Energy Management in Buildings Using MATLAB

Abstract

MATLAB is an applicable software in various aspects of engineering such as Electrical engineering and its different sub majors. There are a lot of examples and demos on these majors, although there is a few text or example on MATLAB application in energy management. In this text, I have provided a general application of energy management in buildings using MATLAB software. Considering limit source of fuel energy, we need to use energy and resources carefully and it is an economical and ecological challenge as well as being one which is important for survival and which can only be mastered by highly qualified engineers. A significant percentage of the energy used nationally is consumed in buildings, which means there are considerable potential for savings and a corresponding need for responsible behavior.The building sector worldwide uses up to 40% of primary energy requirements and also a considerable amount of overall water requirements. Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS), aims to improve environment within the building and may control temperature, carbon dioxide levels. BEMS is not sufficient enough due to human interference. Human is a dynamic part of the building; therefore he/she should be taken into account in the control strategy. Latest trends in designing Intelligent Building Energy management Systems (IBEMS) integrate a Man Machine Interface that could store the human’s preferences and adapt the control strategy accordingly. BEMS have been developed after the Energy crisis in the late 70’s combined with the fast development of computers science. The aims of these systems are to monitor and control the environmental parameters of the buildings and at the same time to minimize the energy consumption and cost. Since then, BEMS have become commercial tools and are implemented in a wide range of applications, especially in large office buildings; thus useful experience is available regarding their benefits and drawbacks. Systems linked to a BMS typically represent 40% of a building's energy usage; if lighting is included, this number approaches 70%. Some Benefits of BMS are: • Building tenant/occupants • Good control of internal comfort conditions • Possibility of individual room control • Increased staff productivity