Patent Publication Number: US-11639633-B2

Title: HVAC system having window setting adjustment

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/979,136, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WINDOW SETTING ADJUSTMENT,” filed May 14, 2018, which claims priority from and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/668,082, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WINDOW SETTING ADJUSTMENT,” filed May 7, 2018, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. A wide range of applications exist for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. For example, residential, light commercial, commercial, and industrial systems are used to control temperatures and air quality in residences and buildings. Such systems often are dedicated to either heating or cooling, although systems are common that perform both of these functions. Very generally, these systems operate by implementing a thermal cycle in which fluids are heated and cooled to provide the desired temperature in a controlled space, typically the inside of a residence or building. Similar systems are used for vehicle heating and cooling, and as well as for general refrigeration. In many HVAC systems, sunlight and external weather may affect internal conditions of a building. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure relates to a thermal management system configured to control a temperature of a building and having a controller configured to determine an adjustment to a window setting of the building based on current weather data, forecasted weather data, or both. The thermal management system also includes a display configured to display instructions related to the adjustment. 
     The present disclosure also relates a non-transitory, computer readable medium including instructions, wherein the instructions are configured to be executed by a processor to perform operations including: receiving a set of data indicative of a weather condition of an external environment of a building; determining a window setting adjustment of the building based on the set of data; and displaying, via a display device, instructions to perform the window setting adjustment. 
     The present disclosure further relates to a heating and cooling system including a thermal management system configured to set a set-point temperature of a building, a first sensor configured to detect a weather condition of an external environment of the building, and a second sensor configured to detect an actual temperature of the building. The thermal management system is configured to determine instructions for a window setting adjustment of the building based on the set-point temperature, the weather condition, and the actual temperature 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of an embodiment of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for building environmental management that may employ one or more HVAC units, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of an embodiment of an HVAC unit of the HVAC system of  FIG.  1   , in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective view of an embodiment of a residential split heating and cooling system, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  4    is a schematic view of an embodiment of a vapor compression system that may be used in an HVAC system, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of an embodiment of a floor plan that may utilize a thermal management system to provide instructions to adjust window settings, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  6    is a block diagram of an embodiment of the thermal management system of  FIG.  5   , in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG.  7    is a perspective view of an embodiment of the thermal management system of  FIG.  5   , in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure is directed to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system that may include a thermal management system, such as a thermostat, configured to direct users to adjust a window setting, such as by adjusting window coverings and/or opening or closing a window. For example, in some instances, building occupants may have window coverings set to allow external weather conditions, such as sunlight, to heat up portions of the building above a set-point temperature, which may decrease an efficiency of the HVAC system. Accordingly, the disclosed embodiments include a thermostat configured to aggregate weather data and notify a building occupant, or user, to adjust a window setting based on the weather data. Particularly, the thermostat may display instructions via a display device to guide users to adjust window settings. In this manner, if weather conditions of an external environment are favorable, the thermostat may guide users, via instructions or suggested actions, to adjust window settings to permit the weather of the external environment to affect internal conditions of the building in a beneficial manner. Similarly, if weather conditions of the external environment are adverse, the thermostat may guide users to adjust window settings to block or restrict the weather of the external environment from affecting internal conditions of the building in an undesirable manner. Thus, the weather conditions may be utilized to help condition the building such as by permitting sunlight to enter and heat the building, such as when heating is desired, and/or by permitting external air to enter and condition the building, such as when cooling is desired, thereby increasing an efficiency of the HVAC system. 
     Turning now to the drawings,  FIG.  1    illustrates a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for building environmental management that may employ one or more HVAC units. In the illustrated embodiment, a building  10  is air conditioned by a system that includes an HVAC unit  12 . The building  10  may be a commercial structure or a residential structure. As shown, the HVAC unit  12  is disposed on the roof of the building  10 ; however, the HVAC unit  12  may be located in other equipment rooms or areas adjacent the building  10 . The HVAC unit  12  may be a single package unit containing other equipment, such as a blower, integrated air handler, and/or auxiliary heating unit. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit  12  may be part of a split HVAC system, such as the system shown in  FIG.  3   , which includes an outdoor HVAC unit  58  and an indoor HVAC unit  56 . 
     The HVAC unit  12  is an air cooled device that implements a refrigeration cycle to provide conditioned air to the building  10 . Specifically, the HVAC unit  12  may include one or more heat exchangers across which an air flow is passed to condition the air flow before the air flow is supplied to the building. In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit  12  is a rooftop unit (RTU) that conditions a supply air stream, such as environmental air and/or a return air flow from the building  10 . After the HVAC unit  12  conditions the air, the air is supplied to the building  10  via ductwork  14  extending throughout the building  10  from the HVAC unit  12 . For example, the ductwork  14  may extend to various individual floors or other sections of the building  10 . In certain embodiments, the HVAC unit  12  may be a heat pump that provides both heating and cooling to the building with one refrigeration circuit configured to operate in different modes. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit  12  may include one or more refrigeration circuits for cooling an air stream and a furnace for heating the air stream. 
