Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: On Track to Carbon Neutral Buildings
EPA Grant Number: SU835503Title: On Track to Carbon Neutral Buildings
Investigators: Pala, Nezih , Tayshetye, Ashwini , Ha, Hsin-Yu , Guvenc, Ismail , Clark, Lisette , Islam, Nasidul , Inyim, Peeraya , Chen, Shu-Ching , Spiegelhalter, Thomas , Zhu, Yimin
Institution: Florida International University
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Phase: I
Project Period: August 15, 2013 through August 14, 2014
Project Amount: $15,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2013) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Sustainable and Healthy Communities , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
A pathway to carbon neutral buildings, especially for existing buildings, is a long-term dynamic and complex process that requires constant monitoring, control, and adjustments. The goal of this project is to determine if carbon emission prediction and control of building operations over a long period of time can be enhanced by using an integrated self-assessment information system that can inform facility managers and/or owners in real-time if a building is on track to carbon neutrality according to a predefined plan. The system integrates building information modeling, building energy simulation, dynamic user pattern capturing techniques and data from energy management systems. To achieve this goal, the objectives are to design, integrate, and test the following two core components for developing “smart” applications in the future:
- A building information model (BIM)-based energy simulation platform for setting the carbon emission baseline of a building and predicting carbon emissions using dynamic user patterns; and
- The algorithm for determining dynamic user patterns using video image processing and cellphone-based indoor positioning technologies and data from existing building energy management systems.
Description of the Research:
This project takes advantage of the existing advances in building information modeling, energy simulation, and indoor positioning and tracking technologies based on wireless signals and video image processing to create a context-sensitive carbon emission reduction management information system. In Phase I, the project team focused on designing, prototyping, and testing the integration of building information models (BIM’s) with energy simulation, and the incorporation of dynamic user patterns to enhance energy simulation and carbon emission prediction.
The team applied its experience on the selected part of an on-campus building named SIPA (The School of International and Public Affairs) and used that part as a test case. A BIM model of SIPA has been created as a central portal to store information for energy modeling such as space, thermal material properties, occupancy schedule with thermal comfort measuring (temperature, humidity), and MEP systems. Real-time energy consumption, thermal comfort and HVAC set points, and operation schedules were obtained from the Johnson Control Metasys building energy management system. Real-time occupancy information were captured dynamically using image processing of video streams obtain from cameras. Dynamic user patterns were generated using the real-time occupancy information, video image processing, surveys and building operation data from Metasys. The dynamic user patterns were then incorporated into the SIPA BIM model. Energy Plus was used as the plugin tool for the BIM energy model by using the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB) to predict energy consumption and carbon emissions. The integrated BIM energy management system helps to create energy and carbon emission baselines. These baselines can be updated with dynamic user patterns to enable better prediction of energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
We demonstrated the building blocks of an integrated information and monitoring system which can help facility managers or owners to better manage the long-term dynamic and complex process required to achieve carbon neutral building status. In addition, through occupancy sensing and interaction with students, faculty, and staff of a facility, the project team hopes to enhance the awareness of those end users in regards to occupant satisfaction, energy saving and carbon emissions reduction. Implicit sensing relies on the notion that the effects occupants have on building systems can be used to determine occupancy information about patterns and user behaviors. Typical detected variations exist between the predicted and measured energy use. Some key common factors are:
- The actual occupancy hours (schedules) differ from those used in the initial thermal and energy design assumptions of the engineers and architects
- Plug loads are much higher than assumed
- A knowledge transfer gap exists between the design team, the building automation system and end users
Conclusions:
In the USA, buildings consumed 39% of the primary energy and 68% of electricity. In addition, buildings accounted for 38% of total CO2 emissions. This research project can help to determine if a building is on track to carbon neutrality as planned, and if not, what and where are the most significant carbon emission spaces in a building. With a goal to reduce CO2 pollution, this project clearly addresses the requirements of CAA: Clean Air Act–Section 103: “Section 103 of the Clean Air Act authorizes the EPA to make grants to institutions for research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, surveys and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, and control of air pollution.”
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 3 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Carbon neutral buildings, energy simulation, information technology, building information modeling, and cellphone positioning technologiesRelevant Websites:
FIU Smart Buildings ExitThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.