Technology for smart-building operations is moving fast, but how well do these advances work together? The K-MEG Collaboration for Energy Efficiency aims to find out, using the fertile testbed of UC Berkeley’s Sutardja Dai Hall.
This partnership with the Korean Micro Energy Grid (K-MEG) Consortium will deploy 150 sensor systems and suites of new technologies developed by UC Berkeley researchers, their Korean partners, and leading companies. These advances for improved energy efficiency, demand response, occupant comfort, and grid-aware operations will be put to work in tandem, allowing researchers to develop effective interfaces and models, perform tests, and ultimately transfer new technologies.
The goal is to reduce peak energy demand in Sutardja Dai Hall by 30%. Starting with a survey of the building’s sophisticated systems and refinements of HVAC and lighting controls, the team will specify and install wireless-sensor networks to monitor temperature, light, humidity, occupancy, CO2 emissions, and other energy-use indicators in the building. Researchers will design a system that integrates this data, measures building performance and occupant comfort, and automates and manages demand response.
In its final phase, the project will demonstrate the system and optimize it for building performance, grid responsiveness, and deep energy efficiency.