     A control device  16 , one type of which may be a thermostat, may be used to designate the temperature of the conditioned air. The control device  16  also may be used to control the flow of air through the ductwork  14 . For example, the control device  16  may be used to regulate operation of one or more components of the HVAC unit  12  or other components, such as dampers and fans, within the building  10  that may control flow of air through and/or from the ductwork  14 . In some embodiments, other devices may be included in the system, such as pressure and/or temperature transducers or switches that sense the temperatures and pressures of the supply air, return air, and so forth. Moreover, the control device  16  may include computer systems that are integrated with or separate from other building control or monitoring systems, and even systems that are remote from the building  10 . 
       FIG.  2    is a perspective view of an embodiment of the HVAC unit  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit  12  is a single package unit that may include one or more independent refrigeration circuits and components that are tested, charged, wired, piped, and ready for installation. The HVAC unit  12  may provide a variety of heating and/or cooling functions, such as cooling only, heating only, cooling with electric heat, cooling with dehumidification, cooling with gas heat, or cooling with a heat pump. As described above, the HVAC unit  12  may directly cool and/or heat an air stream provided to the building  10  to condition a space in the building  10 . 
     As shown in the illustrated embodiment of  FIG.  2   , a cabinet  24  encloses the HVAC unit  12  and provides structural support and protection to the internal components from environmental and other contaminants. In some embodiments, the cabinet  24  may be constructed of galvanized steel and insulated with aluminum foil faced insulation. Rails  26  may be joined to the bottom perimeter of the cabinet  24  and provide a foundation for the HVAC unit  12 . In certain embodiments, the rails  26  may provide access for a forklift and/or overhead rigging to facilitate installation and/or removal of the HVAC unit  12 . In some embodiments, the rails  26  may fit into “curbs” on the roof to enable the HVAC unit  12  to provide air to the ductwork  14  from the bottom of the HVAC unit  12  while blocking elements such as rain from leaking into the building  10 . 
     The HVAC unit  12  includes heat exchangers  28  and  30  in fluid communication with one or more refrigeration circuits. Tubes within the heat exchangers  28  and  30  may circulate refrigerant, such as R- 410 A, through the heat exchangers  28  and  30 . The tubes may be of various types, such as multichannel tubes, conventional copper or aluminum tubing, and so forth. Together, the heat exchangers  28  and  30  may implement a thermal cycle in which the refrigerant undergoes phase changes and/or temperature changes as it flows through the heat exchangers  28  and  30  to produce heated and/or cooled air. For example, the heat exchanger  28  may function as a condenser where heat is released from the refrigerant to ambient air, and the heat exchanger  30  may function as an evaporator where the refrigerant absorbs heat to cool an air stream. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit  12  may operate in a heat pump mode where the roles of the heat exchangers  28  and  30  may be reversed. That is, the heat exchanger  28  may function as an evaporator and the heat exchanger  30  may function as a condenser. In further embodiments, the HVAC unit  12  may include a furnace for heating the air stream that is supplied to the building  10 . While the illustrated embodiment of  FIG.  2    shows the HVAC unit  12  having two of the heat exchangers  28  and  30 , in other embodiments, the HVAC unit  12  may include one heat exchanger or more than two heat exchangers. 
     The heat exchanger  30  is located within a compartment  31  that separates the heat exchanger  30  from the heat exchanger  28 . Fans  32  draw air from the environment through the heat exchanger  28 . Air may be heated and/or cooled as the air flows through the heat exchanger  28  before being released back to the environment surrounding the rooftop unit  12 . A blower assembly  34 , powered by a motor  36 , draws air through the heat exchanger  30  to heat or cool the air. The heated or cooled air may be directed to the building  10  by the ductwork  14 , which may be connected to the HVAC unit  12 . Before flowing through the heat exchanger  30 , the conditioned air flows through one or more filters  38  that may remove particulates and contaminants from the air. In certain embodiments, the filters  38  may be disposed on the air intake side of the heat exchanger  30  to prevent contaminants from contacting the heat exchanger  30 . 
     The HVAC unit  12  also may include other equipment for implementing the thermal cycle. Compressors  42  increase the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant before the refrigerant enters the heat exchanger  28 . The compressors  42  may be any suitable type of compressors, such as scroll compressors, rotary compressors, screw compressors, or reciprocating compressors. In some embodiments, the compressors  42  may include a pair of hermetic direct drive compressors arranged in a dual stage configuration  44 . However, in other embodiments, any number of the compressors  42  may be provided to achieve various stages of heating and/or cooling. As may be appreciated, additional equipment and devices may be included in the HVAC unit  12 , such as a solid-core filter drier, a drain pan, a disconnect switch, an economizer, pressure switches, phase monitors, and humidity sensors, among other things. 
