Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
PASSIVE ENERGY LOOP SYSTEM AND METHOD
FIELD
The present invention relates generally to the field of energy systems, and
more particularly to
energy systems for heating and cooling multiple buildings in a campus or
community development.
BACKGROUND
When developing a sustainability plan for multiple buildings, based on a Green-
House Gas and
Energy Reduction Strategy, the energy plan often includes provisions for all
buildings to be
adaptable to an alternative sustainable energy source. Air conditioning is
typically not
incorporated into these alternative energy systems although it is often
provided for separately in
many geographic locations. For example, in certain suitable geographic
locations, heat pumps
and geothermal wells may be used for moderating the heating and cooling of the
buildings.
Generally speaking, there are two basic types of heat pumps. A first type is
an air source heat pump
which draws its energy from the air, and also rejects its excess energy into
the air. A second type
of heat pump is a water source heat pump which draws its energy from a water
or ground source,
and also rejects or stores its excess energy into a water or ground source. As
an illustrative example,
excess heat from a heat pump can be used to meet the domestic hot water
requirements of a
building. For this purpose, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) heat pumps may be
used. VRFs have
been broadly used worldwide over the past 15 to 20 years, but it has only been
the past 4 or 5 years
that their use in North America has gained broad acceptance. A heat pump has a
COP or
"Coefficient of Performance" of about 3.0 to 5.5, or more depending on the
diversity of demand
and efficiency of the development. A COP of 3.0 means that for one unit of
energy used, 3 units
of energy will be produced. Typically, a water source heat pump is more
efficient than an air source
heat pump, as the water source has a more constant temperature range than does
the air.
Heretofore, developments of neighborhood energy systems have all been based on
a 'low carbon'
external energy source, typically a high temperature system. These have been
considered as
opportunities for the creation of 'utilities' that can earn a regulated return
on their investment of
infrastructure including heating / energy plants. However, these systems
ignore or exclude the
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demand for cooling or air conditioning at a time when buildings are becoming
more efficient and
air tight. The problem is that these 'sealed' buildings retain the thermal
energy to a point where
very little space heating is required although the demand for domestic hot
water remains. To
maintain or provide occupant comfort within these environments, cooling or air
conditioning has
become expected.
While utilizing both heating and cooling units to moderate a temperature and
humidity within a
building is known, depending on the size of the building, a fully automated
energy system for each
building may be cost prohibitive, and a common practice is therefore to
release this excess energy
into the atmosphere. Furthermore, optimizing energy utilization at a building
level could leave
opportunities for additional efficiencies unrealized.
Therefore, what is needed is an improved system and method which can optimize
energy usage on
a wider scale, within multiple buildings of a campus or development.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure describes a "passive energy loop" system and method for
optimizing energy
usage within multiple buildings of a campus or development.
The term "passive energy loop" is used in the present disclosure to describe a
novel integrated
thermal energy recycling system that harvests thermal energy from multiple
buildings, and shares
excess energy with adjacent buildings within a campus or development, via a
fluid filled ambient
temperature ground loop, preferably embodied as one or more pipes passing
through or connecting
all of the buildings.
The energy loop provides energy storage and buffering of the daily temperature
differentials
between the heat pump systems and the buildings. The temperature of the fluid
in the energy loop
is uniquely tempered to achieve the optimal operating temperature in order to
maximize the
coefficient of performance for the water source heat pumps within the
buildings that are connected
to the energy loop. The temperature of the fluid in the energy loop is
tempered by receiving or
rejecting thermal energy from mechanical or electrical equipment that can
include:
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¨ sewer heat recovery / transfer / rejection such as a Sharc or Piranha
¨ geo-exchange or geo-thermal ground wells or other thermal storage
including water
tanks, pools, or specialized bulk materials
¨ gas or electric heaters
¨ fluid chillers
¨ heat pumps
¨ solar panels or solar tubes
¨ any other equipment or device capable of raising or lowering the ambient
temperature of
the fluid within the energy loop,
The temperature of the fluid in the energy loop is tempered to meet the
optimal hourly, daily, and
monthly temperature of the energy system to achieve the highest possible
coefficient of
performance for the water source heat pumps serving the spaces within the
building or buildings
connected to the energy loop.
