Fuzzy logic smart electric manager for building energy efficiency

Abstract

The new electrical grid paradigm with the inclusion of technological advances in generation, distribution, and consumption phases allows a more dynamic and interactive network for all stakeholders. Nevertheless, the complexity to model this interaction among electrical grid users and service providers leads to a lack of appropriate simulation tools to deal with the evolving electrical grid and the stochastic behavior of the end users, affected by energy price fluctuations, user preferences, and resource performance. Besides the lack of technological tools which help the end user to modify its consumption patterns by taking advantage of the electricity market and proper management of resources, impede a proper analysis and forecasting of scenarios where these tools may face the inherent uncertainty in energy consumption and renewable generation. Therefore, it is proposed a simulation framework to monitor and control the electrical consumption of a group of users with similar electrical load profile but different preferences and consumption patterns, through a flexible load scheme and flexible user behavior scheme based on fuzzy logic, in order to emulate the electrical grid of a building with own distributed energy resources and enhance the energy efficiency by modifying users electrical behavior. A case study is shown where the implementation of a virtual manager advises the end users and controls a set of flexible loads in order to reduce energy consumption in a building within a Mexican pricing scheme.