Development of algorithms for building energy efficiency

This chapter investigates the opportunity offered by innovative algorithms to enhance buildings—energy efficiency and occupants' comfort. This chapter offers an exhaustive overview of the current development trends, analyzing both the relevant scientific literature and the commercialized solutions currently available on the market. The first part of the chapter analyses comprehensively the control algorithms implemented in residential and commercial building control systems. The second part of the chapter focuses on the specific algorithms, applications, and case studies relative to the fulfillment of two key, the primary, goals to improve the building performance: (1) maximizing occupants' comfort while reducing the energy consumption and (2) the optimization of the interaction with the grid. Several start-up case studies are presented and analyzed in terms of how their products and business models have been able to provide added value to the customer, using the intangible added value of algorithms for building energy efficiency.