Cooling emission control

What is cooling output control?

Cooling output control concerns the way a building manages the delivery of cooling, for example through a central system or room by room. The Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) assesses this service within the Cooling domain, one of nine domains of the indicator.

The service forms part of method A, the simplified calculation method of the SRI that uses fewer smart-ready services than the full method B. This makes assessment more accessible for buildings where less detailed data are available.

What levels are there?

The SRI defines five functionality levels for this service, numbered 0 to 4. Each level represents a higher degree of control and communication in the cooling system.

• Level 0: no automatic control of cooling output.
• Level 1: central automatic control for the entire building.
• Level 2: individual room control, each room controlled separately.
• Level 3: individual room control with communication between controllers and to the building management system (BMS).
• Level 4: individual room control with communication and occupancy detection.

A higher level typically means a more granular system that can better respond to changing room usage.

Why does this service count towards the score?

The SRI assesses each smart-ready service against seven impact criteria, such as energy efficiency and comfort. Cooling output control can contribute to several of these criteria, depending on the functionality level achieved.

A building's final score is calculated as a percentage and placed in one of seven classes, from below 20 percent to 90 to 100 percent. The functionality level of this service contributes to that overall score, together with the other services within the building automation and control system (BACS).