Page 10 - Zero Net Energy Case Study Buildings-Volume 2

ZERO NET ENERGY CASE STUDY BUILDINGS, VOL. 2 INTRODUCTION
(Below, this page) Custom-de- signed master control system for the Packard Foundation Headquarters Building. (See Case Study No. 1 in Volume 1, Zero Net Energy Case Study Buildings.)
In a building that attempts to integrate automatic window operation for free cooling, shade operation, weather measurement, daylight sensors, light controls and aspects of HVAC operation, the reliability of the various control systems to perform as intended is not really possible. This is obviously particularly acute for buildings that are designed around passive systems for ZNE performance.
In 2015, a detailed study and evaluation of state-of-the-art building control systems was carried out by the New Buildings Institute on behalf of CABA (Continental Automated Buildings Association), driven by the concern about the state of affairs with building control systems. The results of the study were published in 20154, confirming this problem for ZNE buildings and the need for a change in this part of the building industry.
In practical terms, this major issue can be overcome by introducing a “master control system”, sometimescalledan“omni-controller”,asoftwarepackagethatisaformofcommunications translator that controls and manages the individual control systems. This was recognized in
4 Higgins, C., Miller, A., Lyles, M., “Zero Net Energy Controls: Characteristics, Energy Impacts and Lessons Learned Research Report”, November 2015, http://www.caba.org/CABA/ Research/Zero-Net-Energy-Buildings.aspx.
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Zero Net Energy Case Study Buildings: Volume 2