Cascaded systems and methods for controlling energy use during a demand limiting period
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Solution Overview
Problem
Building management systems (BMS) face challenges in efficiently integrating with smart grid components and data to optimize energy use, particularly in managing HVAC systems during peak usage times, leading to increased energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a feedback controller to adjust the operation of HVAC devices based on energy use setpoints, incorporating a processing circuit with an error analyzer and error corrector to generate manipulated variables, and integrating with smart grid data for demand limiting strategies, ensuring comfortable and productive building environments while reducing energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If demand limiting is utilized to reduce energy costs during peak usage times, then energy consumption and costs are reduced, but building temperature control and comfort may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary cooling of the building during off-peak hours when energy costs are lower, storing thermal energy in the building's thermal mass. This pre-cooling allows the HVAC system to be operated at reduced capacity during peak demand periods while maintaining acceptable temperature ranges, thus reducing overall energy consumption without severely compromising comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts temperature setpoints and HVAC operating parameters based on real-time energy pricing signals, demand forecasts, and building thermal state. By changing operational parameters adaptively rather than maintaining fixed settings, the system optimizes the trade-off between energy consumption and temperature control under varying conditions.
2Use of energy by stationary object
If HVAC operation is reduced during demand limiting periods, then energy costs are reduced, but building comfort and productivity may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors building temperature, HVAC performance, and energy consumption, using this feedback to dynamically adjust control strategies. This closed-loop control ensures that demand limiting actions are optimized in real-time to maintain comfort within acceptable ranges while achieving energy cost reductions, preventing excessive temperature deviations that would compromise occupant comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static, fixed HVAC schedules to dynamic, adaptive control that responds to real-time conditions including weather forecasts, occupancy patterns, and energy pricing signals. This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize the balance between energy cost reduction and comfort maintenance by adjusting operations flexibly rather than following rigid pre-set schedules.
Data Source
AI summary
A cascaded control system is configured to control power consumption of a building during a demand limiting period. The cascaded control system includes an energy use setpoint generator and a feedback controller. The energy use setpoint generator is configured to use energy pricing data and measurements of a variable condition within the building to generate an energy use setpoint during the demand limiting period. The feedback controller is configured to use a difference between the energy use setpoint and a measured energy use to generate a control signal for building equipment that operate to affect the variable condition within the building during the demand limiting period.