POSSIBILITIES TO MINIMIZE GREENHOUSE GASES EMISSION AND MAINTAIN THERMAL COMFORT IN OFFICE BUILDINGS WITH CO-SIMULATION ASSISTED OPERATION OF AIR HANDLING UNITS
Energy efficiency measures in existing buildings include improvements in heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems but from the perspective of system renovation and components upgrade. These measures target the building energy consumption and resulting greenhouse gases emissions, with thermal comfort of occupants being seen only by one or two parameters. Improvements in existing system operation can lead to minimal greenhouse gases emission, but with thermal comfort maintained at the desired level. This paper evaluates the possibility to minimize greenhouse gases emission while maintaining occupant thermal comfort within prescribed class, by optimizing the existing air conditioning system operation with 5 weekdays planning horizon. Particle swarm optimization method is used. The paper shifts the focus from minimal emissions to minimal emissions for desired thermal comfort range, without system renovation or upgrade. The results show that maintaining thermal comfort results in higher greenhouse gases emission compared to usual system operation where emissions are lower but thermal comfort is outside desired range almost all the time