The optimal temperature is determined by Predictive Analytics based on data
monitored and
collected from the elements that influence the selected temperature within the
building spaces and
systems that can include but are not limited to;
¨ thermostats
¨ occupant load
¨ building envelope performance calculations
¨ water source heat pumps
¨ fan coil units
¨ building fans
¨ electrical meters
¨ calculated electrical loads of equipment including lighting
¨ use of building spaces
¨ temperature forecasts
¨ ground temperatures
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A computer system or systems control the temperature of the fluid in the loop
in advance of the
predicted demand on an hourly basis to achieve the optimal operating
temperature of the water
source heat pumps within the buildings.
In an aspect, the energy loop provides energy storage and buffering of the
daily temperature
differentials between the heat pump systems and the buildings. The temperature
of the fluid in the
energy loop is uniquely tempered to achieve the optimal operating temperature
in order to
maximize the coefficient of performance for the water source heat pumps within
the buildings that
are connected to the energy loop. The temperature of the fluid in the energy
loop is tempered by
receiving or rejecting thermal energy from various mechanical or electrical
equipment.
.. This may include sewer heat recovery and transfer/rejection systems, geo-
exchange or geo-thermal
ground wells or other thermal storage including water tanks, pools, or
specialized bulk materials,
gas or electric heaters, fluid chillers, heat pumps, solar panels or solar
tubes, and any other
equipment or device capable of raising or lowering the ambient temperature of
the fluid within the
energy loop.
In an aspect, water source heat pumps harvest and recycle thermal energy from
todays' inherently
air tight efficient buildings, and repurpose it for other uses, such as
heating hot water for circulation
in the building. In turn, the domestic hot water can be recycled and
regenerated through a building
waste water heat recovery unit, to recapture the heat from the waste water.
In an embodiment, the building's heat pump condensing units are linked
together by a fluid loop
within each building, and between adjacent buildings by an ambient temperature
ground loop or
"passive energy loop", as referenced above. Excess energy within the system
can also be made
available through a municipal sewer system to a downstream building within the
campus or
development, such that the downstream building can extract that heat utilizing
its own sewer heat
recovery and rejection unit.
Advantageously, the system and method described herein creates an ambient
temperature ground
or "passive energy loop" by utilizing either an integrated geothermal well
field which stores the
excess energy to meet seasonal demand, and or by a building scale or community
scale sewer heat
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recovery and rejection unit that transfers energy to and from waste water
passing through adjacent
buildings.
A fully integrated "passive energy loop" system can achieve a COP of 5 to 7
times the amount of
input energy, typically provided as an electrical input, and provide for
building space heating and
cooling, as well as domestic hot water needs.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in
detail, it is to be
understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details
of construction and to
the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or
the examples provided
therein, or illustrated in the drawings. Therefore, it will be appreciated
that a number of variants
and modifications can be made without departing from the teachings of the
disclosure as a whole.
Therefore, the present system, method and apparatus is capable of other
embodiments and of being
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that
the phraseology and
terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not
be regarded as
limiting.
.. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present system and method will be better understood, and objects of the
invention will become
apparent, when consideration is given to the following detailed description
thereof. Such
description makes reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an illustrative passive energy loop
in accordance with
an embodiment.
FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of an enlarged portion of the passive
energy loop of FIG.
1 showing a typical, illustrative building.
FIG. 3 shows a schematic block diagram of a generic computer system which may
provide a
suitable environment for one or more embodiments.
In the drawings, embodiments are illustrated by way of example. It is to be
expressly understood
that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustration and
as an aid to
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understanding, and are not intended as describing the accurate performance and
behavior of the
embodiments and a definition of the limits of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As noted above, the present invention relates to a passive energy loop system
and method.
The present disclosure describes a "passive energy loop" system and method for
optimizing energy
usage within multiple buildings of a campus or development.
