Dynamic Evaluation of the Energy Efficiency of Environments in Brazilian University Classrooms Using DEA

• Main Authors: Samuel de Alencar Bezerra, Francisco Jackson dos Santos, Plácido Rogerio Pinheiro, Fábio Rocha Barbosa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2017-12-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: data envelopment analysis; optimization; energy efficiency; lighting; air conditioning
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/12/2373

This paper presents an experience applied to a public university campus using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to evaluate and improve the energy efficiency of the indoor spaces of the buildings within the limits of the Federal University of Piauí, considering the lighting (installed power and luminous flux) and air conditioning (absorbed electric power and cooling capacity) input/output variables. Using Brazilian energy efficiency evaluation methods, a comparison was made between DEA and Brazilian standards, with the goal of examining DEA’s performance and feasibility in efficiency improvement. The results revealed that all of the analyzed university classrooms were inefficient, which is coherent with the classification obtained by applying Brazilian standards; the calculated efficiency scores for these rooms varied from 0.7182 to 0.8477, a 0.7848 average. The DEA model, while operating in lighting and air conditioning systems, achieved a reduction of installed power of 43.5% and 22.7%, respectively, totaling a decrease of 25.6%, being able to maintain the standard characteristics of the systems mentioned. According to the DEA models, it was found that the generated targets effectively improved the efficiency of lighting and air-conditioning systems, reducing excessive inputs such as air conditioners’ consumption and increasing deficient outputs such as luminous flux. It is possible to expand this successful application in the layout of the building in the whole campus area to concept small smart city projects; both have been achieved in the public buildings of the administrative body. Results from this paper revealed DEA’s potential in assessing and optimizing the energy efficiency of buildings, improving their sustainability indexes, acting as a tool to support decision-making and benchmarking.