Integrating Smart Ceiling Fans and Communicating Thermostats to Provide Energy-Efficient Comfort

The project goal was to identify and test the integration of smart ceiling fans and communicating thermostats. These highly efficient ceiling fans use as much power as an LED light bulb and have onboard temperature and occupancy sensors for automatic operationbased on space conditions. The Center for the Environment (CBE) at UC Berkeley led the research team including TRC, Association for Energy Affordability (AEA), and Big Ass Fans (BAF). The research team conducted laboratory tests, installed99 ceiling fans and 12 thermostats in four affordable multifamily housing sites in California’s Central Valley, interviewed stakeholders to develop a case study, developed an online design tool and design guide, outlined codes and standards outreach, and published several papers.The project team raised indoor cooling temperature setpoints and used ceiling fans as the first stage of cooling; this sequencing of ceiling fans and air conditioningreducesenergy consumption, especially during peak periods, while providing thermal comfort.The field demonstration resulted in 39% measured compressor energy savings during the April–October cooling seasoncompared to baseline conditions, normalized for floor area. Weather-normalized energy use varied from a 36% increase to 71% savings, withmedian savings of 15%.This variability reflects the diversity in buildings, mechanical systems, prior operation settings, space types, andoccupants’ schedules,preferences, and motivations. All commercial spaces with regular occupancy schedules (and twoof the irregularly-occupied commercial spaces and one of the homes) showed energy savings on an absolute basis before normalizing for warmer intervention temperatures,and 10 of 13 sites showed energy savings on a weather-normalized basis. The ceiling fans provided cooling for one site for months during hot weather when the coolingequipment failed.Occupants reported high satisfaction with the ceiling fans and improved thermal comfort. This technology can apply to new and retrofit residential and commercial buildings

High-Performance Integrated Window and Façade Solutions for California

The researchers developed a new generation of high-performance façade systems and supporting design and management tools to support industry in meeting California’s greenhouse gas reduction targets, reduce energy consumption, and enable an adaptable response to minimize real-time demands on the electricity grid. The project resulted in five outcomes: (1) The research team developed an R-5, 1-inch thick, triplepane, insulating glass unit with a novel low-conductance aluminum frame. This technology can help significantly reduce residential cooling and heating loads, particularly during the evening. (2) The team developed a prototype of a windowintegrated local ventilation and energy recovery device that provides clean, dry fresh air through the façade with minimal energy requirements. (3) A daylight-redirecting louver system was prototyped to redirect sunlight 15–40 feet from the window. Simulations estimated that lighting energy use could be reduced by 35–54 percent without glare. (4) A control system incorporating physics-based equations and a mathematical solver was prototyped and field tested to demonstrate feasibility. Simulations estimated that total electricity costs could be reduced by 9-28 percent on sunny summer days through adaptive control of operable shading and daylighting components and the thermostat compared to state-of-the-art automatic façade controls in commercial building perimeter zones. (5) Supporting models and tools needed by industry for technology R&D and market transformation activities were validated. Attaining California’s clean energy goals require making a fundamental shift from today’s ad-hoc assemblages of static components to turnkey, intelligent, responsive, integrated building façade systems. These systems offered significant reductions in energy use, peak demand, and operating cost in California

A review on available energy saving strategies for heating, ventilation and air conditioning in underground metro stations

Due to the increasing number of underground metro stations worldwide and the great energy consumption of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in underground stations, reducing the HVAC energy consumption while maintaining a hygienic and acceptable environment in underground stations is becoming an ongoing research challenge. This paper presented an overview of the strategies available for HVAC energy saving in underground stations. Firstly, the design features of the HVAC systems are summarized and issues affecting the HVAC systems’ energy efficiency are identified. Then, a thorough review of the energy-efficient HVAC strategies is presented. For each strategy, the principal application and the effect on energy saving are described, and the limitation is also analyzed. Lastly, the strategies are classified and compared from different perspectives and upcoming challenges are proposed. The authors hope that this study can promote the reasonable adoption of different energy-efficient HVAC strategies in underground stations, which could reduce the energy consumption of the HVAC systems in the long run

