Hierarchical application of model-predictive control for efficient integration of active buildings into low voltage grids

Active buildings are important contributors in urban power grids and they are expected to be more integrated with renewable energy resources. At the same time, the amount of additional renewable sources that can be integrated in existing urban distribution grids is restricted by technical limitations. This work introduces a novel hierarchical predictive model controller architecture that takes both the power grid and the building domains into account. In order to maximize the hosting capacity of existing grids, considering the role of the buildings´ energy performance in the active distribution grid is essential. Minimal grid congestion and maximum self-coverage of building energy demand are two goals that potentially can be traded off efficiently by this approach.