2016 ASHRAE Annual Conference

Traditionally, in building energy modeling (BEM) programs, occupancy inputs are deterministic and less indicative of real world scenarios, contributing to discrepancies between simulated and actual energy use in buildings. This paper presents an agent-based occupancy simulator, which models each occupant as an agent with specified movement events and statistics of space uses. The simulator allows users to group occupants with similar behaviors as an occupant type to reduce the amount of data inputs. It is a web-based tool with graphical user interface, cloud computing and data storage. Two case studies were presented to demonstrate the integration of the occupancy simulator with EnergyPlus and obFMU. The first case study only replaced the occupancy schedules with the one generated by the occupant simulator. The second case study included the replacement of the occupancy schedules as well as the occupant’s control behaviors of lighting, window, and HVAC systems. The results indicated that the occupant simulator can capture the diversity of the behavior rather than the weekly profiles, and can generate realistic occupancy schedules to support building performance simulation.

Building based demand side flexibility has been identified as critical for successful integration of renewable energy resources in electrical power grids with little or no possible instability and loss of reliability. Also, it has been indicated that thermal comfort systems in buildings are an integral part of demand side flexibility. A number of models have been proposed for harnessing thermal comfort systems in buildings as demand side flexibility. These models have mostly been evaluated for application in residential buildings. In a pioneer attempt, this paper uses year-long practical comfort and energy performance case study data to evaluate some recently proposed demand side flexibility models in office buildings. The data was collected using process based energy consumption meters and whole building comfort sensors installed in the building.   Next, potential flexibilities were then estimated using practical data along the frameworks proposed by identified demand side flexibility models. Evaluation of these models were then done based on metrics that emphasise practicability and cost effectiveness. Analysis is within the context of electricity supply chain in the Netherlands and assumes for cost effectiveness participation of office buildings in the Amsterdam Power eXchange (APX) day-ahead auction and the Dutch balancing energy market under the proposed framework for flexibility management by European based CEN-CENELEC-ETSI Smart Grid Coordination Group. Evaluation results suggests additional proposals on constraints and practical considerations when using these models for non-residential buildings like offices.

This study describes and compares the results of multiple field surveys about thermal comfort inside air conditioned buildings in two different countries. The field studies were conducted in classrooms at The University of South Florida, Tampa, USA. Only one field study took place in a shopping mall in Amman, Jordan. All studies were conducted in the summer of 2014. The purpose of this study is to investigate the temperature perception of humans in closed areas based on the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard 55 and to understand whether or not these areas are within the acceptable level of thermal comfort. The study also investigates the influence of culture and climate on temperature perception and thermal comfort. The classroom studies consisted of 14 multiple-choice questions that have been distributed to 100 students so far. The shopping mall study consisted of two multiple-choice questions that were asked to 100 random people. The results of the studies showed significant differences in temperature perception and prediction between genders. The results also showed that participants from the shopping mall reported an average of "neutral" thermal sensation even though the thermal environment in the building was not thermally comfortable according to ASHRAE standard 55.