Title: Potential of building automation system towards efficient energy management of healthcare buildings

Authors: Mohamed Fazly Eusoff; Mohd Rodzi Ismail

Addresses: School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, USM 11800 Penang, Malaysia ' School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, USM 11800 Penang, Malaysia

Abstract: An energy management tool in a form of a contour chart of building automation system (BAS) data was presented to assist a healthcare building in monitoring the air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) energy performance. The contour charts were interpreted using a diagnostic guide based on a qualitative model-based fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) method. Rule-based technique was applied on zone temperature data in order to extract the estimated air handling unit (AHU) fan-extended-hours. The AHUs' estimated fan-extended-hours and zone temperature averages represented the measured BAS faults. An eQuest energy model incorporating the faults was calibrated to an energy consumption of 5,757,600 kWh/year with mean bias error (MBE) = 2.83% and coefficient of variation (root mean squared error) CV(RMSE) = 1.82%. Using the calibrated model, building energy performance simulation (BEPS) indicated a conservative potential saving of 400,200 kWh/year (6.95%) by simulating fault-free BAS zone temperature control and fan shutdown.

Keywords: building automation systems; BAS; energy efficiency; eQuest; air conditioning; mechanical ventilation; ACMV; data visualisation; fault detection; fault diagnosis; FDD; healthcare buildings; Malaysia; hospitals; energy management; contour charts; zone temperature; energy consumption; building energy performance; simulation; fan shutdown.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETP.2015.069815

International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy, 2015 Vol.11 No.2, pp.142 - 164

Received: 04 Apr 2014
Accepted: 02 Mar 2015
Published online: 12 Jun 2015 *

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