A Model Predictive Approach for Energy Management in Smart Buildings

Effective and efficient energy management is crucial in smart electrical systems like nanogrids. The application of model predictive control (MPC) for the energy management of electrical energy storage in nanogrids for smart buildings is considered in this paper. An MPC strategy is devised in order to improve the nanogrid operation at the points of connection with the utility grid, integrating in the control information about future power generation and load consumption. The strategy is compared with a heuristic approach that exploits the energy storage only on an instantaneous basis, without any future predictions. It is shown that the MPC approach can provide convenient references to the power converters interfacing energy resources with the grid and significant long-term advantages as compared to the heuristic strategy.