Open-Source, Open-Architecture SoftwarePlatform for Plug-InElectric Vehicle SmartCharging in California

This interdisciplinary eXtensible Building Operating System–Vehicles project focuses on controlling plug-in electric vehicle charging at residential and small commercial settings using a novel and flexible open-source, open-architecture charge communication and control platform. The platform provides smart charging functionalities and benefits to the utility, homes, and businesses.This project investigates four important areas of vehicle-grid integration research, integrating technical as well as social and behavioral dimensions: smart charging user needs assessment, advanced load control platform development and testing, smart charging impacts, benefits to the power grid, and smart charging ratepayer benefits

Energy audit experiences in foundries

Steel industry presents one of the highest energy demand of all the industrial sector. Foundries have a really relevant role both in economical terms and as regards the energy demand. The cost of energy represents several percentage points of the overall costs of a foundry. The electricity demand is very high, particularly for the induction melting furnaces. A large amount of thermal energy is obtained both from natural gas combustion and from the coal needed for the process of formation of cast iron in cupolas. Moreover, the plant services must be considered: one very energy consumer is compressed air production. Every factory is different from another so that the proposal of actions of energy savings or thermal recovers requires a detailed study of each plant considering the lay out and analysing the single processes with related energy needs and thermal levels. The co-operation of the University of Padua with the Centro Produttivita` Veneto allowed to plan a series of energy audits in some foundries located in Vicenza province. The experiences of the first facilities surveys and audits recommendations demonstrated both potential advantage of energy savings and the related difficulties, often due to the high investment costs. Anyhow the joint work of auditing between the university experts and the foundry technicians produced a better awareness on the critical points of the plant and a higher rationality level in the evaluation of investments for the renewable of the machinery. Here, the method of performing the energy audits is described together with the very first results in terms of roposals for energy savings evaluated technically and economically

Identifying intelligent Building Management Systems (BMS) in sustainable housing

Today, one of the things that have been the basis for most architects and design experts is paying attention to the principles of sustainability of energy and organized approach to sustainable development. If sustainability be reflected in the energy sector, it must be coordinated with other aspects such as social sustainability. There are always architects who define sustainability based on their view, but this study is trying to be formed on theoretical basis of architectural energy experts, and according to available resources and access to library studies in the field of technology BMS, introduce this technology to the people who are concerned about it. So that by this technology be an important factor in achieving sustainability in architecture.Keywords: Building Automation, Intelligent Management, Sustainable Architecture, Building Management Systems (BMS) In Housin

Towards the energy optimization and decarbonization of urban settings: proposal of a strategy at Neighbourhood Level to Foster Nearly Zero and Positive Energy Districts

Optimizing energy management in urban contexts has been one of the biggest challenges of the last decades for both the scientific community and international governments to pursue carbon neutrality, enhance energy security and promote energy equity and accessibility. In this regard, particular emphasis has been given by the EU and its member States on improving the energy performance of built environments by reducing building energy consumption (implementing adequate retrofit interventions) and fostering the integration of renewable energy sources (RES) to achieve the conditions of Nearly Zero and Positive Energy Districts. To this aim, the most recent energy-environmental initiatives promote as an effective solution the joining of energy users into groups/units (e.g., Energy Communities, consortia, etc.) which usually include buildings located in portions of territory, i.e. districts that share and collaborate in the management of energy supply and consumption. The case study presented in this paper intends to provide a contribution to this matter by using a modeling/simulation-based approach involving the evaluation of different scenarios of energy efficiency measures, i.e. building envelope retrofit interventions, RES integration and their combination, in a historic existing neighborhood. The analysis aims at identifying which are the most effective strategies to implement at district level in a typical Southern Italy building context

Multi-objective optimization of a nearly zero-energy building based on thermal and visual discomfort minimization using a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II)

Multi-objective optimization methods provide a valid support to buildings' design. They aim at identifying the most promising building variants on the basis of diverse and potentially contrasting needs. However, optimization has been mainly used to optimize the energy performance of buildings, giving secondary importance to thermal comfort and usually neglecting visual comfort and the indoor air quality. The present study addresses the design of a detached net zero-energy house located in Southern Italy to minimize thermal and visual discomfort. The optimization problem admits four objective functions (thermal discomfort during winter and summer and visual discomfort due to glare and an inappropriate quantity of daylight) and uses the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm, implemented in the GenOpt optimization engine through the Java genetic algorithms package, to instruct the EnergyPlus simulation engine. The simulation outcome is a four-dimensional solution set. The building variants of the Pareto frontier adopt diverse and non-intuitive design alternatives. To derive good design practices, two-dimensional projections of the solution set were also analyzed. Finally, in cases of complex optimization problems with many objective functions, optimization techniques are recommended to effectively explore the large number of available building variants in a relatively short time and, hence, identify viable non-intuitive solutions

Ancillary Services in Hybrid AC/DC Low Voltage Distribution Networks

In the last decade, distribution systems are experiencing a drastic transformation with the advent of new technologies. In fact, distribution networks are no longer passive systems, considering the current integration rates of new agents such as distributed generation, electrical vehicles and energy storage, which are greatly influencing the way these systems are operated. In addition, the intrinsic DC nature of these components, interfaced to the AC system through power electronics converters, is unlocking the possibility for new distribution topologies based on AC/DC networks. This paper analyzes the evolution of AC distribution systems, the advantages of AC/DC hybrid arrangements and the active role that the new distributed agents may play in the upcoming decarbonized paradigm by providing different ancillary services.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad ENE2017-84813-RUnión Europea (Programa Horizonte 2020) 76409