22nd International Congress of Mechanical Engineering (COBEM 2013)

November 3-7, 2013, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

Copyright © 2013 by ABCM

STUDY ON THE TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY IN THE USE

OF VRF SYSTEMS IN CONDITIONING ENVIRONMENTS

Claúdia Márcia Costa Mangualde

Arcongel - Sistemas de Climatização, 62 Claudio Street, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30411-038, Brazil
claudia@claudiacosta.arq.br

Antônio Carlos Silveira Ruas

Programa de Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica da UFMG, Rua Boaventura, 401, Minas Gerais 31270-902, Brazil
acsruas@yahoo.com.br

Luiz Machado
Programa de Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica da UFMG, Avenida Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais
31270-901, Brazil
luiz@demec.ufmg.br

Ricardo Nicolau Nassar Koury

Programa de Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica da UFMG, Avenida Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais
31270-901, Brazil
koury@demec.ufmg.br

Abstract. The growing concern for reducing energy consumption has led to the use of simulation tools developed to
provide engineers and architects the means to optimize energy performance in building projects. The optimization of
the cooling systems aimed at energy efficiency has become a major goal in this area. One feature that has been
adopted is to control the cooling capacity through the continuous adjustment of the speed of the compressor and the
opening of the expansion valve according to the demand of refrigeration. This paper aims to present the VRF air
conditioning system that has variable speed compressor and compare their energy consumption with the system SPLIT,
which has fixed speed compressor. Analysis of this consumption was performed by computer simulation, using the
software EnergyPlus. Six environments located in 3rd Floor of Block 3 of the Activity Center for Teaching 2 - Faculty
of Humanities - FAFICH UFMG. The results showed that VRF is more efficient since consumed 23.56% less power
compared to the cooling system SPLIT. It was concluded that the use of computational tools for energy simulation in
buildings, such as EnergyPlus, are a great ally in making decisions. Through simulations can be proposed design
changes aimed at reducing energy consumption.

Keywords: Energy efficiency, air-conditioning, VRF, EnergyPlus.

1. INTRODUCTION

The air-conditioning and refrigeration systems have meaningful participation in global consumption of electricity
(Maia, 2000). These systems are used for thermal comfort and are being increasingly demanded in built environments.
This fact, coupled with population growth, leads us to believe that consumption 'per capita' and total energy should
continue to grow in coming years. In the face of energy resources more and more scarce, a major concern of the
scientific community has been the identification of large energy consuming systems and studying of mechanisms that
can be employed to improve the overall energy efficiency of these systems without affecting the environment.
Operating mode of refrigeration and air-conditioning is still considered inefficient. The method of capacity control used
in most of these systems consists in using a thermostat for turning on and off the compressor in order to keep the
temperature within desired levels (Maia 2005). However, a more efficient method of temperature control has been
studied in recent years. This method is the technology of continuous control of compressor speed as a function of the
thermal load of the system, known as the VRF - variable refrigerant flow (Riegger, 1998; Woodwall and Bullard, 1997;
Tassou and Qureshi, 1998; Binneberg et al. 1999, Pedersen et al. 1999)
The VRF air-conditioning or VRF Central Multsplit is a central system where a set of air handling units with direct
expansion, usually installed within the environment they serve, designated indoor units, each operated and controlled
independently of the other is supplied in liquid refrigerant in a variable flow by a central condensing unit installed
externally designated external unit (Assossiação Barsileira de Normas Técnicas - ABNT NBR 16401-1).
The advantage of the VRF system is the combination of electronic technology with microprocessor control systems.
Adds to this fact is the possibility of an arrangement of multiple indoor units in a single system refrigerating. This
system has a complex management of refrigerant, providing a great potential to reduce energy consumption.
Additionally, it features an integrated control that allows automation, ensuring ease of operation and maintenance of the
Claúdia Mangualde, Antônio Silveira Ruas, Luiz Machado, Ricardo Koury
Study on the Technical and Economic Viability in the Use of VRF Systems in Conditioning Environments

system. This system has different types of possibilities such as individual and central controls, as well as energy
management solutions.
In this paper we present a study on the technical and economic feasibility of using VRF systems in order to provide
thermal comfort to the ambient, and present the working principle and classification of types of systems available. For
this we calculated the energy consumption of a VRF system and compare it with energy consumption of a conventional
SPLIT system that has fixed speed compressor. The object of study is 6 rooms on the 3rd floor of block 3 of the
Activity Center for Teaching 2 - Humanities of UFMG (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais). Analysis of this
consumption was done using computer simulation utilizing the software EnergyPlus.

