A workflow for evaluating occupant-centric controls using building simulation
Brodie W. Hobson, Brent Huchuk, H. Burak Gunay, William O’Brien
Abstract
Indoor climate and lighting in office buildings are operated using static and conservative setpoints and schedules that are sub-optimal for real occupancy/occupants’ diverse preferences. In contrast, occupant-centric control (OCC) is an operational strategy whereby occupancy/occupants’ preferences are estimated to improve energy efficiency and comfort. This paper develops a practical workflow for implementing and evaluating OCCs via building simulation. A library of five OCC functions is introduced for use with building sensor data. EnergyPlus simulations of a generic nine-office testbed are performed with combinations of OCCs, climates, and envelope assemblies to demonstrate the workflow; the results showed that the energy use and thermal discomfort (the number of hours spent outside a selected thermal comfort zone) could be reduced by up to 37% and 65%, respectively, when OCCs were implemented in the testbed. This workflow allows for a diverse combination of OCCs, climates, and envelopes that can be expanded upon practically and incrementally.