The term "passive energy loop" is used in the present disclosure to describe a
novel integrated
thermal energy recycling system that harvests thermal energy from multiple
buildings, and shares
excess energy with adjacent buildings within a campus or development, via a
fluid filled ambient
temperature ground loop, preferably embodied as one or more pipes passing
through or connecting
all of the buildings.
The energy loop provides energy storage and buffering of the daily temperature
differentials
between the heat pump systems and the buildings. The temperature of the fluid
in the energy loop
is uniquely tempered to achieve the optimal operating temperature in order to
maximize the
coefficient of performance for the water source heat pumps within the
buildings that are connected
to the energy loop. The temperature of the fluid in the energy loop is
tempered by receiving or
rejecting thermal energy from mechanical or electrical equipment that can
include:
¨ sewer heat recovery / transfer / rejection such as a Share or Piranha
¨ geo-exchange or geo-thermal ground wells or other thermal storage
including water tanks,
pools, or specialized bulk materials
¨ gas or electric heaters
¨ fluid chillers
¨ heat pumps
¨ solar panels or solar tubes
¨ any other equipment or device capable of raising or lowering the ambient
temperature of
the fluid within the energy loop,
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The temperature of the fluid in the energy loop is tempered to meet the
optimal hourly, daily, and
monthly temperature of the energy system to achieve the highest possible
coefficient of
performance for the water source heat pumps serving the spaces within the
building or buildings
connected to the energy loop.
The optimal temperature is determined by Predictive Analytics based on data
monitored and
collected from the elements that influence the selected temperature within the
building spaces and
systems that can include but are not limited to;
¨ thermostats
¨ occupant load
¨ building envelope performance calculations
¨ water source heat pumps
¨ fan coil units
¨ building fans
¨ electrical meters
¨ calculated electrical loads of equipment including lighting
¨ use of building spaces
¨ temperature forecasts
¨ ground temperatures
A Computer system or systems control the temperature of the fluid in the loop
in advance of the
predicted demand on an hourly basis to achieve the optimal operating
temperature of the water
source heat pumps within the buildings.
In an aspect, water source heat pumps harvest and recycle thermal energy from
todays' inherently
air tight efficient buildings, and repurpose it for other uses, such as
heating hot water for circulation
in the building. In turn, the domestic hot water can be recycled and
regenerated through a building
waste water heat recovery unit, to recapture the heat from the waste water.
In an embodiment, the building's heat pump condensing units are linked
together by a fluid loop
within each building, and between adjacent buildings by an ambient temperature
ground loop or
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"passive energy loop", as referenced above. Excess energy within the system
can also be made
available through a municipal sewer system to a downstream building within the
campus or
development, such that the downstream building can extract that heat utilizing
its own sewer heat
recovery and rejection unit.
Advantageously, the system and method described herein creates an ambient
temperature ground
or "passive energy loop" by utilizing either an integrated geothermal well
field which stores the
excess energy to meet seasonal demand, or by a building scale or community
scale sewer heat
recovery and rejection unit that transfers energy to and from waste water
passing through adjacent
buildings.
A fully integrated "passive energy loop" system and method in accordance with
the present
invention can achieve a COP of 5 to 7 times the amount of inputs energy,
typically provided as an
electrical input, and provide for space heating and cooling, as well as hot
water needs for all of the
buildings. Thus, the purpose of the present system and method is to optimize
the thermal energy
recycling process to provide the highest COP possible, with the objective of
using the least amount
of inputs energy to regenerate the highest amount of heat. By harvesting and
recycling thermal
energy collected by today's air tight energy efficient buildings, and
optimizing thermal energy
recycling through all of the buildings within a campus or development, the
system and method is
able to achieve a COP for the buildings collectively, which otherwise would
not be achievable
individually.
The energy savings may be quantified through the analysis of the kilowatt
hours of energy used
per square meter of building per year (kwh/m2/yr), for all of the buildings
connected by the
"passive energy loop".
An illustrative embodiments of the system and method will now be described
with reference to the
drawings.
Referring to FIG. 1, shown is a schematic block diagram of an illustrative
passive energy loop
system 100 in accordance with an embodiment. In a preferred embodiment, as
shown in FIG. 1,
the physical structure of the "passive energy loop" system is a single pipe of
ambient temperature
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fluid loop 110 which connects multiple buildings 120a, 120b, 120c within a
campus or
development.
