Joint Operating Agents: Dr Arthur Dexter, Department of Engineering Science, Parks Road, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PJ. United Kingdom
Email : arthur.dexter@eng.ox.ac.uk
and Dr Jouko Pakanen, VTT Building Technology, PO Box 18021, FIN 90571 Oulu. Finland.

Website : annex34.mets.nrcan.gc.ca/

Summary

A recent study has indicated that 20-30% energy savings in commercial buildings is achievable by re-commissioning of the HVAC systems to rectify faulty operation. Current strategies do not explicitly optimize performance and cannot respond to the occurrence of faults which cause performance to deteriorate. The objective of this Annex is to work with control manufacturers, industrial partners and/or building owners and operators to demonstrate the benefit of computer aided fault detection and diagnostic systems. Methods will be incorporated either in stand alone "PC" based systems or incorporated within a future generation of "smart" building control systems.

Subtasks included:

- Construct prototype performance validation systems:

These will be designed to assist with final stages of the commissioning or re-commissioning of HVAC systems. Test procedures will be devised to check for correct operation and the absence of particular faults in the mechanical equipment and to assess performance.

- Construct prototype performance monitoring systems:

Monitoring systems will be designed to detect unsatisfactory performance by comparing current performance with predicted by a reference model. Different approaches to generate reference models will be investigated.

- Interface prototype systems to building control systems:

Interfaces will be designed to connect the prototype systems to commercial control systems.

-Test and demonstrate performance validation and monitoring systems in real buildings:

Field trials are proposed for both new, unoccupied buildings nearing completion and buildings which have been occupied for sometime. Long term monitoring will also take place to determine their effectiveness in detecting and diagnosing faults that arise during normal operation.

This project will span a four year operating period which begins with a six month preparation phase followed by a three year working phase and a six month reporting phase. Completion is scheduled for the year 2001. Seven countries have already confirmed participation in this project, while many others have expressed an interest in taking part.

Participants: Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States of America

Technical Synthesis Report: Computer Aided Evaluation of HVAC System Performance
Edited by Rajinder Jagpal
UK, Faber Maunsell Ltd, 2006
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