I-HVCD

The DOE SBIR-sponsored Integrated Heating, Ventilation, Cooling, and Dehumidification (I-HVCD) project is moving towards completion in 2007. This residential system design will provide optimized cooling season performance in humid climates where the sensible and latent load balance can vary widely hour to hour, or day to day. Conventional vapor compression systems cannot effectively handle these variations with homeowners compensating by either lowering the cooling setpoint (to increase cooling system run times and dehumidification), or by adding a supplemental dehumidifier. Both of these strategies result in increased energy use. I-HVCD will improve efficiency and optimize control of indoor conditions through the use of a modified refrigeration system and an intelligent control system. In 2006, base case performance of best practice conventional system performance was monitored in a new Building America project home in Gainesville, Florida. The I-HVCD system will be installed in the same house and monitored through the 2007 summer.