Assessing the energy saving potential of personalized ventilation system

Personalized Environmental Control Systems (PECS) are designed to deliver occupant-centric heating, cooling, and ventilation, with Personalized Ventilation (PV) specifically serving as an effective alternative to traditional air distribution. PV system targets to condition the occupant's immediate surroundings rather than the entire room and creates a micro-thermal environment that delivers fresh air directly to the breathing zone, ensuring high inhaled air quality and personal exposure effectiveness. The system's performance is largely driven by its operational flexibility, particularly the user's ability to adjust airflow direction and localized controllers. The energy-saving potential of PV is heavily dependent on the supply flow rates and the operating temperature range of the background conditioning system; thus, several studies have adopted simulation approaches to evaluate these dynamics across various climates. This study employs a simulation to assess the energy-saving potential due to PV system paired with a four-pipe fan coil unit in the hot and humid climate of Kolkata (Calcutta), India, where cooling is the sole requirement. To ensure a direct comparison with established benchmark study, the simulation adopts the same building geometry, operational schedules, and HVAC configurations used in a prominent study of Singapore's similar tropical climate. By investigating various operating conditions, the simulation model confirms a significant energy reduction of 10.1% for every 1°C increase in the background temperature setpoint between 24°C and 28°C.