Genetic algorithms based reference signal determination for temperature control of residential buildings

This paper deals with the use of genetic algorithms for the determination of the optimal set-point signals for the control of the temperature in a residential building for which the use of the rooms, that is, the user requirements, are different throughout the day. In particular, the optimization procedure aims at minimizing the overall energy consumption by satisfying, at the same time, the comfort constraints set by the user. Both the case of radiators and fan-coil units are considered. The presence of unoccupied rooms is also addressed. Finally, a comparison between this approach and a Model Predictive Control based one is presented. Simulation results obtained by using TRNSYS software tool demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.