     The HVAC unit  12  may receive power through a terminal block  46 . For example, a high voltage power source may be connected to the terminal block  46  to power the equipment. The operation of the HVAC unit  12  may be governed or regulated by a control board  48 . The control board  48  may include control circuitry connected to a thermostat, sensors, and alarms. One or more of these components may be referred to herein separately or collectively as the control device  16 . The control circuitry may be configured to control operation of the equipment, provide alarms, and monitor safety switches. Wiring  49  may connect the control board  48  and the terminal block  46  to the equipment of the HVAC unit  12 . 
       FIG.  3    illustrates a residential heating and cooling system  50 , also in accordance with present techniques. The residential heating and cooling system  50  may provide heated and cooled air to a residential structure, as well as provide outside air for ventilation and provide improved indoor air quality (IAQ) through devices such as ultraviolet lights and air filters. In the illustrated embodiment, the residential heating and cooling system  50  is a split HVAC system. In general, a residence  52  conditioned by a split HVAC system may include refrigerant conduits  54  that operatively couple the indoor unit  56  to the outdoor unit  58 . The indoor unit  56  may be positioned in a utility room, an attic, a basement, and so forth. The outdoor unit  58  is typically situated adjacent to a side of residence  52  and is covered by a shroud to protect the system components and to prevent leaves and other debris or contaminants from entering the unit. The refrigerant conduits  54  transfer refrigerant between the indoor unit  56  and the outdoor unit  58 , typically transferring primarily liquid refrigerant in one direction and primarily vaporized refrigerant in an opposite direction. 
     When the system shown in  FIG.  3    is operating as an air conditioner, a heat exchanger  60  in the outdoor unit  58  serves as a condenser for re-condensing vaporized refrigerant flowing from the indoor unit  56  to the outdoor unit  58  via one of the refrigerant conduits  54 . In these applications, a heat exchanger  62  of the indoor unit functions as an evaporator. Specifically, the heat exchanger  62  receives liquid refrigerant, which may be expanded by an expansion device, and evaporates the refrigerant before returning it to the outdoor unit  58 . 
     The outdoor unit  58  draws environmental air through the heat exchanger  60  using a fan  64  and expels the air above the outdoor unit  58 . When operating as an air conditioner, the air is heated by the heat exchanger  60  within the outdoor unit  58  and exits the unit at a temperature higher than it entered. The indoor unit  56  includes a blower or fan  66  that directs air through or across the indoor heat exchanger  62 , where the air is cooled when the system is operating in air conditioning mode. Thereafter, the air is passed through ductwork  68  that directs the air to the residence  52 . The overall system operates to maintain a desired temperature as set by a system controller. When the temperature sensed inside the residence  52  is higher than the set point on the thermostat, or the set point plus a small amount, the residential heating and cooling system  50  may become operative to refrigerate additional air for circulation through the residence  52 . When the temperature reaches the set point, or the set point minus a small amount, the residential heating and cooling system  50  may stop the refrigeration cycle temporarily. 
     The residential heating and cooling system  50  may also operate as a heat pump. When operating as a heat pump, the roles of heat exchangers  60  and  62  are reversed. That is, the heat exchanger  60  of the outdoor unit  58  will serve as an evaporator to evaporate refrigerant and thereby cool air entering the outdoor unit  58  as the air passes over outdoor the heat exchanger  60 . The indoor heat exchanger  62  will receive a stream of air blown over it and will heat the air by condensing the refrigerant. 
     In some embodiments, the indoor unit  56  may include a furnace system  70 . For example, the indoor unit  56  may include the furnace system  70  when the residential heating and cooling system  50  is not configured to operate as a heat pump. The furnace system  70  may include a burner assembly and heat exchanger, among other components, inside the indoor unit  56 . Fuel is provided to the burner assembly of the furnace  70  where it is mixed with air and combusted to form combustion products. The combustion products may pass through tubes or piping in a heat exchanger, separate from heat exchanger  62 , such that air directed by the blower  66  passes over the tubes or pipes and extracts heat from the combustion products. The heated air may then be routed from the furnace system  70  to the ductwork  68  for heating the residence  52 . 
       FIG.  4    is an embodiment of a vapor compression system  72  that can be used in any of the systems described above. The vapor compression system  72  may circulate a refrigerant through a circuit starting with a compressor  74 . The circuit may also include a condenser  76 , an expansion valve(s) or device(s)  78 , and an evaporator  80 . The vapor compression system  72  may further include a control panel  82  that has an analog to digital (A/D) converter  84 , a microprocessor  86 , a non-volatile memory  88 , and/or an interface board  90 . The control panel  82  and its components may function to regulate operation of the vapor compression system  72  based on feedback from an operator, from sensors of the vapor compression system  72  that detect operating conditions, and so forth. 
