Development of advanced controllers to extend the peak shifting possibilities in the residential buildings

• Published in: Journal of Building Engineering 2021-11, Vol.43, p.103026, Article 103026
• Main Authors: Sun, Ying, Panchabikesan, Karthik, Haghighat, Fariborz, Luo, Jianing (Tom), Moreau, Alain, Robichaud, Miguel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Advanced control; Energy storage; Heating cost savings; Peak shifting; Thermal comfort
• ISSN: 2352-7102; 2352-7102
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jobe.2021.103026

To reduce the stress on the electrical grids during peak periods, pre-charging the building envelops with high thermal mass during off-peak periods and utilizing the stored energy during peak periods is an effective approach. However, most of the residential buildings in North America are generally built with lightweight materials, and the concrete slabs in the basement are the only option for energy storage. This means, heat storage is possible only in the basement, and achieving the peak shifting in the entire house is a challenge. To extend the peak shifting to the entire building, an automated heat extraction system (HES) that transfers the stored heat from the basement to the other parts of the house is desirable. Accordingly, this study developed two advanced controllers, which controls both electrically heated floor (EHF) (for energy storage in the basement) and HES (for transferring the stored heat to other parts of the house), to achieve peak shifting and heating cost-saving while guaranteeing the occupants’ thermal comfort. The performance of the developed controllers was compared with other control strategies (i.e., constant set-point control, rule-based control and self-learning predictive control). The results showed that the developed advanced controllers effectively shift the energy consumption from the peak period (97 % for the basement and ~87 % for the second floor) and decrease the heating cost by ~33 %. •Proposed controllers extend peak shifting potential in light-weight residential buildings.•Performance of the developed controllers was compared with existing controllers.•Peak shifting can be achieved without compromising occupants' thermal comfort.•The proposed controllers could decrease the heating cost by ~33 % based on CPP tariff.