Evaluation of energy saving potential using Stochastic Model Predictive Control for stand alone Air Conditioning units a study in Indian scenario

Abstract

Reduction in energy consumption has become imperative in the modern day. The building segment is responsible for almost 40% consumption. These installations are typically located at the distribution level. There are losses associated with the transmission system, such as T&D Losses and pilferage losses. Hence a single unit of energy saved at distribution level would amount to greater savings at the generation level. Developing nations rely largely on standalone Air Conditioning units for office and domestic use since these facilities rarely designed to accommodate centralized Heating ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. In this paper a novel approach to control all these air conditioning units using a centralized controller based on Stochastic Model Predictive Control (SMPC) has been presented. The SMPC takes into account the predicted weather to reduce energy consumption while maintaining the comfort level of the occupants. A sample office space has been modeled and performance of the algorithm has been studied for weather conditions of large cities of India. With centralized SMPC the system has significantly outperformed the existing SAC with localized controller.