A simulation model to determine energy savings in an air conditioning office building

Abstract

Energy saving and energy efficient equipment are attracting a lot of attention due to the escalating energy costs world wide. Selection of Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) system for buildings is considered to play a vital role in energy consumption. However, proper selection of such a system depends primarily on an accurate cooling load calculation method. ASHRAE has developed different methods to estimate the accuracy of cooling load calculations. In this paper a method based on the finite difference technique is implemented to estimate the cooling load in an office building. The office building is cooled by a ceiling radiant cooling panel (CRCP) coupled with fan coil unit (FCU) using 100% fresh air. The simulation model of the office building showed that significant energy reduction could be obtained when using a ceiling radiant cooling panel. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.