Jaue2025-006 Effectiveness of demand-side air conditioning control

Abstract

This community implements demand-side energy management via the Energy Center (EC) and Community Energy Management System (CEMS) to optimize energy use by controlling consumers' air conditioning setpoints. This advanced initiative, where the supply side of a District Heating and Cooling (DHC) plant manages the indoor environment, reduces consumer heat demand, prevents the installation of additional heat sources, shortens boiler operation time, and lowers operational costs. A summer demonstration in two hospital buildings validated the approach: supply air temperature was relaxed by up to 7°C, indoor temperatures by 0.2–1.6°C in Medical A and 0.3–0.9°C in Medical B, resulting in heat demand reductions of 14.8% and 8.4%, respectively. These results confirm the method's effectiveness in reducing energy consumption while maintaining thermal comfort.