A quadrupole-based approach for integrated building simulation and energy-efficient load control

This paper is an extension of our previous work in which an exact analytical method was used to model the transient heat transfer behavior in buildings. The method concerns a quadrupole-based approach (QD), where a general equation is set for each zone's heat balance to obtain either temperature or heat rates. The proposed model proved its ability to accurately account for indoor thermal masses with short computation time. In this work, we are aiming to further validate the ability of the quadrupole-based method to model such combined effects as thermal mass, direct solar gain windows, internally generated heat, infiltration, and more particularly, setback thermostat control, with heating and cooling control inside a single zone by developing a convenient algorithm. For this, two reference cases from the Building Energy Simulation Test (BESTEST), reported in ANSI/ASHRAE standard 140, are selected: the 640 case (light-weighted materials) and 940 case (heavy-weighted materials). Results of the simulations in terms of annual energy demand as well as power peaks have been compared between the QD-based algorithm and other whole building simulation programs. For a more accurate analysis, results of our developed algorithm have been compared to those issued from EnergyPlus (EP) alone, in reference to the BESTEST methodology, by generating monthly energy demand, power peaks as well as annual energy demands. Indeed, some discrepancies have been noticed since both models use different algorithms. However, our model has been successfully validated by the BESTEST methodology and proved its efficiency in terms of defining the required exact power that needs to be deployed. In addition to this, the algorithm can be immediately used in real physical control regardless of the type of heating device.