Energy Technologies
PNNL's goal is to become a living laboratory for energy research and development. PNNL has tested and implemented leading edge technologies and methods over the last several years - often in support of PNNL research programs:
Wireless Building Control
Despite the popularity of wireless technologies (cell phones, personal digital assistants), these technologies have not been widely used for managing a building's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. As wireless costs continue to go down, these technologies will become more appropriate for buildings. PNNL staff have been testing and implementing several technologies for PNNL buildings:
- PNNL installed 32 wireless temperature sensors in a 70,000 square foot office building (the 337 Building) in FY 2002 to reduce air conditioning costs. The sensors feed data to the central control system. The system includes an algorithm designed to optimize the chilled-water temperature under part-load conditions and to reduce the building's peak demand - all without significantly increasing the energy use of the ventilation fans.
- PNNL is installing wireless temperature sensors in Office Pod 3 of the Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory to intelligently set back or shut off the office HVAC during un-occupied modes. Several offices have a high number of occupants and equipment and, therefore, the offices have a high heat load. However, the quantity and/or location of the existing temperature sensors do not allow the HVAC controls to correctly respond to the hot spots. Thus, the solution has been to run the HVAC systems 24/7 for the office pod. The additional wireless sensors will allow the HVAC to automatically adjust fans and cooling throughout the day and night.
- PNNL plans to install wireless technology to help validate and document that the lighting systems are successfully performing their monthly and annual tests of emergency egress lighting ballasts. The building code requires monthly and annual testing of emergency lights. Wireless technology will enable the building automation system to detect and record the results of the lighting system's monthly and annual self-testing. This automation will greatly reduce the time required for facility staff to perform the tests and document the results.
- PNNL's additional wireless work includes installation of a wireless rollup door sensor in the 350 Building (shops and offices) to automatically turn off the HVAC when the vehicle doors are open. This strategy can greatly reduce the amount of tempered (heated or cooled) air that escapes the building. Additional wireless rollup door sensors will be installed in the building and a grounds maintenance building for the same purposes. This wireless application will be extended to other buildings as resources allow.
For additional information on the use of wireless technologies or the use of PNNL HVAC data for research and development work, please contact Ron Underhill.
Building Performance Measurement and Diagnostics
PNNL operates a web-based suite of software tools called FRED (Facility Resource and Energy Data) to make building performance more clear than ever before. One tool integrates utility budgets, bill statements, and checkbook into one interactive display. Other tools provide the diagnostic power of the Whole Building Diagnostician to monitor the hourly energy performance of buildings and components.
FRED can be used within the PNNL and Hanford Site computer networks at Building Performance. The following screen shots show the key FRED web pages with bubbled notes describing their content and function:
- Home page
- Budget, bills, and checkbook tracking tool
- Benchmarking tool
- Whole Building Energy performance measurement module
- Outside Air Economizer diagnostics module
In addition to the FRED suite of tools, PNNL facilities department has Excel spreadsheets to normalize monthly energy and temperature data.
For additional information, please contact Marc Berman.
HVAC Checklists
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory played a major role in helping federal sites reduce their energy use during the electricity crises in 2001 and 2002, and the natural gas shortage in 2003. The initial work was helped identify fast, low-cost actions to fix or retune building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment.
PNNL found and proved that several low-cost actions could reduce a building's energy use by 5% to 20%. PNNL wrote procedures or checklists on how to apply the low-cost actions for the major HVAC components such as air handlers, chillers, and boilers. Then, PNNL and other DOE laboratory staff went to federal sites to show them how to use the checklists to retune their HVAC to quickly save energy.
The first years (2001 and 2002) of retuning assessments were done for DOE FEMP's Assessment of Load and Energy Reduction Techniques (ALERT) program.
In 2003, assessments and actual retuning were done under the Department of Defense's Western Grid Peak Load Reduction program. In 2003-2004, FEMP began a new wave of ALERTs to address the pending shortages in natural gas throughout the United States.
To obtain copies of the checklists or for additional information, contact Steve Parker.