Performance Simulation and Analysis of Occupancy-Based Control for Office Buildings with Variable-Air-Volume Systems

Wang, Weimin; Zhang, Jian; Brambley, Michael R.; Futrell, Benjamin

doi:10.3390/en13153756

Title: Performance Simulation and Analysis of Occupancy-Based Control for Office Buildings with Variable-Air-Volume Systems

Abstract

Variable-air-volume (VAV) systems are used in many office buildings. The minimum airflow rate setting of VAV terminal boxes has a significant impact on both energy consumption and indoor air quality. Conventional controls usually have the terminal’s minimum airflow rate at a constant (e.g., 30% or more of the terminal design airflow rate), irrespective of the occupancy status, which may cause problems, such as excessive simultaneous heating and cooling, under ventilation, and thermal comfort issues. This paper examines the potential of energy savings from occupancy-based controls (OBCs). The sensed occupancy information, either occupant presence or people count, is used to determine the airflow rate of terminal boxes, the thermostat setpoints, and the lighting control. Using EnergyPlus, a whole-building energy modeling software, the energy savings of OBC strategies are evaluated for representative existing medium office buildings in the U.S. The simulation results show that the conventional OBC, based on occupant presence sensing, can save 8% of whole-building energy use in Miami (hot climate) for systems without air-side economizer and about 13% in both Baltimore (mixed climate) and Chicago (cold climate). Comparatively, the advanced OBC, based on people counting, can save 8% in Miami to 23% in Baltimore for systems with economizers. Themore »« less

Authors:

Wang, Weimin ^[1]; Zhang, Jian ^[2];

^[2]; Futrell, Benjamin ^[1]

Univ. of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC (United States)
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Publication Date:: Wed Jul 22 00:00:00 EDT 2020

Research Org.:: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Building Technologies Office

OSTI Identifier:: 1668800

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA-153601
Journal ID: ISSN 1996-1073

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Energies (Basel)

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Name: Energies (Basel); Journal Volume: 13; Journal Issue: 15; Journal ID: ISSN 1996-1073

Publisher:: MDPI AG

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; occupancy sensor; occupancy-based control; variable-air-volume system; building simulation; hot climate; cold climate; mixed climate

Citation Formats


                    Wang, Weimin, Zhang, Jian, Brambley, Michael R., and Futrell, Benjamin. Performance Simulation and Analysis of Occupancy-Based Control for Office Buildings with Variable-Air-Volume Systems.  United States: N. p., 2020. 
Web.  doi:10.3390/en13153756.

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                    Wang, Weimin, Zhang, Jian, Brambley, Michael R., & Futrell, Benjamin. Performance Simulation and Analysis of Occupancy-Based Control for Office Buildings with Variable-Air-Volume Systems.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.3390/en13153756

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                    Wang, Weimin, Zhang, Jian, Brambley, Michael R., and Futrell, Benjamin. Wed .  
"Performance Simulation and Analysis of Occupancy-Based Control for Office Buildings with Variable-Air-Volume Systems".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.3390/en13153756.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1668800.

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@article{osti_1668800,

  title        = {Performance Simulation and Analysis of Occupancy-Based Control for Office Buildings with Variable-Air-Volume Systems},

  author       = {Wang, Weimin and Zhang, Jian and Brambley, Michael R. and Futrell, Benjamin},

  abstractNote = {Variable-air-volume (VAV) systems are used in many office buildings. The minimum airflow rate setting of VAV terminal boxes has a significant impact on both energy consumption and indoor air quality. Conventional controls usually have the terminal’s minimum airflow rate at a constant (e.g., 30% or more of the terminal design airflow rate), irrespective of the occupancy status, which may cause problems, such as excessive simultaneous heating and cooling, under ventilation, and thermal comfort issues. This paper examines the potential of energy savings from occupancy-based controls (OBCs). The sensed occupancy information, either occupant presence or people count, is used to determine the airflow rate of terminal boxes, the thermostat setpoints, and the lighting control. Using EnergyPlus, a whole-building energy modeling software, the energy savings of OBC strategies are evaluated for representative existing medium office buildings in the U.S. The simulation results show that the conventional OBC, based on occupant presence sensing, can save 8% of whole-building energy use in Miami (hot climate) for systems without air-side economizer and about 13% in both Baltimore (mixed climate) and Chicago (cold climate). Comparatively, the advanced OBC, based on people counting, can save 8% in Miami to 23% in Baltimore for systems with economizers. The outdoor-air fraction of the supply air from air-handling units significantly affects the potential energy savings from the advanced OBC strategy. In addition to energy savings, the advanced OBC satisfies the zone ventilation during all occupied hours over the whole year.},

  doi          = {10.3390/en13153756},

  journal      = {Energies (Basel)},

  number       = 15,

  volume       = 13,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Wed Jul 22 00:00:00 EDT 2020},

  month        = {Wed Jul 22 00:00:00 EDT 2020}

}

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https://doi.org/10.3390/en13153756

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Works referenced in this record:

Occupancy-based zone-climate control for energy-efficient buildings: Complexity vs. performance
journal, June 2013

