Optimising energy flexibility in Finnish residential buildings: A comparative study of PI, rule-based and model predictive control strategies

IF 6.6 2区工程技术 Q1 CONSTRUCTION & BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

Energy and Buildings Pub Date : 2025-04-11 DOI:10.1016/j.enbuild.2025.115727

Rakesh Ramesh , Hassam Ur Rehman , Ala Hasan , Leena Eerolainen , Hang Yin , Mohamed Hamdy

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Abstract

As integral components of urban infrastructure, buildings play a crucial role in maintaining occupant well-being, especially during extreme weather conditions. This research presents a model predictive control (MPC) approach to harnessing the energy flexibility of buildings by utilising their thermal mass to cost-effectively manage the energy use. The study compares two apartment buildings located in the Nordic climate of Helsinki, Finland: one built in the 1970s and a modern positive energy building (PEB) with a high-performance envelope exceeding the minimum requirements of national building regulations. Three control strategies are evaluated for building thermal mass activation: Proportional-Integral (PI) control as a standard strategy for thermal comfort, Rule-Based Control (RBC) as a cost-based benchmark strategy and an advanced MPC as an innovative energy-flexible strategy for cost-savings. The three investigated control strategies are implemented by interfacing IDA ICE building energy performance simulation software with the programming environment, Python as a master controller. The study aims to optimise the operation of the building’s energy systems in real-time, minimising energy costs while maintaining comfort constraints by adjusting temperature setpoints based on dynamic weather conditions and occupant behaviour by applying the adaptive thermal comfort model. The results, obtained from simulations, demonstrate that the MPC provided the highest cost savings, particularly under high and fluctuating price conditions. In the 1970s building, MPC achieved up to 29.9 % cost savings compared to PI control, while RBC achieved up to 17.2 % savings. In the modern PEB, MPC resulted in up to 14.8 % cost savings, with RBC achieving up to 7.9 % savings. These findings highlight MPC’s potential to improve energy efficiency and resilience in buildings, especially in cold climates.

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优化芬兰住宅建筑的能源灵活性：PI，基于规则和模型预测控制策略的比较研究

作为城市基础设施的组成部分，建筑在维护居住者的福祉方面发挥着至关重要的作用，特别是在极端天气条件下。本研究提出了一种模型预测控制（MPC）方法，通过利用建筑物的热质量来经济有效地管理能源使用，从而利用建筑物的能源灵活性。该研究比较了位于芬兰赫尔辛基北欧气候的两座公寓建筑：一座建于20世纪70年代，一座现代正能量建筑（PEB），其高性能围护结构超过了国家建筑法规的最低要求。对建筑热质量激活的三种控制策略进行了评估：比例积分（PI）控制是一种热舒适的标准策略，基于规则的控制（RBC）是一种基于成本的基准策略，先进的MPC是一种节约成本的创新能源柔性策略。通过将IDA ICE建筑能效仿真软件与编程环境（Python作为主控制器）接口，实现了所研究的三种控制策略。该研究旨在实时优化建筑能源系统的运行，通过应用自适应热舒适模型，根据动态天气条件和居住者行为调整温度设定值，从而最大限度地降低能源成本，同时保持舒适约束。模拟结果表明，MPC提供了最高的成本节约，特别是在高和波动的价格条件下。在20世纪70年代的建筑中，MPC与PI控制相比节省了29.9%的成本，而RBC节省了17.2%的成本。在现代PEB中，MPC可节省14.8%的成本，RBC可节省7.9%的成本。这些发现突出了MPC在提高建筑能源效率和弹性方面的潜力，特别是在寒冷气候下。

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来源期刊

Energy and Buildings 工程技术-工程：土木

CiteScore

12.70

自引率

11.90%

发文量

863

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： An international journal devoted to investigations of energy use and efficiency in buildings Energy and Buildings is an international journal publishing articles with explicit links to energy use in buildings. The aim is to present new research results, and new proven practice aimed at reducing the energy needs of a building and improving indoor environment quality.