Study of On-Line Simulation for Whole Building Level Energy Consumption Fault Detection and Optimization

Typical buildings consume 20% more energy than required due to inefficient operation procedures, non-optimal control schedules, and system faults. A few of the systems are detected by well trained engineers through field measurement, specialized engineering calculation and analysis due to lack of skilled engineers and tedious commissioning process. Consequently, excessive amounts of energy are wasted daily in existing buildings. The development of HVAC automation systems and simulation software makes it possible to diagnose the mechanical and electrical problems by on-line simulation. This paper introduces simplified simulation software (AirModel) and investigates the feasibility of implanting the simplified simulation programs into the energy management and control system (EMCS) using a demonstration project, and presents the results of fault detection, problem diagnosis, and operation schedule optimization for large commercial buildings with built-up HVAC systems.