2. MODELING AND PROGRAMMING

The EnergyPlus is a computer program used to perform thermal and energy simulations of a building and it was
developed by the coordination of the Department of Energy of the United States (Crawley et al., 2000). The program
allows to estimate the power consumption considering the thermal exchanges between of the building and the
environment outside characterizing the building geometry, its building components, the electrical loads installed, the air
conditioning systems and patterns of use. For this, it is necessary to use a climatic file of region where the building is
located, which has hourly data of temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation and wind. The EnergyPlus was
developed from the merger of BLAST and DOE-2, but its code includes several other algorithms, such as WINDOW
5.0, COMIS, SPARK and TRNSYS (Crawley et al., 2000).
The program has some updates in computing capacity of heat balance which can be detailed in time intervals of up
to 1 minute. Some of these updates are in input and output data and they enable synchronization with other interfaces.
The user can get various types of program reports, with estimated data during the simulation process, including internal
temperature of each thermal zone, energy consumption classified by use-type and thermal load removed or added by the
air conditioning system.
The method of input and output data uses ASCII format (American Standard Code for Information Interchange),
one of the most widely used Character Codes in computers for representing information. An ordinary text editor can be
use to input data (input) and spreadsheet to analyze output data (output).
Both the air-conditioning as the information of building elements must be defined carefully for accuracy in
simulating the performance of the air conditioning system. Good results can be achieved only if the input parameters are
set correctly, not only for the air conditioning system, but also for other related information, such as hours of operation
of the air conditioning system, precise specifications of thermal properties of the building materials, number of
occupants, ventilating, and weather. The larger and more detailed the information, the more accurate the simulation
results. In many cases, the accuracy of simulation models is compromised due to the fact that some entries are no longer
defined. The simulation program is an effective tool for researchers to make decisions on several design alternatives,
such as replacement of a traditional air conditioning system for a VRF system (Zhou et al. 2,008).
Recent papers using computer simulation and field surveys show that the air-conditioning represents 37-60% of total
energy consumption in office buildings. Energy efficiency through simulation has become a concern for professionals
in this area. The choice of the type of air conditioning system affects the energy performance of the building. Previous
computer simulations with different types of systems can quantify the differences in energy consumption for various
types of systems, justifying the choice of the most appropriate (Zhou et al. 2,007).

2.1 Materials and methods

The VRF system under study is a system that has been installed to provide thermal comfort for the occupants of the
rooms of the 3rd floor of block 3 of the Teaching Activity Center 2 of Faculty of Humanities - FAFICH of UFMG. The
six rooms under study are: Sales Area, Marketing Area, Administration - ADM, Human Resources - HR, Meetings and
Technology Area. Their characteristics will be described throughout this paper.
The VRF air condensation system under study consists of 1 multi-split type condensing unit with variable speed
compressors (inverter) with a nominal capacity of 8.0 TR. A condensing unit (1 module) is connected to six evaporator
units installed on the 3rd. The condensing unit of this sysem is installed on the roof of the building above the 4th floor.

2.2 Analysis Tool

For the economic analysis of the air-conditioning SPLIT system and VRF system was used a computer program that
allows you to calculate the heat load and to simulate the energy consumption of environments under study.
The choice of EnergyPlus was due to the fact that this program has free and recent versions, are in accordance with
climate standards, and under constant improvement to meet the changing demands of engineering and architecture in
relation to the performance of the building.
 22nd International Congress of Mechanical Engineering (COBEM 2013)
November 3-7, 2013, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

Additionally, the program has been validated through comparative tests by IEA BESTEST (International Energy
Agency Building Energy Simulation Test) according to ANSI / ASHRAE Standard 140-2007 and through analytical
HVAC tests (heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning) recognized and based on ASHRAE.
In order to draw the three-dimensional model was used Google SketchUp program along with Open Studio plugin.
As the model was completed the data input into the program EnergyPlus began. The model is presented below.