More generally, the "passive energy loop" 110 connects multiple energy
transfer centers 130a,
130b, 130c within each building 120a, 120b, 120c, respectively, allowing the
buildings 120a ¨
120c to share and to store excess energy, or to reject excess energy to the
"passive energy loop"
110, where it can be transferred to downstream energy systems of other
buildings 120a ¨ 120c
connected to the "passive energy loop" 110.
Still referring to FIG. 1, the "passive energy loop" 110 of system 100 may be
connected to a
thermal storage unit 140, which acts as a heat sink when the system 100 needs
to shed the excess
thermal energy, and a heat source when the system 100 requires additional
thermal energy to be
put back into the "passive energy loop" 110. A remotely controllable valve 142
can control when
a thermal storage unit 140 puts thermal energy back into the system.
Still referring to FIG. 1, the "passive energy loop" 110 of system 100 may be
further connected to
a sewage heat recovery and transfer unit 150. The sewage heat recovery and
transfer unit 150 may
also act as a heat sink or heat source, depending on whether the "passive
energy loop" 100 needs
to shed excess thermal energy, or requires additional thermal energy to be put
back into the
"passive energy loop" 110. A remotely controllable valve 152 may be utilized
to control the amount
of thermal energy put back into the "passive energy loop 110".
In an embodiment, the sewage heat recovery and transfer unit 150 is also
connected to a building
waste water drainage pipe 160 which receives waste water from each of the
buildings 120a ¨ 120c.
The sewage heat recovery and transfer unit 150 is configured to extract heat
from the waste water
flowing through the waste water drainage pipe 160, and to store it for
transfer back into the passive
energy loop" 110, as may be required. If the thermal energy from the waste
water is not required
at a given time, the waste water may be discharged to the municipal waste
water system 170. The
thermal energy collected from the municipal waste water system 170 may be
controlled by a
remotely controllable valve 172.
Still with reference to FIG. 1, a system control center 200 is connected to
each of the buildings
120a ¨ 120c, each of the energy transfer centers 130a ¨ 130c for the
buildings, the thermal storage
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unit 140, and the sewage heat recovery and transfer unit 150. The system
control center 200 thus
communicates with, and receives signals back from, each of the buildings and
components to
which it is connected. The system control center 200 may also be adapted to
send control signals
to each of, the sewage heat recovery and transfer unit valve 152, and remotely
controllable valve
172 for controlling the amount of thermal energy extracted from the municipal
waste water system
170.
In an embodiment, the system control center 200 is connected to a plurality of
sensors located at
each of the buildings and components to which it is connected. In addition,
system control center
200 measures current ambient environmental conditions, and also stores
historic environmental
conditions within the campus or development. The system control center 200
therefore utilizes
current and historical environmental data to create an optimal environment for
all of the buildings
120a ¨ 120c over any given period of time. Historical and current conditions
are used to anticipate
the optimal temperature of the passive loop thereby tempering it to optimize
the COP of the heat
pumps.
Now referring to FIG. 2, shown is a schematic block diagram of an enlarged
portion of the "passive
energy loop" of FIG. 1, with a typically configured individual building 120.
In this illustrative
example, building 120 includes a plurality of water-source heat pumps 210a ¨
210c. Each water
source heat pump 210a, 210b, 210c is operatively connected to one or more
thermal energy loads
220a ¨ 220c, 230a ¨ 230c, connected in parallel. As will be appreciated, the
size of the building
120 and the number of thermal energy loads 220a ¨ 220c, 230a ¨ 230c within
each building 120
will determine the overall load on each water source heat pump 210a, 210b,
210c. The amount of
thermal energy from each water source heat pump 210a, 210b, 210c that is put
back into the
"passive energy loop" 110 may be individually controlled via control valves
212a, 212b, and 212c.
Collectively, the amount of thermal energy released by the building 120 to the
energy transfer
center 130 is controllable via a remotely controllable valve 132.
