Control Strategies for Reducing Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Energy Consumption in Single Buildings.
Abstract
This report presents a discussion of the most common control strategies and equipment used to reduce the amount of energy consumed by heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Two basic concepts are discussed: bringing the existing control system up to design specification while retaining the original control strategy, and employing a new control strategy. The new control strategies analyzed are scheduled start-stop, day-night setback, optimum start-stop, dead band control, duty cycling, demand limiting and load shedding, economizer and enthalpy cycles, scheduled temperature reset, chiller control and chilled water reset, boiler control and hot water temperature reset, and condenser water temperature reset. Recent developments in HVAC control system hardware, such as pneumatic systems, electropneumatic systems, digital-electronic systems, and microcomputer-based control systems, are also discussed. The strategies are described and compared to each other in terms of cost effectiveness. The BLAST computer program is used to evaluate the various control strategies. The results illustrate the energy-saving potential of simple strategies, such as night and weekend setback and scheduled start-stop, which are inexpensive to implement and should be installed in most buildings. The most complex strategy is not necessarily the most effective due to the interactions between the building, climate, and HVAC system.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADA128748
Entities
People
- R. E. Kirts
Organizations
- Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center