HVACTIVATE THE SAVINGS

Inspiration

The University of Massachusetts Amherst did a trial run to conserve energy by generating a "smart" HVAC schedule based on room occupancy data collected by monitoring WiFi access points.

What it does

The system we designed lies on top of UWaterloo's traditional Building Management System, and allows for the automation of HVAC Control without human intervention. To improve upon static HVAC scheduling, we use existing sensors across campus buildings in order to inform more accurate occupancy estimates. We can use a mix of environment sensors (CO2, humidty, etc), WiFi access point device monitoring, and student/university schedules to make better and more frequent occupancy estimates. Improved estimates and dynamic HVAC control will lead to over 15% in energy savings across the campus HVAC system and roughly $6 million dollars in savings per year.

How we built it

We expanded on the work done by the University of Massachusetts and created a proof on concept based on the algorithm developed by researchers at the Energy and Transport Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Challenges we ran into

Deciding on a worthy source of energy inefficiency was difficult, as was learning about HVAC systems for a group of folks who had mostly never directly controlled one.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We investigated an actual solution, and used real research and data to defend our potential energy savings.

What we learned

That making data driven decisions and leveraging existing technologies can reduce costs and make us all happier and more thriving individuals.

What's next for HVACTIVATE THE SAVINGS

We would love to investigate the current HVAC Control and BMS system used by the University of Waterloo, and bring forward the potential of this solution to the Administration and UW Sustainability Office.

Built With

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