Energy Savings Potential of Flexible and Adaptive HVAC Distribution Systems for Office Buildings

Technical Report · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/795647· OSTI ID:795647

Loftness, Vivian ^[1]; Brahme, Rohini; Mondazzi, Michelle; Vineyard, Edward; MacDonald, Michael

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1. ARI

It has been understood by architects and engineers that office buildings with easily re-configurable space and flexible mechanical and electrical systems are able to provide comfort that increases worker productivity while using less energy. Raised floors are an example of how fresh air, thermal conditioning, lighting needs, and network access can be delivered in a flexible manner that is not ''embedded'' within the structure. What are not yet documented is how well these systems perform and how much energy they can save. This area is being investigated in phased projects of the 21st Century Research Program of the Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Institute. For the initial project, research teams at the Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, documented the diversity, performance, and incidence of flexible and adaptive HVAC systems. Information was gathered worldwide from journal and conference articles, case studies, manufactured products and assemblies, and interviews with design professionals. Their report thoroughly describes the variety of system types along with the various design alternatives observed for plenums, diffusers, individual control, and system integration. Many of the systems are illustrated in the report and the authors provide quantitative and qualitative comparisons. Among conclusions regarding key design issues, and barriers to widespread adoption, the authors state that flexible and adaptive HVAC systems, such as underfloor air, perform as well if not better than ceiling-based systems. Leading engineers have become active proponents after their first experience, which is resulting in these flexible and adaptive HVAC systems approaching 10 percent of the new construction market. To encourage adoption of this technology that improves thermal comfort and indoor air quality, follow-on work is required to further document performance. Architects, professional engineers, and commercial real estate developers will benefit from the availability of information that quantifies energy savings, first cost construction differences, and additional operating costs created when office space must be reconfigured to accommodate new tenants.

• Research Organization: Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE) (US)
• DOE Contract Number: FC05-99OR22674
• OSTI ID: 795647
• Report Number(s): DOEOR22674/ARTI-21CR/605-30030-01
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
ADAPTIVE
AIR CONDITIONING
AIR DISTRIBUTION
AIR QUALITY
ALTERNATIVES
BUILDINGS
CEILING-BASED
CHURN
COMFORT
CONSTRUCTION
CONTROL
DELIVERY
DESIGN
DIFFUSER
DISTRIBUTION
DUCTWORK
EFFICIENT
EMBEDDED
ENERGY
ENGINEERS
FLEXIBLE
GREEN BUILDING
HVAC
HVAC SYSTEMS
INDOOR AIR QUALITY
OFFICE
OFFICE BUILDINGS
OPERATING COST
ORNL
PERFORMANCE
PLENUM
REFRIGERATION
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SWRIL
SYSTEM
SYSTEM INTEGRATION
TECHNOLOGY
THERMAL
UNDERFLOOR
VENTILATION