Impact of air-side economizer control considering air quality index on variable air volume system performance

Abstract

The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a modified air-side economizer in improving indoor air quality (IAQ). An air-side economizer, which uses all outdoor air for cooling, affects the building’s IAQ depending on the outside air quality and can significantly affect the occupants’ health, leading to respiratory and heart disease. The Air Quality Index (AQI), developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), measures air contaminants that adversely affect human beings: PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, O3, and CO. In this study, AQI is applied as a control for the operation of an air-side economizer. The simulation is analyzed, comparing the results between the differential enthalpy economizer and AQI–modified economizer. The results confirm that an AQI–modified economizer has a positive effect on IAQ. Compared to the operating differential enthalpy economizer, energy increase in an operating AQI–modified economizer is 0.65% in Shanghai and 0.8% in Seoul.