     In some embodiments, the vapor compression system  72  may use one or more of a variable speed drive (VSDs)  92 , a motor  94 , the compressor  74 , the condenser  76 , the expansion valve or device  78 , and/or the evaporator  80 . The motor  94  may drive the compressor  74  and may be powered by the variable speed drive (VSD)  92 . The VSD  92  receives alternating current (AC) power having a particular fixed line voltage and fixed line frequency from an AC power source, and provides power having a variable voltage and frequency to the motor  94 . In other embodiments, the motor  94  may be powered directly from an AC or direct current (DC) power source. The motor  94  may include any type of electric motor that can be powered by a VSD or directly from an AC or DC power source, such as a switched reluctance motor, an induction motor, an electronically commutated permanent magnet motor, or another suitable motor. 
     The compressor  74  compresses a refrigerant vapor and delivers the vapor to the condenser  76  through a discharge passage. In some embodiments, the compressor  74  may be a centrifugal compressor. The refrigerant vapor delivered by the compressor  74  to the condenser  76  may transfer heat to a fluid passing across the condenser  76 , such as ambient or environmental air  96 . The refrigerant vapor may condense to a refrigerant liquid in the condenser  76  as a result of thermal heat transfer with the environmental air  96 . The liquid refrigerant from the condenser  76  may flow through the expansion device  78  to the evaporator  80 . 
     The liquid refrigerant delivered to the evaporator  80  may absorb heat from another air stream, such as a supply air stream  98  provided to the building  10  or the residence  52 . For example, the supply air stream  98  may include ambient or environmental air, return air from a building, or a combination of the two. The liquid refrigerant in the evaporator  80  may undergo a phase change from the liquid refrigerant to a refrigerant vapor. In this manner, the evaporator  38  may reduce the temperature of the supply air stream  98  via thermal heat transfer with the refrigerant. Thereafter, the vapor refrigerant exits the evaporator  80  and returns to the compressor  74  by a suction line to complete the cycle. 
     In some embodiments, the vapor compression system  72  may further include a reheat coil in addition to the evaporator  80 . For example, the reheat coil may be positioned downstream of the evaporator relative to the supply air stream  98  and may reheat the supply air stream  98  when the supply air stream  98  is overcooled to remove humidity from the supply air stream  98  before the supply air stream  98  is directed to the building  10  or the residence  52 . 
     It should be appreciated that any of the features described herein may be incorporated with the HVAC unit  12 , the residential heating and cooling system  50 , or other HVAC systems. Additionally, while the features disclosed herein are described in the context of embodiments that directly heat and cool a supply air stream provided to a building or other load, embodiments of the present disclosure may be applicable to other HVAC systems as well. For example, the features described herein may be applied to mechanical cooling systems, free cooling systems, chiller systems, or other heat pump or refrigeration applications. 
     As discussed below, an HVAC system, such as the HVAC unit  12 , the residential heating and cooling system  50 , and/or the vapor compression system  72 , may utilize a thermostat, such as the control device  16 , to guide users to adjust window settings of a building to increase an efficiency of the HVAC system in conditioning a space within the building, such as by providing instructions or suggestion actions to adjust window settings. 
     To illustrate,  FIG.  5    is a plan view of a building  100  that may utilize thermal management system, such as a thermostat  102 , to guide users, via a display  103 , to adjust window settings, such as by providing instructions or suggestion actions to open/close windows  104  and/or to adjust window coverings  106  of the windows  104 . In this manner, external weather conditions may be utilized to increase an energy efficiency of an HVAC system conditioning a space of the building  100 . 
     As used herein, windows  104  may refer to a portion of an outer wall of the building  100  that may connect an external environment  107  of the building  100  to an interior of the building  100 . For example, windows  104  may refer to paned windows, doors, door windows, skylights, and so forth. Further, window coverings  106  may refer to any suitable window covering that is configured to control an amount of light that may travel through the windows  104  of the building  100 , such as curtains, drapes, blinds, shutters, shades, screens, boarding, any other suitable and/or adjustable window covering, or any combination thereof. Still further, weather of the external environment  107  of the building  100  may refer to temperature, precipitation, sunlight, cloud cover, humidity level, wind speed/direction, and so forth, of the external environment  107 . 
     The building  100  may utilize a heating and cooling system  108 , such as a heating ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, to heat, cool, dehumidify, and generally condition the building  100  according to a set-point temperature and/or humidity level. As discussed herein, external weather conditions may be utilized via the windows  104  and window coverings  106  to help the heating and cooling system  108  to condition the building  100  in a desired manner. For example, when the heating and cooling system  108  is in a heating mode and it is a sunny day, the thermostat  102  may suggest and/or guide users to open one or more of the window coverings  106  to allow sunlight to heat the interior building  100  via solar radiation. Correspondingly, when the heating and cooling system  108  is in a cooling mode and it is a sunny day, the thermostat  102  may suggest and/or guide users to close one or more of the window coverings  106  to block the sunlight from heating the interior of the building  100  via solar radiation. Further, in certain embodiments, a temperature and/or humidity level of the external environment  107  may be conducive to helping the heating and cooling system  108  condition interior spaces of the building. In such embodiments, the thermostat  102  may similarly suggest and/or guide the users to open the windows  104  to allow external air to enter the building  100 . 
