Practical application of a sensor overlay system for building monitoring and commissioning

The drive to design more energy efficient buildings is increasingly leading to complex buildings with finely balanced ventilation and heating/cooling strategies. Commissioning of the often complex control systems is difficult and time consuming, as it relies on the sensing technology of the Building Management System, which is designed to control the building during normal operation, but lacks the resolution for thorough analysis of internal conditions to resolve initial building operation problems. This can result in a drawn out commissioning process, which is costly for the construction team. Moreover, insufficient commissioning and maintenance of building controls can lead to poorly functioning buildings, with great cost-implications for landlords, occupants and employers. This paper introduces a sensor overlay method that can support building control commissioning and maintenance by providing high-resolution data and speeding up the commissioning process. The development of the method and its practical application during a long-term study period, which coincided with the commissioning of an advanced naturally ventilated building, are described. The benefits for the design and commissioning teams and the implications for other stakeholders are explored.

► Standard equipment is used to develop sensor overlay networks for building monitoring.
► Overlay sensors provide data at high spatial resolution.
► Overlay method helps to speed up commissioning of building controls.
► Improved commissioning ensures that low energy buildings meet their design targets.
► TVOC sensors alone are not appropriate for ventilation control of office spaces.