The modelling and control of hot water consumption in residential hostels

This paper explains the models that have been developed for the design of control algorithms for the control of the hot water consumption of the student residential hostels at the University of Pretoria. Many factors make this type of environment unique and these factors, when brought into account with the models, ensure that dynamic and financially viable control algorithms can be designed. The largest factors that influence this type of control are the hot water consumption pattern of the hostel occupants and the ratio of consumers per cylinder being higher than expected with entire floors or sections being supplied with hot water from a single large cylinder