Optimal Control of Operable Windows for Mixed Mode Building Simulation in EnergyPlus

A well-designed mixed mode building allows natural ventilation when the outside weather conditions are favorable and deploys air-conditioning when natural ventilation is not able to provide sufficient comfort. In this study, a methodology is proposed to enable real time control of operable windows for mixed mode ventilation building. EnergyPlus is used for building energy simulations. A real-time simulation is performed using Building Controls Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB). In this methodology, AERIS Weather Data is used to forecast hourly weather parameters. Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) Models are used to model a day-ahead prediction for the lighting load, electric load and the occupancy profiles. Co-simulation of EnergyPlus is carried out with BCVTB to enable real-time simulation wherein; the EnergyPlus weather file parameters and input building loads are updated every hour. Based on the indoor and outdoor conditions, EnergyPlus calculates the schedule for opening/closing of windows. A simulation based case study for Hyderabad, India is performed to demonstrate the working of the proposed methodology. Reduction of 25% in cooling energy demand was estimated in a mixed mode building as compared to the fully air-conditioned building during the study period.