The Johnson Controls Building Analytics for Sustainability and Health Center at Clemson University will provide funding for two research projects aimed at improving health outcomes and reducing energy usage in buildings.
Located in the Watt Family Innovation Center, the center serves as a multidisciplinary hub for outreach, innovation, education, research and the development of student talent in the building operations industry. Johnson Controls has committed $1 million in funding for research over three years. The first round of funding provides more than $250,000 split between two projects.
Maintenance requests
Mark Krystofik, Interim Executive Director of the Watt Center and Director of the Center, led an internal call for proposals in coordination with the Division of Research. Through this competitive process, two proposals were selected for awards this year.
'Investigating Predictive Maintenance Opportunities in Large Education Premises: A Big Data Analytics Approach' looks at designing and implementing a data-driven system to help streamline the maintenance of large buildings on a college campus.
Using data and machine learning, researchers hope to create a system that can help Facilities Managers predict, prepare for, and prioritize maintenance requests. The project is led by Ehsan Mousavi, Associate Professor of Construction Science and Management, and Amin Khademi, Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering.
Crowdsensing technologies
Researchers want to develop an HVAC control system that would be more responsive to feedback
'A Comprehensive Approach to Optimize Building Operations and Maximize User Comfort' will look at using 'crowdsensing' technologies, which allow a large number of users to provide sensory data in real time, along with numerical modeling and AI to better regulate building temperature to both maximize energy efficiency as well as user comfort and health.
In other words, researchers want to develop an HVAC control system that would be more responsive to feedback given by the people in a building.
This research, led by Vincent Blouin, an associate professor with a joint appointment in architecture and materials science and engineering, and Linke Guo, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, includes a Creative Inquiry (CI) project that gives students the opportunity to test various technologies in several buildings on campus, including the Watt Center.
Innovative research
“I am excited to support innovative research at Clemson University focused on optimizing building operations, enhancing user comfort, and advancing predictive maintenance strategies for large educational facilities,” said Jon Douglas, Technical Director of Product Lifecycle Solutions for Johnson Controls.
He adds, “These efforts drive smarter, more efficient environments and contribute to the future of sustainable, intelligent building management.”
Energy efficient
Angie Leidinger expressed appreciation for Johnson Controls’ involvement in talent development, research
“Americans spend approximately 87 percent of their time indoors, and buildings account for nearly 40 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions, so making our buildings healthier, more comfortable, and more energy efficient is critical to our future. I am grateful to our partners at Johnson Controls for their support of this research,” said Mark Krystofik.
Angie Leidinger, Senior Vice President of the External Affairs Division and Senior Advisor to the Clemson University Board of Trustees, expressed appreciation for Johnson Controls’ involvement in talent development, research, and campus and community impact by establishing the Johnson Controls Center and making these research investments.
“Johnson Controls is a strategic corporate partner of the University, and we are grateful for their tremendous engagement with faculty and students through this new Center,” said Angie Leidinger.
Student assistantships
The Johnson Controls Building Analytics for Sustainability and Health Center will also support student assistantships and a certificate program, as well as opportunities for experiential learning and industry engagement for students. The total commitment from Johnson Controls to establish the Center was nearly $3 million, as announced this past fall.
Johnson Controls has long been an active partner for Clemson, having participated in a number of initiatives, including the Human-Centered Building Design Research Symposium and Workshop held in December and the recent AI Summit held at the Madren Conference Center.