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What have we learned from field demonstrations of advanced commercial HVAC control ?

Number: 3503

Author(s) : KHABBAZI A. J., PERGANTIS E.N., REYES PREMER L. D., LEE A. H., MA J., LIU H., HENZE G. P., KIRCHER K. J.

Summary

Many simulation studies have suggested that advanced control strategies for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment in commercial buildings can help reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. However, despite these potential benefits, adoption of advanced HVAC control remains limited, due in part to a lack of confidence
in the technology among decision-makers in business and government. Field demonstrations of advanced HVAC control help build confidence in the technology by demonstrating its effectiveness and economic value in the real world. This paper accordingly reviews field demonstrations of advanced commercial HVAC control strategies, such as Model
Predictive Control (MPC) and Reinforcement Learning Control (RLC). This paper discusses building types, control methods, test durations, measurement and verification procedures, control objectives, and reported benefits. It further provides a critical assessment of the state of the technology and highlights research opportunities that could accelerate
real-world adoption of advanced commercial HVAC control strategies. The literature review confirms that advanced HVAC controls can significantly enhance energy efficiency and occupant comfort. However, most field studies cover relatively short durations and control small spaces within larger buildings. Longer-duration studies frequently report
lower savings, suggesting that short-duration studies may overestimate potential benefits. Similarly, whole-building control studies typically report lower savings than smaller-scale studies, likely because the latter tend to overlook thermal coupling between controlled zones and adjacent zones. Finally, data and discussions concerning deployment
costs and challenges are almost nonexistent. This suggests an important area for future research, as achieving adoption at scale will require demonstrating not only reliable benefits but also manageable deployment costs.

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  • Original title: What have we learned from field demonstrations of advanced commercial HVAC control ?
  • Record ID : 30032925
  • Languages: French
  • Subject: Technology
  • Source: 2024 Purdue Conferences. 8th International High Performance Buildings Conference at Purdue.
  • Publication date: 2024/07/15

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