Balancing Interior Environmental Quality and HVAC Energy Efficiency using 1D and 3D Simulation

Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) units account for 40% of the energy consumption of commercial buildings in the United States of America. In 2020, commercial and residential building HVAC made up 10% of the overall US energy consumption, so it’s no surprise that government authorities are focusing on reducing the energy consumption of HVAC to tackle global warming and greenhouse gas issues.

Part of the effort involves leveraging advanced simulation and software capabilities to improve the way HVAC are controlled and integrated into building systems. Indeed, HVAC are on average sized for only 3% of yearly needs and dimensioned to be able to deal with extreme weather conditions while operating at off peak efficiency the rest of the year. New technologies, however, are expected to improve energy efficiency of climate systems when combined with conscious integration and control systems, but need to be balanced with growing needs around Interior Air Quality.