Abstract :
A prototype microcomputer-controlled thermostat was developed that can manage airflow according to cooling the
needs in a building and the resources in the environment. This intelligent control system measures both indoor and
outdoor temperature and uses decision rules to control a whole-house fan, in addition to the furnace and air conditioner.
No such residential thermostat is currently commercially available. This paper presents the controller strategy
that optimizes cooling with outdoor air. This paper also quantifies the effects of modifying the amount of thermal mass
and the window area on indoor comfort when using this controller. These test confirm that smaller windows and more
mass performed better than larger windows and less mass, and that higher volumes of controlled ventilation outperformed
fixed ventilation rates.
2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
