The energy information apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an energy saving information storage means (34) for storing possible savings of the amount of energy and of the energy costs for possible recommended device settings and/or user actions.

5. The energy information apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing means is adapted for using an energy saving model defining the relationship between different weather conditions, device settings of one or more devices and energy consumption in the predetermined location or in a reference location, in particular a type of location similar to the predetermined location, for determining said one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and said related energy saving information.

6. The energy information apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said processing means (24) is adapted for determining the energy saving model, in particular based on historical weather data for the predetermined location, historical energy consumption data for the predetermined location indicating the energy consumption at the predetermined location in the past and/or predicted energy saving information previously determined for the predetermined location.

7. The energy information apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an energy consumption storage means (36) for storing historical energy consumption data for the predetermined location indicating the total energy consumption and/or of one or more energy consumers at the predetermined location in the past, wherein said weather data storage means (22) is adapted for storing historical weather data for the predetermined location.

8. The energy information apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a consumption information storage means (38) for storing predicted energy saving information previously determined for the predetermined location.

9. The energy information apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an input means (30) for entering a user input for changing the current settings of one or more devices, entering or changing current device settings information and/or weather data, and/or accepting and/or denying one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions.

10. The energy information apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing means (24) is adapted for determining an energy consumption trend information indicating the past, current and/or predicted energy consumption and/or energy costs for the predetermined location and wherein the display means is adapted for displaying the energy consumption trend information for comparison with an energy consumption target.

11. The energy information apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a comparison data storage means (40) for storing comparison data indicating the energy consumption and/or energy costs at a comparison location identical or similar to the predetermined location.

12. The energy information apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing means (24) is adapted for determining an energy consumption information indicating the energy consumption and/or energy costs in the past, in particular in the recent past, that would have occurred if device settings had not been changed and/or user actions had not been performed in the past as recommended.

13. An energy information method for generating and displaying energy saving information for a predetermined location including one or more devices (14, 16, 18, 20) influencing the energy consumption at said predetermined location (10), said method comprising the steps of: storing current weather data and/or weather trend data for the predetermined location, determining one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and a related energy saving information indicating the amount of energy and/or the energy costs saved by setting one or more of said devices to the respective one or more of said recommended device settings and/or performing one or more of said recommended user actions based on the current weather data and/or the weather trend data, and displaying the one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and the related energy saving information.

14. A processor for an energy information apparatus (12) for generating and displaying energy saving information for a predetermined location including one or more devices (14, 16, 18, 20) influencing the energy consumption at said predetermined location (10), said apparatus comprising a weather data storage means (22) for storing current weather data and/or weather trend data for the predetermined location (10) and a display means (26) for displaying one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and related energy saving information, said processer being adapted for determining one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and a related energy saving information indicating the amount of energy and/or the energy costs saved by setting one or more of said devices to the respective one or more of said recommended device settings and/or performing one or more of said recommended user actions based on the current weather data and/or the weather trend data.

15. A computer program comprising program code means for running on a processor, the processor being provided for an energy information apparatus (12) for generating and displaying energy saving information for a predetermined location including one or more devices (14, 16, 18, 20) influencing the energy consumption at said predetermined location, said apparatus comprising a weather data storage means (22) for storing current weather data and/or weather trend data for the predetermined location (10) and a display means (26) for displaying one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and related energy saving information, said program code means being provided for causing said processor to carry out the step of determining one or more recommended device settings and/or user actions and a related energy saving information indicating the amount of energy and/or the energy costs saved by setting one or more of said devices (14, 16, 18, 20) to the respective one or more of said recommended device settings and/or performing one or more of said recommended user actions based on the current weather data and/or the weather trend data.