Conference Paper

Proceedings of eSim 2020: 11th Conference of IBPSA-Canada

     

Occupancy-based predictive control of an outdoor air intake damper: A case study

Brodie W. Hobson 1, H. Burak Gunay 1, Araz Ashouri 2, Guy R. Newsham 2
1 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
2 Construction Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Canada

Abstract: Most commercial HVAC systems provide ventilation assuming near-full occupancy during working hours. As conditioning outdoor air requires significant energy, reducing the ventilation requirements based on actual occupancy can improve energy efficiency without significantly impacting occupant comfort. An occupancybased predictive control program was implemented in a case study building’s BAS to control the outdoor air dampers. Changepoint models show the program saved 38.4% and 10.3% of heating and cooling energy during a 24-week implementation period, respectively, with a negligible impact on indoor CO2 concentrations or the buildings ability to meet temperature setpoints. This study highlights how occupancy data can improve building operational efficiency without the need for additional infrastructure.
Paper:

esim2020_1109