Despite significant advances in heating and cooling equipment, the overall performance and efficiency for installed HVAC systems lag far behind. It is estimated that $15 billion of energy is wasted in residential and light commercial buildings due to poor installation practice and degrading equipment. These problems not only represent lost resources, but also lead to occupant discomfort. This project will develop a monitoring, self-diagnosis, and control method for new and existing unitary heating and cooling equipment. It would utilize inexpensive sensors to continuously monitor an optimal set of operating parameters, making adjustments or providing a maintenance indication as problems are detected. In Phase I, low-cost sensors and support circuitry will be developed and tested for accuracy in a laboratory. The resulting circuits will be integrated into application-specific packages for various heating and cooling system components, and then tested and evaluated in an instrumented house. Diagnostic approaches and adaptive control strategies will be investigated and evaluated in preparation for Phase II.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: A low-cost monitoring, self-diagnosis, and control method would provide the basis for ‘continuous commissioning’ of heating and cooling equipment in small buildings. Sensors and supporting components could be packaged for factory or field installation, including upgrades to existing equipment
