Personalised Environmental Control Systems (Pecs) Usage Thresholds: A Dynamic Simulation Approach to Assess Energy, Cost, and Emissions Saving

Abstract

Personalised Environmental Control Systems (PECS) have emerged as a solution to customise thermal conditions at individual workstations, potentially reducing overall energy consumption. This study explores the effectiveness of PECS in office environments, examining their impact beyond thermal comfort to include overall energy performance. To achieve this, dynamic Building Energy Simulations (BES) were conducted, integrating heating and cooling PECS with traditional HVAC systems in an open-plan office across different climates, building insulation levels, PECS power capacities, and occupancy rates. The evaluation method, which can serve as a standard approach for assessing PECS energy efficiency, compares scenarios with and without PECS across various indices, including Primary Energy consumption, energy cost, and CO2 emissions.The results reveal that PECS can significantly cut energy consumption, costs, and emissions, particularly at occupancy rates below 75% for heating and 50% for cooling.PECS prove effective as a year-round solution across various climates, with notable energy savings in extreme conditions. For instance, heating PECS can reduce primary energy consumption by up to 78 MWh (45%) in buildings located in cold climates with no insulation, while cooling PECS save up to 43 MWh (53%) in insulated buildings situated in warm, temperate climates. Integrating PECS, particularly in retrofitting projects, can yield notable energy and cost savings.Overall, the study highlights the potential of PECS to enhance office energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability, even alongside modern HVAC systems, and positions the evaluation method as a valuable standard for assessing PECS performance.

Keywords: Thermal Comfort, Building energy saving, Personalised Environmental Control System, PECS energy efficiency, Thermal comfort energy assessment