Optimal Control Method for HVAC Systems in Offices with a Control Algorithm Based on Thermal Environment

This study examined a method to reduce energy consumption in office buildings. Correspondingly, an optimal control method was proposed for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems via two control algorithms that considered the indoor thermal environment. The control algorithms were developed by considering temperature and humidity as the factors of the indoor thermal environment that influence the control of HVAC systems and the predicted mean vote comfort ranges. Furthermore, an experiment was performed using office equipment that incorporated the two control algorithms for HVAC systems, and the correlation between changes in the thermal environment within the office and the occupant’s comfort levels was estimated via an actual survey. The results demonstrated that the proposed control method for HVAC systems, which considered the comfort ranges of temperature and humidity and the thermal adaptation capability, can efficiently maintain the occupant’s comfort with lower energy usage compared with conventional HVAC systems. Thus, the use of the control method contributes to the reduction of total energy consumption in buildings with HVAC systems.