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Energy Conservation HVAC Control Detail for Multifunction Buildings
Energy accounts for a large portion of operating costs for any large building. For a multifunction building in which the usage patterns of various portions of the building vary widely, much of the energy and associated cost is wasted. Empty rooms are routinely heated or cooled, achieving no benefit.
have long been used to keep lights turned off in rooms that are used for brief periods, but this technique has been thought to be ineffective for HVAC. One problem with zone HVAC controls has been that they were implemented using programmable thermostats. Training personnel to program Use the thermostats correctly has proven as challenging as training them to program VCRs. User-controlled zone HVAC has now been installed in two schools in the Tucson Independent School District, using a much simpler type of control. Careful monitoring has now shown that those two schools have the lowest energy usage of about 100 schools in the District.
This technique works because it is so simple. The instructions are: When you enter the room, wind it up. If you get too cool, press the “up” arrow. If you get too warm, press the “down” arrow. If you leave the room and it won’t be used again for a while, wind it back down. In order to obtain quick cooling or heating of the space, slightly over-sized units are specified. However, the savings obtained by running the unit only when it is needed more than compensates for that additional cost.
Because this HVAC control method has the potential for saving so much energy in schools and other multifunctional buildings everywhere, we are providing the wiring diagram detail for this type of zone HVAC control at no charge. |