Use of building thermal mass to offset cooling loads
- Johnson Controls, Inc., Milwaukee, WI (US)
- Solar Energy Lab., Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (US)
The use of ice and chilled-water storage systems to reduce peak energy demands is well established. However, relatively few experimental results have been published on the use of building thermal mass to offset demand. The use of off-peak cooling to extract heat from a building structure may increase the total energy use, while at the same time reducing peak cooling loads and cooling costs. This paper describes a project sponsored by ASHRAE TC 4.6 on thermal storage in a building. The purpose of this research project was to evaluate the effect of building thermal energy storage on the peak cooling load. To study the use of building thermal mass to reduce the peak cooling load, two experiments were performed on the Independent Life Insurance building located in Jacksonville, Florida. The objective of these experiments was to pre-cool the building at night and during the weekend to reduce daytime cooling loads. Supply air temperature and flow rate were measured on a floor that was being pre-cooled and on a control floor operated in a normal manner. Temperature and heat flux measurements at the concrete floor surface revealed the extent of charging and discharging of the thermal mass. Diurnal heat capacity calculations were used in analyzing the experimental results. The results showed an 18% reduction in cooling energy supplied during the daytime. There was no reduction in peak demand.
- OSTI ID:
- 5162772
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9006117--
- Journal Information:
- ASHRAE Transactions (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers); (United States), Journal Name: ASHRAE Transactions (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers); (United States) Vol. 96:2; ISSN ASHTA; ISSN 0001-2505
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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