A real-time multi-objective HVAC load optimization integrated with home microgrid scheduling

Ensuring cost-effective and comfortable operation of residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems is crucial for both end-users' financial well-being and thermal comfort. Furthermore, the growing popularity and affordability of on-site energy generation and storage facilities in residential premises offer a potential solution to alleviate the demand for electricity from the grid. Hence, this study is established upon two primary objectives: (i) to establish a desirable equilibrium between the cost of HVAC usage and the avoidance of thermal discomfort among end-users within a multi-objective optimization framework, incorporating a constraint decoupling strategy enabling the real-time HVAC load scheduling, and (ii) to efficiently allocate power generated by on-site sources and stored energy in a home microgrid, utilizing a real-time bi-directional demand response scheme that minimizes costs without compromising the thermal comfort of end-users. This study's validation encompasses various end-user profiles and scenarios, with the results demonstrating the model's capacity to accomplish a favorable balance between cost and comfort for end-users. Furthermore, the implementation of a home microgrid leads to a substantial reduction in daily electricity expenses for end-users from consumer perspective, while it also contributes to a notable decrease in the grid's peak-to-average electricity demand ratio from the utility perspective.