Continuous Improvement

Building DesignMarissa Caldwell – HVAC Engineer

Goals

Goal: achieve cost effective, zero fossil fuel use building designs. Building industry has not displayed as much progress as the

manufacturing and transportation industries in improved energy efficiency.

Plan: Establish firm’s leadership in the design of highly efficient commercial buildings and outline the path to the goal of zero fossil fuel utilization in the operation of a commercial building.

Expectation: Design and predict a building’s energy utilization to within 5-10% for the building as a whole and for each major energy using subsystem (including lighting and HVAC).

Continuously report to the owner on any changes and results with the owner so they can continuously improve the operation of the building.

The firm can continuously identify technologies needed to arrive at zero fossil fuel commercial building operation.

Change is in Order

The transportation and manufacturing sectors of the industry are both improving their energy consumption while performing efficiently.

In order to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings, all subsystems must be integrated.

Graphic courtesy of Jim Freihaut

Traditional Modeling

Traditional Modeling is based on prescriptive standards as identified by codes, however, does not take into account past performance

The process is putting the building parameters such as weather data and thermal resistance into a model

Using the energy model to generate energy results and designing the building based off those results.

Results in the graph to the right: Measured v. Proposed Savings Percentages

The outcome is traditional prescriptive modeling does not accurately predict building performance

Measured v. Proposed Savings Percentages – M. Frankel “Energy Performance for LEED for New Construction Buildings”

Inverse Modeling

Based on existing buildings performance Thinking in reverse Must make improvements based on past

performance of buildings Problem: Results are based off monthly averages.

Outdoor air temperature is the independent variable

Building Operations

Choose an existing building complete with the proper data entry equipment Metering Communication System Actual Monthly weather data from local weather

station User friendly program

The Process for the Inverse Model

HVAC Controls & Energy Metering

User Friendly HVAC Interface

Accurate Inverse Model Predicted Electric Use compared to Electric Bill

Actual Energy

Consumption

Operation

Conditions

Inform the Owners & Developers

Inform the Engineers

Implement New Ideas

Zero Fossil Fuel Building Operation

Everyone’s Happy!!!