Paper No 035 – Study on the smart operation approach of an air conditioner when occupants go out – 13th IEA Heat Pump Conference, Jeju, Korea
This study demonstrates how to use an inverter air conditioner more effectively when a room is not occupied for a relatively short period of time (2 ~ 3 hours). We directly employed environmental changes (outdoor temperature, indoor building load) during daytime in a qualified test room with specific dimensions. The energy consumption of three behavioral cases was compared under several experimental simulation conditions. The first case involved turning on the air conditioner steadily using the same setting temperature without touching even if no occupants. The second involved turning off the air conditioner while occupants were out and restoring the set temperature rapidly after their return. The third case involved an artificial set temperature adjustment while occupants were out. Using several climate and building load data of Korea and the Middle East, the three air conditioner operation approaches were analyzed while occupants were out. Results showed that the first and third operating cases were energy saving depending on the environmental conditions. These results can be used for the design of smart air conditioners or policy guides for nationwide energy saving.