Nick Fernandez

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
PO Box 999
Richland, WA 99352
(509) 375-6568
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Biography

Nick Fernandez was born in Columbia, MD. He is a 2002 graduate of Wilde Lake High School and a 2006 graduate of The University of Maryland in College Park, MD. Nick received a Master's in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland in 2008 at the Center for Environmental Energy Engineering. Nick’s master thesis studied the performance and oil retention characteristics of a CO₂ heat pump water heater. Nick began working for PNNL in 2009 in the building energy systems (BES) group. He has worked on a variety of projects, including commercial building retuning, residential building energy codes, community-scale net-zero energy systems, and self-correcting controls for HVAC systems. Most of his work involves using EnergyPlus to model prototype or existing buildings to understand opportunities for energy savings.

Research Interests

Building energy efficiency modeling and analysis
Passive solar building energy systems
Renewable energy deployment and integration
Intersections between peak oil and economics

Education and Credentials

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, 2008
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, 2006

PNNL Publications

2021

Katipamula S., R.M. Underhill, N. Fernandez, W. Kim, R.G. Lutes, and D.J. Taasevigen. 2021. "Prevalence of typical operational problems and energy savings opportunities in U.S. commercial buildings." Energy and Buildings 253. PNNL-SA-166590. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2021.111544

2020

Fernandez N., and S. Katipamula. 2020. Implementation Plan for Combined Heat and Power Systems VOLTTRON Controller: Performance Monitoring and Real-Time Commissioning Algorithm Verification. PNNL-30028. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Implementation Plan for Combined Heat and Power Systems VOLTTRON Controller: Performance Monitoring and Real-Time Commissioning Algorithm Verification
Fernandez N., D.J. Taasevigen, B.K. Boyd, N.V. Panossian, and P. Volkman. 2020. "Energy cost savings and expected payback for Re-tuning the controls of US Army buildings." Energy Efficiency 13, no. 5:835-851. PNNL-SA-144083. doi:10.1007/s12053-020-09852-w
Katipamula S., N. Fernandez, A.D. Smith, and A.P. Rogers. 2020. Design, Development and Testing Plan for Energy Efficiency Algorithms Related to Building-Integrated Cooling, Heating, and Power Systems. PNNL-29623. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Design, Development and Testing Plan for Energy Efficiency Algorithms Related to Building-Integrated Cooling, Heating, and Power Systems

2018

Fernandez N., S. Katipamula, W. Wang, Y. Xie, and M. Zhao. 2018. "Energy Savings Potential from Improved Building Controls for the U.S. Commercial Building Sector." Energy Efficiency 11, no. 2:393-413. PNNL-SA-121880. doi:10.1007/s12053-017-9569-5
Wang W., N. Fernandez, S. Katipamula, and K.J. Alvine. 2018. "Performance Assessment of a Photonic Radiative Cooling System for Office Buildings." Renewable Energy 118. PNNL-SA-122490. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2017.10.062

2017

Fernandez N., D.J. Taasevigen, and R.M. Underhill. 2017. "Success of Commercial Building Re-tuning in Federal Buildings: Results and Case Studies." Journal of Architectural Engineering 23, no. 1. PNNL-SA-112623. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)AE.1943-5568.0000216
Fernandez N., S. Katipamula, and R.M. Underhill. 2017. "Optimizing Control of Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems with Energy Recovery in Commercial Buildings." Journal of Energy Engineering 143, no. 1. PNNL-ACT-SA-10075. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)EY.1943-7897.0000368

2014

Fernandez N., S. Katipamula, W. Wang, Y. Huang, and G. Liu. 2014. "Energy Savings Modelling of Re-tuning Energy Conservation Measures in Large Office Buildings." Journal of Building Performance Simulation 8, no. 6:391-407. PNNL-SA-89524. doi:10.1080/19401493.2014.961032

2012

Brown D.R., T.E. Stout, J.A. Dirks, and N. Fernandez. 2012. "The Prospects of Alternatives to Vapor Compression Technology for Space Cooling and Food Refrigeration Applications." Energy Engineering 109, no. 6:7-20. PNNL-SA-78262.

2010

Katipamula S., N. Fernandez, M.R. Brambley, and T.A. Reddy. 2010. "Building Scale vs. Community Scale Net-Zero Energy Performance." In 2010 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, 2-151 - 2-168. Washington, District Of Columbia:American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. PNNL-SA-71275.
Katipamula S., P. Armstrong, W. Wang, and N. Fernandez. 2010. "Efficient Low-Lift cooling with Radiant Distribution, Thermal Storage and Variable-Speed Chiller Controls." In Proceedings of CLIMA 2010, 10th REHVA World Congress: Sustainable Energy Use In Buildings, May 9-12, 2010, Antalya, Turkey. Brussels:Federation of European HVAC Associations. PNNL-SA-70386.