Evaluation of control strategies in HVAC split systems

The important and continuous increment in the global electricity consumption is doing that energy saving strategies have turned into a crucial solution. Efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning controls are generally the most cost-effective ways to minimize the use of energy in buildings. In this framework, an energy management and control system has been developed to schedule electric end-uses in the campus of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain. As a result, each system or device in the campus is able to be switched on/off by using a web platform. This paper presents an evaluation of different control strategies for HVAC split systems, which have been performed by using an energy management and control system, developed in a similar way by UPV. In order to adapt and compare several schedules, this paper analyzes the effect of these actions in a common air conditioning device. Not affecting the comfort level and the indoor air quality is an important requirement. For that reason, a multi criteria comparison must be drawn. Demand response strategies are tested in several situations, and the economic saving is calculated taking into account the electricity contract clauses. Finally, a test is realized for the control of a group of similar devices in order to reduce the maximum peak power and obtain a flexible load shape with the HVAC loads. The studies are then extrapolated on a large system, the whole university campus, for which energy and economic savings are quantified.