Grant: Industrial Research Chairs

Buildings consume a great deal of Canada's energy resources and over half of its electricity production. They have significant potential to develop energy flexibility based on their energy loads, thus facilitating the integration of distributed energy resources (DER) such as building-integrated solar systems. Hydro-Québec, Canmet ENERGY, Régulvar and Concordia University have joined forces to propose a research program that builds on the first term of the Chair and has the potential to result in major benefits to Canada. Building on the candidate's recent efforts in the fields of energy efficiency, smart building operating strategies and solar buildings, new knowledge and innovative solutions will be developed to substantially enhance building integration into the future smart grid. The proposed research is organized around three axes: 1) Model predictive control and optimized responsive building operation; 2) Building flexibility for enhanced integration of distributed renewable energy resources and smart grid interaction and 3) Application case studies that integrate the work of axes 1 and 2 in retrofit measures (including control strategies) for existing buildings. Predictive control methodologies and optimal operating strategies will be developed under Axis 1 to optimize interaction with smart grids, including peak shaving, cold load pickup after power outage, demand response implementation and integration of DER. Design methodologies and strategies to enhance thermal and electrical flexibility of buildings and responsiveness to the grid through integration of distributed energy resources and predictive control (from axis 1) will be developed under Axis 2. The building flexibility with different types of energy storage and HVAC systems will be characterized in order to properly integrate distributed energy generation, such as from building-integrated photovoltaics and reduce the adverse impact of their variation on the grid. Axis 3 - case studies will focus primarily on applying the strategies, techniques and systems developed under axes 1 and 2 to existing commercial and institutional buildings to optimize power demand profile and reduce operating cost; the case studies will serve as examples that can be generalized.