2.3 Google Sketchup

It is a three-dimensional modeling program developed by At Last Software for rapid construction of architectural
models. In this paper the version 8.0 of this software was used.

Figure 1: Three-dimensional model of the 6 environments developed in Google Sketchup.

2.4 Open Studio

It is a plug-in that allows the use of Google Sketchup tools to create zones and areas used by EnergyPlus. It allows
to explore the EnergyPlus input files, using the resources of Google Sketchup, what enables the vision of any geometric
point of view, application of various types of rendering and shading effects assessment. It was developed by the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the Department of Energy of the United States (DOE) and can be obtained
for free at the DOE website (Stein, 2011). In this paper the version 1.0.6 of the Open Studio was used.

2.5 EnergyPlus

It is a computer program that allows evaluating the behavior in terms of thermal loads and energy usage of a
building. This evaluation is made through the analysis of various parameters that influence the thermal dynamics such
as temperature of each environment, the heat flux through the surfaces envelopes, heat gain through the internal
sources, such as lighting, equipment and people. It also allows the use of different air conditioning systems templates,
what enables the analysis of total energy consumption of the building (Stein, 2011). The version used in the simulations
was the 6.0 version of this software

2.6 Input variable

Initially, the entire envelope of the building was designed in Google Sketchup in conjunction with Open Studio
plugin, ie, all constituents of the model surfaces, such as walls, floors, ceilings, doors and windows. For the simulation,
the building was divided into several thermal zones. Such thermal zones are formed by environments that have the same
scheme and thermal load profile. Once all the parameters that characterize the building were modeled, this data was
entered into the EnergyPlus (the physical characteristics of each surface that is as thickness, density, heat capacity and
thermal conductivity). Finally, data such as internal loads of the building, number of people, equipment, lighting,
infiltration and ventilation for air exchange were inserted into the software.

2.7 Climate File

To evaluate the annual energy consumption of the building, including lighting, air-conditioning system and
electrical equipment, the climate file was used. This file contains various weather data such as temperature, humidity,
wind speed and direction, solar radiation, for a period exceeding ten years. These data are collected through annual
hourly measurements.
Statistical analysis of the data was performed in two ways: Test Meteorological Year (TMY) and Test Reference
Year (TRY). In the file TMY, the most representative months are chosen during the period measured, resulting in a year
Claúdia Mangualde, Antônio Silveira Ruas, Luiz Machado, Ricardo Koury
Study on the Technical and Economic Viability in the Use of VRF Systems in Conditioning Environments

formed by different months, or a year that never existed. In TRY file, the year most significant among all years
measured is chosen. The file used in this study is the type TRY.
Climatic data can be obtained through the website of EnergyPlus and are managed by WMO (Weather
Meteorological Organization). These data are available for more than 1100 locations. According to this agency, South
America is characterized as bioclimatic zone 3. The climate file available to the city of Belo Horizonte, (Airport
Weather Station Pampulha) used in this work is the SWERA (Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment) and has
extension EPW (EnergyPlus Weather), which is the format is used by EnergyPlus.
Figure 2, which was extracted from EnergyPlus, shows the evolution of annual external dry bulb temperature to
Belo Horizonte.

Figure 2: Evolution of annual external dry bulb temperature to Belo Horizonte used in this paper.

2.8 Output Variables

EnergyPlus can produce several files and output variables containing the information obtained in the simulations
with the model proposed. However, the output data are defined by the user according to his/her need. The program can
also produce monthly and annual consumption reports for the entire building, as well as individual consumption due to
these systems.
To analyze the energy consumption the following reports were requested, reports relating to the consumption of the
whole building, reports of individual consumption caused by air-conditioning system, the interior lighting and other
electrical equipment.

2.9 Construction Features

The construction elements as external and internal walls, floors, roofs, windows and doors and their thermo physical
properties were took from the standard ABNT NBR 15220, 2003. These thermo physical properties were used as input
data in the computer programs as well as the step-wise method used in the simulation.

2.10 Internal Thermal Loads

The internal thermal loads correspond to internal sources of heat and humidity that are released into the
environment. These internal heat sources are assigned to people, equipment, lighting and air infiltration.

