Pilot Study of a Plug Load Management System: Preparing for Sustainability Base

NASA Ames Research Center's Sustainability Base is a new 50,000 sq. ft. high-performance office building targeting a LEED Platinum rating. Plug loads are expected to account for a significant portion of overall energy consumption because building design choices resulted in greatly reduced energy demand from Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and lighting systems, which are typically major contributors to energy consumption in traditional buildings. This paper reports on a pilot study where data from a variety of plug loads were collected in a reference office building to understand usage patterns, to make a preliminary assessment as to the effectiveness of controlling (i.e., turning off and on) selected loads, and to evaluate the utility of the plug load management system chosen for the study. Findings indicate that choosing energy efficient equipment, ensuring that power saving functionality is operating effectively, promoting beneficial occupant energy behavior, and employing plug load controls to turn off equipment when not in use can lead to significant energy savings. These recommendations will be applied to Sustainability Base and further studies of plug load management systems and techniques to reduce plug energy consumption will be pursued.