Energy Efficiency Buildings BSE 542

BEAS - Instrumentation

Dr. Deng Shiming

Department of Building Services Engineering
 BEAS - Instrumentation
The importance of quality instrumentation

• Carry out any energy audit and survey

• Monitor and understand building
performance in terms of operational
conditions and energy efficiency.
 BEAS - Instrumentation
Reasons for poor instrumentation for
buildings in HK

• Minimization of investment
• Limited space
• Low-cost sensors and transducers used due
to the policy of lower initial cost;
• Lack of awareness by designers
 BEAS - Instrumentation
1.5
1.4
1.3
1.2 Measured performance data
1.1
1.0
kW/Ton

0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
Manufacturer's data for condenser water at 24 Deg C
0.5
0.4
0.3
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Cooling capacity (Ton)

Poor chiller performance that poor instrumentation cannot reveal

 BEAS - Instrumentation

• Having quality instrumentation can easily

pay for itself from energy saving;
• Performance of sensors subjected to regular
check and calibration, particularly for low
cost sensors.
• Many sensors and transducers serving
building service installation rarely get the
attention they deserve - why BMS fails
 BEAS - Instrumentation

Types of Measurement required

• Temperature( air and water, surface, etc.)
• Water flow rate (Chilled water,
• Pressure (P cross filter, condensing P, etc.)
• Electrical system (Current, PF, Lux, etc.)
• Combustion systems (CO, NOx, CO2, etc.)
• Air Velocity
 BEAS - Instrumentation
Water flow measurement

• Quality measurement of water flow rate

cannot be achieved in many HK buildings;
• flow meters utilising pressure difference
measuring mechanism, e.g., an orifice plate
or a Venturi tube widely used:  3 to 5 %.
• Electromagnetic flow meters are more
accurate at 1%, but more costly
 BEAS - Instrumentation
Water flow measurement

• Retrofit or new installation of an intrusive

flow meter: pipe cutting, costly and causing
interruption of normal system operation.
• Portable ultrasonic water flow meters, good
for field measurement, with limitations,
notably the straight pipe length requirement,
up- (10D) and down-stream (5D) of the
meter.
 BEAS - Instrumentation
Flow rate evaluation using centrifugal chilled
water pump curve method

• A useful, low cost and simple alternative for

field water flow rate measurement;

• Particularly useful for an initial assessment

before further investment is made.
 BEAS - Instrumentation
Pump head
(kPa)

Pump characteristic curve

System characteristic curve

Operating Operating point

pump head

Operating flow rate Water flow rate (m3/s)

A typical pump characteristic curve and a system

characteristic curve
 BEAS - Instrumentation
Water flow rate
L/s by electromagnetic flowmeter by the pump curve approach
120

84

72

48

24

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
Time in hour

a case study
 BEAS - Worked Example

A worked example on energy audit (data

analysis and presentation)

A preliminary energy audit for a hotel building in

Beijing has produced the following data sheet
 BEAS - Worked Example
Table 2-5 Energy audit data for a hotel building in Beijing
Month Average Electricity Gas Monthly
monthly outdoor consumption consumption averaged room
air temperature occupancy
(C) GJ GJ %
January -5.6 247.1 310.3 80.8
February -12.1 216.2 420.7 86.2
March 0.4 235.1 289.8 92.6
April 3.2 248.8 254.1 84.7
May 12.8 243.2 230.2 90.3
June 20.6 251.5 167.9 89.5
July 26.8 338.9 169.4 87.1
August 32.4 392.3 165.2 90.9
September 23.8 301.7 160.4 95.4
October 16.7 249.6 172.5 96.7
November 8.5 246.2 248.8 84.5
December 2.9 258.9 283.6 88.7
 BEAS - Worked Example

Electricity and gas were used in the hotel.

Electricity was used to operate lighting, air
conditioning and vertical transportation
systems, and gas is used for hot water
generation and winter space heating. The
total floor area of the hotel building is
30000 m2.
 BEAS - Worked Example
Requirements:

a) state your observations on the year around operation

of building services, identify the seasonal variation of
energy consumption and discuss the relationship
between energy consumption and weather conditions as
well as occupancy level.

Illustrate answer using suitable diagrams (the energy

performance lines, and monthly variation) for both
types of fuel.
 BEAS - Worked Example

b) Estimate the followings:

i. The base loads for both electricity and gas

consumption;
ii. The likely total energy consumption in this hotel
building should the outdoor air temperature reach
-20 °C, assuming all other conditions remain
unchanged.
 BEAS - Worked Example
550 100
500 Electricity
Gas
450 Averaged room occupancy (%) 95
Energy consumption (GJ)

400

Room occupancy (%)

350
90
300
250
85
200
150
100 80

50
0 75
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Month
 BEAS - Worked Example
450 43
Electricity
400 Gas 36
Outdoor air temp.
350 29

Outdoor air temperature (oC)

Energy consumption (GJ)

300 22

250 15

200 8

150 1

100 -6

50 -13

0 -20
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Month
 BEAS - Worked Example
450

400
Electricity consumption (GJ)

350

300

250

200

150

100
-20 -10 0 10 20 30 40
o
Outdoor air temperature ( C)
 BEAS - Worked Example

500
Estimated gas energy use when outdoor air = - 25  C
450

400
Gas consumption (GJ)

350

300

250

200

150

100

50
-20 -10 0 10 20 30 40
Outdoorair temperture (oC)