Intelligent integration of BIPV and load management systems for modern buildings

Abstract

This paper outlines the basics of load management, and highlights the possibility of maximising the contribution from the Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) power generation. It will also explain the underlying principles of a dynamic modelling approach and its application in supporting the anticipatory control strategy for load shifting. For many types of building applications, the load profiles are well matched with the BIPV generation profiles such that the BIPV power source is already acting as the peak clipping device. The application of Building Management Systems (BMS) in load shifting should consider the supply from BIPV system. Secondly, due to the thermal mass of the building, there exists time delay in the response of the power requirement of the HVAC system in the building from the solar radiation data. The BIPV system, on the contrary, is responding almost instantaneously to the solar irradiance. A dynamic BIPV model could be applied in aiding the prediction of the load profile. This paper will outline these aspects of the BIPV system as a demonstration of its application in BMS.