4641 -- Building Energy Use and Control Problems: An Assessment of Case Studies PDF

The objective of this study was to conduct a literature review of case studies that document the link between inefficient energy consumption of buildings and problems associated with controls and direct digital control systems. In all, 67 case studies were identified and 384 control-related problems were reported for 118 buildings. The problems are classified into four general categories, namely, hardware, software, human factor, and unspecified. To further define the control-related problems, 12 subcategories are introduced for the hardware, software, and human factor categories. The findings show that software problems represent 34.7% of all reported problems. Hardware and human factor problems represent 32.1% and 21.4% of all problems, respectively. Software programming problems occurred most frequently among the subcategories of control problems. The findings of this literature review can help target research, development, testing, and training activities aimed at enhancing direct digital control system performance and thereby improving the energy efficiency of HVAC systems in buildings.

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