Generalization of the Fourier series approach to model hourly energy use in commercial buildings

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1999 · Journal of Solar Energy Engineering

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2888143· OSTI ID:330500

Dhar, A ^[1]; Reddy, T A ^[2]; Claridge, D E ^[3]

---

1. Enron Corp., Houston, TX (United States)
2. Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States). Civil and Architectural Engineering Dept.
3. Texas A and M Univ., College Station, TX (United States). Energy Systems Lab.

Development of the accurate models for hourly energy use in commercial buildings has important ramifications for (i) retrofit savings analysis, (ii) diagnostics, (iii) on-line control and (iv) acquiring physical insights into the operating patterns of the buildings. Electric and thermal energy uses in commercial buildings, being strongly periodic, are eminently suitable for Fourier series analysis. Earlier studies assumed trigonometric polynomials with the hour of the day as the primary variable and one week as the period. This model, though suitable on the whole, was poor during certain weekday periods and during weekends. This paper presents a generalized Fourier series approach which, while ensuring a wider range of applicability, also yields superior regression fits partly because of the care taken to separate days of the year during which commercial buildings are operated differently and partly because of the rational functional form of regression model proposed. The validity of the approach is verified with year-long data of twenty-two monitored buildings.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 330500
• Journal Information: Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, Journal Name: Journal of Solar Energy Engineering Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 121; ISSN JSEEDO; ISSN 0199-6231
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
HOURLY VARIATIONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS