SIREN–smart ventilation for infection risk mitigation and HVAC energy efficiency: a case study amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2023
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for effective ventilation control in public buildings. This study develops and evaluates a smart ventilation control algorithm (SIREN) that dynamically adjusts zone and system-level HVAC operation to maintain an acceptable COVID-19 infection risk and HVAC energy efficiency. SIREN uses real-time building operation data and Trim & Respond control logic to determine zone primary and system outdoor airflow rates. An EnergyPlus and CONTAM co-simulation framework was developed to assess its performance across various control scenarios and US climate zones. Results show that SIREN can flexibly control infection risk within a customized threshold (e.g. 3%) for every zone, while traditional controls cannot. At the building level, SIREN’s HVAC energy consumption is comparable to a fixed 70% outdoor airflow fraction scenario, while its infection risk is lower than the 100% outdoor airflow scenario, illustrating its potential for safe and energy-efficient HVAC operation during pandemics.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Journal of Building Performance Simulation
First Page
797
Last Page
825
Recommended Citation
Pang, Z., Lu, X., Hu, P., O’Neill, Z., & Wang, Q. (2023). SIREN–smart ventilation for infection risk mitigation and HVAC energy efficiency: a case study amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Building Performance Simulation, 16 (6), 797-825. https://doi.org/10.1080/19401493.2023.2208558