     In some embodiments, the thermostat  102  may guide users to adjust the window coverings  106  of windows  104  depending on respective positions and orientations of the windows  104  relative to the position of the Sun  109 . For example, as the Sun  109  may generally rise in the East and set in the West, window coverings  106  of windows  104  that are generally exposed and oriented towards the East may be adjusted to block and/or allow sunlight in the morning. Correspondingly, window coverings  106  of windows  104  that are generally exposed and oriented towards the West may be adjusted to block and/or allow sunlight in the afternoon. For example, as illustrated in the current embodiment, a first window  104   a  and a second window  104   b  may be positioned to receive some amount of sunlight as indicated by arrows  111 . Accordingly, the thermostat  102  may guide users via the display  103  to adjust the respective window coverings  106  of the first window  104   a  and the second window  104   b  depending on whether the heating effect of the Sun  109  is desired to condition the interior of the building  100 . Indeed, as discussed below, in certain embodiments, the thermostat  102  may include stored information regarding the position and orientation of the windows  106  relative to a position of the Sun  109  throughout the day to determine when to guide users to adjust the window coverings  106  of particular windows  104 . 
     In certain embodiments, the heating and cooling system  108  may include multiple sensors  120 , which may be used to detect, sense, and/or measure a humidity level, a temperature, and/or a light intensity of the building  100  and/or of the external environment  107 . Indeed, the sensors  120  may include humidity sensors, temperature sensors, and/or light sensors. Particularly, in some embodiments, an outdoor unit  122 , such as a condensing unit, an outdoor heat exchanger, and/or a heat pump, of the heating and cooling system  108  may include sensors  120  configured to measure temperature and humidity of the external environment  107 . Utilizing the sensors  120  of the outdoor unit  122 , the thermostat  102  may determine a temperature and/or humidity level of the external environment  107 . If the temperature and/or humidity level of the external environment  107  is conducive to conditioning the interior of the building  100 , as discussed below, the thermostat  102  may guide users to open the windows  104  to allow air from the external environment  107  to enter the building  100 . Correspondingly, if the temperature and/or humidity level of the external environment  107  is not conducive to conditioning the interior of the building  100 , as discussed below, the thermostat  102  may guide users to close the windows  104  to block air from the external environment  107  from entering the building  100 . 
     In some embodiments, the heating and cooling system  108  may be configured to provide individualized conditioned air to certain areas  123 , rooms, or zones, of the building  100 . To this end, the building  100  may include a multiple air diffusers  124  disposed in the certain areas of the building  100 . In some embodiments, the air diffusers  124  may be associated with a zoning system, a variable air volume (VAV) system, and/or a constant air volume (CAV) system. Indeed, each area  123  of the building  100  may include one or more air diffusers  124  configured to provide individualized conditioned air based on a temperature and/or humidity of the area  123 . Further, as used herein, it should be understood that the term, “based on,” may be defined as “based at least in part on,” in some embodiments. Moreover, in certain embodiments, each air diffuser  124  may be associated with one or more sensors  120  configured to measure a temperature and/or humidity of the area  123 , as illustrated. For example, the air diffusers  124  may provide cool air if the sensors  120  detect an actual temperature of a particular area  123  to be higher than a set-point temperature. Correspondingly, the air diffusers  124  may provide warm air if the sensors  120  detect an actual temperature of a particular area  123  to be lower than the set-point temperature. Further, in certain embodiments, the sensors  120  may include light sensors configured to detect an intensity of sunlight, such as ultra violet light, passing into the area  123  to determine whether the window coverings  106  are positioned to allow sunlight to pass into the area  123 . Keeping this in mind, when the thermostat  102  guides or suggests to a user to adjust, open, or close a window covering  106 , the thermostat  102  may determine whether the window covering  106  has actually been adjusted, opened, or closed by determining the amount of light in the area  123  via the sensors  120 . In this manner, the thermostat  102  may remind the user to adjust, open, or close the window covering  106  if the user did not notice the suggested instructions or chose not to follow the suggested instructions. Additionally or alternatively, the thermostat  102  may provide conditioned air via the air diffuser  124  if the sensors  120  detects that the user did not notice the suggested instructions or chose not to follow the suggested instructions. 