2.11 Internal Thermal Loads

The layout blueprint was used to determine the amount of people present in each thermal zone. In this case, it was
assigned a person for each job position, and, for this study was considered that activity which is performed by the
occupants is moderate office work, being the average 120W heat released per person, according to ABNT NBR 16401-
1/2008. The number of occupants used in the simulations is Marketing Area Sales Area and Meeting four people each,
Administration and HR two people each and Technology Area three people.

2.12 Equipment

The electrical equipment accounts for increasing the thermal load on the environment due to its heat dissipation.
In commercial buildings the most common equipment are computers, displays and printers. It was possible to determine
the number of devices using the environments blueprint. The rate of heat dissipation considered follows the
recommendation of ABNT NBR 16401-1/2008.
 22nd International Congress of Mechanical Engineering (COBEM 2013)
November 3-7, 2013, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

2.13 Lighting

The rate of internal lighting followed the recommendation of ABNT NBR 16041-1:2008 which establishes a
value of 16 W/m² for offices that uses fluorescent lamps.

2.14 Air infiltration

In this paper, it was considered that a half of the thermal zone internal volume is exchanged every hour. This
value follows the recommendations of ASHRAE FUNDAMENTALS (2001).

2.15 Ventilation

For all thermal zones, it was considered an air renewal rate of 17m ³/h per person, the same value used to
calculate the heat load by the stepwise method (Creder, 1996).

2.16 Timetable of use and occupation of environments

To make the simulation using the software is necessary to input the data of a time profile of occupation and use of
environments. This profile contains the periods of occupation of environments by the amount of people, equipment
utilization, the period of use of the lighting and air-conditioning system. This schedule is represented numerically in
software, being assigned the value 0 to 1 for minimum and maximum value. In this study, the time between 8 h and 12
h was considered 100% utilization between 12 h and 14 h with 20% usage and between 14 h and 18 h with 100%
utilization for the weekdays. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays the systems are turned off.

2.17 Simulations

To perform the simulation with the air-conditioning SPLIT was used a sample file existing in the database
software EnergyPlus. This file is called HVACTemplate-5ZoneFurnaceDX.idf and he has three menus specific to the
air conditioning system: HVACTemplate: Thermostat; HVACTemplate: Zone: Unitary; HVACTemplate: System:
Unitary. HVACTemplate menu: Thermostat is entered setpoints with periods of cooling and warming.
Temperature 24°C between 8:00 to 18:00 was defined as cooling set-point. And in the case of heating,
temperature of 20°C between 8:00 to 18:00 was the value of set-point. Split System HI-WALL type with 3.3 of COP
(coefficient of performance) a cooling capacity of 9,000 BTU/h is used to climatize in the following environments:
Administration, HR and Meetings. In the environments Marketing and Sales Area is used 18,000BTU/h- Split Systems,
both with reverse cycle, 220V and with seal PROCEL rated A and COP = 3.3 (INMETRO, 2011).
It was used the model file MultiSpeedHeatPump.idf in order to simulate the VRF system, since the version used of
EnergyPlus software (version 6.0) there is still no specific model for simulations of VRF systems. The template file
used with compressor that has 4 different speeds of rotation, which is closest to the VRV system. In many menus
featuring air-conditioning systems, autosize mode was used to scale the system with COP = 3.22. This value is related
to air conditioners with air condensation, with a capacity of 28 kW and having seal PROCEL rated A (RTQ-C, 2010).

2.18 Thermal Load

Thermal load is the amount of sensible and latent heat, usually expressed in BTU/h or kcal/h must be removed or
put in the enclosure to provide the desired comfort conditions. This thermal load can be introduced into the conditioned
enclosure by: conduction, insolation, people, equipment, infiltration and ventilation (CREDER, 1996)
Three methods were used to calculate the thermal load of the six environments studied: the stepwise method, the
E20 software, which was used by the engineer-designer author of system design air-conditioning to the Teaching
Activity Center 2 of Faculty of Humanities of UFMG and software EnergyPlus.

