Aus Chill were asked to design the most energy efficient home possible. We designed a VRF system which consisted of 1 x condenser connected to 5 x fan coil units. This was controlled by a energy management system which monitored lighting, power and the A/C. The energy management system allowed us apply peak cut functionality to each FCU and program 4 stages of capacity cuts based on the daily kw use. We were able to set up additional conditions which disabled peak cut functionality once the room temp was greater than 4DegC of setpoint for end user comfort. A front end computer was setup so power usage could be constantly monitored and trended to use for additional energy saving programs to be written based on daily, weekly and yearly usage patterns. We set up a web browser to allow full remote access to the control system from anywhere in the world. We also used motion sensor wall controllers programmed to switch A/C if no movement had been detected for over 30 minutes. We then used a PLC to interface the A/C, motion controller and lighting for further power savings, as an additional benefit this allowed us to program different LED lighting patterns to suit the customers needs.
- davidb698