       FIG.  6    is a block diagram of a portion of the heating and cooling system  108  that may be utilized to guide users to adjust the window settings, such as by providing instructions or suggested actions. Generally, the thermostat  102  may receive data  158 , such as weather data  160  indicative if a weather condition of the external environment  107 , forecast data  162  indicative of forecasted weather of the external environment  107 , and/or building data  164  indicative of a temperature/humidity and other information associated the building  100 , as discussed below. Based on the received data, the thermostat  102  may output instructions  166 . 
     To this end, the thermostat  102  may include a controller  170 , such as a computer-based controller, which may have a processor  172 , such as a micro-processor, a memory  174 , and executable code stored thereon. The processor  172  may be any general purpose or application-specific processor. The memory  174  may include one or more tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable media. By way of example, such machine-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a processor, such as the processor  172 , or by any general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor, such as the processor  172 . 
     As mentioned above, the thermostat  102  may receive the weather data  160  indicative of a weather status the external environment  107 . In some embodiments, the weather data  160  may originate from the sensor  120  included in the outdoor unit  122 . Additionally, or in the alternative, the weather data  160  may originate from one or more sensors  120  located in a similar geographic location as the building  100 . Particularly, the weather data  160  may include data indicative of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloud cover, wind direction/speed, and so forth of the external environment  107 . 
     Further, as also mentioned above, the thermostat  102  may receive the forecast data  162  indicative of forecasted weather of the external environment  107 . For example, the forecast data  162  may include predicted weather conditions, such as cloud cover, UV radiation, temperature, humidity, precipitation, and so forth. In certain embodiments, the weather data  160  and/or the forecast data  162  may include a position of the Sun  109  relative to the building  100 . In certain embodiments, the thermostat  102  may receive the forecast data  162  from an online source, such as from a weather reporting and/or forecasting website or service. Indeed, the thermostat  102  be communicatively coupled to the internet via a communication system  171 . The communication system  171  may communicate through a wireless network, such as wireless local area networks [WLAN], wireless wide area networks [WWAN], near field communication [NFC], Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth. In some embodiments, the communication system  171  may communicate through a wired network, such as local area networks [LAN] or wide area networks [WAN]. In certain embodiments, the thermostat  102  may be communicatively coupled to the sensors  120  via the communication system  171 . 
     Additionally, the thermostat  102  may receive the building data  164 , which may be indicative of temperature and humidity the building  100 , and other information regarding the building  100 . For example, the thermostat  102  may receive the building data  164  from the one or more sensors  120  indicative of an indoor temperature of the building  100  and/or an indoor humidity level of the building  100 . In some embodiments, the building data  100  may include data indicative of the set-point temperature of the building  100 , which may be manually input into the thermostat  102 , such as via the display  103  or other input devices. Further, the building data  164  may include data indicative of a geographic location of the building  100  and respective positions and orientations of the windows  104 . In certain embodiments, depending at least in part on the geographic location of the building  100 , the thermostat  102  may determine a location of the Sun  109  relative to the building  100 , and more specifically, relative to the windows  104  of the building  100  during certain times of the year/day. Indeed, certain windows  104  may be oriented to receive sunlight during certain time periods of the day and year depending at least in part on the location and orientation of the windows  104 . Particularly, as used herein, the orientation of the windows  104  may refer to a cardinal direction orientation, such as North, East, South, and West, and/or an angle of elevation/depression of the windows  104 . Moreover, as used herein, the direction in which the windows  104  are facing may refer to the direction of the normal vector of the exterior side of the windows  104 . In certain embodiments, the building data  164  indicative of a location and orientation of the windows  104  may be manually input to the thermostat  102  during installation of the thermostat  102 . Similarly, in certain embodiments, the geographic location of the building  100  may be manually input to the thermostat  102  during installation of the thermostat  102 . In certain embodiments, the geographic location of the building  100  may be detected automatically, such as by utilizing a global positioning system (GPS), Wi-Fi, service set identifiers (SSID), wireless access points, and so forth. Indeed, the building data  164  may be received from a variety of sources, as described above. 
     The thermostat  102  may aggregate the data  158  and analyze the data  158  to determine the instructions  166  to adjust window settings, such as to adjust certain window coverings  106  or to open/close windows  104 . Generally, the instructions  166  to adjust the window settings may be based on a comparison of the actual temperature of the building  100  and the set-point temperature, and whether the weather of the exterior environment  107  is conducive to conditioning the building  100 . That is, the thermostat  102  may utilize the data  158  to determine whether the actual temperature of the building  100 , or areas  123  of the building  100 , is above, below, or substantially even with the set-point temperature, and may output the instructions  166  accordingly. 
     As an example, if the actual temperature is below the set-point temperature and the weather of the external environment  107  is conducive to raising the actual temperature of the building  100 , the instructions  166  may include instructions to utilize the weather of the external environment  107  to help raise the actual temperature, such as by opening windows  104  and/or window coverings  106 . Correspondingly, if the actual temperature is below the set-point temperature and the weather of the external environment  107  is not conducive to raising actual temperature of the building  100 , the instructions  166  may include instructions to not utilize the climate of the external environment  107 , such as by closing the windows  104  and/or window coverings  106 . 
