Description
The project is focused on the development of technologies and tools to strengthen the deployment of the distributed generation solutions with photovoltaic sources, and incorporating building HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) demand management, including thermal energy storage systems. Buildings are strongly conditioned by the constructive aspects, the weather, their users, etc. All these factors will be considered in the development of a decision support tool that will monitor in real time the building user’s demand profiles and will have a reliable photovoltaic generation forecast in order to assist the Facility/Building Manager in the optimization of the HVAC operation and maintenance.The project will integrate the most cost‐effective generation technologies and new HVAC schemes of energy demand. This will be deployed using expert auto-learning and forecasting systems with available management and storage tools. The MIDNATTSSOL development project will be conducted by a multidisciplinary consortium EMTE and DEXMA ENERGY MANAGEMENT, and will draw on the experience and know-how of relevant external partners in the market
Summary of project results
The MIDNATTSSOL project focused on the development of technologies and tools to strengthen the deployment of the distributed generation solutions with PV sources, and incorporating building HVAC demand management. Based on the intensive use of ICT technologies, the ‘user–friendly’ MIDNATTSSOL solution (Software as a Service in the cloud) was designed to facilitate the acceptance of the end-user and increases market shares. DEXMA has developed an app that integrates PV generation and energy consumption in a single global energy management system, predicts expected generation from the PV system, with weather conditions included in the forecast analysis and energy demand. The system has been validated by COMSA INDUSTRIAL in a Smart School in Viladecans, Spain. The demonstrator was composed of a heat pump and an 86kW PV facility. With the current system the surpluses of PV generation could be used to heat and cool the building during all the year, according to the need of the user. This system can be implemented in any other building to achieve renewable efficient generation and energy savings.
Summary of bilateral results
For the MIDNATTSSOL project it was crucial to integrate the most appropriate heating pump in the existing HVAC systems. For that purpose, the access to the existing HVAC systems was necessary. This task was subcontracted to the Company ENOCO through the cluster ARENA SMART GRIDS located in Norway. ENOCO has developed a document, included in the PT3 of the project “Photovoltaic Surplus Management”. In the document named “Technical feasibility study‐accessing and overwriting commands in existing HVAC systems”, ENOCO has made a theoretical viability study of the possibilities and problems related to access in a Building Management Controllers (BMC) in several field bus devices (BACNet, ModBus, KNX, Profibus, and OPC). Among several ways to communicate, COMSA has chosen the OPC protocol through an existing SCADA system in the same building. This way allows controlling the HVAC system with all the guaranties to operate without losing security in the facility. The cooperation with ENOCO has been very successful and therefore both companies (ENOCO & COMSA INDUSTRIAL) may participate together in future projects (although no particular plans have been yet considered).