USE OF SIMULATION TOOLS FOR DESIGN AND TEST OF CONTROL AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS

A constant concern of building owners and control manufacturers is the proper management of all technical equipment used in a building to achieve an optimal use of energy. Research has progressed considerably on BMS (Building Management Systems), controllers, non-proprietary communication networks. The shift from analog to digital control has been a great leap in this field. Nowadays, there are greater possibilities to develop control strategies specific to technical plants. More “intelligence” is being implemented in control systems. In parallel, there is a growing demand for simulation tools adapted to control of plants in those “intelligent buildings”. This paper presents some issues tackled by the CSTB on the development of simulation tools for the design and test of controllers and control strategies. It discusses the choice of simulation environment, the specific building description for control studies and the emergence of virtual laboratories. The monitoring task of installations and efficient use of BMS is also addressed especially on the development of tools for fault detection and diagnosis of installations. New generations of controllers are heading towards the integration of such functions.