Still referring to FIG. 2, each energy transfer center 130 includes a heat
exchanger 230 which
controls the flow of thermal energy to and from the building 120. The heat
exchanger 230 is in
turn connected to the "passive energy loop" 110, via a remotely controllable
input valve 232, and
a remotely controllable output 234 to the "passive energy loop" 110. System
control center 200,
CA 3013764 2018-08-08
as previously introduced in FIG. 1, is operatively connected to each of the
control valves 232, 234,
and the heat exchanger unit 230. The system control center 200 is further
connected to a building
communication unit 240, which controls the amount of heat added to, and
collected from, the
plurality of water source heat pumps 210a ¨ 210c. This is achieved by
controlling a plurality of
valves 212a ¨ 212c which release heat from the water source heat pumps 210a ¨
210a, and which
control the overall flow of thermal energy to and from the building 120 by
controlling main valves
132, 134 between the building 120 and its corresponding energy transfer center
130.
In a preferred embodiment, the system 100 utilizes a variable refrigerant flow
or VRF type water
source heat pump for each of the water source heat pumps 210a¨ 210c as
illustrated in FIG. 2. A
VRF water source heat pump can simultaneously recover and transfer heat or
cooling from or to
the fan coil (represented by the 'Thermal Energy Load') units and transfer
excess thermal energy
to satisfy the demand from another unit in the same energy loop system.
VRF heat pumps are more efficient than heat pumps that have been typically
used in earlier
systems, which typically relied on air, ground or water sources as their
energy source. Major
suppliers of VRF heat pumps include Mitsubishi, Daiken and LG. A VRF heat pump
can
simultaneously recover heat or cooling being rejected by a fan coil unit, and
use this thermal energy
to simultaneously satisfy the demand from another unit in the same energy loop
system.
Another type of VRF heat pump that may be used is the heat pump, which is a
three pipe system
of Hot, Ambient, and Cold liquid. This heat pump is controlled by a
specialized valve, which
allows all three pipes to be individually controlled. This type of heat pump
is typically used in
larger scale municipal projects, but may be scaled down to perform on a
"micro" scale ¨ for
residential or commercial buildings ¨ using multiple units to perform a
similar function.
Electricity is the initial energy source used to power the VRF Heating and
Cooling system within
a building. This VRF system then primarily utilizes the thermal energy within
a building as its
primary energy source. The system reclaims or harvests the excess heat from
cooling in one area
of the building and transfers the heat to another via refrigerant lines. It
also efficiently generates
thermal energy through a condensing unit to provide heating or cooling. The
condensing unit is
the main component of a VRF heat pump to which the fan coil units are
connected by refrigerant
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lines, and transfers thermal energy from and to the water / fluid loop within
the building. The
condensing unit can thus generate heat from or reject heat to the water loop.
The fluid loop transfers the thermal energy between floors in the building or
between buildings.
When connected to a ground loop, the excess energy can also be transferred and
stored in the
ground via a geo-exchange well field using the 'earth' like a 'battery'. It
effectively stores the
excess heat in the summer for use in the winter. However, before any excess
heat leaves the
building, it can be captured by a heat pump to provide domestic hot water for
the building. This
domestic hot water is then used for showers, bathing, laundry and dishwashers
before being
drained into the sanitary sewer system. Prior to the waste water leaving the
building, it may be
captured by the sewer heat recovery system, where it is run through a heat
exchanger followed by
a heat pump which 'recycles' that heat back into domestic hot water. Buildings
or developments
within an urban setting can also tap directly into a larger municipal sewer
main to extract or reject
heat from the building system. An illustrative example is the SHARC Wastewater
Energy
Exchange System offered by SHARC Energy Systems.
Mixed use developments have a diversity of uses with heating and cooling loads
making an
ambient passive energy loop system more efficient. A commercial office
building with a high
percentage of vision wall glazing or a grocery store with its refrigeration
requirements contribute
significant heat or 'thermal energy' into the system.
An ambient temperature ground loop itself provides storage and 'buffering' of
the daily
temperature differentials between the heat pump systems and buildings. In an
embodiment, the
ground loop is a simple un-insulated pipe that transfers energy in the water
throughout the system.
