Towards model based optimization of building control systems

The research project enerMAT was presented on the 16th ITI Symposium in 2013. The project's aim is the development of methods for the creation of efficient building control systems with reduced energy consumption, CO2 emission, and costs whereas comfort parameter restrictions are maintained. A complex model of building physics, HVAC, weather data, occupancy, user's restrictions, and finally the Building Automation Control System (BACS) to be developed allows the calculation of the energy consumption for varying parameters of the BACS. By applying powerful optimisation methods these BACS parameters are determined so that the cost function is minimized. The BACS model is then transferred to the runtime building control system automatically. The process of the BACS model development is demonstrated at a conference room application with heating and cooling devices