Predicting the frequency of hot and cold complaints in buildings

Conference · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998

OSTI ID:20006342

Federspiel, C C

When building occupants become sufficiently hot or cold and have exhausted all coping behaviors available to alleviate their discomfort, they often complain to the facility manager. These complaint events trigger maintenance service calls. This paper focuses on predicting the frequency of hot and cold complaint events so that control policies and decisions that affect both energy utilization and comfort-related service calls can be formulated. A mathematical model of the mean frequency of hot and cold compliant events in buildings is developed which is based on the level-crossing theory of stochastic processes. The model quantitatively relates the statistical behavior and performance of the temperature control system to the mean compliant frequency. When combined with the labor rate and with estimates of the man time to response to complaints, the model becomes an estimate of the mean cost of service calls resulting from hot and cold complaints. Data from a commercial facility are used to determine parameters of the model. The relationship between this model and the Predicted Percent Dissatisfied (PPD) model is discussed. The economic consequences of operating buildings at the limits of the ASHRAE comfort range are illustrated. Examples illustrate how the model may be used to optimize the operational performance of buildings by balancing the energy-saving benefits of uncomfortable conditions with the service-call costs of uncomfortable conditions, and for the cost-benefit analysis of retrofits.

• Research Organization: Johnson Controls, Inc., Milwaukee, WI (US)
• OSTI ID: 20006342
• Report Number(s): CONF-980815--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
BUILDINGS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
MAINTENANCE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
RETROFITTING
THERMAL COMFORT