HVAC SYSTEM AIR FILTER DIAGNOSTICS AND MONITORING

A system and method for monitoring a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system of a building is provided. A monitoring server, located remotely from the building, receives operating parameter data from a monitoring device at the building that measures an operating parameter of the HVAC system. The monitoring server generates a plurality of data clusters from the operating parameter data, each data cluster corresponding to operating parameter data generated during steady-state operation of the HVAC system. The monitoring server calculates an average operating parameter value for each data cluster. The monitoring server calculates normalized operating parameter values based on normalizing the average operating parameter values for the data clusters over a predetermined normalization time period. The monitoring server compares the normalized operating parameter values with a threshold. The monitoring server determine whether an air filter of the HVAC system needs to be replaced based on the comparison and generates a notification based on the determination indicating that the air filter needs to be replaced

Hero-X: Emerson Air Flow Design Challenge

This report will follow the development cycle as Capstone Team 12 solves the Emerson Airflow Problem. The problem was proposed by Emerson on HeroX: Incentive Competition, Challenges and Prizes forum. This problem is an open competition to any inventors who can solve the dilemma of measuring total air flow in a residential heating, ventilation and cooling system (HVAC). The solutions will be judged against a rubric given by Emerson that includes price-point, accuracy, scalability, ease of installation and ease of use in order of greatest to least importance [5]. The following report outlines the engineering process from interpreting the problem statement up to a proof of concept design. Each section will speak to a critical engineering consideration such as project planning, patent research, cost analysis, evaluation of competition, and design characteristics which lead to the final designs. In the final pages, two carefully designed products which solve the problem statement will be laid out in detail. The first design is a fan matrix which adjusts to fit in any units filter cavity for a non-intrusive reading at the source. The second is small pressure sensor which will traverse a duct and generate a velocity profile for a specific point in the system. Using a simple algorithm, it will determine average velocity in the section. Beyond this report, the team will further prototype and propose the solutions to Emerson by the submission deadline of January 25, 2016

