Comparative evaluation of model predictive control strategies for a building HVAC system

The paper presents an evaluation procedure for a few promising Model Predictive Control (MPC) based approaches in supervisory control of building heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. A case study is established and control trajectories are generated using the proposed solvers. The resulting trajectories are evaluated in terms of benchmark metrics taking energy costs and occupant discomfort into account. A direct approach to incorporate occupant discomfort in the cost function is also proposed. Results indicate potential savings using MPC solvers when compared to the baseline.