EMIS ReportDesign-Prelim 2020sep11 - Flipbook - Page 11
AUTOMATED SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION:
Software that continuously analyzes and modifies
BAS control settings to optimize HVAC system energy
usage while maintaining occupant comfort. These
tools read data from the BAS and automatically
send optimal setpoints back to the BAS to adjust
the control parameters based on data such as
submetered energy use and energy price signal.
Two-way communication with the BAS distinguishes
ASO solutions from FDD.
EMIS can be implemented individually or in
combination and are intended to support facility
staff and management efforts to meet higher levels
of comfort and performance. EMIS help to prioritize
efforts toward optimal system performance, as
opposed to reactively fixing what is broken. Previous
research includes a complete description of the
components of EMIS and details how organizations
can plan and implement for successful EMIS use
(Granderson et al. 2015).
While EMIS are powerful tools, any tool needs a
process that utilizes it to have impact. Commissioning
is a process that “focuses on verifying and
documenting that all of the commissioned systems
and assemblies are planned, designed, installed,
tested, operated, and maintained to meet the
Owner’s Project Requirements” (ASHRAE 2013), and
this process can be augmented using EMIS. MBCx
is an ongoing commissioning process that focuses
on monitoring and analyzing large amounts of data
on a continuous basis, and EMIS are an integral
part of streamlining analysis and automating the
MBCx process. MBCx is a type of existing building
commissioning (EBCx), which is defined as “…a
systematic process for investigating, analyzing, and
optimizing the performance of building systems
through the identification and implementation of low/
no cost and capital-intensive Facility Improvement
Measures and ensuring their continued performance”
(Building Commissioning Association Best Practices
2018). Traditionally EBCx was implemented by
commissioning providers manually analyzing a short-
1. INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND
focuses on system-level monitoring (using BAS data).
An FDD system is different than a BAS alarm. Alarms
typically detect sensor value deviation associated
with a specific point based on real-time conditions.
They don’t typically allow for sophisticated logic that
interrelates multiple data streams and performs rulebased or model-based diagnostics. FDD tools are
typically applied as a separate software application
that pulls data from the BAS and may provide a
report of the duration and frequency of faults, cost
and/or energy impacts, and relative priority levels.
FIGURE 2: How EMIS work
Data Warehouse: Integrates
and organizes building data
Data Analytics:
Transmits
actionable
information to
building engineer
Implementation:
Building engineer
reviews analytics
and makes repairs
or improvements
Data collection:
Sensors, meters,
IoT devices
Monitoring: Tracks improvements
and measures savings
EMIS TOOLS: Energy information systems (EIS) help find energy waste using
smart meter data. Fault detection and diagnostic tools (FDD) detect and prioritize
HVAC system faults. Automated system optimization (ASO) includes control
algorithms to minimize energy use across systems.
Berkeley Lab | Proving the Business Case for Building Analytics
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