Patent ID: 8700444

Claim:
A method comprising: obtaining a present value of a set point for at least one piece of equipment with a remote monitor in communication with a controller that controls the at least one piece of equipment according to the set point, the set point being stored in a memory accessible to the controller; determining a first power consumption rate with the remote monitor, the first power consumption rate corresponding to power consumption of the at least one piece of equipment while operating at the present value of the set point; determining a second power consumption rate with the remote monitor, the second power consumption rate corresponding to power consumption of the at least one piece of equipment while operating at a predetermined benchmark value of the set point; comparing, with the remote monitor, the first power consumption rate to the second power consumption rate and determining whether the first power consumption rate is greater than the second power consumption rate and, based on the comparing, determining that the first power consumption rate is greater than the second power consumption rate; determining a monetary cost associated with a difference between the first power consumption rate and the second power consumption rate, based on a power consumption cost, when the remote monitor determines that the first power consumption rate is greater than the second power consumption rate; communicating the monetary cost, with the remote monitor, to a remote user.