Urban Energy SystemsOpen OpportunitiesIn recent years, the penetration of renewable energy resources in distribution grids has been steadily increasing, raising new challenges for power grids. Due to their large inertia, individual buildings may regulate their heating system to help stabilizing the electric network.
In our previous work, we designed an energy management system that self-exports a flexibility envelope to a system operator [1]. The envelope contains the maximal and minimum energy that the household can consume over an horizon of a day, considering some uncertainties on the weather and model errors.
However, the flexibility potential of prosumers highly depends on the underlying building model. On the one hand, a more complex model should yield more reliable results, reducing the uncertainties and therefore increasing the usable flexibility potential. On the other hand, it requires extensive data and engineering design.
This project aims at studying the impact of the epistimistic modelling uncertainty on the controller decisions and the flexibility potential of households. Some work already analyzed the impact of building models on an MPC controller. In this project, we would like to extend the analysis to the flexibility potential of prosumer units based on the flexibility envelope concepts used in previous works.
[1] Gasser, J., et al., Predictive energy management of residential buildings while self-reporting flexibility envelope. (2021), Applied Energy, 288, p.116653
- Building Science and Techniques, Optimisation, Stochastic Analysis and Modelling
- Master Thesis
| In recent years, the penetration of renewable energy resources in distribution grids has been steadily increasing, raising new issues such as voltage violations or line congestions. Due to their large inertia, individual buildings may regulate their heating system to help distribution system operators alleviating these congestions.
In our previous work, we designed an energy management system that self-exports a flexibility envelope to a system operator for system-level dispatch [1]. The envelope contains the maximal and minimum energy that the household can consume over an horizon of a day. Now, we would like to employ this information to reduce congestions in distribution grids.
[1] Gasser, J., et al., Predictive energy management of residential buildings while self reporting flexibility envelope. (2021), Applied Energy, 288, p.116653. - Building Science and Techniques, Electrical Engineering, Optimisation
- Master Thesis
| A robust, grey-box approach for occupant detection based on indoor air quality data is developed, using previous development and Empa NEST's infrastructure. - Architecture, Urban Environment and Building, Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
- Semester Project
| Small-scale data centers will considerably grow due to an increase in edge computing and real-time data through IOT sensors. They can be operated flexibly to match intermittent renewable energy generation and building energy demand. As such this provides interesting opportunities for the operation of multi-energy systems at the building level. This master project covers the topic of small-scale edge data centers (below 250 kW) in the context of multi-energy systems. It aims to evaluate different design concepts for the efficient implementation of small-scale data centers in buildings using the Ehub tool. - Engineering and Technology
- Master Thesis
| We are looking for a software engineer to develop and maintain an MILP based energy system optimization library in an interdisciplinary team. - Engineering and Technology, Mathematics, Other Mathematical Sciences
- Student Assistant / HiWi
| Small-scale data centers will considerably grow due to an increase in edge computing and real-time data through IOT sensors. They can be operated flexibly to match intermittent renewable energy generation and building energy demand. As such this provides interesting opportunities for the operation of multi-energy systems at the building and district level. - Engineering and Technology
- Master Thesis, Semester Project
| We are looking for an intern to strengthen our energy hub modelling team on modelling and parameteriza-tion of waste incineration plants including carbon capture and storage. - Architecture, Urban Environment and Building, Engineering and Technology
- Internship
| The Building Energy Materials and Components Lab at EMPA is developing a novel construction element based on glass bricks filled with aerogel. The translucent and thermal insulating characteristics of this novel brick allows architects to explore new configurations of opaque and transparent surfaces to improve the integrated visual and thermal performance of the indoor environment. The Urban Energy Systems Lab holds the expertise needed to quantify the impact of new designs/retrofits based on whole building performance simulations. It is still unclear what is the best trade-off between minimizing energy needs of buildings for space heating/cooling and lighting and maximizing thermal and visual comfort when translucent bricks are integrated in the building envelope. - Building Science and Techniques, Interior and Environmental Design
- Semester Project
| The Urban Energy System Laboratory at Empa has openings for semester projects in real-time simulation of building energy systems using digital twins. - Architecture, Building not elsewhere classified, Building Science and Techniques, Construction Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
- Semester Project
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