When buried in the ground, it also uses the ground enroute to store energy. A
computer controlled
highly efficient pump system regulates the flow through this 'passive energy'
loop for maximum
efficiency. Predictive Analytics (PA) are programmed to ensure the system is
optimized for daily,
monthly and annual energy demands ensuring efficiency in all phases of
operation.
A neighbourhood scale SHARC sewer heat recovery system can also be installed
to capture the
waste heat from the main sewer line before it leaves the development. This
heat is used to raise the
ambient temperature in the loop or store it in the ground via the geo-exchange
wells. If there is an
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excess of heat in the system including the thermal storage , typically in the
summer months, the
`SHARC' will reject that excess heat from the entire system into the sewer
line to maintain an ideal
ambient operating temperature.
In an embodiment, the primary energy source used by the system is thermal
energy harvested from
the buildings using water source heat pump technology. With reference back to
FIG. 1, thermal
energy is harvested, for example by sewage heat recovery and transfer unit
150. At a building
level, as shown in FIG. 2, the exchanger 230 allows excess thermal energy
generated by the
building 120 to be harvested and put back into passive energy loop 110
connecting all of the
buildings 120a¨ 120c.
In another embodiment, the passive energy loop 110 is tempered with thermal
energy harvested
from the buildings water source heat pumps or refrigeration systems and stored
in geothermal wells
and or rejected to sewer heat recovery and rejection systems in advance of
demand to boost the
efficiency of water source heat pumps.
Predictive analytics are used to determine the optimal temperature of the
energy loop. For example,
an optimal temperature for the passive energy loop is determined by predictive
analytics based on
data monitored and collected from the elements that influence the selected
temperature within the
building spaces and systems that can include but are not limited to
thermostats, occupant load,
building envelope performance calculations, water source heat pumps, fan coil
units, building fans,
electrical meters, calculated electrical loads of equipment including
lighting, use of building
spaces, temperature forecasts and ground temperatures. A computer is
programmed to control the
temperature of the fluid in the passive energy loop in advance of the
predicted demand, e.g. on an
hourly basis or on another more suitable time increment, to achieve the
optimal operating
temperature of the water source heat pumps within the buildings.
Data may be monitored and collected from multiple points. For example:
Water Source Heat Pumps and Fan Coil Units
= electrical power consumption of each heat pump within the building
= heat pump measures refrigerant flow to each connected fan coil
= unit run time and duration of each Heat Pump and Fan Coil unit is
monitored
= water temperature entering and leaving the heat pump is monitored
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Fan Coil Units
= One or more fan coil serves each unit within the building
= thermostats within unit determines temperature set point
Building Units
= Energy modelling of each unit is recorded based on thermal properties of
all
perimeter walls including aspects such as glazing, insulation, materials and
unit orientation,
= Thermostats set points determined by occupants
= Passive System determines how the set point is delivered
Outdoor Temperature
= Outside ambient air temperature monitored continuously
= Relationship between outdoor temperature and energy use
= Temperature forecast determines future thermal energy requirement
Domestic Water
= Time, volume, and temperature of domestic water entering the building as
fresh
water
= Time, volume and temperature of waste water leaving the building
Domestic Hot Water
= Time, volume and temperature of water used
= Time, volume temperature of water storage
= Energy used to heat water
= Heat loss in storage system
= Water Pressure
Building Heat Exchanger
= Time, volume and temperature of water supplied by building heat exchanger
(energy transfer station ¨ ETS)
= Time, volume and temperature of water returned to the ETS Process
The data collected as described above may be continually gathered throughout
the year to
determine any imbalance in the thermal energy demand within the passive energy
system.
Predictive analytics through machine learning are used to determine the
thermal energy that will
be required to balance or temper the passive energy loop for the optimization
of the system. Input
or rejection of thermal energy to or from the passive energy loop is managed
over time in advance
of the demand to optimize the delivery by avoiding 'peak' supply and or demand
requirements.
The Passive Energy Loop effectively buffers the peak demand on the system by
tempering the
fluid within the loop in advance and over a longer duration to manage the
energy required to deliver
the thermal requirements of the connected loads.
