Experimental tests on the optimal management of all-electric dwellings

European policies are fostering the electrification of end uses including the space heating and cooling systems in order to decarbonise the housing stock. The deep penetration of electrical loads and domestic PV plants has therefore become an important topic for researchers and engineers working in the building sector. In this context, this paper presents a recently constructed laboratory for testing efficient management strategies in all-electric dwellings. The article describes the lab and the model predictive control strategy developed to minimize economic costs for space heating and cooling while guaranteeing thermal comfort in the indoor environment in presence of a simulated rooftop PV system. The proposed controller exploits prior knowledge about physical and geometrical properties of the building. The first tests, carried out in offline mode, demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach. The proposed Building Energy Management System (BEMS) exploits the flexibility offered both by the building structure and by the thermal storage tank to minimize costs in both the heating and cooling season. Future work will put other electrical devices under BEMS control.