2.19 Results and Discussion

The results of calculations of thermal load and annual energy consumption of SPLIT System and VRF are
presented below. The difference in energy consumption between the two systems of air conditioning that have fixed
speed and variable speed compressors will be found.
Table 1 shows a comparison between the three tools used to calculate the thermal load of the six environments
under study: the stepwise method, the E20 Software used by the author of the project of air conditioning of the
Teaching Activity 2 – Faculty of Humanities of UFMG and software EnergyPlus. Observing Figure 6 it is possible to
note that the stepwise method produced higher thermal load values than the other two methods by considering the peak
Claúdia Mangualde, Antônio Silveira Ruas, Luiz Machado, Ricardo Koury
Study on the Technical and Economic Viability in the Use of VRF Systems in Conditioning Environments

loads on a summer day: January 21 at 15 hours. The time of occupancy of the environments is also not considered by
this method.
Software E20 and EnergyPlus consider partial loads in calculation of the thermal load, so they presented closer
results since both consider a year to calculate the thermal load. The difference in results between EnergyPlus and
Software E20 was mainly due to the value for the equipment heat dissipation used in the calculations in Software E20.
The author of the project used 1.600W of heat dissipated by equipment in Marketing and Sales Areas, and the HR
environment this heat dissipation was 800W. The value used for the heat dissipated in the simulation with EnergyPlus
for Marketing and Sales Areas was 990W and for the HR this value was 540W. These values were obtained observing
the layout. This difference is significant in the calculation of the thermal load. The values of the thermophysical
properties of the materials used in the building, entered into the E20, were not specified in blueprints.

Table 1: Comparison of Methods for thermal load calculation.

Comparison of Methods for Thermal Load Calculation

Stepwise Software
EnergyPlus
Environment Method E20
[BTU/h]
[BTU/h] [BTU/h]
Marketing Area 21.745 18.356 15.806
Sales Area 21.602 16.239 14.282
Administration 10.124 9.079 9.056
HR 10.124 7.697 6.289
Meetings 11.925 6.716 6.810
Technology
15.833 11.968 11.273
Area

Figure 3 shows high values of thermal load by the stepwise method and the closer results for Software E20 and
EnergyPlus.

Figure 3: thermal load plot of the six thermal zones.

Simulation was performed in software EnergyPlus with the values of heat dissipation of the equipment used by the
author of the project in order to compare the results that can be seen in Table 2 and Figure 4.

Table 2: Comparison of methods for calculating thermal load with the same amount of heat dissipated by electrical
equipment used by the designer.

Comparison of methods for calculating thermal load with the same amount of heat
dissipated by electrical equipment used by the designer
Stepwise Method Software E20 EnergyPlus
Environment
[BTU/h] [BTU/h] [BTU/h]
Marketing Area 21.745 18.356 18.043
Sales Area 21.602 16.239 16.607
Administration 10.124 9.079 9.056
HR 10.124 7.697 7.408
Meetings 11.925 6.716 6.810
Technology Area 15.833 11.968 11.273
 22nd International Congress of Mechanical Engineering (COBEM 2013)
November 3-7, 2013, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

Figure 4 shows the equivalence between the thermal load profiles obtained by EnergyPlus and E20 software
after inserting the same values of heat dissipation from electrical equipment used in the design of air-conditioning
system in Areas: Marketing, Sales and HR.
Figure 5 shows the total thermal load plot due to heat gain from glazing, the heat gain due to internal sources,
the internal temperature profile without temperature control (without air conditioning system) and external temperature
profile during one day in January for the Marketing Area. EnergyPlus simulation results are presented in the chart, and
it is observed that the thermal load profile and heat gain from internal sources are a function of business hours 8:00 to
12:00 (100% occupancy), 12:00 to 14:00 (20% occupancy), 14:00 to 18:00 (100% occupancy).

Figure 4: Thermal load plot of the six thermal zones: Comparison of Methods for calculating thermal load using the
same value for the dissipation of heat from electrical equipment used by the author of the project

On this day the outside temperature reaches a maximum of 32.88°C at 14:00 and the internal temperature reaches
the maximum 46.96°C at 16:00, considering a totally enclosed and unventilated environment.

2.20 Energyplus Results

Figure 6 shows the results of the simulation performed using the EnergyPlus software for the case of an air
conditioning system whose setpoint was adjusted to a temperature of 24°C. Note the constant temperature of 24°C
during the opening hours of 8:00 to 18:00 (100% controlled environment). It was not considered shutting down air
conditioning system between 12:00 and 14:00.

Figure 5: thermal load plot, due to the heat gain from glazing as well as internal sources, external temperature and
internal temperature without an air conditioning system throughout the day 18/01 in a year more expressive (TRY
weather file) of Thermal Zone named Marketing Area.

