Energy saving potentials of integrating personal thermal comfort models for control of building systems: Comprehensive quantification through combinatorial consideration of influential parameters

摘要: Abstract Research studies provided evidence on the energy efficiency of integrating personal thermal comfort profiles into control loop Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems (i.e., comfort-driven control). However, some conflicting cases with increased consumption were also reported. Addressing limited focused nature those demonstrations, in this study, we have presented a comprehensive assessment implications to (i) understand impact wide range contextual factors their combinatorial effect (ii) identify operational conditions that benefit from integration. In doing so, proposed an agent-based modeling framework, coupled EnergyPlus simulations. We considered five potentially influential parameters arrangements including occupants’ characteristics, diverse multi-occupancy scenarios, number occupants zones, strategies, climate. identified most influencing factor be variations across characteristics - reflected probabilistic models followed by share zone, strategy driving collective setpoint zone. shared fewer than six occupants, observed potentials for average gain between −3.5% 21.4% control. Accounting (±standard deviation) savings single zone multiple zones ranges [−3.7 ± 4.8%, 5.3 5.6%] [−3.1 4.9%, 9.1 5.1%], respectively. Across all 0.0% 96.0% combinations resulted savings.