Development of Graphical Indices for Displaying Large Scale Building Energy Data Sets

Abstract

Graphs are an effective way of displaying quantitative and statistical information. Unfortunately, only a few studies have systematically looked at presenting building energy data in forms which are both informative and easy to comprehend. Recent advancements in computing. including the development of sophisticated graphing packages and powerful desktop computers have made the concept of graphical indices more timely than ever before. In this paper, graphical indices are developed and used to analyze several years of hourly data (20,000 to 30,000 data points) collected from LoanSTAR sites. These indices are meant to be efficient displays that present data in specific graphic forms developed to highlight certain features. In a large program like LoanSTAR many aspects of a building's energy consumption behavior need to be quickly and accurately viewed so that buildings can be compared with one another. The purpose of this paper is to show how graphical indices can be used to help a building energy analyst view large amounts of hourly building energy consumption data in order to quickly and efficiently analyze the data, check for errors, or establish time and temperature related trends over a large period of time. The objective is to demonstrate the use and effectiveness of the graphical indices on the data collected from an Engineering Center.