Application of building simulation to support ISO 50001 energy management: Case study of Fiumicino airport

Abstract

In this paper we describe how simulation is used to support HVAC operational strategies within the context of the CASCADE project: a comprehensive platform that integrates Fault Detection and Diagnosis (FDD) techniques into an Energy Management System (EMS) that follows ISO-50001 guidelines. The CASCADE solution is conceived as an on-line application that combines a number of data intensive services using the internet as a data exchange medium. Among these services are an ontology-driven database, FDD engines, front-end visualization software and energy management tools. The project constantly monitors HVAC data and executes FDD routines that translate to specific actions rendered by the EMS software. The project is currently being implemented in two main EU airports: Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and Milan Malpensa (MXP). The ultimate intent of this research is to explore Whole Building Performance Simulation (WBPS) as a potential service to be integrated within the overall CASCADE solution. From a facility management perspective, models are commonly used as a test-bed to assess energy conservation measures before their implementation, to provide a fault free reference for recommissioning and a baseline for measurement and verification purposes. This theoretical perspective is confronted in this paper with the practical experience and lessons learned from one of the project s demonstrator buildings. We describe the development of a WBPS model of the Terminal 1 of FCO airport. Large open space building types such as airport terminals pose some difficulties to be reflected as building models. Additionally the CASCADE data acquisition platform providesan uncommonly fine grained and highly detailed data set of the HVAC equipment representing a challenge to be used during the calibration process. The issues encountered during the simulation and calibration stages are reported. Furthermore, old buildings such as airport terminals can actually suffer from substantial interventions that make them perform very differently from their design intent, as is the case in this demonstrator. In these circumstances, modelling strategies need to be reformulated to account for modifications and to reflect diverse operative conditions and major changeovers. In this sense, the model is also formulated as a tool to indicate a pathway for recommissioning of inefficient HVAC systems.