Nationwide Energy Saving Potential Evaluation for Office Buildings with Occupant-Based Building Controls
The heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system is a major contributor to building energy consumption. This paper aims to quantify the nationwide energy savings potential of implementing the occupancy-based control (OBC) for the HVAC system in typical medium-sized office buildings using a whole building simulation program (i.e., EnergyPlus). First, the medium-sized office from the DOE Commercial Prototype Building Models was modified to have detailed layout and space functions. Then, a statistic-algorithm-based tool was used to generate the dynamic occupancy schedules for various rooms. Next, both a baseline case and two OBC cases were created for the comparison based on the updated ASHRAE Standard 90.1 and ASHRAE Guideline 36. The HVAC operation in the baseline case follows a static occupancy schedule and fixed setpoint schedules for both room air temperatures and minimal system outside air flowrates, while the proposed OBC cases use the room temperature reset, system minimum outdoor airflow reset, and zone minimal supply airflow rate reset. These cases were extended to five climate zones in the United States to further quantify the energy savings potential associated with the OBC on a nationwide scale. The preliminary result of this case study shows that there could be significant energy savings potential from the proposed OBC strategies in medium-sized office buildings in the United States.