Model for Energy Management of Residential Building Heating System

Model based energy management and automation systems are becoming an effective solution in the field of heating systems for residential building. This paper presents a Matlab/Simulink based thermal model for a dwelling with a heating system (HS). The heating system is equipped with a centrifugal pump that has a variable speed drive allowing implementing model based control strategy. The model allows controlling the indoor climate in conformity with the defined reference point to keep the desired temperature inside the building. Also, the approach in which a model of a building is selected can simplify the control structure for thermal regulation. The paper provides an example of thermal model selection and calculation of its parameters that are designed to satisfy system requirements for a dwelling by taking into consideration the thermal comfort with minimal energy consumption. All parameters of the model can be adjusted according to the needs of building configuration and desired indoor temperature. The model helps to estimate the energy consumption of the heating system in the broad range of outdoor weather conditions.