Conference Paper

Proceedings of BSO Conference 2012: 1st Conference of IBPSA-England

Better Carbon Saving: Using a Genetic Algorithm to Optimise Building Carbon Reductions

Christopher Pountney

Abstract: It has been common practice to develop a Marginal Abatement Cost (MAC) model to determine the cost minimal route to building-level CO₂ savings. This paper highlights several inherent limitations with this approach, not least the synergistic effects observed in applying measures sequentially. It demonstrates that a Genetic Algorithm (GA) can be used to provide a more accurate, detailed set of optimal solutions, whilst overcoming some of the shortcomings of MAC curve analysis. The SPEA2 GA is used in conjunction with SBEM and a set of capital costs to demonstrate the optimisation process using an office test case example.
Pages: 165 - 172
Paper: