Impacts of lighting schedules on building energy simulations.

摘要

Common errors in building energy simulation include incorrect lighting and plug load power densities as well as peak occupancies in spaces (Rosenbaum 2003). Inaccurate results due to these uncertain parameters support industry opinions that energy models present a pattern of behavior rather than predicting true energy performance (Clevenger 2010). This research analyzed the impact of lighting schedule definition in energy use prediction and included a limited survey addressing methods used by professionals. Three case buildings were analyzed: the Chemistry Building and the Geography Building at the Michigan State University campus, and a church project in Lansing, Michigan. Actual lighting schedules were collected and redefined through field observations and data from portable light loggers. These schedules were then used in energy models created for each building, and predicted energy use was compared to results from models previously developed during the design phase to default schedules within the program, and to available building utility data. Results showed an improvement in energy prediction accuracy when defining schedules based on averaged use patterns. As a result of the research, recommendations were developed for approaches to improve schedule definition and a data gathering tool was developed to collect required information for energy analysis during design.