Model Predictive Control of a Swiss Office Building

Abstract

The research project OptiControl (www.opticontrol.ethz.ch) deals with the development of novel, predictive control strategies for buildings. The strategies are tested on a fully occupied, well instrumented typical Swiss office building. This work presents our experience with the application of Model Predictive Control (MPC). The application of novel rule-based control (RBC) strategies on the same building is presented in a companion paper (Integrated Predictive Rule-Based Control of a Swiss Office Building). Here we describe, first, the implementation and key aspects of model predictive building control. Second, we report on our experience with running the MPC controller on the building for three months. Third, we compare the controller’s performance in terms of comfort compliance and energy use to the previously installed industry standard RBC strategy using whole-year simulations with the EnergyPlus software. The experimental data show that the MPC operated reliably and successfully satisfied comfort constraints during a period of three months in summer. The simulation study suggests a superior control performance with respect to the original control strategy.