A predictive load shifting controller has been developed and deployed in a low-carbon house near Glasgow, UK. The house features an under floor heating system, fed by an air-source heat pump. Based on forecast air temperatures and solar radiation levels, the controller 1) predicts the following day’s heating requirements to achieve thermal comfort 2) runs heat pump during off peak periods to deliver the required heat by pre-charging the under floor heating. Prior to its installation in the building, the controller’s operating characteristics were identified using a calibrated building simulation model. The performance of the controller in the house was monitored over four weeks in 2015. The monitored data indicated that the actual thermal performance of the predictive controller was better than that projected using simulation, with better levels of thermal comfort achieved. Indoor air temperatures were between 18°C to 23°C for around 87% of the time between 07:00-22:00. However, the performance of the heat pump under load shift control was extremely poor, with the heat being delivered primarily by the unit’s auxiliary immersion coil. The paper concludes with a refined version of the controller that should improve the day-ahead energy predictions and offer greater flexibility in heat pump operation for future field trials

Microgeneration technologies are positioned to address future building energy efficiency requirements and facilitate the integration of renewables into buildings to ensure a sustainable, energy-secure future. This paper explores the development of a robust multi-input multi-output (MIMO) controller applicable to the control of hybrid renewable microgeneration systems with the objective of minimising the electrical grid utilisation of a building while fulfilling the thermal demands. The controller employs the inverse dynamics of the building, servicing systems, and energy storage with a robust control methodology. These inverse dynamics provides the control system with knowledge of the complex cause and effect relationships between the system, the controlled inputs, and the external disturbances, while an outer-loop control ensures robust, stable control in the presence of modelling deficiencies/uncertainty and unknown disturbances. Variable structure control compensates for the physical limitations of the systems whereby the control strategy employed switches depending on the current utilisation and availability of the energy supplies. Preliminary results presented for a system consisting of a micro-CHP unit, solar PV, and battery storage indicate that the control strategy is effective in minimising the interaction with the local electrical network and maximising the utilisation of the available renewable energy

This article extends a novel advanced dynamic calculation method (IDEAS – Inverse Dynamics based Energy Analysis and Simulation) of assessing the controllability of a building and its servicing systems. IDEAS allows confident (i.e. calibrated in SAP) predictions to be made regarding the impact of novel heating and renewable energy systems. IDEAS can be used as a dynamic sizing tool for a heating system in a building and can be used to benchmark control systems performance as it can represent near perfect control. The addition of an air source heat pump model to IDEAS is described. This allows for detailed analysis to be made of air source heat pumps in a SAP-compliant framework, taking into account the dynamic nature of the system efficiency and thermal capacity. Practical applications: ASHPs are still a relatively novel technology in the UK, yet it has been suggested they could play a significant role in efforts to de-carbonise the heating sector. However field trials have found performance varies widely from installation to installation. Whilst some of this variation is due to user behaviour, ASHP systems are also very sensitive to design and commissioning. Fundamental methodologies which can provide detailed analysis of ASHP performance, such as that presented in this article, could contribute to improving system design standards. This would ensure more installations achieve a good level of performance, boosting confidence in the technology.