Real-time energy and economic performance of the multi-zone photovoltaic-drive air conditioning system for an office building in a tropical climate

This article presents the air-conditioning performance analysis of an office building with thermal zones for the transient simulation of photovoltaic solar systems in a tropical climate. The study focuses on the correlation between air conditioning consumption and photovoltaic generation. The objective is to maximize the self -consumption of locally produced photovoltaic energy. The simulation and numerical analysis of the annual energy flow using a time interval resolution of 2 min was introduced as a novelty of the work to demonstrate the implementation of the proposed climatization technologies. The procedure developed was tested through 4 case studies where photovoltaic energy generation was scaled to meet the annual consumption demand of different air conditioners and considering the southern hemisphere climate conditions. The performance of the cases studied was evaluated considering an energetic point of view through metering of self-sufficiency and self-consumption of conditioners and a financial vision through indicators of Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, and Payback Period. It was possible to reduce energy by 96% at peak hours compared to the reference scenario using energy demand side management. From the energy point of view, the proposed cases proved to be viable. Regarding the economic aspects, the instances with the renewal of the splits and the central Variable Refrigerant Flow system presented the best financial indexes between 6 and 7 years of payback and internal rate of return of 22% and 21%, respectively.