     As a further example, if the actual temperature is above the set-point temperature and the weather of the external environment  107  is conducive to lowering the actual temperature of the building  100 , the instructions  166  may include instructions to utilize the weather of the external environment  107  to help lower the actual temperature, such as by opening windows  104  and/or window coverings  106 . Correspondingly, if the actual temperature is above the set-point temperature and the weather of the external environment  107  is not conducive to lowering the actual temperature of the building  100 , the instructions  166  may include instructions to not utilize the climate of the external environment  107 , such as by closing the windows  104  and/or window coverings  106 . 
     In certain embodiments, the thermostat  102  may utilize the weather data  160  and the forecast data  162  to determine whether and which windows  104  should be opened or closed. For example, as discussed above, the weather data  160  and/or the forecast data  162  may be indicative of cloud cover, UV radiation, temperature, humidity, precipitation, and so forth, of the external environment  107 . In certain embodiments, if the weather data  160  and/or the forecast data  162  indicates that external weather condition is adverse, such as adverse precipitation, temperatures, or humidity levels, the instructions  166  may indicate that the windows  104  should be closed. For example, adverse precipitation may include rain, snow, hail, storms, and the like, adverse temperatures may include temperatures that may affect the actual temperature to move away from the set-point temperature, and adverse humidity levels may include high humidity levels and/or low humidity levels, which may be set according to user preference. Similarly, if the weather data  162  and/or the forecast data  162  indicates that external environment weather conditions are favorable, such as favorable temperatures and humidity levels, the instructions  166  may indicate that the windows  104  should be opened. For example, favorable weather conditions may include dry weather, or no precipitation, favorable temperatures may include temperatures that may cause the actual temperature within the building  100  to move towards the set-point temperature, and favorable humidity levels may be set according to user preference. 
     In certain embodiments, the weather data  160  and the forecast data  162  may be disparate, which may be due in part at least to the different sources from which they are obtained. For example, the forecast data  162  may indicate that the external environment weather conditions are favorable while the weather data  160  may indicate that the external environment weather conditions are adverse, or vice versa. Indeed, as discussed above, the weather data  160  may be gathered from the sensors  120 , while the forecast data  162  may be gathered from an online source. In such embodiments, the thermostat  102  may prioritize the weather data  160  over the forecast data  162 . In other words, if the weather data  160  and the forecast data  162  are disparate, as described above, the thermostat  102  may base the instructions  166  on the weather data  160  as oppose to the forecast data  162 . 
     Further, as discussed above in certain embodiments, the forecast data  162  may include a predicted, or future, weather of the external environment. Accordingly, in certain embodiments, the instructions  166  may indicate to open or close the windows to prepare for certain future weather conditions, such as by opening or closing the window  104 . 
     In certain embodiments, the thermostat  102  may utilize the building data  164  to determine whether and which window coverings  106  should be opened or closed, such as to block or allow sunlight through windows  104 . For example, as discussed above, the building data  164  may be indicative of the location of the building  100 , the movement of the Sun  109  relative to the building  100 , and movement of the Sun  109  relative to respective positions and orientations of the windows  104 . To illustrate, based on the position of the Sun  109  during certain points of the day and year relative to the geographic location of the building  100  and the windows  104  of the building  100 , the instructions  166  may include instructions to open window covering  106  of a certain window  104  during a certain time period to either block sunlight from entering the building  100  through the window  104  and/or to allow sunlight to enter the building  100  through the window  104 . For example, in certain embodiments, the Sun  109  may be positioned to direct UV radiation at a first window  104 , or set of windows  104 , in the morning, and may be position to direct UV radiation at a second window  104 , or set of windows  104 , in the afternoon. In such embodiments, if the heating and cooling system  108  is in a heating mode, such as during winter, the instructions  166  may include instructions to open a window covering  106  of first window  104  in the morning and to open a window covering  106  of the second window  104  in the afternoon. That is, in certain embodiments, the thermostat  102  may communicate a schedule for a certain time period, such as a day, a week, a month, describing window setting adjustments for respective windows  104 . Additionally, or in the alternative, the thermostat  102  may communicate instructions contemporaneously. For example, the thermostat  102  may communicate in the morning to adjust the window coverings  106  of the first window  104 , and may communicate in the afternoon to adjust the window coverings  106  of the second window  104 . 
