Patent ID: 7908117
Filing Date: 2011-03-15
Classification: F24F,G01K,G01M,G05B,G05D

Abstract:
1. A system for verifying the occurrence of a change in operational status for an HVAC control system comprising: at least one HVAC control system that measures temperature at at least a first location conditioned by said HVAC system, and reporting said temperature measurements as well as the status of said HVAC control system; one or more processors that receive measurements of outside temperatures from at least one remote source other than said HVAC control system at the first location, wherein said remote source is a weather database that provides outside temperatures based on the zip code of the first location, and wherein the one or more processors compare said temperature measurements from said first location and said outside temperatures received from said remote source, with expected temperature measurements of said first location wherein the expected temperature measurements are based at least in part upon past temperature measurements obtained by said HVAC control system, said temperature measurements from said HVAC control system, said outside temperature measurements from said remote source, and further based at least in part on predicted changes to temperatures when said HVAC system reduces output in response to a demand response request; and at least one remote server that transmits changes in programming to said HVAC control system to reduce output based at least in part on an occurrence of a demand reduction request, wherein if the temperature associated with the first location is changing as predicted by the expected temperature measurements, the remote server determines that the HVAC control system is functioning according to the changes in programming and confirms that the location is complying with the demand reduction request based on comparing, after occurrence of said demand reduction request, temperature measurements obtained within said first location with said expected temperature measurements, and wherein if the temperature inside the first location is not changing as predicted by the expected temperature measurements, the remote server determines that the HVAC control system is not functioning according to the changes in programming and confirms that the location is not complying with the demand reduction request based on comparing, after occurrence of said demand reduction request, temperature measurement obtained within said first location with said expected temperature measurements.