Measurement and Verification and Model Validation to Evaluate Energy and Demand Savings from Smart Building Technologies in a Residential, Controlled Laboratory

Energy consumption and electricity demand in the residential building sector depends significantly on the energy consuming devices in a building, the building envelope, and the occupants’ interaction with these systems. To evaluate the reliability, energy saving potential, and demand reduction potential of various occupancy sensor systems connected to the heating, cooling, and ventilation (HVAC) systems in residential buildings, a full-scale experimental test setup was developed, including two parallel, identical test buildings built to current energy codes and built to be consistent with residential building construction techniques and typical residential systems. To evaluate energy and demand savings, first, normalization testing was completed to ensure that both buildings were operating similarly. The energy use collected over several weeks was compared, then adjustments were made to each building, then the buildings were re-tested in an iterative process to ensure similar operation and consumption patterns. Following normalization, baseline data was then collected to calibrate an energy model of the test buildings. An energy model was developed using EnergyPlus to mimic the laboratory conditions and calibrated and validated to fit the measured data following ASHRAE Guideline 14. This paper discusses the development, construction, and instrumentation of the laboratory facilities for experimental smart technology testing, and the development, calibration, and validation of the building energy model. Future applications of these parallel laboratories include their use to evaluate performance impacts from various smart building technologies. This effort can be useful for those developing experimental full-scale laboratory test facilities and those engaging in occupancy sensor system evaluation.