AEE Seminar - Using DDC Systems Effectively to Improve Building Performance
(30 minute presentation with questions)

1. For the DDC tool to be effective it must be simple to use and self teaching, and lead operators to improved building performance.

• People are not willing to tolerate anything more complicated than point and click.
• The Internet has greatly increased everyone’s expectations as to what is user friendly interface is. Our clients and managers are no longer willing to accept DOS like interfaces. Windows like platforms have become the accepted entry level. Freedom of manipulatible information is expected at all levels of integration with our building performance control systems.

2. Achieving and maintaining implied simplicity through good graphic standards.

• A good graphic interface in today’s DDC systems is mandatory. Good graphics allow management to focus on the real problems. Good graphics allow clients and all other resource providing non-code junkies to participate in improving building performance.
• Again the Internet has reconfirmed that the power of dynamic linking, when combined with powerful graphics can simplify complex subject matter. Our job now is to present our complex building relationship in an easy to understand interlinked graphic pages that can be reviewed easily by anyone while gaining valuable information as to the intent of the system teaching all who use the system building system configuration and relationships. A primer for basic building performance graphic interface exists on the net as part of the BC Buildings Corporation’s Client Comfort Design Manual.  address is http://www.bcbc.bc.ca/Doing_Business_With_Us/Technical_Manuals/files/ccs/rights.htm
•  The Graphic Guidelines Section 7 provides guidelines to effective graphic generation.

3. Using trend graphs effectively to identify successes and failures.

• Trend graphs are powerful indictors of building performance. Trending the same points with different time bases provides new information. Zoom and scroll can allow interactive interface with powerful trend graphics.
• Trend graphs are a powerful graphic representation of dynamic building performance indicators. Almost all of our DDC systems available today are able to generate excellent trend graphs. The problem with most systems is that obscure coding and or menu manipulation, plus knowledge of where information is stored, is necessary to unleash these powerful trend graphs. The navigation graphic set trend icon provides a simple method of linking and organizing trend graphs so that they can be easily used with one point and click. Setting up the same trend data with a different time base provides a new view of building performance. An example is building energy used on a 24 hour basis provides different information than a weekly time base. A monthly trend of daily energy usage provides yet another view. All trends can be generated from the same point.

4. Using a trend of the energy bell curve as an optimization tool.

• Daily, weekly and monthly bell curves provide the building performance fingerprint.

• The above building energy performance curve provides an energy fingerprint of building performance. The DDC system Operator Control Language (OCL) can be used to generate the highest and the lowest level achieved since reset. This graphic information reduces the operator task to try to match today’s consumption to the lowest level of energy usage achieved. In some projects the lowest level is the demonstrated lowest level and is not reset but left as a goal to be achieved by operation. The highest level shows the mistakes that have been made which can provide a valuable lesson as we understand what combination of building operation caused the problem.

5. Wringing savings out of the bell curve.

• Analyze bell curves. Share bell curves with others who care about improved building performance.
• If we analyze the energy bell curve our objective is to reduce the area under the curve (the energy consumption) by lowering the hourly peaks (the building power usage). By using curve fitting we can analyze other curves generated by the system such as major ASD loads, sub-metering, etc. On off schedule, chiller operation, other major load operation can be visually observed. The relative impact of every interaction is depicted on the energy bell curve.
• The effect of lights off sweeps and cleaner interaction can be analyzed. I recommend sharing this information with the cleaners. When they see graphically the effect they have on total building energy usage even the traditional are receptive to change. Constant sharing of information from our powerful DDC tool will lead to improved overall building performance.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]6. Output oriented approaches.

• Use runtime totalizers: - The sum of all the parts should equal the whole. Use analog trends on outputs with bell curve analysis:- If all outputs are scaled for 0 to 100% energy use, the trend output will present a graphical picture under the curve of the energy usage.
• Runtime totalizers are extremely useful in diagnosing building performance problems. Using OCL to generate a kW estimation of each fan and pump allows the relative importance of each device to be demonstrated. This same estimated kW total can be continuously added to determine motor portion of total building kW load and plotted on the energy bell curve. Some runtime totalizers when given an analog value will totalize it. The rolled up estimated number can be extremely useful in estimating the portion of energy used daily, weekly and monthly by each component.
• Proper setup of all analog values allows all trends to present a bell curve of each analog output. The area under the curve provides a graphical representation of energy usage.

7. Summary

• The brief presentation time limits the detail in which this subject matter can be covered. The subject is likely the basis for a day seminar which would include lots of feedback from DDC users sharing their successful concepts. I did not spend much time talking about the value that good navigation graphics and trend graphics have for maintenance. Malfunctioning equipment is quickly uncovered with powerful trend logs. The navigation graphics allow quick identification of what devices are not operating correctly and allows manual intervention to solve problems until devices can be repaired.
• I feel that everyone including myself, can greatly improve on how our powerful DDC systems' navigational graphics can simplify and optimize building performance.

Ken Sinclair, ESI Enviromation Services Inc/Sinclair Energy Services Ltd Tel: (250) 656-5378 Fax: 656-2394 E-Mail: sinclair@enviromation.bc.ca 

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