DEVELOPMENT OF A MODEL FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF HEATING VENTILLATION AIR CONDITIONNG INSTALLATIONS OF HOTELS IN OWERRI, IMO STATE NIGERIA

SOURCE:

Faculty: Environmental Sciences
Department: Building

CONTRIBUTORS:

Nkeleme I. Emmanuel
Mbamali I.
Okolie K. C.

ABSTRACT:

The growing trend in the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) installations and its corresponding energy consumption will continue during the coming years due to the expansion of built area and associated energy needs. Thus, this research was conceived to study how a sustainable energy consumption of HVAC systems can be achieved through installations conformity with standards, adequate maintenance of the major components of the HVAC and the possibility of using a Predictive Control to plan and regulate the energy consumptions. It was pursued, by means of literature review and field survey entailing the use of a well-structured questionnaire, a checklist and an HVAC Model Predictive Control designed for simulation of the HVAC system. A total of three hundred and forty-two (342) questionnaires were returned adequately filled while a total of one hundred and fifteen (115) hotels were checked. The responses were analyzed and the hypothesis tested using the computer SPSS software version 25. The result revealed among others that, the most common type of HVAC system used in the hotels are the Unit Packaged HVAC equipment and that the HVAC systems were also old and warn out. Also it was discovered that the maintenance of the HVAC systems was inadequate and was mostly informed by; availability of fund, and a faulty operation. Similarly, HVAC installations were not consistent with specifications of ASHREA Standard 62.1 and 62.2. Using the HVAC MPC simulation developed there was a potential energy savings and prediction given for instance that the MPC predicted (6.364 X 108) Kwh) contrary to the binary system which predicted (7.357 X 108) Kwh (given the same reference temperature range (16-22oC)). The study concluded that: HVAC components system has not been of adequate maintenance; and the MPC model promises an optimal energy savings by up to 34.6%. Thus, the study recommends among others: HVAC installation conformity with the Standards; Uniformity in the maintenance of all the HVAC components, and the adoption of the Model predictive Controller to enable prediction as well as reduction in the HVAC energy consumption.