Integrating Smart Ceiling Fans and Communicating Thermostats to Provide Energy-Efficient Comfort
Smart Ceiling Fans with Integrated Learning Thermostats- A New Way to Save Energy and Cost
The Regents of the University of California, on behalf of the Berkeley Campus
Recipient
Berkeley, CA
Recipient Location
9th
Senate District
14th
Assembly District
$1,887,540
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
The project is complete. The research team developed guidelines and online tools to help architects, engineers and builders to properly integrate smart automated ceiling fans into their HVAC system design. In 2020, and as a result of this project, multiple buildings in California and other states installed automated ceiling fans in their buildings such as the San Francisco airport new offices, Laguna Honda hospital in San Francisco and others.
The Issue
Conventional thermostat-based control strategies for heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems use a narrow range of temperatures year-round that are prescribed by building operators, based on an assumed occupancy schedule. Operators and occupants typically do not optimize these schedules based on actual occupancy or actual occupant preferences for thermal conditions. At low speeds, ceiling fans may reduce heating energy use by de-stratifying room air temperatures. However, architects, engineers, and owners do not understand the effects of air movement from ceiling fans to predict energy and comfort impacts that might result from new and innovative approaches to comfort.
Project Innovation
This project develops an optimal system configuration for smart comfort controlled ceiling fans integrated with learning thermostats. This system is to be tested and evaluated for energy performance and occupant acceptance in low income multi-family residential and small commercial buildings in disadvantaged communities in California. This research and development advances the solution's technology readiness level and support market adoption acceleration. A design guide and energy code language are to be developed to facilitate widespread adoption.
Project Benefits
Air movement, such as through ceiling fans, can cool a person indoors in a similar manner as lowering the temperature, but uses only a tiny fraction of the energy required by HVAC systems. New smart ceiling fans, using only 1-8 watts (compared to 2000-3500 watts for the typical 1.5-3 ton air conditioning system) and producing 1.5 to 2 mph air movement near building's occupants, can offset a 6ºF increase in indoor air temperature. This improves the occupant's comfort and perceived air quality while substantially decreasing energy consumption. Allowing higher indoor temperatures reduces a building's total HVAC energy by an average of 5% per degree Fahrenheit, and even greater in climate zones where natural ventilation or evaporative cooling systems are used instead of compressor-based cooling, or where there are a large number of airside economizer hours (such as California).
Consumer Appeal
Automated learning controls make the technology operation easier for the customer and likely resulting in wider user acceptance. User acceptance is key to achieving broad adoption and meeting energy savings targets.
Affordability
Developing cost-effective configurations and best practices will reduce the cost of adoption and operation while reducing the simple payback, thus enabling building owners to invest in the technology at lower risk. The recipient estimates that the integrated solution can provide energy savings up to 37% in cooling and 15% in heating, which could add up to 985 GWh of annual energy savings for California or approximately $148,000,000. The solution is a key component for passive heating and cooling design which supports CA zero-net energy (ZNE) goals and is demand-response ready.
Environmental Sustainability
Energy savings could add up to 719 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions reduced assuming a 15 percent market penetration. Also, ceiling fans are enabling technology for compressor-free cooling with passive and/or radiant systems because they provide comfort at higher indoor temperatures, thereby reducing refrigerant purchase, use and disposal.
Key Project Members
Therese Peffer
Subrecipients
The Regents of the University of California, on behalf of the Berkeley Campus
Association for Energy Affordability
TRC Engineers, Inc.
Match Partners
The Regents of the University of California, on behalf of the Berkeley Campus
BIG ASS FANS
