Influencing Factors on Air Conditioning Energy Consumption of Naturally Ventilated Research Buildings Based on Actual HVAC Behaviours

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Review of the manuscript number : buildings-2668783-peer-review-v1

Entitled:  Importance Analysis of Factors Influencing Air Conditioning Energy Consumption in Naturally Ventilated Research Buildings Based on Actual HVAC Behaviours

General comments:

-        The paper topic is in line with the scope of “buildings”.

-        The scope and the type of cited literature is appropriate, but not enough.

-        Major corrections are needed to improve the quality of this manuscript before acceptance . 

 

Major revisions will contribute, if addressed, to enhancing the quality of the paper further:  

-        The title of your manuscript is long and not precise, it should be changed to: “Influncing factors on energy consumption of  Naturally Ventilated Research Buildings Based on Actual HVAC Behaviours”

-        It would be very advisable to add the diagram of the detailed assumed ACTUAL  HVAC system, mentioning on it the elements which you investigated.

-        In Table 4. The description of coupling patterns between NV and AC operation , please check the parametric descriptions and put the values of coupling pattern (M0, M1, M2, M3, M4) in a clear and understandable manner.

-        The same comment is for the Table 5. Parameter management of the initial influencing factors and the range of values, the range of values should be for example [-90 - 90] and not [-90, 90]….for all values mentioned in your table 5.

-        The values in (Figure 9. Comparison of the relative importance of initial influencing factors based on different be- 560 havioural patterns) should be more explained. The values are not cleare so the influences are not precise. Please rebuild it in an understandable manner.

-        In your investigated HVAC what are the energy consumption proportiones between the heating and cooling processes , which is one of the main goals of your, please suggest what are the main procedures to decrease the energy consumption for these processe.

-        Did you compare your results with similar experimental case studies.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The English language of this manuscript is acceptable for publication 

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Clarity of Terms: Certain technical phrases and terms used in the paper could be simplified or explained more clearly to make the work accessible to a wider audience. 

Broader Representation: The research revolves around a single case building. Future research should consider incorporating more sample buildings of diverse types and sizes to ensure that the outputs are applicable across a broader spectrum of buildings.

Result Presentation: The presentation could be more concise to improve readability. Consider revising your paper with a focus on brevity and clarity.

Proper Citations: When referring to tools and equations, such as EnergyPlus and jEPlus in Section two, you should include appropriate citations.

Justification for Methodology: The use of the Monte Carlo method in your research needs a more robust justification. A clear rationale for its use could strengthen your methodology section.

Reproducibility: It's essential to uphold the principle of reproducibility in scientific research. Therefore, make sure to cite the libraries used and provide citation for the equations applied in your work. Additionally, if possible, consider providing your codebase as supplementary material. 

Model Uncertainty: Although the stochastic model used, it's worth noting the potential for unaccounted factors which could influence energy consumption. 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The provided text is generally well-written but could be improved for clarity and conciseness. For instance, the use of the term "traction of the fixed behavioural pattern" could be clarified for non-expert readers.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thanks, authors for this topic, can be so interesting.

The current manuscript: “This study explores HVAC behavior's impact on energy consumption, crucial for energy efficiency strategies. Using a research building in China, a stochastic prediction model is developed. It integrates actual operating characteristics through periodic clustering and Monte Carlo method. Importance analysis identifies key factors affecting energy consumption. Validation shows accurate predictions, highlighting differences from fixed behavioral patterns. This research provides a basis for precise AC energy consumption prediction, vital for efficient energy strategies.”

The abstract does not follow recommended structure by the journal. It should be checked and rewritten. The writing style of the manuscript should be better and improved.

The literature review is not sufficient enough and should present some different case studies. Such articles can have a voice to improve the manuscript

https://doi.org/10.3390/en14051244

https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12020238

https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13071617

and etc. HOWEVER, much more work must be also reviewed and added to this work.

What are the novelties of this work? What makes this work different? Novelties are not clear here and the gap then novelties MUST be clearly elaborated.

Used methods and analysis can not be met what’s going on defined, or should be re-explained.

What main conclusions can be presented?

Comments on the Quality of English Language

It should be improved!

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript may attract interest to the readers from Buildings point of view. The article is aligned with the scope of the journal. The title clearly describes the article and include the most important keywords. This manuscript is well organized and written.The introduction covers all aspects of the research objectives a great review of the actual stages in this research field. The proposed a stochastic prediction model of HVAC behaviour is established based on actual periodic operational features and integrated into the AC energy consumption simulation process. The results of the study verify the superiority of the stochastic model of HVAC behaviour compared to the deterministic model, and clarify the need for predicting building performance and researching energy-saving optimization strategies based on actual behaviour characteristics.  In my opinion, this study can be considered for publication. 

Author Response

Thank you very much for your comment. And the article has been revised according to the comments of other reviewers. Please refer to the revised manuscript.

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors have successfully addressed my forwarded comments on the initial submission and in my view, and after going through the work that has been done on the manuscript in responding to the comments, my recommendation is to accept the manuscript for publication in “buildings” journal.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thanks authors for improving the manuscript, the improvement is visible, however, the previous comments were not perfectly taken into account. It is recommended to carefully consider all comments, before making a final decision. 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

This version is better!