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Use of Energy Management and Control Systems for Performance Monitoring of Retrofit Projects: Final Summary Report for USDOE Office of Conservation and Energy, Final Revision, March 1993
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Date
1991
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.tamu.edu), Texas A&M University
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University
Abstract
Traditionally, Energy Management and Control Systems (EMCSs) have been used to control
HVAC, lighting, fire and security systems in buildings. Few EMCSs are used for long term
trending and analysis of energy use (i.e., the storage and display of contiguous hourly data
over one year).
Description
Developments in three closely related fields may influence the way EMCSs are used in
buildings in the future. First, efforts by researchers are beginning to show that continuous
monitoring and analysis of a building's energy use can improve the performance of HVAC
retrofits, and help to assure the persistence of the retrofit by constantly checking to see if the
retrofit is performing as expected. Second, recent advances in computer technology are now
bringing laboratory computing capabilities to the desks of building operators who will
eventually inherit today's research in the form of improved building control.
Third, common communications protocol standards by ASHRAE and others will eventually
allow for easy access to a vast plethora of control and communications systems. However, in
order to accomplish this, EMCSs must be tapped for their ability to serve dual functions.
First, they must be easy to use, dependable control systems; and second they must also begin
to serve as effective sources of long term monitored data. This report provides a summary of
efforts by several researchers to investigate whether EMCSs can be used to perform long
term remote monitoring of energy use and environmental conditions in buildings, including
an assessment of the use of EMCSs to provide data for the Texas LoanSTAR program.
Keywords
Energy Management and Control Systems, LoanSTAR, Monitoring and Analysis Program