Design and Development of an Integrated Workstation Automation Hub

Technical Report · Mon Mar 30 00:00:00 EDT 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1226461· OSTI ID:1226461

Weber, Andrew ^[1]; Ghatikar, Girish ^[1]; Sartor, Dale ^[1]; Lanzisera, Steven ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Miscellaneous Electronic Loads (MELs) account for one third of all electricity consumption in U.S. commercial buildings, and are drivers for a significant energy use in India. Many of the MEL-specific plug-load devices are concentrated at workstations in offices. The use of intelligence, and integrated controls and communications at the workstation for an Office Automation Hub – offers the opportunity to improve both energy efficiency and occupant comfort, along with services for Smart Grid operations. Software and hardware solutions are available from a wide array of vendors for the different components, but an integrated system with interoperable communications is yet to be developed and deployed. In this study, we propose system- and component-level specifications for the Office Automation Hub, their functions, and a prioritized list for the design of a proof-of-concept system. Leveraging the strength of both the U.S. and India technology sectors, this specification serves as a guide for researchers and industry in both countries to support the development, testing, and evaluation of a prototype product. Further evaluation of such integrated technologies for performance and cost is necessary to identify the potential to reduce energy consumptions in MELs and to improve occupant comfort.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 1226461
• Report Number(s): LBNL-175486; ir:175486
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English