EnergyPlus model-based predictive control within design–build–operate energy information modelling infrastructure

This study proposes a design–build–operate energy information modelling (DBO-EIM) infrastructure to allow users to deploy the design-stage building energy model for model predictive control (MPC) system in the building operation. A newly constructed office building is studied as a test bed. An EnergyPlus model-based predictive control (EPMPC) system is designed and simulated in the Matlab/Simulink environment within the DBO-EIM infrastructure. EPMPC aims at minimizing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning energy consumption while maintaining occupant thermal comfort. Compared to the baseline rule-based control system, EPMPC demonstrates a 28.9% energy reduction in one-week simulation in the heating season and 2.7% energy reduction in one-week simulation in the cooling season. The comfort constraint is met during more than 90% of the simulated hours. The study demonstrates one significant contribution of the DBO-EIM infrastructure that a design-stage EnergyPlus model can be integrated in an MPC system and the preliminary simulation results are satisfactory.