2.21 Energyplus Results (Reviewed)

The results show that the total thermal load profiles due to heat gain coming from glazing for environment located
on the south side of the building named Sector Marketing feels a decrease in heat gain in the months May, June, July
and August because of the lower temperatures this time of year (winter).
The results show that the total thermal load profiles related the total heat gain during a year in environment located
in the south side of the building called Sector Marketing feels a decrease in heat gain in the months May, June, July and
August because of the lower temperatures this time of year (winter).
Claúdia Mangualde, Antônio Silveira Ruas, Luiz Machado, Ricardo Koury
Study on the Technical and Economic Viability in the Use of VRF Systems in Conditioning Environments

Figure 6: thermal load plot, due to the heat gain from glazing as well as internal sources, external temperature and
internal temperature with an air conditioning system throughout the day 18/01 in a year more expressive (TRY weather
file) of Thermal Zone named Marketing Area.

Figure 7: Profile of indoor temperature within a week in January for the Marketing Area environment (SOURCE:
EnergyPlus).

Figure 8: Profile of indoor temperature within a week in June for the Marketing Area environment (SOURCE:
EnergyPlus).
 22nd International Congress of Mechanical Engineering (COBEM 2013)
November 3-7, 2013, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

Figure 7 shows the internal temperature profile within a week in January for the Marketing Area environment,
which air-conditioning system operates from Monday to Friday between 8:00 and 18:00 and 24°C setpoint temperature.
On Saturdays and Sundays the system is off.
Figure 8 shows the internal temperature profile within a week in June in the Marketing Area environment, which
air-conditioning system operates from Monday to Friday between 8:00 and 18:00 and 24 ° C temperature setpoint. On
Saturdays and Sundays the system is off.

2.22 Power Consumption of a SPLIT system

The monthly electricity consumption of SPLIT system is shown in the chart of Figure 14 where is presented the
evolution of electricity consumption monthly for groups: air-conditioning, lighting and equipment.
Analyzing the power consumption shown in the chart of Figure 14 it is possible to note that the highest electricity
consumption occurs in March that is the month with the highest number of working days in the year. The total amount
of electrical energy consumed in this month is 2,831.33 kWh. From this total 1,415.66 kWh refers to the electrical
energy consumption of the air conditioning system, 424.70 kWh refers to the lighting system and 990.97 kWh refers to
the electricity consumption by equipment.

Figure 9: Monthly power consumption for the SPLIT system air-conditioning.

The percentage of participation of the systems that contribute to the annual total electricity consumption of the six
environments in study. The largest share of power consumption is due to the air-conditioned system with 50% of this
amount, followed by equipment with 35% and lighting with 15%. The value of total annual electricity consumption
obtained from the simulation is 30,080.22 kWh from this total 15,040.11 kWh are consumed by air-conditioning
system, 10,528.08 kWh by equipment and 4,512.03 kWh by lighting system. The fare with taxes included for the
government sectors, charged in October 2011, is R$ 0.48/kWh. This value was reported by the local concessionary -
CEMIG. This electric energy consumption reaches a total amount of R$ 7,219.25 only to supply the air-conditioning
system, R$ 5,053.47 is related with equipment and R$ 2,165.77 is related with lighting. The total annual consumption
of electricity is R$ 14,438.50.

2.23 Electric Power Consumption of the VRF System

The monthly electricity consumption of the VRF system is shown in the chart of Figure 16 where it shows the
evolution of monthly consumption for groups: air-conditioning system, lighting and equipment.
By analyzing the electricity consumption shown in the chart of Figure 16 it is possible to note that the higher energy
consumption occurs in January whose total value reaches the amount of 2,390.00 kWh. From this total 1,027.70 kWh is
used to supply air-conditioning, 406.30 kWh supply the lighting system and 956.00 kWh supply the electrical
equipment.
Claúdia Mangualde, Antônio Silveira Ruas, Luiz Machado, Ricardo Koury
Study on the Technical and Economic Viability in the Use of VRF Systems in Conditioning Environments

