Predictive control, a way to optimize energy use in buildings

211 p.The energy requirements of our globalized world carries out interdependence conditions and instability in certain areas. In developed societies, buildings expend about 40% of energy, and half it is used by the building climate systems to ensure thermal comfort. It must also be remarked that more than a half of the consumed power in Europa is imported. For these reasons, the reduction of the amount of power used in buildings has become an objective for the European power policy. This PhD Thesis studies two specific problems dealing them from a control perspective. The first problem is given by the big stock of aged poor quality residential blocks that are still in some districts of modern cities. The use of a Model Predictive Control (MPC) allows using the weather forecast to reduce the energy use ensuring thermal comfort. Results of the study show potential energy savings about 9 % when compared with the ones of a thermostatic control. The use of an MPC with a Time of Use (TOU) power rate shows also important economic benefits although there is no energy savings.The second problem that handles this PHD Thesis is to improve the blind system control of an office building in order to reduce the energy required need to maintain the comfort conditions in the offices. The analysis is checked with the two-office module found in the literature. This module is made of high quality materials, north-south oriented, and climatized by an MPC-controlled main TABS and auxiliary AHU systems. The novel enhanced blind system control uses the information of the required energy use foreseen by the MPC to regulate the blind system. Obtained results show a potential energy use reduction of 15 % in South oriented office when the novel system is compared with a hysteresis blind system control