Air Handler Energy Consumption with Building Automation System Data (air side)

[leijerry888]

Hi,

I am a researcher in civil engineering. I am a newbie in thermodynamics and want to figure out if it's practical to use Building Automation System data to calculate the energy consumption of Air Handler Unit.

I don't have continuous measurement of the heating/cooling coil water temperature and flowrate, so I want to use air temperature difference, duct air flowrate, and other available datapoint inside the AHU, mostly, at the air side (e.g. inlet air temperature, discharge air temperature, air flow rate), to evaluate the thermal energy consumption based on the principle: the thermal energy gain/lose of the heating/cooling coil water = thermal energy gain/lose of the air passing through the coils.

I would like to ask for help to confirm if this is a reasonable way to estimate the thermal energy consumption of the AHU. Are there other parameters I must consider? e.g. pressure rise in the duct (now I only have static pressure data at the discharge air side, that static pressure is about 1-2 inch w.c.), relative humidity (related to latent heat)? Are there other important factors I haven't realized?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Jerry

 

[dbill74]

It can be done. However, you need to hire a mechanical/HVAC engineer as he/she will have the tools and expertize to do this.