Event Description

This class presents the relevant issues and available methods for field testing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and explores and explains the use of specific testing and data acquisition instruments.

There are several goals of testing air conditioning systems:

- To test air conditioning systems for efficiency
- To test air conditioning systems for excessive wear
- To determine if there are economically viable ways to implement Integrated Demand Side Management (IDSM)

The main goals of this class are to:

- Identify the components of a central plant system
- Learn the characteristics and operation of control devices, such as valves, dampers, and actuators
- Understand how to establish a plan for testing, including:
- Determining testing criteria and constraints
- Acquiring operating data and conducting analysis
- Building a usage trend
- Learn what testing methodology and operating data to employ when testing systems and equipment
- Understand how to build a usage trend from operating data
- Identify testing methodologies to employ when testing air handling systems, chillers, and cooling towers
- Identify specific tools to utilize to conduct tests for efficient operation
- Understand what Title 24 dictates for energy efficiency testing

 

The objective of this course is that at the conclusion, participants will be able to:

• Test air conditioning systems for efficiency
• Test air conditioning systems for excessive wear
• Determine if there are economically viable ways to implement integrated demand side management (IDSM)
• Name and describe the key factors that affect system efficiency
• Describe HVAC testing tools and how to use them
• Implement data collection strategies and understand how those are used in sample calculations
• Utilize a system testing checklist to evaluate equipment in their own buildings and operations