%0 Conference Paper %B Third ACM Workshop on Embedded Sensing Systems for Energy-Efficiency in Buildings %D 2011 %T Co-simulation based building controls implementation with networked sensors and actuators %A Yao-Jung Wen %A Dennis L. DiBartolomeo %A Francis M. Rubinstein %Y Ruzzelli, Antonio %X

The commercial building sector is one of the largest energy consumers in the U.S., and lighting, heating, ventilating and air conditioning contribute to more than half of the energy consumption and carbon emissions in buildings. Controls are the most effective way of increasing energy efficiency in building systems; however, the interdependencies among building subsystems must be taken into account to achieve deep energy savings. A networked sensing and actuation infrastructure shared among building systems is the key to optimal integrated control of the interdependent building elements in low energy and zero net energy buildings.

This paper presents a rapid-prototyping controls implementation platform based on the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB) framework that is capable of linking to building sensor and actuator networks for efficient controller design and testing. The platform creates a separation between the controls and the physical systems so that the controller can easily be implemented, tested and tuned with real performance feedback from a physical implementation. We realized an integrated lighting control algorithm using such a rapid-prototyping platform in a testing facility with networked sensors and actuators. This implementation has demonstrated an up to 57% savings in lighting electricity and 28% reduction in cooling demand.

%B Third ACM Workshop on Embedded Sensing Systems for Energy-Efficiency in Buildings %I ACM Press %C Seattle, Washington %V Proceedings of BuildSys 2011 %P 55 %8 11/2011 %@ 9781450307499 %! BuildSys '11 %R 10.1145/2434020.2434040 %0 Report %D 2011 %T Rapid Prototyping Control Implementation using the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed %A Yao-Jung Wen %X

This report documents the development of a rapid-prototyping control framework based on the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed co-simulation software. The objective of the developed framework is to establish the separation between the control algorithm and the physical systems such that the control algorithm can be rapidly revised and implemented without having to physically swap the controllers. The corresponding protocols and interfaces are designed for maximal flexibility, easy generalization and straightforward implementation. An instance of such control framework has been realized in the Advanced Windows Testing Facility at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and is used as a case study throughout this report.

%8 09/2011 %G eng %9 Philips Technical Report