     Generally, the instructions  166  may include instructions to allow sunlight to enter the building  100  if an actual temperature of the building  100  is below the set-point temperature. Similarly, the instructions  166  may include instructions to block sunlight from entering the building  100  if an actual temperature of the building  100  is above the set-point temperature. In certain embodiments, the window coverings  106  may be configured to be adjusted to a position between a fully open position and a fully closed position. For example, if the window coverings  106  are blinds, shutters, or other window coverings configured to be positioned at various angles between fully open and fully closed, the building data  164  may be indicative of the same. In such embodiments, the instructions  166  may include instructions to position the window coverings  106  at a certain position between an open position and a closed position. In some embodiments, the certain position between the open position and the closed position may be based at least in part on a position of the Sun  109  relative to the window  104 . For example, if 0° is a closed position and 180° is an open position, the thermostat  102  may determine that one of 45°, 90°, or 135° will provide the most ideal sun exposure. 
     As discussed in detail above, the thermostat  102  may aggregate the data  158  and determine instructions  166  indicative of an adjustment of a window setting, such as the window  104  and/or the window coverings  106 . Particularly, in certain embodiments, the instructions  166  may include suggested instructions  180  and automated instructions  182 . The suggested instructions  180  that may be displayed, such as via the display  103  of the thermostat  102 . Particularly, the suggested instructions  180  may be utilized to communicate the instructions  166  to a user of the thermostat  102 . That is, the user may observe the suggested instructions  180  and may proceed to adjust a window setting as directed by the suggested instructions  180 . 
     In some embodiments, the thermostat  102  may also receive data indicative of user preferences. For example, the user preferences may include a schedule, which may implement a first set-point temperature during the day time and a second set-point temperature during the night time. Accordingly, the thermostat  102  may determine the instructions  166  based on the user preferences, such as to provide instructions according to a first set-point temperature during a first time period and according to a second set-point temperature during a second time period, as discussed herein. 
     Further, in certain embodiments, the building  100  may include a building automation system (BAS)  181 . The BAS  181  may be a centralized control system of the building  100 . Particularly, the BAS  181  may provide control to the heating and cooling system  108 , a lighting system, a security system, and/or other systems of the building  100 . In such embodiments, the automated instructions  182  may be implemented via the BAS  181 . That is, the thermostat  102  may send data indicative of the automated instructions  182  to the BAS  181 . Based on the automated instructions, the BAS  181  may adjust the window settings via actuators  183 . For example, in certain embodiments, the BAS  181  may be communicatively coupled to the actuators  183 , which are configured to adjust the window settings of the windows  104  and window coverings  106  of the building  100 . That is, the actuators  183  may be configured to adjust a position of the window coverings  106  and/or to open and close the windows  104 . 
       FIG.  7    is a perspective view of a thermal management system, which may include the thermostat  102  and/or a computing device  190 , such as a cellular phone, laptop, tablet, desktop, network, and so forth. That is, in certain embodiments, the display  103 , which may display the instructions  166  may be included in any suitable thermal management system, which may be utilized through an application on the computing device  190  and/or may be included in the thermostat  102 , as described above. 
     As shown, in certain embodiments, the instructions  166  may be in the form of text instructions  200  and/or may be in the form of picture or image instructions  202 . The text instructions  200  may include text to communicate the instructions  166  to a user observing the display  103 . By way of example, the text instructions  166  may display text reading, “open the family room window,” “close the first East facing window,” “open the window covering of the second story dining room window,” or any other suitable text instructions that may communicate the window setting adjustment. Further, in certain embodiments, the thermostat  102  may include an audio system  203 , which may be configured to emit verbal instructions similar to the text instructions  200 . Also, by way of example, the picture instructions  202  may include a plan view of the building  100 , such as shown in  FIG.  5    and may graphically indicate which window  104  and/or window covering  106  of the building  100  to adjust. For example, in certain embodiments, the picture instructions  202  may include a graphic representation of a particular window  104  and/or window covering  106  that is to be adjusted, as well the position to which it should be adjusted. In certain embodiments, the picture instructions  202  may be displayed in conjunction with the text instructions  200 . For example, the picture instructions  202  may display a plan view of the building  100  and may indicate a particular window  104  and/or window covering  106  to adjust, and the text instructions  200  may indicate how to adjust the a particular window  104  and/or window covering  106 , such as by opening or closing. 
     Further, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments may be applied to any suitable heating and cooling system configured to condition a space, whether it be residential, commercial, industrial, automotive, and so forth. 
     Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed to providing systems and methods for a thermal management system configured to provide instructions to adjust window settings of windows of a building, such as by opening and/or closing windows and/or by adjusting window coverings of windows. In certain embodiments, the instructions may be communicated via a display of the thermal management system. In this manner, a heating and cooling system associated with the thermal management system may utilize external weather conditions to help condition the building, thereby increasing an efficiency of the heating and cooling system. 
     While only certain features and embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, many modifications and changes may occur to those skilled in the art, such as variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, such as temperatures or pressures, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, and so forth, without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited in the claims. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in an effort to provide a concise description of the exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not have been described, such as those unrelated to the presently contemplated best mode of carrying out the present disclosure, or those unrelated to enabling the claimed embodiments. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation specific decisions may be made. Such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure, without undue experimentation.