Wireless Sensing and Control of the Indoor Environment in Buildings

1
Wireless Sensing and Control of the Indoor
Environment in Buildings

• Objective
• Develop techniques to improve building operation
  through intensive wireless sensing and
  information technology
• Opportunities
• Reduce energy use
• Increase energy demand responsiveness
• Improve comfort and productivity
• Improve synergy among systems and occupants
• Collaboration
• Center for the Built Environment
• CITRIS, BSAC, BWRC, Intel Lab

2
Buildings and Energy

• Buildings use more than 1/3 of total energy
• (Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning,
  Lighting, Equipment)
• Roughly half of this in Commercial Buildings,
  half Residential.
• Roughly half is wasted in each.
• In offices, HVAC leads the list of occupant
  complaint topics.
• Improvements will come from designs that
  integrate the building, its mechanical/electrical
  systems, and its occupants.
• Integration depends on improved information about
  how the building is operating (more sensors,
  more smarts)

3
What to do?

• 1) Sense more, where it counts
• Wireless networks of long-lived sensors
• Mobile, cheap (800/wired sensor)
• Fit them in ceiling tiles, furnishings, etc.
• 2) Include the occupants
• Information
• Insight
• Influence

4
Interfaces
Input Information Models Output
Weather Current Days Forecast Energy Price Current Hourly forecast Buildings current energy use and cost Messages, Alerts Utility, Bldg Mgt. Occupant input Building energy use (simulated hourly loads and HVAC system use) Comfort level Cost (hourly energy use x price) Building control algorithms Advice Messages Interactive interfaces show hourly profiles of cost/comfort/energy as a consequence of occupants choices. Occupant actuation of building and equipment Automatic actuation of building systems Diagnosis of building performance problems
5
Sensors

Now Maximum of 1 thermostat /room for HVAC (now 800 per installed wired sensor!)
Available (but rare) Light sensors for dimming lights. Occupancy sensors combined with light sensors for lighting control. CO2-based ventilation controllers
Possible Many!
6
(No Transcript)
7
Current Projects

• Multi-sensor/single actuator control of
  temperature
• What is the benefit of just adding more sensors,
  as in a retrofit?
• (see poster)
• Control of Stratified Systems
• Using sensors to manage temperature gradients in
  underfloor air systems.
• By optimizing efficiency, encourage adoption of
  this new technology.
• Air velocity measurement
• Benefits indoor air quality, energy, and comfort
• Interface between system and occupants
• Web-based, 1st for diagnosing building
  operations

8
(No Transcript)
9
(No Transcript)
10
Control of UFAD Systems
11
Underfloor Air Supply
(See Poster) sensors arrayed vertically improve
energy performance
12
Task-Ambient Conditioning
13
Test of Desk Supply Device
Maximum whole-body cooling rate 3-4C (5-7F).
Similar ?T possible between adjacent
workstations.
14
Mixed-mode Buildings
A hybrid approach to space conditioning that
combines natural ventilation with mechanical
ventilation and cooling.

• Improved occupant comfort/satisfaction
• Potential for greatly reduced energy
• But can waste energy unless monitored and
  controlled
• A perfect application for CITRIS smart sensor
  control

15
Mixed-mode Design

• Sophisticated building envelopes and structures
• Integration of window systems with HVAC systems
• Integrating automatic and occupant control of
  indoor environment
• New systems needed for sensing building
  conditions and informing occupants
• Demo opportunity next year

16
CBE Web-based User Interface

• Objective
• Better energy and maintenance performance
• Issues
• Occupants are virtual sensors and actuators
• Integration of sensor information with occupant
  information
• Collaboration
• GSA prototypein San Franciscothis year

17
User Interface
18
Air Velocity Measurement

• Applications
• Heat transfer in rooms and ducts
• Ventilation rate, air quality
• Perception of comfort, or draft
• Benefit enables mixed-mode building design

19
Future Projects (1)

• New Sensors
• Occupancy (IR and acoustic motion detection)
• Surface temperatures (via longwave IR)
• CO2 (proxy for occupancy and air quality)
• Light (illuminance and luminance)
• Noise
• Door window switches
• Plug-sized wattmeters for appliances and office
  equipment

20
Future Projects (2)

• Applications
• Control of perimeter zones in buildings
• Thermal control strategies
• Shading device control strategies
• Optimal sensor configurations
• Inclusion of the occupant in the control loop
• Interconnection with lighting controls
• Other interactions noise masking, fire,
  security..
• Economic analysis of wireless-enabled systems
• Residential
• Night ventilation control

21
Future Projects (3)

• Information systems for building occupants and
  operators
• Periodic evaluation of building performance
• PDA-sized information displays
• Forecasts of climate, energy prices, and building
  operational choices
• Forecasts of consequences of choices offered to
  occupants

22
And last, the SABER Center proposal
Sensors And Building Engineering Research
Center Preproposal for an NSF Engineering
Research Center. PI Paul Wright. Large
interdisciplinary team. Karma excellent. If
successful, final proposal will be due in
November.