Presentation on the development and use of our Building Agent dashboard for zero energy building operations delivered by my colleague Stephen Frank.

1. Building Agent:
A Better Energy Dashboard
Stephen M. Frank
Shanti Pless
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Track 2 – Session 2: Visualization & Tools
Tuesday, May 19, 2015

2. NREL Research Support Facility
Location: Golden, CO
Primary Use: Office
Size: 360,000 ft2
Occupants: Approximately 1,325
LEED Rating: Platinum
Construction Cost: $254/ft2 (excl. PV)
Energy Budget: 35 kBtu/ft2/yr
Net Zero Energy
Background
2
Image: Dennis Schroeder, NREL

3. 3
Occupant Impact
Images: Dennis Schroeder, NREL
Occupants influence about 30%
of total energy consumption

4. 4
RSF Performance Targets
Pie Chart: Chad Lobato, NREL; Graphic: Marjorie Schott, NREL, and Stockphoto

5. 5
Occupant Engagement
Image: Nicholas Long, NREL
How do we engage occupants
in order to meet (or exceed)
aggressive efficiency goals?

6. 6
Building Agent
Graphics: Nicholas Long, NREL

7. 7
Effective Visualization?
What does
this tell us?

8. Building Agent Dashboard
8
Graphic Design: Marjorie Schott, NREL
What about this?

10. Creating Expectations
10
Upper Expectation
Measured Performance
Lower Expectation
Expectations combine
statistical and physical
energy models

11. Modeling Consumption
11
Vertical Irradiance (W/m2)
LPD(W/m2)
Statistical Models
Lighting
Physical Models
PV Generation
Combined Models
Plug Loads
Henze, G.P.; Pless, S.; Petersen, A.; Long, N.; Scambos, T. (2015). “Control limits for
building energy end use based on frequency analysis and quantile regression."
Energy Efficiency, published online. DOI: 10.1007/s12053-015-9342-6

12. Fault Detection Example: Daylighting
12
Lighting higher
than expected
Lighting out of range despite
full daylighting potential
Root Cause: Daylighting controls overridden during
repair of ballast and fixtures; controls weren’t reset
6-Nov-20136-Nov-2013

13. Fault Detection Example: Lighting Controls
13
Lighting load is too high
in evening hours (6–10 PM)
Response: Reduce auto-off delays; staff outreach;
lessons learned for future lighting system design
Multiple Causes: Cleaning staff, individuals working late
1-Jan-2014 5-Apr-2014

14. Fault Detection Example: Air Handler
14
Solution: Installation of new evaporative
cooling unit to meet local demand,
enabling the AHU to turn off at night
Problem: Large AHU on all night: manually
overridden to provide air and cooling to a
few night shift security employees
16-Aug-2013
7-Oct-2013

15. Fault Detection Example: PV Inverter Offline
15
PV output too low. Why?
Time series suggests inverter outage;
offline inverter confirmed via vendor
web portal and repair dispatched
20-Mar-2015 20-Mar-2015

16. Fault Detection Example: Open Windows
16
9-Mar-2015
9 AM on a Monday
Heating well above predicted Root Cause: Windows open all weekend in
a conference room. 35 °F Monday morning;
heat in room running at 100%
Image: Shanti Pless, NREL

17. Fault Detection Example: Open Windows
17
9-Mar-2015
9-Mar-2015
Windows closed
around 9:30 AM
Back in line!

18. What’s Next?
• Automated model construction
• OpenStudio integration?
• Haystack!
18

19. 19
Haystack
id: @rsf-main
elec
meter
siteMeter
siteRef→dis: “RSF”
elec
meter
subMeterOf:
@rsf-main
mechanical

20. 20
Questions?
Stephen Frank, Ph.D.
Commercial Building Systems Integration
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
303-275-4249 (office)
Stephen.Frank@nrel.gov