In an embodiment, the system 100 optimizes the temperature of the fluid within
the energy loop
by optimizing the efficiency of the water source heat pumps, thereby
increasing the Coefficient of
Performance resulting in decreased building energy costs. The present system
100 addresses
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multiple conflicting systems in modern buildings, as previously mentioned in
the Background
section. Using existing water source heat pump technology, the system 100
harvests the excess
thermal energy within the buildings, thereby providing cooling. The thermal
energy is also
recycled within the building and regenerated for domestic hot water. Excess
energy is shared via
a fluid energy loop within the building and via a ground loop to other
buildings within the
`community' or stored in geothermal wells to meet seasonal demands.
In comparison to prior art solutions, the present system 100 is more efficient
by tempering the fluid
in the building loop or ground loop in advance of the demand from the water
source heat pumps
within the buildings. It draws on the thermal energy stored in the geothermal
wells and or from the
waste water heat recover / rejection system. Predictive analytics would be
used to determine the
optimal temperature of the energy loop to maximize the efficiency of the units
thereby increasing
the Coefficient of Performance of the Passive Energy System.
FIG. 3 shows a schematic block diagram of a generic computer system which may
provide a
suitable environment for one or more embodiments. A suitably configured
computer device 300,
and associated communications networks, devices, software and firmware may
provide a platform
for enabling one or more embodiments as described above. By way of example,
FIG. 3 shows a
generic computer device 300 that may include a central processing unit ("CPU")
302 connected to
a storage unit 304 and to a random access memory 306. The CPU 302 may process
an operating
system 301, application program 303, and data 323. The operating system 301,
application
program 303, and data 323 may be stored in storage unit 304 and loaded into
memory 306, as may
be required. Computer device 300 may further include a graphics processing
unit (GPU) 322
which is operatively connected to CPU 302 and to memory 306 to offload
intensive image
processing calculations from CPU 302 and run these calculations in parallel
with CPU 302. An
operator 310 may interact with the computer device 300 using a video display
308 connected by a
video interface 305, and various input/output devices such as a keyboard 310,
pointer 312, and
storage 314 connected by an I/O interface 309. In known manner, the pointer
312 may be
configured to control movement of a cursor or pointer icon in the video
display 308, and to operate
various graphical user interface (GUI) controls appearing in the video display
308. The computer
device 300 may form part of a network via a network interface 311, allowing
the computer device
300 to communicate with other suitably configured data processing systems or
circuits. A non-
CA 3013764 2018-08-08
transitory medium 316 may be used to store executable code embodying one or
more embodiments
of the present method on the generic computing device 300.
Advantageously, multiple building systems are integrated into a holistic
passive energy system that
optimizes the recycling of thermal energy within the buildings, and between
the buildings of a
campus or development, to achieve a Coefficient of Performance or COP that is
several times
greater than the sum of the individual buildings. As an illustrative example
of a development, a
passive energy system may be incorporated into a design of a multi-lot, multi-
acre development
of over 1,000,000 ft.2 mixed us residential community, with a planned ambient
temperature energy
loop connecting all of the buildings within the development. However, the
system can also be
scaled down to a much smaller development, or similarly scaled up to cover
even larger
communities.
Excess thermal energy is extracted from todays' efficient airtight buildings
and recycled to satisfy
demand within building, for heating and cooling and for domestic hot water,
before sharing the
excess thermal energy with other buildings on the passive energy loop, or
stored in ground. Excess
energy is transferred via an existing municipal waste water system to supply
downstream demand.
By way of example, and not by way of limitation, a possible implementation of
the passive energy
loop 110 is a DESS 10 pipe, which is a 2 pipe system of a warm and cool loop
with a 3 way valve
that manages the flow of energy between them.
This passive energy system achieves the sustainability objectives of an Energy
and GHG
Reduction Strategy required as a condition of development. It contributes
significantly to the
LEED Gold objectives and will likely achieve the Near Net-Zero Energy
reduction targets being
set by certain municipalities, including the City of Vancouver.
