**3.2 Motivation of the case study**

In chiller plants, airside systems account for the *second highest* energy consumption. In addition, the airside cannot support more control flexibility due to the high dynamics involved. Another thing to consider is that uneven thermal heat maps caused by oversized and undersized air distribution systems deviate from the thermal comfort of the occupants. **Figure 6** shows that hot and cold spots in large open offices are prevalent issues in airside systems.

Although there are other potential contributing elements, ineffective air distribution systems are the main problem. Ineffective air distribution systems cause hot areas because of insufficient cold air provided to the space. In addition, cold spots develop in the remaining areas of the office because there is excessive cold air. The control system, however, is unable to respond appropriately. Conventional control systems operate in

**Figure 7.** *Typical reactive feedback control system in air handling units (AHUs).*

reactive methods, which is the cause of the control system's slow response. As indicated in **Figure 7**, although the main return air temperature is employed as feedback to serve as the control, it does not accurately represent the local zones, leading to unequal temperature distributions. The zoning of the space is one aspect that shows a significant role. The zone size is too large for the control systems to capture all information; thus, they are unable to adapt. Therefore, in this study, the impact of the big zone being segregated as smaller zones (*micro-zones),* proactive AI control on the performance of the airside system, and energy savings potential will be investigated.
