Completing the Connected Home with Smart Window Shades

Conference · Fri Aug 17 04:00:00 EDT 2018

OSTI ID:1591631

Cort, Katherine A. ^[1]; McIntosh, Joshua A. ^[1]; Metzger, Cheryn E. ^[1]; Ashley, Travis D. ^[1]; Sullivan, Gregory P. ^[2]

---

1. BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)
2. EFFICIENCY SOLUTIONS, LLC

Heat transfer through windows accounts for a significant percentage of a building’s energy use and adds substantially to the peak cooling load of a home. Window attachment manufacturers currently offer motorized shading devices for certain product lines, but this automation is typically marketed as a convenience and security feature for the homeowner and often does not include energy optimized control algorithms or dynamic and responsive features. This paper describes the experimental results of testing the energy performance of high-efficiency, dynamically operated, cellular shades in Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) Lab Homes. The results of both heating and cooling season experiments will be presented, where testing is designed to assess the whole home energy savings resulting from both the thermal insulating properties as well as the automated and dynamic control strategies of shading devices. Control schemes tested include common “connected home” strategies where controls are integrated and coordinated between the window shading device, building thermostats, and external sensors. The presentation will also include results from testing designed to examine the benefits (in terms of comfort, energy savings, and responsiveness) of coordinating the operation of cellular shades with HVAC as a demand-response measure. These experiments demonstrate that highly insulating, dynamic window coverings that are reliably controlled can dramatically reduce the heating and cooling energy associated with windows and should be considered an important component of any “smart” home design.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1591631
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-135343
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

energy savings
cellular shades
honeycomb shades
automated shades
connected home
smart home
HVAC savings
Lab Homes
PNNL Lab Homes