Fault Detection and Diagnosis Tools and Techniques

Goal Statement:
To evaluate current diagnostic procedures and tools that building professionals can use to determine when building system performance has degraded to the point that efficiency or comfort costs merit replacement or repair. Test existing procedures and refine techniques for fan diagnostics.

Results:
Produced a comparative guide of diagnostic software tools for use with Energy Management Control Systems (EMCSs) and other monitoring systems for fault detection and diagnosis. The guide can help operators and energy managers understand how to effectively utilize EMCS data by means of software tools. The guide can also aid developers in understanding the capabilities of emerging diagnostic tools.

Conducted an analysis of the whole-building energy analysis capabilities of tools that are currently available to building owners and operators as part of the California Energy Commission's Demand-Responsive program. The results were published in "Web-based Energy Information Systems for Large Commercial Buildings", 10th Annual National Conference on Building Commissioning (NCBC 2002), (1.03 MB, 12 pp).

Presented two papers at the 2002 American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) Summer Study in Asilomar CA. See download section below.

Field implementations of built-up fan system diagnostic tools are currently ongoing under the direction of The Center for the Built Environment (CBE). Completion of the tools and a final report are scheduled for May 2003.

Downloads and Links:

• "Energy Information Systems and Diagnostic Tools" Brochure (661 KB, 2 pp)
   
• "Case Studies of Energy Information Systems and Related Technology: Operational Practices, Costs, and Benefits", Webster, T., University of California, Berkeley and A. Barth, Nexant Energy Management Group. February 2003. ICEBO, October 13th - 15th, 2003. (2.04 MB, 12 pp)
   
• "UCB Toolkit of Built-up Fan System Diagnostics", Motegi, N., Piette, M.A. and Kinney, S., LBNL; Dewey, J., University of California at Santa Barbara. February 2003. (2.9 MB)
   
• "Development of Fan Diagnostic Methods and Protocols for Short Term Monitoring", Webster, T., University of California, Berkeley and A. Barth, Nexant Energy Management Group. February 2003. (3.0 MB, 61 pp)
   
• "Comparative Guide to Emerging Diagnostic Tools for Large Commercial HVAC Systems" (1.62 MB, 96 pp)
   
• "Web-based Energy Information Systems for Large Commercial Buildings", N. Motegi, M.A. Piette. (1.03 MB, 12 pp)
   
• "GEMnet Status and Accomplishments: GSA's Energy and Maintenance Network", ACEEE 2002 Summer Study Proceedings. (687.6 KB, 14 pp)
   
• "HPCBS From Design Through Operations: Results from New Construction Performance Contract and Beyond", ACEEE 2002 Summer Study Proceedings. (832 KB, 15 pp)

Contact: Mary Ann Piette, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), (510) 486-6286