ASHRAE Standard 55 provides for the use of moving air instead of cold air for comfort. One of the criteria of Standard 55 for using moving air is personal control. With moving air room temperatures can be set much higher. This results in substantial energy savings because the cooling system does less work and extends the hours of economizer operation. Tests by Bauman, et al., at the University of California at Berkeley and Khedari in Thailand show that moving air can reduce the perceived temperature by as much as 15°F (9°C). This permits setting the room temperature at 78° to 80°F (26° to 27°C) instead of 72° to 74°F (22° to 23°C). The results are compressor energy savings of 20% to 25%. When incorporating an economizer cycle, very large additional savings of compressor running time are available. Of course, the amount of time varies with geographic location. In addition, personal control will reduce the need for outside air for more energy savings. Further, along with the very substantial energy savings, personal control will eliminate the number one complaint in virtually every office by giving each person the ability to adjust the temperature each one feels from 80°F down to 65°F (27° down to 18°C), cooling to his or her metabolic need at all times and with no time delay.

IAQ 2007 Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland, October 14-17, 2007

Units: Dual