Optimized Economizer Control with Maximum Limit Set-Point to Enhance Cooling Energy Performance in Korean Climate
Source abstract
Abstract
An air handling unit utilizes economizer control to reduce cooling energy consumption by intaking outdoor air (OA) at lower temperatures. This control modulates OA intake rates based on the OA temperature, adjusting to maximum and partial rates when the OA temperature is below the maximum limit set-point (MLSP), and to minimum rates when it exceeds the MLSP. The MLSP acts as a baseline for determining OA intake rates. However, current MLSPs do not account for the specific OA conditions in South Korea, leading to the intake of unnecessarily warm OA or underutilization of available cooler OA, both of which negatively impact cooling energy performance. Therefore, this study aims to identify the optimal MLSP for OA conditions in South Korea. Through evaluation of cooling energy performance and the indoor thermal environment at various MLSP, it was determined that an MLSP of 22 °C facilitates the lowest cooling energy consumption without adversely affecting the indoor thermal environment. Implementing this MLSP resulted in 5.9% energy savings compared to Case #1 (baseline). The findings indicate that setting an MLSP according to local OA conditions is crucial for maximizing energy savings through economizer control.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Energy and Environmental Systems
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Building and Plant Engineering, Hanbat National University, Daejeon 34158, Republic of Korea
Funding
National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) · Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)
References (34)
Show source-provided references
1. Yoon, Y., Seo, B., and Cho, S. (2023). Potential Cooling Energy Savings of Economizer Control and Artificial-Neural-Network-Based Air-Handling Unit Discharge Air Temperature Control for Commercial Building. Buildings, 13.10.3390/buildings13051174 ↗
2. Dharmasena, P., and Nassif, N. (2024). Testing; Validation, and Simulation of a Novel Economizer Damper Control Strategy to Enhance HVAC System Efficiency. Buildings, 14.10.3390/buildings14092937 ↗
3. Analysis of thermal environment and energy performance by biased economizer outdoor air temperature sensor fault10.1007/s12206-022-0342-0 ↗
4. Analysis of energy saving potential of air-side free cooling for data centers in worldwide climate zones10.1016/j.enbuild.2013.04.013 ↗
5. Energy saving potential of various air-side economizers in a modular data center10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.10.066 ↗
6. Potential for free-cooling by ventilation10.1016/j.solener.2005.05.019 ↗
7. Experimental evaluation of anti-windup extremum seeking control for airside economizers10.1016/j.conengprac.2016.02.008 ↗
8. (2025, January 22). Trane, Airside Economizers and Their Application. Available online: https://www.trane.com/content/dam/Trane/Commercial/global/products-systems/education-training/engineers-newsletters/airside-design/ADM-APN054-EN_05202015.pdf.
9. Investigation of energy savings potential of multi-variable differential temperature control in economizer10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2021.117415 ↗
10. Development and evaluation of optimization-based air economizer strategies10.1016/j.apenergy.2009.08.044 ↗
11. Wang, S.K. (2001). Handbook of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.. [2nd ed.].
12. Kim, M., Jin, S., Jang, A., Park, B., and Do, S.L. (August, January 29). Simulated analysis on cooling system performance influenced by faults occurred in enthalpy sensor for economizer control. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Construction Engineering and Project Management (ICCEPM), Sapporo, Japan.
13. Kim, J.H., Shin, D.U., and Kim, H. (2024). Data Center Energy Evaluation Tool Development and Analysis of Power Usage Effectiveness with Different Economizer Types in Various Climate Zones. Buildings, 14.10.3390/buildings14010299 ↗
14. Zhou, J., Wei, G., Turner, W.D., and Claridge, D.E. (2008, January 15–17). Airside economizer—Comparing different control strategies and common misconceptions. Proceedings of the Sixteenth Symposium on Improving Building Systems in Hot and Humid Climates, Plano, TX, USA. Available online: https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/90706.
15. Economizer High Limit Controls and Why Enthalpy Economizers Don’t Work
16. Modelling and analysis of air-cooled reciprocating chiller and demand energy savings using passive cooling10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2008.09.001 ↗
17. Free cooling potential of air economizer in residential houses in Canada10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.106460 ↗
18. Badiei, A., Jadowski, E., Sadati, S., Beizaee, A., Li, J., Khajenoori, L., Nasriani, H.R., Li, G., and Xiao, X. (2023). The energy-saving potential of air-side economisers in modular data centers: Analysis of opportunities and risks in different climates. Sustainability, 15.10.3390/su151410777 ↗
19. An energy performance study of several factors in air economizers with low-limit space humidity10.1016/j.enbuild.2013.05.025 ↗
20. Container farms: Energy modeling considering crop growth and energy-saving potential in different climates10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138353 ↗
21. Evaluation of Operation Performance Depending on the Control Methods and Set Point Variation of the Economizer System
22. A study on Performance Evaluation of Economizer Type through Simulation in Office
23. Energy analysis on VAV system with different air-side economizers in China10.1016/j.enbuild.2010.02.013 ↗
24. Mixed air temperature reset by data-driven model for optimal economizer control10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.122158 ↗
25. Cooling energy performance analysis depending on the economizer cycle control methods in an office building10.1016/j.enbuild.2016.03.073 ↗
26. (2019). Energy Standard for Building Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings (Standard No. ASHRAE Standard 90.1).
27. Jang, A., Jin, S., Kim, M., Kang, H., and Do, S.L. (August, January 29). Evaluation of Cooling Energy Consumption Varying Economizer Control and Heat Generation Rates from IT Equipment in Data Center. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Construction Engineering and Project Management (ICCEPM), Sapporo, Japan.
28. Lee, J., and Cho, Y. (2024). Optimal Control of Air-side Economizer. Energies, 17.10.3390/en17215383 ↗
29. DOE (EnergyPlus, 2020). EnergyPlus, Version 9.3.
30. DOE (2019). Commercial Reference Building.
31. DOE (2020). EnergyPlus Documentation: Input Output Reference.
32. KEA (2021). Building Energy Efficiency Certification, Korea Energy Agency (KEA).
33. DOE (2020). EnergyPlus Documentation: Engineering Reference.
34. ASHRAE (2017). International Weather for Energy Calculations Version 2.0, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).