Figure 10: Monthly power consumption for the VRF

The highest percentage of electricity consumed is used to supply the air conditioning system with an amount of
43%, followed by equipment with a value of 40% and the lighting system with the amount of 17%. The total annual
electricity consumed is the amount of 26,735.73 kWh. From this total amount of 11,496.07 kWh supplies the air-
conditioning system, 10,570.50 kWh supply the equipment and 4,669.16 kWh supply the lighting system. The fare with
taxes included for the government sectors, charged in October 2011, is R$ 0.48/kWh. This value was reported by the
local concessionary - CEMIG. This electric energy consumption reaches a total amount of R$ 5,518.11 only to supply
the air-conditioning system, R$ 5,073.84 is related with equipment and R$ 2,241.20 is related with lighting. The total
annual consumption of electricity is R$ 12,833.15.

2.24 Comparison between the energy consumption of the air conditioning SPLIT system and VRF system

The results show that there is a difference in power consumption between the two air conditioning systems which is
more noticeable in March. The electricity consumption of the SPLIT system air conditioning in March is 1,415.66 kWh
and the VRF system air-conditioning is 984.33 kWh, totaling a difference of 431.33 kWh in favor of the VRF system.
In July the difference in energy consumption between the two systems is less noticeable, but it still totalizes 182.35
kWh in favor of the VRF system. A plausible explanation is that in March the temperatures are higher and the system
SPLIT air conditioning consumes more energy because of the on-off control system, in other words it will turn on and
off more often seeking to reach the temperature adjusted to 24 ° C therefore consumes more electric power. In July the
temperature is milder so when the air-conditioning system reaches the temperature adjusted of 24°C the environment
remains at this temperature for longer without many on-off operations of the compressor. This fact explains the smaller
difference in energy consumption between the two systems this month.
The chart on Figure 11 shows the percentage of energy consumed by each system in relation to the total
consumption of electricity annually. The lighting system and equipment are unchanged in annual electric consumption.

Figure 11: Comparison of annual electricity consumption of the VRF and SPLIT systems air conditioning

The total annual electric power consumption of the air conditioning SPLIT system is 15,040.11 kWh and
consumption for the air conditioning VRF system is 11,496.07 kWh accounting for a difference of 23.56% annual.
 22nd International Congress of Mechanical Engineering (COBEM 2013)
November 3-7, 2013, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

Figure 12: Monthly expense on electricity for air conditioning systems.

Figure 12 the monthly cost of electricity in Reais (R$) for both air conditioning systems: SPLIT and VRF. This cost
was based in a rate of R$ 0.48 / kWh charged in October 2011 (CEMIG, 2011). The highest consumption of electricity
for air conditioning SPLIT system occurred in March, totalizing an amount of R$ 679.52. And for the air conditioning
VRF system the highest consumption of electricity for occurred in January, totalizing an amount of R$ 493.30.

2.25 Conclusions

The difference in electric power consumption between two systems of air conditioning was investigated (air
conditioning SPLIT system with fixed speed compressor and VRF air conditioning system with variable speed
compressor). This analysis was done through computer simulation using version 6.0 of the software EnergyPlus, in six
environments in the 3rd floor of block 3 of the Teaching Activity Center 2 of Faculty of Humanities (FAFICH) of
UFMG, located in Pampulha region in Belo Horizonte city (bioclimatic zone 3).
The results show that the air conditioning VRF system with variable speed compressor consumes 23.56% less
electric power than air conditioning SPLIT system with fixed speed compressor, in a year. This amount representes an
annual savings R$ 1,605.35 in electricity consumption.
The calculation of the thermal load by EnergyPlus software showed results consistent with those obtained by the
E20 program that was used by the author of the air conditioning project. Both consider partial loads over a year. The
stepwise method overvalued the results for thermal loads because it considers maximum loads during a critic summer
Day.
The use of computational tools such as EnergyPlus software for energy consumption simulation in buildings has
been shown as a great tool in decision-making, since the thermal energetic behavior of this building can be predicted
from the influence of various factors. Design changes may be proposed based on this forecast in order to reduce energy
consumption.
A payback analysis of was not analysed. So for future papers work, such analysis should be done in order to verify if
even with a lower electricity consumption air conditioning VRF system would be economically viable. And still to do a
simulation with the VRF system template file that will be available in the next version of EnergyPlus.

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4. RESPONSIBILITY NOTICE

The author(s) is (are) the only responsible for the printed material included in this paper.