Technological advances in real-time data collection, data transfer and ever-increasing computational power are bringing simulation-assisted control and on-line fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) closer to reality than was imagined when building energy management systems (BEMSs) were introduced in the 1970s. This paper describes the development and testing of a prototype simulation-assisted controller, in which a detailed simulation program is embedded in real-time control decision making. Results from an experiment in a full-scale environmental test facility demonstrate the feasibility of predictive control using a physically-based thermal simulation program
Publically available data is presented comparing recent historical daily energy flows through Great Britain's electrical and gas transmission networks with a focus on domestic heat and hot water. When this data is expressed graphically it illustrates important differences in the characteristics of the gas and electricity demand; these include the quantity of energy delivered through the networks on a daily basis, the scale of variability in the gas demand over multiple timescales (seasonal, weekly and daily) and the relative stability and predictability of the electrical demand. As the United Kingdom proceeds to migrate heating demands to the electrical network in its drive to cut carbon emissions, electrical demand will increase, but equally importantly the variability and uncertainty shown in the gas demand will also migrate to the electrical demand, which suggests both technical challenges and opportunities for management of future energy networks
In 2003, the UK government announced its aspiration for a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 relative to 1990 levels. To achieve this radical target, action is required across all sectors of the economy to reduce energy demand significantly and to increase the supply of energy from zero or low carbon sources. Focusing on the domestic sector, where energy consumption is currently rising, technologies such as fuel cells, Stirling and internal combustion engine micro-CHP and heat pumps are often cited as the means to reduce carbon emissions. However, there is much uncertainty as to the potential environmental benefits (if any) of the aforementioned technologies when set against a picture of changing energy supply and demand. The paper describes an analysis in which the performance of the four different technologies mentioned above was compared against a common datum of energy supply from condensing gas boilers and grid electricity for a number of scenarios. The aim of the analysis was to determine if significant CO2 savings could be made and to determine the minimum thermodynamic performance criteria that these technologies must attain if they are to yield any environmental benefits. The main finding of the work is that air source heat pumps yield significantly more CO2 savings than any of the other technologies examined
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