Energy savings in light rail through the optimization of heating and ventilation

•Energy for heating of an articulated tram is modeled as a function of ambient temperature.•Heating and ventilation optimization strategy is measured and modeled.•Average yearly energy savings for heating amounts up to 64%.

This paper discusses the potential for energy savings in heating and ventilation of light rail vehicles. We present the results of a detailed monitoring campaign on one articulated tram in Ghent, Belgium. The results give insight in the energy use for heating and ventilation in light rail as a function of ambient weather conditions. After several months of monitoring, changes in the HV strategy were implemented and the monitoring was continued. Based on this monitoring data, an energy-use model was constructed for HV both before and after the heating and ventilation strategy changes. These models then served as input for a Monte Carlo simulation, providing average energy savings over 1 year as a result of the optimized heating and ventilation strategy.