Advantageously, as this system is based on heat recovery, there is little or
no requirement for fossil
fueled (i.e. natural gas) heating systems. Rather, existing thermal energy
which may otherwise be
wasted is converted through highly efficient heat pumps and condensers
providing COPs three to
five or more times higher than high efficiency gas fired boilers can provide.
However, each
building may have an efficient condensing gas boiler or electric heater that
would be used as a
standby for domestic hot water or to satisfy a peak heating demand.
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The system and method described here are suitable for any multi-building
projects or
developments where an alternative energy source that will reduce their GHG
(Green House Gas)
emissions is desired. This system moves towards a near 'Net Zero' emissions
solution that recovers
or harvests excess thermal energy, and minimizes the need for any energy
sources that would add
to GHG.
Thus, in an aspect, there is provided a system for optimizing energy
utilization in a multi-building
development, comprising: a passive energy loop comprising a continuous fluid
filled pipe; one or
more thermal energy transfer centers connecting each of a plurality of
buildings in the multi-
building development onto the passive energy loop; and a system control center
adapted to control
.. the plurality of thermal energy transfer centers to extract excess thermal
energy from or input
required thermal energy to each one of the plurality of buildings, thereby to
buffer the temperature
differentials, improve energy utilization, and reduce greenhouse gases
produced by the plurality
of buildings in the multi-building development.
In an embodiment, each of the thermal energy transfer centers includes one or
more heat pumps,
and wherein the system control center is further adapted to determine an
optimal temperature in
the passive energy loop to maximize a coefficient of performance for the one
or more heat pumps
in each of the thermal energy transfer centers.
In another embodiment, the heat pumps are water source heat pumps connected
directly or
indirectly to the passive energy loop via a thermal energy coupling.
In another embodiment, the optimal temperature in the passive energy loop is
achieved by
regulating the thermal energy transferred to or from the passive energy loop
for a plurality of
equipment within each of the plurality of buildings capable of raising or
lowering the ambient
temperature of the fluid within the passive energy loop.
In another embodiment, the equipment comprises a sewer hear recovery unit.
In another embodiment, wherein the equipment comprises a geo-exchange or geo-
thermal ground
well.
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In another embodiment, the equipment comprises a thermal storage unit
including water tanks,
pools, or specialized bulk materials.
In another embodiment, the equipment comprises gas or electric heaters, fluid
chillers, or heat
pumps.
In another embodiment, the equipment comprises solar panels or solar tubes.
In another embodiment, the system is adapted to adjust the temperature of the
fluid in the passive
energy loop is tempered to meet changing requirements over time.
In another embodiment, the system is adapted to adjust the temperature on an
hourly basis to
optimize the coefficient of performance for any water source heat pumps in the
one or more
thermal energy transfer centers connecting the buildings to the passive energy
loop.
In another embodiment, the system is adapted to adjust the temperature based
on one or more
sensors and data from each of the buildings.
In another embodiment, the one or more sensors include a plurality of
temperature and humidity
sensors monitoring ambient temperature and ground temperature.
In another embodiment, the data includes occupant load and building envelope
performance
calculations.
In another embodiment, the one or more sensors include a plurality of sensors
monitoring
performance data from one or more of water source heat pumps, fan coil units,
building fans,
electrical meters, calculated electrical loads of equipment, and utilization
of building space.
In another embodiment, the system is adapted to buffer peak energy
requirements by tempering
the passive energy loop outside peak energy times, thereby decreasing load on
infrastructure
requirements.
In another embodiment, the system is further adapted to perform predictive
analysis based on
measured data and seasonal temperature forecasts.
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=
In another embodiment, the system is adapted to perform predictive analytics
based on data
collected from room thermometers and thermostat temperature settings.
In another embodiment, the system is adapted to perform predictive analytics
based on data
collected from occupant sensors, use of building spaces, and building envelope
performance
calculations.
In another embodiment, the system is adapted to collect and utilize historical
performance and
usage data to predict seasonal demands.
While illustrative embodiments have been described above by way of example, it
will be
appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made without
departing from the scope
of the system and method, which is defined by the following claims.
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