Conference Paper

Proceedings of SimBuild Conference 2024

Development of a Simulation Testbed for Validating Optimal Thermal Energy Storage Operation Algorithms in Energy-Efficient Buildings

Karthikeya Devaprasad, Min Gyung Yu, Bowen Huang, Xu Ma
Pacific Northwest National Lab, United States of America

Abstract: There has been growing attention on energy-efficient buildings with Thermal Energy Storage Systems (TESS), which are designed not only to reduce their energy consumption but also take advantage of time-of-use (TOU) prices to reduce energy costs by efficiently scheduling and shifting loads. This paper proposes effective modeling solutions to simulate and validate a specific optimal control algorithm designed to operate the TESS and HVAC systems. Two unique modeling strategies are implemented on two widely used simulation platforms in the HVAC industry, EnergyPlus and Modelica, to represent the TESS and HVAC systems. The in-depth comparative analysis of these simulation platforms is provided highlighting their respective advantages and limitations. Then, the proposed approaches are demonstrated and discussed through case studies.
Keywords: thermal storage, optimal control, HVAC
Pages: 607 - 618
Paper: