Air conditioning(AC)is essential for maintaining indoor comfort during Taiwan region’s hot and humid summers but significantly contributes to increased energy consumption.This study evaluates the effects of AC dutycy...Air conditioning(AC)is essential for maintaining indoor comfort during Taiwan region’s hot and humid summers but significantly contributes to increased energy consumption.This study evaluates the effects of AC dutycycling strategies on energy performance,thermal comfort,and operational costs in office environments.Duty-cycling was implemented using a building energy management system(BEMS),which remotely controlled the ON/OFF cycles of AC units.Five duty-cycling modes were tested,with some modes incorporating air circulation during OFF periods.Field measurements of energy consumption,temperature,humidity,and air velocity were conducted and integrated with thermal comfort analysis tools to calculate predictedmean vote(PMV)and percentage of dissatisfied(PPD)values.The objective was to achieve energy savings while maintaining acceptable thermal comfort levels.Results show that Mode A achieved the highest energy savings,reducing monthly consumption by 40.79%;however,it slightly exceeded the PMV threshold(+0.5)and recorded a PPD greater than 10%,indicating reduced occupant comfort.In contrast,Mode C provided a better balance,achieving a 27.61%reduction in energy consumption while maintaining a PMV of+0.28 and a PPD of 7.49%,both within acceptable comfort limits.Despite the energy-saving benefits,not all dutycycling modes ensured satisfactory thermal comfort.Additionally,the cost analysis revealed thatMode A achieved the lowest monthly electricity cost(NTD 8476.18/USD 263.38),whileMode C incurred a higher cost(NTD 10,363.00/USD 322.01),highlighting the trade-off between energy savings,comfort,and economic impact.展开更多
Heating,Ventilation,andAir Conditioning(HVAC)systems are critical formaintaining thermal comfort in office environments which also crucial for occupant well-being and productivity.This study investigates the impact of...Heating,Ventilation,andAir Conditioning(HVAC)systems are critical formaintaining thermal comfort in office environments which also crucial for occupant well-being and productivity.This study investigates the impact of integrating ceiling fans with higher air conditioning setpoints on thermal comfort and energy efficiency in office environments.Field measurements and questionnaire surveys were conducted to evaluate thermal comfort and energysaving potential under varying conditions.Results show that increasing the AC setpoint from 25○C to 27○C,combined with ceiling fan operation,reduced power consumption by 10%,achieving significant energy savings.Survey data confirmed that 85%of participants reported consistent thermal sensations across all conditions,with ceiling fans effectively compensating for higher setpoints through enhanced air circulation.CFDsimulations revealed that mediumspeed ceiling fan operation produced the most uniformairflowdistribution,with an average air velocity of 0.45 m/s,and minimized temperature variations,ensuring balanced thermal conditions.Temperature analysis showed a reduction in hotspots and cold zones,maintaining an average temperature deviation of less than±0.5○C.Predicted Mean Vote(PMV)evaluations at a 27○C setpoint indicated improved thermal comfort,with average PMV values around−0.3,corresponding to a“neutral”thermal sensation.These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating ceiling fans with HVAC systems in achieving energy efficiency and occupant comfort,offering a sustainable approach to reducing AC energy consumption in office environments.展开更多
基金financial support by the National Science and Technology Council under grant no.NSTC 112-2221-E-167-017-MY3.
文摘Air conditioning(AC)is essential for maintaining indoor comfort during Taiwan region’s hot and humid summers but significantly contributes to increased energy consumption.This study evaluates the effects of AC dutycycling strategies on energy performance,thermal comfort,and operational costs in office environments.Duty-cycling was implemented using a building energy management system(BEMS),which remotely controlled the ON/OFF cycles of AC units.Five duty-cycling modes were tested,with some modes incorporating air circulation during OFF periods.Field measurements of energy consumption,temperature,humidity,and air velocity were conducted and integrated with thermal comfort analysis tools to calculate predictedmean vote(PMV)and percentage of dissatisfied(PPD)values.The objective was to achieve energy savings while maintaining acceptable thermal comfort levels.Results show that Mode A achieved the highest energy savings,reducing monthly consumption by 40.79%;however,it slightly exceeded the PMV threshold(+0.5)and recorded a PPD greater than 10%,indicating reduced occupant comfort.In contrast,Mode C provided a better balance,achieving a 27.61%reduction in energy consumption while maintaining a PMV of+0.28 and a PPD of 7.49%,both within acceptable comfort limits.Despite the energy-saving benefits,not all dutycycling modes ensured satisfactory thermal comfort.Additionally,the cost analysis revealed thatMode A achieved the lowest monthly electricity cost(NTD 8476.18/USD 263.38),whileMode C incurred a higher cost(NTD 10,363.00/USD 322.01),highlighting the trade-off between energy savings,comfort,and economic impact.
基金support by the National Science and Technology Council under Grant No.NSTC 112-2221-E-167-017-MY3.
文摘Heating,Ventilation,andAir Conditioning(HVAC)systems are critical formaintaining thermal comfort in office environments which also crucial for occupant well-being and productivity.This study investigates the impact of integrating ceiling fans with higher air conditioning setpoints on thermal comfort and energy efficiency in office environments.Field measurements and questionnaire surveys were conducted to evaluate thermal comfort and energysaving potential under varying conditions.Results show that increasing the AC setpoint from 25○C to 27○C,combined with ceiling fan operation,reduced power consumption by 10%,achieving significant energy savings.Survey data confirmed that 85%of participants reported consistent thermal sensations across all conditions,with ceiling fans effectively compensating for higher setpoints through enhanced air circulation.CFDsimulations revealed that mediumspeed ceiling fan operation produced the most uniformairflowdistribution,with an average air velocity of 0.45 m/s,and minimized temperature variations,ensuring balanced thermal conditions.Temperature analysis showed a reduction in hotspots and cold zones,maintaining an average temperature deviation of less than±0.5○C.Predicted Mean Vote(PMV)evaluations at a 27○C setpoint indicated improved thermal comfort,with average PMV values around−0.3,corresponding to a“neutral”thermal sensation.These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating ceiling fans with HVAC systems in achieving energy efficiency and occupant comfort,offering a sustainable approach to reducing AC energy consumption in office environments.
