Pilot Study of a Plug Load Management System: Preparing for Sustainability Base

Shared by SCOTT POLL, updated on Dec 12, 2013

Summary

Author(s) :
S. Poll, C. Teubert
Abstract

NASA Ames Research Center’s Sustainability Base
is a new 50,000 sq. ft. high-performance office building targeting
a LEED Platinum rating. Plug loads are expected to account for a
significant portion of overall energy consumption because building
design choices resulted in greatly reduced energy demand
from Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and
lighting systems, which are typically major contributors to energy
consumption in traditional buildings. This paper reports on a
pilot study where data from a variety of plug loads were collected
in a reference office building to understand usage patterns,
to make a preliminary assessment as to the effectiveness of
controlling (i.e., turning off and on) selected loads, and to evaluate
the utility of the plug load management system chosen for the
study. Findings indicate that choosing energy efficient equipment,
ensuring that power saving functionality is operating effectively,
promoting beneficial occupant energy behavior, and employing
plug load controls to turn off equipment when not in use can
lead to significant energy savings. These recommendations will
be applied to Sustainability Base and further studies of plug
load management systems and techniques to reduce plug energy
consumption will be pursued.

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