Journal article
Advanced co-simulation framework for assessing the interplay between occupant behaviors and demand flexibility in commercial buildings
Science & technology for the built environment, v 30(9), pp 1094-1113
20 Oct 2024
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
With buildings contributing significantly to electricity usage, enabling demand flexibility becomes a challenge, especially when accounting for occupant comfort. This study introduces an innovative co-simulation framework integrating multiple models: heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, building zone load, indoor airflow, supervisory control, and occupant comfort and behavior. Uniquely, this framework allows for a comprehensive and dynamic analysis of building systems and occupant interactions in demand response events. Using this framework, we conducted a case study using a typical small office building model. Specifically, we focused on three areas: (1) the impact of indoor airflow modeling on energy use, occupant comfort, and behaviors forecasting, (2) the impact of occupant behaviors on demand flexibility, and (3) occupant comfort and behaviors under demand response events. Key performance indicators such as energy use, flexibility factor, durations of occupant discomfort and occupant behaviors were analyzed. Our findings indicated variations in energy usage and occupant comfort within demand flexibility events, marked by uncertainty boundaries, with variability in demand shedding up to 57.9%. We concluded that this framework is suitable for analyzing typical commercial buildings and their HVAC systems in terms of demand flexibility potential under the impact of occupant behaviors.
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Details
- Title
- Advanced co-simulation framework for assessing the interplay between occupant behaviors and demand flexibility in commercial buildings
- Creators
- Zhelun Chen - Drexel UniversityJin Wen - Drexel UniversityYicheng Li - Drexel UniversityL. James Lo - Drexel UniversityGabriel Grajewski - Drexel UniversityW. Vance Payne - National Institute of Standards and TechnologySteven T. Bushby - National Institute of Standards and TechnologyAmanda Pertzborn - National Institute of Standards and TechnologyZheng O'Neill - Texas A&M Univ, Dept Mech Engn, College Stn, TX USAZhiyao Yang - Texas A&M UniversityCaleb Calfa - Texas A&M University
- Publication Details
- Science & technology for the built environment, v 30(9), pp 1094-1113
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Number of pages
- 20
- Grant note
- EE-0009153 / U.S. Department of Energy; United States Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001302892400001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85202871240
- Other Identifier
- 991021960793004721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Construction & Building Technology
- Engineering, Mechanical
- Thermodynamics