Scalable  installation of advanced building controls

Widespread deployment of advanced controls and diagnostics in small and medium buildings has been held back by the cost and complexity involved in applying these solutions to individual buildings. CBEI demonstrated data?driven  adaptive,  self?learning  control?oriented  models for building HVAC sub?systems and building thermal and envelope dynamics in two medium buildings.

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Commercial Institutional Multifamily Medium and Small Building Research Roadmap

CBEI developed a roadmap to guide technology research. The roadmap is focused on conducting research using existing and state-of-the-art building components and systems in an integrated fashion.

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Detached Eddy Simulation Model for Indoor Airflow Modeling

The airflow in enclosed environments is a wall bounded flow, consisting of circulation, flow separation, and thermal plumes in transitional to fully developed turbulence. This study developed a new Detached Eddy Simulation model for indoor airflow using a semi-v2f model, and this model correctly predicted near-wall flows. This study applied the new DES model to a mixed-ventilation and a strong buoyancy-driven flow in rooms.

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Improvements of Fast Fluid Dynamics for Simulating Airflow in Buildings

Fluid Dynamics (FFD) could be potentially used for real-time indoor airflow simulations. This study developed two-dimensional Fast Fluid Dynamics (2D FFD) into three-dimensional Fast Fluid Dynamics (3D FFD) and improved the data structure for handling computational domain with more complex geometry.

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CBEI Successfully Prototypes Low-Cost Virtual Sensors for Fault Detection and Diagnostics

A CBEI team of researchers led by Jim Braun of Purdue University has successfully implemented the use of virtual sensors within a low-cost microprocessor.

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Virtual Sensing Automation, Demonstration, and Assessment

A virtual sensor system (compatible with the VOLTTRON platform) has been designed and an initial
prototype has been tested.

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Integrated wall retrofit solutions for existing masonry construction for commercial buildings

The session, conducted by Covestro LLC and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, aims at identifying best practice recommendation for energy-efficient, cost-effective retrofit solutions for the interior of existing masonry wall system for commercial buildings. The target market identified is climate zone 4 & 5.

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Research Finding: Automated Fault Detection and Diagnostics in AHUs

The Pattern Matching Principal Component Analysis (PCA)-based fault detection method developed by CBEI consistently detected faults at a detection rate of 94% with no false alarms.

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Research Finding: Integrative Design Process for the Navy Yard Building Building 661

The integrative design and delivery process includes establishing a new and different governance structure to guide a retrofit construction project, and a collaborative team that works together to make decisions for the design of the buildings.

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Research Finding: Testing Predictive HVAC Control for Rooftop Units at Harvest Grill

Buildings consume over 40% of the total energy in the U.S. Over 90% of the buildings are less than 50,000 square feet in size. These buildings currently do not use building automation systems to monitor and control their building systems.

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Research Finding: Automated Fault Detection and Diagnostics in Rooftop Units: Impact Evaluation and Optimal Service Scheduling

RTUs serve 60% of commercial floor space and account for about 150 Terawatt hours of annual electrical usage (~1.56 Quads of primary energy) and about $15B in electric bills in the US.

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Research Finding: Standardized Wall Retrofit System

Energy efficiency in existing buildings is most often addressed by upgrading outdated lighting equipment and adding efficient equipment to the heating and cooling systems because of low risk and short financial payback.

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Research Finding: Asset Management Planning for Strategic Energy Retrofits

Implementing a deep energy retrofit, to achieve a 40 to 50% building level efficiency improvement, on a small to medium sized building is not financially viable as a single project. Therefore, creating an energy asset management plan that manages “deep energy retrofit triggers” over time is very important to consider.

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Research Finding: Advanced Supervisory Controls in Navy Yard Building 101

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Design Intent to Occupancy in Building 661: HVAC

CBEI researchers have moved into their new home in November of 2014 at The Navy Yard in Philadelphia. The new headquarters building was designed as a living laboratory for building science researchers to test the real-world application of a number of energy conservation measures.

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