DEMSIS: Digital energy management services in supermarket buildings via cloud-based solutions

提高英国现有建筑的能源性能是政府实现净零碳排放的重要一步。如果要实现环境目标，研发部门需要了解低碳技术的能力，以及如何使用数字服务来更好地管理其能源使用。在这种背景下，可以从数据驱动、基于云的解决方案中衍生出的新型建筑控制方法引起了建筑业主和运营商的高度兴趣，他们很快就需要升级过时的建筑管理系统（BMS）。然而，由于“隐藏”的安装成本，缺乏标准和模块化以及建筑行业的“风险规避”态度，今天这种解决方案的实施有限。因此，弥合学术文献和现实世界应用之间的差距对于支持现场实施和探索更大连通性的潜力至关重要，在这方面，DEMSIS项目采用一家超市作为案例研究，并将其作为测试平台，实时实施模型预测控制方案，以增强暖通空调和制冷系统;这是超市中最耗能的两项服务，占商店总用电量的45-60%。MPC方案的工作原理是预测系统在未来12-24小时内将如何响应控制变化，同时考虑其他相关预测，如能源价格和天气数据。通过了解这些未来状态，它允许系统预先为高电价或寒冷天气做好准备，从而减少其整体能源和碳使用。在开发这种控制逻辑的同时，还将设计所需的硬件和软件基础设施，并部署在试验商店中，以便对拟议的MPC方案进行实际测试。拟议的建模和软件框架将在广泛的商业建筑中复制，降低英国许多企业的进入门槛。此外，由于MPC公式的灵活性，所提出的方法可以包含与电网需求侧管理相关的额外约束，例如确保在高峰期不突破功率阈值。该领域研究人员面临的挑战是如何最好地整合捕获的大量数据，以协调系统管理，从而减少建筑物的能源使用。需要硬件组件和软件工具的组合来更新现有的传统控制系统。如果进行这种升级，学术文献表明，通过应用物联网概念来支持实时优化，在增强运营管理方面有很大的潜力。在这个项目中，研究人员与一家大型食品零售商（Sainsbury's Supermarkets）合作，实施尖端的解决方案，深入了解未来建筑应如何运营。DEMSIS项目的主要目标是：1.提供与现有控制器兼容的最佳硬件和软件解决方案的建议（例如，HVAC）。通过在超市中进行多次测试，量化在商业建筑中实施此类新颖解决方案的商业案例。3.概述建筑运营商实施智能控制方案所面临的技术和商业障碍。提出新的关键性能指标，提供有关供暖和制冷系统性能的信息。5.就基于云的控制解决方案如何支持英国电力系统的需求侧管理和智能电网应用提供见解。该项目的研究结果将支持实现建筑环境向更智能数字服务的经济高效过渡。将知识传递给学术界、工业界和负责房地产行业脱碳的政策制定者的关键利益相关者。

Enhancing the energy performance of existing buildings in the UK is a vital step in the Government's pathway to net-zero carbon. If environmental targets are to be reached, R&D is required to understand the capabilities of low carbon technologies and how digital services can be used to better manage their energy use. In this context, novel building control approaches that can be derived from data-driven, cloud-based solutions is of high interest for building owners and operators who soon will need to upgrade outdated building management systems (BMS). Yet today there is limited implementation of such solutions due to 'hidden' installation costs, lack of standards and modularity and 'risk averse' attitudes in the building sector. Bridging the gap between the academic literature and real-world applications is hence paramount to support live implementation and explore the potential of greater connectivity.Under this context, the DEMSIS project employs a supermarket as a case study and uses it as a test bed to implement in real-time a model predictive control (MPC) scheme to enhance HVAC and refrigeration systems; the two most energy intensive services in a supermarket which are responsible for 45-60% of a store's overall electricity usage. MPC schemes work by predicting how a system will respond to a control change over the next 12-24 hours, considering other relevant forecasts such as energy prices and weather data. By understanding these future states, it allows the system to pre-emptively prepare for, for example, high electricity prices or cold weather, hence reducing its overall energy and carbon usage. As well as developing this control logic, the required hardware and software infrastructure will be designed and deployed in the pilot store to allow for real-world testing of the proposed MPC schemes. The proposed modelling and software framework will be replicable across a wide range of commercial buildings, lowering the barrier to entry for many businesses across the UK. Furthermore, due to the flexible nature of MPC formulation the proposed approach could incorporate additional constraints related to demand-side management for the grid, e.g. ensuring power thresholds aren't breached during peak periods.The challenge for researchers in this field is how best to integrate the abundant data being captured to coordinate the management of systems to reduce energy use in buildings. A combination of hardware components and software tools are required to update existing legacy control systems. If such upgrades take place, the academic literature suggests there is significant potential in enhancement of operational management by applying internet-of-things concepts to support real-time optimisation. In this project the researchers collaborate with a major food retailer (Sainsbury's Supermarkets) to implement cutting edge solutions that give insights into how future buildings should be operated.The DEMSIS project has as key objectives to:1. Provide recommendations on the best hardware and software solutions that are compatible with existing controllers (e.g., HVAC).2. Quantify the business case for implementing such novel solutions in a commercial building by conducting multiple tests in the supermarket.3. Outline the technical and commercial barriers building operators are facing to implement smart control schemes.4. Propose new key performance indicators that provide information on how heating and refrigeration systems are performing.5. Give insights on how control cloud-based solutions can support the UK power system with regards to demand side management and smart-grid applications.Findings from the project will support enabling a cost-effective transition towards smarter digital services for the built environment. Transferring knowledge to key stakeholders in academia, industry, and policy makers responsible for the decarbonisation of the property sector.