Patent Application
20100105310
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to energy efficient buildings and structures. In particular, the present invention relates to designing and constructing a building or a structure that operates at a net zero energy input (i.e., the building generates enough energy from passive sources, such that it does not draw additional energy from an active source).
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Much effort has been made to create energy efficient buildings. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,973 (the “‘973 Patent”) to Kachadorian discloses providing a thermally insulated concrete slab as part of a building's foundation. By thermal siphon or forced air circulation, air within the building transfer heat to and from the concrete slab. The circulated air therefore provides heat to, or takes away heat from, other parts of the building. A book, entitled “The Passive solar House: Using Solar Design to Heat & Cool Your Home,” by James Kachadorian, discloses additional information regarding this technique.
A system and a method regulate temperature in a building using an air inlet at a level beneath a space for habitation within the building (e.g., living areas in a residential building, or work areas or offices in a commercial building). The air pulled into the air inlet creates an air flow into the building that is received into a thermal storage plenum, which allows the air flow to mix with a substantial air mass accumulated in the thermal storage plenum. The air in the thermal storage plenum is circulated throughout the space for habitation and recycled back to the thermal storage plenum through, for example, a return duct. Such a return duct may be provided by a stairwell. A relief vent may be provided at a level above the space for habitation for the air flow to exit the building. The quantity of air flowing through the air inlet and the relief vent may be controlled using a control system which open the air inlet and the relief vent simultaneously. The temperature of the air circulated in the space for habitation may be regulated by a roof-mounted heat pump.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a zero net energy system for a building and an associated method provide heating and cooling to a building or pre-manufactured housing unit are achieved using active and passive energy sources, a thermal storage plenum and a control system to achieve net zero energy consumption.
The present invention is better understood upon consideration of the detailed description below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
A control system determines a quantity of (or none of) the incoming air to be introduced into the main air circulation loop by way of an air handler, as needed (indicated by reference numeral 4). The volume of air pulled in from the outside may be greatly increased when outdoor conditions are favorable to provide cooling to the building at no energy cost. Necessary actuators, such as dampers and vents, are provided to enable mixing of the intake air with the air already in circulation. A relief vent, for example, may be mounted high in the building (e.g., as a skylight over a stairwell) to be simultaneously opened when air is pulled in from the outside. The air handler may include one or more filters, so as to reduce particulates in the circulated air. A coil may be provided to heat or cool the air mixture according to the temperature settings determined in the control system. In one embodiment, the temperature of the coil is regulated by a roof-mounted heat pump. The heat pump may be powered, for example, by electricity from the power grid, or by a solar energy collector system. The control system may include, for example, a thermostatic controller, such as that described in the copending U.S. Provisional Patent Application (“Copending Provisional Patent Application”), entitled “Thermostatic Controller,” Ser. No. 61/160,121, filed on Mar. 13, 2009. The disclosure of the Copending Provisional Patent Application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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The above detailed description is provided to illustrate the specific embodiments and is not intended to be limiting. Various modifications and variations within the scope of the present invention are possible. The present invention is set forth in the accompanying claim.
The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application (“Parent Provisional Application”), entitled “Zero Net Energy System and Method,” Ser. No. 61/080,634, filed on Jul. 14, 2008. The Parent Provisional Patent Application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61080634 | Jul 2008 | US |
