Abstract
This memo describes the development process of simulation and optimization models for energy-flexible operation of building envelopes. These models consist of linear time invariant state space models designed to consider space heating qsh as the input and the following inputs as disturbances: outdoor temperature Tout, global horizontal solar radiation solGlob, internal gains Qint and ventilation heat qvent. A set of nine archetypes has been developed, consisting of three types of building – House, Apartment, and Commercial – at three energy efficiency levels – Regular, Efficient, Very Efficient. The House archetype represents detached and semi-detached houses containing 1.25 dwellings; Apartment represents an apartment building with 16 dwellings; and Commercial represents a building used for commercial purposes. The efficiency levels represent three categories of heat demand required by the buildings: Regular represents a building with energy demand representative of an average of the building stock, Efficient represents buildings from 2010 and later adhering to current energy efficiency guidelines, and Very Efficient represents buildings with energy demand similar to buildings adhering to a Passive house standard. FLEXor is a simulation and optimization tool for energy generation, demand, and use in the built environment. It is implemented in Python. All the sub-models in FLEXor, including the one described in this memo, are designed to be self-standing. Thus, they are self-contained, and do not include the control and/or optimization of other components. However, these models are to become part of a larger high-level model, FLEXor, that may include DHW tanks, electric vehicles, and other different components. Therefore, the models are designed to be i) linear, ii) in state space form (when applicable), and iii) transparent. This will allow the high-level model to be fast, lean, relatively simple, and able to leave a component out of the optimization process if necessary. The main intention of FLEXor is the quantification of energy flexibility in buildings. In particular, the envelope model is used to quantify SH flexibility: this is a demand-side management strategy that relies on shifting the supply of heat for space heating away from hours with high energy prices, and/or by reducing its peak power to lower costs related to power-driven grid tariffs.