Goyal, Siddharth; Ingley, Herbert A.; Barooah, Prabir
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Modeling occupancy in single person offices
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Wang, Danni; Federspiel, Clifford C.; Rubinstein, Francis
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journal, July 2001

Von Neida, Bill; Maniccia, Dorene; Tweed, Allan
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DOI: 10.1080/00994480.2001.10748357

A study on the control method of single duct VAV terminal unit through the determination of proper minimum air flow
journal, February 2014

Kang, Su-Hyun; Kim, Hyo-Jun; Cho, Young-Hum
Energy and Buildings, Vol. 69
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Characterizing variations in variable air volume system controls
journal, January 2017

Pang, Xiufeng; Piette, Mary A.; Zhou, Nan
Energy and Buildings, Vol. 135
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Importance of occupancy information for building climate control
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Oldewurtel, Frauke; Sturzenegger, David; Morari, Manfred
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Demand controlled ventilation for multiple zone HVAC systems: CO ₂ -based dynamic reset (RP 1547)
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Lin, Xingbin; Lau, Josephine
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Occupancy measurement in commercial office buildings for demand-driven control applications—A survey and detection system evaluation
journal, April 2015

Labeodan, Timilehin; Zeiler, Wim; Boxem, Gert
Energy and Buildings, Vol. 93
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Implementation and comparison of existing occupant behaviour models in EnergyPlus
journal, November 2015

Gunay, H. Burak; O'Brien, William; Beausoleil-Morrison, Ian
Journal of Building Performance Simulation, Vol. 9, Issue 6
DOI: 10.1080/19401493.2015.1102969

Ventilation Control Strategy Using the Supply CO2 Concentration Setpoint
journal, April 2005

Nassif, Nabil; Kajl, Stanislaw; Sabourin, Robert
HVAC&R Research, Vol. 11, Issue 2
DOI: 10.1080/10789669.2005.10391136

A generalised stochastic model for the simulation of occupant presence
journal, January 2008

Page, J.; Robinson, D.; Morel, N.
Energy and Buildings, Vol. 40, Issue 2
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Experimental evaluation of occupancy-based energy-efficient climate control of VAV terminal units
journal, March 2015

Brooks, Jonathan; Goyal, Siddharth; Subramany, Rahul
Science and Technology for the Built Environment, Vol. 21, Issue 4
DOI: 10.1080/23744731.2015.1023162

Minimum airflow reset of single duct VAV terminal boxes
journal, September 2009

Cho, Young-Hum; Liu, Mingsheng
Building and Environment, Vol. 44, Issue 9
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Figures / Tables found in this record:

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Similar Records

Title: Performance Simulation and Analysis of Occupancy-Based Control for Office Buildings with Variable-Air-Volume Systems

Abstract

Citation Formats

Figures / Tables:

Occupancy-based zone-climate control for energy-efficient buildings: Complexity vs. performance journal, June 2013

Modeling occupancy in single person offices journal, February 2005

An Analysis of the Energy and Cost Savings Potential of Occupancy Sensors for Commercial Lighting Systems journal, July 2001

A study on the control method of single duct VAV terminal unit through the determination of proper minimum air flow journal, February 2014

Characterizing variations in variable air volume system controls journal, January 2017

Importance of occupancy information for building climate control journal, January 2013

Demand controlled ventilation for multiple zone HVAC systems: CO 2 -based dynamic reset (RP 1547) journal, November 2014

A novel and dynamic demand-controlled ventilation strategy for CO2 control and energy saving in buildings journal, September 2011

Occupancy measurement in commercial office buildings for demand-driven control applications—A survey and detection system evaluation journal, April 2015

Implementation and comparison of existing occupant behaviour models in EnergyPlus journal, November 2015

Ventilation Control Strategy Using the Supply CO2 Concentration Setpoint journal, April 2005

A generalised stochastic model for the simulation of occupant presence journal, January 2008

Experimental evaluation of occupancy-based energy-efficient climate control of VAV terminal units journal, March 2015

Minimum airflow reset of single duct VAV terminal boxes journal, September 2009

Occupancy-based zone-climate control for energy-efficient buildings: Complexity vs. performance
journal, June 2013

Modeling occupancy in single person offices
journal, February 2005

An Analysis of the Energy and Cost Savings Potential of Occupancy Sensors for Commercial Lighting Systems
journal, July 2001

A study on the control method of single duct VAV terminal unit through the determination of proper minimum air flow
journal, February 2014

Characterizing variations in variable air volume system controls
journal, January 2017

Importance of occupancy information for building climate control
journal, January 2013

Demand controlled ventilation for multiple zone HVAC systems: CO ₂ -based dynamic reset (RP 1547)
journal, November 2014

A novel and dynamic demand-controlled ventilation strategy for CO2 control and energy saving in buildings
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Occupancy measurement in commercial office buildings for demand-driven control applications—A survey and detection system evaluation
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Implementation and comparison of existing occupant behaviour models in EnergyPlus
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Ventilation Control Strategy Using the Supply CO2 Concentration Setpoint
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A generalised stochastic model for the simulation of occupant presence
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Experimental evaluation of occupancy-based energy-efficient climate control of VAV terminal units
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Minimum airflow reset of single duct VAV terminal boxes
journal, September 2009