Title : INTEGRATED CONTROL OF LIGHTING AND THERMAL LOADS
Authors : Benny Raphael
Publication : February 13-16, 2013
Volume :
Pages : 10-Jan
Price : 250
Abstract : This paper presents a framework and a methodology for the integrated control of indoor environment quality using multi-objective optimization. A new control strategy that maximizes building performance has been developed. The most important aspect of the strategy is the treatment of the task as a multi-criteria global optimization problem. The best control action is selected by the simultaneous evaluation of multiple objectives. Control strategies that are commonly adopted in the industry apply local actions which affect a single parameter at a time. In this research, global search is employed for selecting solutions that achieve reasonable trade-offs among parameters when there are conflicting objectives. This approach makes it possible to include criteria such as energy consumption, user preferences and indoor environment quality in the control strategy. The methodology has been tested and evaluated using several test cases involving both full scale working systems and hypothetical examples. An application in the domain of control of window blinds is described in detail in this paper. A laboratory prototype of automated window blinds employing integrated control strategy has been developed. The laboratory prototype shows that the system performs well and exhibits patterns of behaviour that are intuitive. The system is shown to take actions that conserve energy while respecting user preferences. Tests conducted using simulated test cases show significant potential for energy savings.