Älykkäät huonejärjestelmät perusparannetuissa koulurakennuksissa

Smart technologies in buildings can improve user satisfaction, energy efficiency and the performance of technical systems. Demand-based ventilation and heating solutions are used to achieve great indoor environment quality energy efficiently. The European Commission has introduced a Smart Readiness Indicator in the new Energy performance of buildings directive, which aims at proving the added value that smart technologies bring to the building owners, users and tenants. The objectives of the thesis are to evaluate how ICT-technology and services can be used in buildings through case examples and to integrate different systems to co-operate including building automation, HVAC and a mobile application. The measurements were conducted in seven rooms in Aalto University’s Undergraduate center. The main improvements were: the monitoring and controllability of the variable air volume ventilation- and water radiator heating-system through Aalto space – mobile app, occupancy measurements and the collection of user satisfaction feedback. The VAV-ventilation system in the case rooms worked as designed. The CO2 concentration varied with each room, but the temperatures were nearly identical and stable. Three different control strategies for the ventilation were tested, where the combination of both temperature and CO2 concentration proved to be the best solution. The ratio between exhaust and supply air flows varied from room to room, best being 100% and worst 60%. This difference could be seen in the results of the pressure differences over the building envelope. This measurement was used to assess the performance of the ventilation system. All rooms were underpressured and there was a clear difference between day and night time pressures difference over the building envelope. During the night, the air handling unit of the zone serving the case rooms was not operating. Still during the nights, some general exhaust fan operating causing the greater underpressure. Room occupancy was measured with image- and CO2 concentration-based methods. Image-based methods provided varying results. The Kinect sensor had problems in identifying people, but the AXIS-3045 worked well with 95% accuracy. CO2 concentration-based method was accurate to one person 66% of the time and 89% accurate in identifying if the room is occupied or not. The error is caused by the latency of change of the concentration in the rooms. Also, the CO2 generation rates by humans and the accuracy of the supply and exhaust air flows can cause errors. User satisfaction in the rooms was measured with a paper survey and through Aalto space – mobile app. The results indicate that people are quite satisfied with the rooms as through the paper survey 71% answered +/- 1 on the PMV scale and through Aalto Space 84% answered either four or five stars out of five. Nearly half rated the indoor temperature as slightly cool/cool or cold. The indoor temperature was considered to be acceptable by 69% and the air quality by 79% of the respondents.Rakennusten älykkäät teknologiat parantavat käyttäjätyytyväisyyttä, energiatehokkuutta sekä rakennusten elinikää. Tarpeenmukaisen ilmanvaihdon ja lämmityksen ratkaisuilla saavutetaan energiatehokkaasti korkeatasoinen sisäilmaston laatu. Euroopan komissio on julkaissut uuden Smart Readiness indikaattorin, jonka tarkoituksena on korostaa älykkäiden teknologioiden tuoma lisäarvo rakennusten omistajille, käyttäjille sekä asukkaille. Tämän työn tavoitteena on arvioida miten ICT-teknologiaa ja palveluita voidaan käyttää rakennuksissa esimerkkitapausten avulla sekä integroida eri taloteknisiä ja muita järjestelmiä, kuten rakennusautomaation ja LVI:n sekä mobiilisovelluksen yhteen. Mittaukset toteutettiin seitsemässä huoneessa Aalto-yliopiston Kandidaattikeskuksessa. Tärkeimmät parannukset olivat: muuttuvan ilmavirtasääteisen ilmanvaihdon sekä vesiradiaattorijärjestelmän seuranta sekä ohjaus Aalto Space-mobiilisovelluksella, huoneiden käyttöasteen mittaus sekä käyttäjätyytyväisyys palautteen kerääminen. Muuttuva ilmavirtasääteinen ilmanvaihto toimi huoneissa kuten se oli suunniteltu. Sisäilmaolosuhteet vaihtelivat huoneiden välillä hiilidioksidipitoisuuden osalta, mutta lämpötila oli lähes identtinen jokaisessa huoneessa. Huoneissa testattiin kolmea eri ilmanvaihdonohjausstrategiaa, joista lämpötilan ja hiilidioksidipitoisuuden yhteisohjaus osoittautui parhaaksi ratkaisuksi. Myös tulo- ja poistoilmavirtojen suhde vaihteli huoneissa. Muutamissa huoneissa ilmavirrat olivat noin 100 % tasapainossa ja joissakin huoneissa suhde oli jopa 60 %. Tämä ero näkyi esimerkiksi huoneiden paine-eroissa rakennuksen vaipan yli. Paine-ero mittauksia tehtiin arvioidakseen ilmanvaihtojärjestelmän toimivuutta. Kaikki huoneet olivat alipaineisia. Alipaine oli selvästi suurempi öisin kuin päivisin. Tämä muutos johtuu siitä, että huoneiden ilmanvaihtokone on öisin pois päältä, mutta rakennuksessa on muita poistoilmanvaihtokoneita päällä. Käyttäjätyytyväisyyttä mitattiin kuudella kysymyksellä paperisena sekä Aalto Space -mobiilisovelluksen avulla. Tulokset osoittavat, että ihmiset ovat melko tyytyväisiä huoneiden sisäilmastoon, sillä paperikyselyiden kautta 71 % vastasi +/- 1 PMV-asteikolla ja Aalto Spacen kautta 84 % vastasi joko neljä tai viisi tähteä viidestä. Lähes puolet vastaajista kertoi sisälämpötilan olevan hieman viileä, viileä tai kylmä. Hyväksyttävänä sisälämpötilaa piti 69 % ja ilmanlaatua 79 % vastaajista

A fully distributed robust optimal control approach for air-conditioning systems considering uncertainties of communication link in IoT-enabled building automation systems

Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are increasingly implemented in buildings as the cost-effective smart sensing infrastructure of building automation systems (BASs). They are also dispersed computing resources for novel distributed optimal control approaches. However, wireless communication networks are critical to fulfill these tasks with the performance influenced by inherent uncertainties in networks, e.g., unpredictable occurrence of link failures. Centralized and hierarchical distributed approaches are vulnerable against link failure, while the robustness of fully distributed approaches depends on the algorithms adopted. This study therefore proposes a fully distributed robust optimal control approach for air-conditioning systems considering uncertainties of communication link in IoT-enabled BASs. The distributed algorithm is adopted that agents know their out-neighbors only. Agents directly coordinate with the connected neighbors for global optimization. Tests are conducted to test and validate the proposed approach by comparing with existing approaches, i.e., the centralized, the hierarchical distributed and the fully distributed approaches. Results show that different approaches are vulnerable against to uncertainties of communication link to different extents. The proposed approach always guarantees the optimal control performance under normal conditions and conditions with link failures, verifying its high robustness. It also has low computation complexity and high optimization efficiency, thus applicable on IoT-enabled BASs