Simulation-based Short-term Model Predictive Control for HVAC Systems of Residential Houses

In this paper, we propose a simple model predictive control (MPC) scheme for Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in residential houses. Our control scheme utilizes fitted thermal simulation to achieve precise prediction of room temperature and energy consumption in each prediction period. The set points of HVAC systems are selected to minimize the amount of energy consumption while maintaining room temperature within a desirable range to satisfy user comfort. Our control system is simple enough to implement in residential houses and is more efficient comparing with rule-based control methods.