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RESIDENTIAL BUILDING ADAPTIVE ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (R-BAEMS) DESIGN
Impact/Purpose:
The research objective of this proposal is to measure the environmental impact of automated energy management systems for residential structures. Residential climate control and creature comfort needs account for the majority of the residential energy demand. Many guidelines exist for design of passive solar characteristics in a structure to reduce heating and lighting demands. However, fewer design strategies exist for incorporating active energy management systems (AEMS) into residential structures. This research will address that gap in the sustainable built environment knowledge by investigating the type, usage and placement of sensors to monitor temperature and humidity and actuators to modify the interior climate of residential structures. Feasibility of a residential building adaptive energy management system (R-BAEMS for short and pronounced R-beems) will be determined by measuring the energy usage between two similar houses – one implemented with a R-BAEMS and one with no active system. The initial costs of the R-BAEMS along with the (assumed) energy savings achieved by the R-BAEMS outfitted house will be used to calculate a return on investment.
Description:
The expected outcomes from Phase I included 1) a set of guidelines for implementing R-BAEMS in residential structures from both a retrofit and original design perspective and 2) a cost and energy analysis of R-BAEMS impact on the environment. The status of each of the outcomes is presented in Table 21 which indicated that in spite the delayed sensor suite installation, the R-BAEMS project is progressing toward success. The expected output of the project, as proposed in Phase I, was an experimentally determined R-BAEMS specification. The status of the proposed output is shown in Table 2 below. Again, the progress is delayed due to the massive sensor suite installation for the S&T Solar Village; however, specification development for home automation systems on new designs has not been adversely affected.
Table 1. R-BAEMS Phase I Outcome Status
| Expected | Outcome | Outcome Status Delay Justification |
|---|---|---|
| Guidelines for implementing R-BAEMS in original home designs | R-BAEMS (now termed Chameleon) is currently being installed in the 2009 S&T Solar Home. Construction can be viewed from the live webcams at http://solarhouse.mst.edu/webcams.html. A draft of the implementation guidelines have been created and will be updated as the actual installation progresses. | n/a |
| Guidelines for implementing R-BAEMS as retrofits in existing home designs | The sensor suite installation for the 2002 and 2005 Solar Houses has not been completed past the AC energy loads. Once the entire sensor suite has been completed in those homes without a home automation system, the data will be evaluated to identify the most appropriate guidelines for an R-BAEMS retrofit. | Sensor Suite Installation 30% complete with NREL. The Sensor Suites are part of NREL’s Solar Building Benchmark program and must be installed by NREL personnel to adhere to the program’s criterion. As they become available to assist with the installation we have worked with them to ensure the project’s success. |
| Cost analysis of R-BAEMS | The sensor suite installation for the 2002, 2005, and 2007 Solar House has not been completed past the AC energy loads. Once the entire sensor suite has been completed, the data will be evaluated to identify the return-oninvestment for the R-BAEMS system. | |
| Energy Analysis of R-BAEMS | An AC energy analysis has been conducted for the 2002, 2005, and 2007 S&T solar homes since January 2009. | n/a |
| Sensor/Appliance Anomaly Identification is an additional output of this project. |
Table 2. R-BAEMS Phase I Output Status
| Expected | Outcome | Outcome Status Delay Justification |
|---|---|---|
| R-BAEMS Experiments | In Progress. See Table 1 for S&T Solar Village experimental plan. | Sensor Suite Installation 30% complete with NREL. The Sensor Suites are part of NREL’s Solar Building Benchmark program and must be installed by NREL personnel to adhere to the program’s criterion. As they become available to assist with the installation we have worked with them to ensure the project’s success. |
| R-BAEMS Specifications | R-BAEMS (now termed Chameleon) is currently being installed in the 2009 S&T Solar Home. Construction can be viewed from the live webcams at http://solarhouse.mst.edu/webcams.html. A draft of the specifications has been created and will be updated as the actual installation progresses and equipment performance is evaluated. |