Predictive control of radiant floor heating and solar-source heat pump operation in a solar house

Solar radiation can supply a significant portion of the energy requirements of a house through the harmonized use of passive solar design and building-integrated active solar energy systems (e.g., building-integrated photovoltaic, photovoltaic/thermal systems, or solar thermal collectors). Given the variability of solar radiation, energy storage technologies, along with carefully planned control strategies, can offer significant benefits for the performance of these systems in terms of energy consumption, peak load reduction, and thermal comfort for the occupants. This article investigates the application of a predictive control methodology for a solar house. The case study is a room with a simple geometry with high insulation and air-tightness values and large windows (i.e., a typical room found in a passive solar house). Predictive control is applied at two different, but closely linked, levels: (a) local-loop control of a radiant floor heating system and (b) supervisory control of the temperature of a water tank—used for thermal energy storage—heated with a solar-source heat pump. The development of control strategies is facilitated by the use of simplified building models obtained from more detailed models appropriate for building simulation. This methodology provides insight into the relevance of different design and control parameters and makes it easier to apply software tools designed specifically for testing control algorithms.

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