Nearly zero energy building model predictive control for efficient heating

Residential and non-residential buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the EU. Considering that almost 75% of the building stock in EU is energy inefficient, the European energy policy promotes the improvement of the energy performance of existing buildings by introducing the innovative model of nearly zero energy building (nZEB). In the nZEB model, local energy sources (generation, storage and load management), building automation (BACS) and electronic monitoring of technical building systems (TBS) play a fundamental role. In electric systems, smart grids are a key feature of future energy scenarios, with the overarching goal of better aligning energy generation and demand. The challenge is the role of the users. The nZEB model with its “smart microgrid” can represent an effective driver according to the new policies of user's aggregation. In this framework demand side management (DSM) strategies can be implemented. The paper presents an innovative approach to use BACS present in nZEBS not only to increase the efficiency of TBS but also to operate an energy storage by heating systems for DSM strategies.