Monday, January 25, 2016: 9:45 AM-10:45 AM
Cutting-Edge Technologies
Chair:
Liping Wang, Ph.D., P.E., University of Wyoming
Technical Committee: 07.05 Smart Building Systems
Operable windows provide occupants with the ability to control local environments and satisfy human expectation to access outdoor environments. Operation behaviors or strategies for operable windows have substantial impacts on the indoor environment and building energy consumption. Facility managers complain about operable windows left open in buildings with conventional HVAC systems. However, optimum control strategies of window operation reduce energy consumption for buildings via mixed-mode ventilation. This seminar presents recent research efforts on operation strategies for various types of building ventilation systems and thorough case studies on operable windows for LEED Platinum high performance buildings in Midwestern United States.
1 The Impact of Operable Windows on a High Performance Office Building in U.S. Midwest
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Ran Liu, Ph.D., Iowa Energy Center |
This case study evaluates how the operable windows improve energy efficiency and indoor air quality for a state government office building. The IUB-OCA building is certified as Energy Star 100 and LEED Platinum. The measured energy use intensity is 21.5 kBtu/ft2-yr. One of low-energy sustainable design features is the operable window. The building automation system identifies favorable outside conditions and notifies occupants to open or close windows. The associated zone’s heat pumps are automatically shut down when windows are opened. The study analyses the impact of the operable windows on heat pump energy savings and occupant satisfaction through natural ventilation.
2 Window Operation and Its Impact on Building Energy Consumption for a Medium-Size Office Building
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Liping Wang, Ph.D., P.E., University of Wyoming |
This study focuses on the investigation of the impacts of window operation on building performance for different types of ventilation systems including natural ventilation, mixed-mode ventilation, and conventional VAV systems in a medium-size office building. A building performance simulation tool—EnergyPlus—is used to simulate window operation for each system type. The investigation included the interaction between conventional VAV systems and window operation as well as control strategies for natural ventilation and mixed-mode ventilation. The results highlighted the impacts of window operation on energy use and comfort and identified substantial energy savings with mixed-mode ventilation during summer for various climates.