Significant demand reduction potential exists for HVAC technologies. The DRET collaborative explores this potential by evaluating promising HVAC control technologies, including standalone controls as well as those that integrate with the smart grid.
HVAC Research
| Project Focus | Project Title | Year | Source | Purpose | Draft or Final Report | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wdt_ID | Sort | Project Focus | Project Title | Year | Source | Purpose | Draft or Final Report |
| 21 | 215 | HVAC | DR15.20 Characterizing the Transient and Aggregate Response of Dispatchable Condenser Air Pre-Coolers | 2019 | SCE | This report describes a laboratory and field evaluation of an evaporative condenser air precooler, or pre-cooler, to improve the efficiency of packaged air-conditioning and heating RTUs. | Final |
| 22 | 200 | HVAC | DR12.17 Field Testing of Climate-Appropriate Air Conditioning Systems | 2017 | SCE | The purpose of this study is to provide a resource for evaluating and potentially implementing a program for variable capacity rooftop units to promote energy efficiency, peak electrical load reduction, and/or increased flexibility (such as for demand response) in commercial space conditioning equipment. | Final |
| 23 | 210 | HVAC | DR13.07 EPRI EB III B – HVAC & Refrigeration Systems Using Advanced Refrigerants | 2017 | SCE | This report describes a field test of an alternative technology: a system using ammonia as the primary fluid and CO2 as a pumped volatile secondary fluid. The system was installed in a food production facility in Irvine, California and is monitored along with existing, baseline conventional-refrigerant equipment, to study performance. | Final |
| 24 | 220 | HVAC | DR16.05 Laboratory Assessment of Demand Response RTU Controller | 2018 | SCE | This laboratory project evaluated the DR capabilities of an add-on retrofit controller for a five-ton RTU. The controller under test is also a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) A/C controller, which modulates the speed of the A/C compressor and indoor fan simultaneously. | Final |
| 26 | 205 | HVAC | DR13.06 EPRI EB III A – Variable-Capacity Space Conditioning Systems for Residential | 2016 | SCE | This study investigated a range of residential VC air conditioners (ACs) for California’s climate and applications by conducting a technical survey of available equipment, a laboratory assessment under realistic operating conditions, and a field study which recorded VC equipment operation over an entire cooling season. | Final |
| 120 | 199 | HVAC | DR12.16 Testing of Commercial Variable Capacity Heat Pump (VCHP) for Small Commercial Office Buildings | 2017 | SCE | This study looked at field performance of variable refrigerant flow heat recovery systems (VRF-HR) to both help characterize actual yearly energy savings potential, and to provide quality data for use in energy modeling verification. | Final |
| 131 | 222 | HVAC | SDG&E’s Energy Innovation Center (EIC) – Demonstrating DR Performance of a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) – Indirect Evaporative Cooling (IEC) Hybrid System | 2023 | SDG&E | This project demonstrates the application of a hybrid system that combines VRF heat pump systems with Indirect Evaporative Cooling (IEC) units to possibly provide even greater energy savings. | Draft |
| 138 | 221 | HVAC | DR17.18 Demand Response with Variable-Capacity Light Commercial HVAC Systems | 2020 | SCE | This project sought to demonstrate advanced DR control strategies for VC air-to-air HVAC systems in light commercial buildings. | Final |
| 139 | HVAC | DR19.11 Optimizing Heat Pump Flexibility | In Progress | SCE | This CEC EPIC project will develop and demonstrate an open-source framework for heat pump load flexibility controls to be employed for both Advanced Water Heating Controls (AWHC) and Advanced Space Conditioning Controls (ASCC), providing a common platform to manage residential electricity use across multiple types of equipment and devices. | Draft | |
| 140 | HVAC | DR21.01 DR TTC Dynamic HVAC Test Chamber | In Progress | SCE | The SCE Technology Test Center (TTC) is constructing an environmental test chamber capable of advanced dynamic HVAC testing to better characterize the field performance of heat pump systems and their advanced controls. The enhanced testing capabilities of the chamber and test facility will demonstrate equipment operated under its own controls and under loads that vary with ambient temperature generating comprehensive data to inform near-term potential test projects. | Draft | |
| 141 | HVAC | DR22.02 HP-Flex: Next Generation Heat Pump Load Flexibility DR | In Progress | SCE | The project will develop and demonstrate an open-source energy and load management system designed to control advanced heat pumps on small/medium commercial buildings. This system will integrate and control a thermal energy storage system with heat pumps in a small and medium commercial building (SMC) to verify how such systems in SMC buildings can deliver in multiple criteria such as reduction in site peak energy cost, baseline load responsiveness to dynamic prices, daily load shift capacity, and more. | Draft |