Abstract: A method for creating a network of computational devices which are installed in computers. The computers are distributed to customers who are aware of the devices and consent to the arrangement. The computers are installed in the homes or places of business of the customers, thereby creating a distributed processing network which does not require any special dedicated space of its own nor any special means of providing electricity to it.

Abstract: Systems and methods for energy monitoring and for providing the user with contextual information on the energy usage of a building area are disclosed. The methods may comprise performing an energy audit of a building and using the audit data and a building physics simulator to construct a computational model of the building's energy usage. An energy budget may be derived based on the computational model. The building's actual energy usage is reported with contextual information on energy usage from the computational model, the energy budget, historical data on energy usage, and other sources. The systems generally include energy monitoring hardware, a building physics simulator engine, and an interface. The interface may be implemented in hardware or software. The components of the system may be located in one building, or a central monitoring station with a building physics simulator engine may communicate with energy monitoring hardware in several buildings.