Optimization of Equipment Control Parameters to Minimize HVAC Energy Consumption

Abstract

Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Systems (HVAC) consume nearly one-third of household energy in the United States. The optimization of the control parameters in HVAC equipment allows for a reduction in energy consumption. In this study, a supervisory control method is applied to a lumped parameter model of an HVAC system of interest containing a chiller and three dampers. The method determines the choice of control parameters that minimize the energy consumption for 1000 sampled steady-state loads. An energy savings of 39% was achieved using the method in this study compared to the base case.