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Modeling, Analysis, Optimization and Control of HVAC Systems in Buildings...
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Modeling, Analysis, Optimization and Control of HVAC Systems in Buildings - Volume 2

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 6069

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Nassif Nabil

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
Interests: modeling, analysis, optimization, and control of HVAC systems; building mechanical systems and refrigeration systems; HVAC system design and installation; control system and HVAC system optimization; artificial intelligence applications and smart capabilities in building energy systems; energy efficiency and technologies in buildings; fault detection and diagnosis of cooling and heating energy system; continuous and retro-commissioning of HVAC systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Buildings are major consumers of energy globally. Improvements in the design and operation of building energy systems, specifically HVAC systems, can reduce energy costs in homes and commercial buildings, which represents a significant economic opportunity. Reliable models, optimization techniques, and advanced control strategies are essential to achieve the maximum overall performance efficiency of HVAC systems and, thereby, reduce building energy uses. Thus, the aim of this Special Issue is to address the needs of new modeling techniques for the design and operation of building energy systems, advanced operation of HVAC systems through better control and control sequence strategies, data-enabled modeling and optimization methods, advanced computational methods for buildings, and any innovative design and operation techniques that can lead to better building energy system efficiency.

We invite high-quality, cutting-edge articles for this Special Issue on “Modeling, Analysis, Optimization, and Control of HVAC Systems in Buildings”; Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Building energy system design and operation;
  • Modeling and optimization of HVAC systems;
  • HVAC system analysis;
  • HVAC system control and optimization;
  • Applications of Artificial intelligence and computational methods to building energy systems;
  • Advanced computational methods and modern data analysis techniques for buildings.

Dr. Nassif Nabil
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • building energy system
  • building energy efficiency
  • buildings
  • HVAC system
  • modeling and optimization
  • HVAC system control
  • chilled water system
  • artificial intelligence method
  • computational intelligence

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 2095 KiB  
Article
A Method and Metrics to Assess the Energy Efficiency of Smart Working
by Lucia Cattani, Anna Magrini and Anna Chiari
Buildings 2024, 14(3), 741; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14030741 - 9 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1063
Abstract
The paper discusses the energy efficiency of smart working (SW) as a solution to traditional work-approach issues, with a focus on evaluating benefits for both employers and employees. Remote working, while offering environmental advantages such as reduced commuting and office space use, poses [...] Read more.
The paper discusses the energy efficiency of smart working (SW) as a solution to traditional work-approach issues, with a focus on evaluating benefits for both employers and employees. Remote working, while offering environmental advantages such as reduced commuting and office space use, poses challenges in assessing its true impact. The study presents results from a dynamic analysis on a real residential building, typical of an architectural style diffused in northern Italy, revealing a 15% average increase in energy consumption when all work tasks are performed from home. To address concerns about the environmental impact of SW, the research proposes a method and metrics for evaluation. Four novel indices (SWEET, SEE, SSEE, and 4E) are introduced, providing a structured approach to assess the energy efficiency of SW initiatives. The paper outlines a methodology for data gathering and metric application, aiming to acquire quantitative insights and mitigate disparities arising from a transfer of burdens to employees. This contribution not only signifies a ground-breaking methodology but also addresses an unresolved research question concerning the evaluation of the actual energy efficiency of smart working implementations for both employers and employees. The results underscore the importance of understanding the nuances of SW’s impact on household energy usage and its broader implications for sustainability goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling, Analysis, Optimization and Control of HVAC Systems in Buildings - Volume 2)
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19 pages, 2836 KiB  
Article
Economic Model-Predictive Control of Building Heating Systems Using Backbone Energy System Modelling Framework
by Topi Rasku, Toni Lastusilta, Ala Hasan, Rakesh Ramesh and Juha Kiviluoma
Buildings 2023, 13(12), 3089; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13123089 - 12 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1098
Abstract
Accessing the demand-side management potential of the residential heating sector requires sophisticated control capable of predicting buildings’ response to changes in heating and cooling power, e.g., model-predictive control. However, while studies exploring its impacts both for individual buildings as well as energy markets [...] Read more.
Accessing the demand-side management potential of the residential heating sector requires sophisticated control capable of predicting buildings’ response to changes in heating and cooling power, e.g., model-predictive control. However, while studies exploring its impacts both for individual buildings as well as energy markets exist, building-level control in large-scale energy system models has not been properly examined. In this work, we demonstrate the feasibility of the open-source energy system modelling framework Backbone for simplified model-predictive control of buildings, helping address the above-mentioned research gap. Hourly rolling horizon optimisations were performed to minimise the costs of flexible heating and cooling electricity consumption for a modern Finnish detached house and an apartment block with ground-to-water heat pump systems for the years 2015–2022. Compared to a baseline using a constant electricity price signal, optimisation with hourly spot electricity market prices resulted in 3.1–17.5% yearly cost savings depending on the simulated year, agreeing with comparable literature. Furthermore, the length of the optimisation horizon was not found to have a significant impact on the results beyond 36 h. Overall, the simplified model-predictive control was observed to behave rationally, lending credence to the integration of simplified building models within large-scale energy system modelling frameworks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling, Analysis, Optimization and Control of HVAC Systems in Buildings - Volume 2)
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14 pages, 3632 KiB  
Article
Solutions to Achieve High-Efficient and Clean Building HVAC Systems
by Pejman Ebrahimi, Iffat Ridwana and Nabil Nassif
Buildings 2023, 13(5), 1211; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13051211 - 4 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3321
Abstract
The building sector accounts for a substantial amount of energy consumption, resulting in higher carbon emissions and environmental impact worldwide. Electrification and energy efficiency in building systems can be the key to decarbonization in buildings. This research proposes new heating and cooling loops [...] Read more.
The building sector accounts for a substantial amount of energy consumption, resulting in higher carbon emissions and environmental impact worldwide. Electrification and energy efficiency in building systems can be the key to decarbonization in buildings. This research proposes new heating and cooling loops consisting of heat pumps to lower natural gas usage in building systems. Typical chillers and boilers in the cooling and heating loops are replaced with heat pumps to serve the loads and maintain thermal comfort in the building. In addition, a new optimal supply air temperature (SAT) reset strategy is also implemented with the proposed configuration for better system performance. A large multi-zone office building is simulated as a case study to measure the conventional system’s electricity and natural gas consumption and the proposed design. Even with heat pumps that use electricity as the energy source, electricity consumption is reduced by 3.3% to 11.8% in different climate zones for the proposed system. On the other hand, 10.2% to 67% lower natural gas is consumed when the proposed system and the optimal SAT reset are utilized. The carbon emission is also reduced by 10.8% to 38% compared to the conventional system. The results show that the proposed design and optimization strategy can lead to significant energy and cost savings in conjunction with lower carbon emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling, Analysis, Optimization and Control of HVAC Systems in Buildings - Volume 2)
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