Modeling and Retrofit for Energy Conservation: A Case Study of the Incubator Building

Abstract

Massive amounts of energy are wasted in buildings. In the UAE, buildings consume around 80% of the total electricity demand. Seventy percent of this energy is devoted to the air-conditioning of indoor spaces. Studies of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems document an untapped energy reduction potential of more than 20%, achievable through energy efficiency retrofits. The aim of this research is to examine the impact of a number of energy conservation measures for the Incubator building in Masdar city. By estimating and analyzing the life-cycle impact of possible retrofits to the building fabric and HVAC system, we shall determine the most cost effective strategies to reduce the energy consumption. EnergyPlus will be used as a simulation engine for estimating the energy consumption of the building. The research examines eight different retrofits, studies their energy impact and calculates the life-cycle cost as an indicator of the economic feasibility of each scenario. The results show that the implementation of Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV) has the highest energy savings potential (38%), followed by: reducing the outdoor air flow rate in Air Handling Units (AHUs), increasing heat recovery efficiency, AHUs scheduling, Fan Coil Units (FCUs) scheduling, lighting control, increasing set-points and finally temperature scheduling.

Date of Award	Dec 2016
Original language	American English
Supervisor	Afshin Afshari (Supervisor)